Can run propane under a carport?

It will be fine no air will get trapped in an open air carport. I think you are over thinking it. congrats on building a home

Not a problem, but what are you worried about? Propane is heavier than air and I'd only be concerned in a fully enclosed garage. Not necessary, but you could put 1 or 2 propane detectors under the trailer if it would make you feel better. Finally if you are building a house then you will have power, so propane use should be minimal, use electric heaters rather than the furnace. Besides electric is cheaper than propane

As long as it is open, it should be ok! I have always been amazed how people fear propane and natural gas so much, but think nothing of using phones, allowing static electricity and even smoke at gas stations! How many of you stop your rig, before entering a gas station and turn off all electric devices, fridge, hot water heater, etc? Anyway, sorry for the rant, your rig under a car port with open sides will be perfectly ok!

Coach-man wrote:
As long as it is open, it should be ok! I have always been amazed how people fear propane and natural gas so much, but think nothing of using phones, allowing static electricity and even smoke at gas stations! How many of you stop your rig, before entering a gas station and turn off all electric devices, fridge, hot water heater, etc? Anyway, sorry for the rant, your rig under a car port with open sides will be perfectly ok!

The gas station scenario amazes me! If people could see inside the engine's starter motor, it would scare them to death to restart their engines at a fuel island! :D

Rusty

edb121212 wrote:
I know when you travel by ferry they want the tanks empty.

They want them turned off. I never understood this, as there's usually a 40 knot wind howling constantly.

OK, thanks guys, I think I probably am overthinking it. I do that a lot but safety comes first.

One cup, not a gallon, one cup of gasoline equals one stick of dynamite! I have heard that if gasoline were "discovered" today it would immediately be banned for consumers, perhaps the Military would be allowed to have it! As far as natural gas/propane I think that goes back about 100 years! Most homes were heated by coal or oil fired furnaces, you had coal or wood fired stoves, and heated your hot water using the kitchen stove! Natural gas is normally colorless and orderless, so early attempts to change the way you heat your homes and water, as well as cook were met with opposition by the coal and oil providers! Laws were soon passed to put the smell in gas so you could detect a leak, but oil and coal companies spread rumors about how unsafe gas was in an effort to keep their profitable business! Fast forward we take gas in our homes for granted, but the rumors and falsehoods spread by those companies continue. "Safety" laws also lag! In the past 10 years, I have seen on TV and read about many instances where a truck delivering gasoline or heating oil has been in an accident, and a bridge or overpass had to be rebuilt because of the heat from the ensuing fire! Perhaps someone on here can correct me, but I do not recall, ever hearing about an accident involving an RV that took out a freeway because of the propane tanks it was carrying! There was a fire and explosion at a propane company in FLA, where a leaking fixture and the ignition from a trucks engine destroyed the entire yard, but no one was killed, and the ensuing fire was contained in the companies lot! In my opinion gasoline is a much bigger threat than propane!

Is the carport adjacent to your house?

The only thing I would consider when building is if the furnace and hot water heater on you RV exhausts on the side the house is on when parked in carport.

The exhaust fumes from them will come in thru your house windows when running them in the RV.

Interesting "asides" on: Natural gas, Propane, Gasoline.

Spent 30 years responding to funny and serious incidents involving the above.

Natural Gas:
As (I think) we all know, natural gas is lighter than air. No problem unless it's a major leak in a major supply line (like in the street).
Or - in a sealed, confined area - where the natural gas can't escape.

Propane:
Heavier than air. With a *serious* propane leak, propane "flows" like water.
It will "pool" in depressions - just like water does.
Example.
Responded to a dispatch of a "gas leak" in a tract home residential area.
Figured it was probably a homeowner who (somehow) caused a natural gas leak.
Upon arrival - there was a large commercial moving van outside the house.
We were met at the door by the mover assistants, who told us the owner was in the yard - with serious burns.

The story - the homeowner had a propane fired BBQ in the back yard. The movers told him they couldn't take a full propane tank.....so take it out to the middle of the back yard, open the valve and turn it upside down - which he did.

The yard was slightly lower than the adjoining houses, he had a small retainer around the perimeter of his yard (about 2 bricks high). On opening the tank, the propane (gas) flowed across his yard and around the side of the house where he had a spa - which ignited the propane - causing it to flash across the yard.

BTW - light breeze to "almost" calm.
Homeowner -wearing shorts and jogging shoes- received 2nd and some 3rd degree burns.

Gasoline:
Vapors are heavier than air.
Main hazard is spills at gas stations - with multiple, ready sources of ignition. I prefer to only use *metal* gas cans for my mowers, etc. - and only fill with can sitting on the ground.
Pay attention to where the fuel shutoff for the fuel pumps is located.
Why?
Example - guys spent the day fishing - and consuming a few? brewskis.
Boat owner figured he would be ready for next time - fill up his gas tank before returning home. While he was using the facilities, his friends figured they would expedite the fill-up by using another pump. Only glitch - they were pumping fuel via a "pole hole" into the bilge...40 gallons worth!

Another station patron - caught on, hit the station fuel shut-off for the pumps, which may have averted a serious/major disaster.

BTW - a couple of years after the propane incident, I received a phone call at home from the wife of a military friend who was in the process of moving across the country to his new assignment.
She was worried because the movers had told her to do the same propane tank "emptying" process previously described above.

Smart lady!

~

No the carport will not be adjacent to anything so no worries there.