Propane safety

[HappyKayakers]

A house in Wisconsin was virtually leveled due to an LP gas explosion. The family was away on vacation at the time. The pix show how powerful the explosion was. Interestingly, there was no fire involved. Kind of makes you think twice about propane safety.

http://www.wxow.com/story/22303339/2013/05/20/home

[milo]

At the house behind ours, less than 100 yards away, parents were at work, the son & his GF were grilling on their deck when the propane tank exploded and burnt the house down. Found parts of the grill in our back yard. Luckily they were inside the house at the time and got out the front safely.

[prolandsurveyor]

Just talking about propane.....smh

[wny_pat1]

prolandsurveyor wrote:
Propane makes very good refrigerant ......except it is highly explosive.

And just what does that have to do with this thread?

We're talking about how a house full of propane fumes explosed without a fire being involved. And actually it is very simple. The fire (caused by a spark, ignition source, static charge, or spontaneous combustion) was blown out by the explosion.

[prolandsurveyor]

Propane makes very good refrigerant ......except it is highly explosive.

[sayoung]

wa8yxm wrote:
A propane refill class was just held about 15 yards from where I'm typing,

I do not know the explosive power of Propane off hand but I do know it is serious. however for the maximum effect, be it propane, Natural gas or gasoline vapor, you need the proper mixture of Air and Fuel.. once that happens, add an ignition source, A spark from a switch opening or closing, a cigarette ash, a lighter, two pieces of metal striking each other, a hot wire.

And.... Well, when the instructor ask what happens.. I answered "you land one county over" he liked my answer (The proper answer was an explosion but I put it better).

That said.. I have lived with propane many many years, Grew up with it in fact, and never in 59 years of living with propane (I'm 62 by the way) and natural gas as well, have I had a problem. Came close one time... but replaced the defective device before the problem manifested. (Discovered the problem while loading it on the scrap truck that hauled it away via visual inspection.. the best way to find one I might add)

IIRC it's 8%..propanes biggest danger is it is heavier than air.so accumulates in the low places.

[rhagfo]

wanderingbob wrote:
I would assume that more deaths and fires occur from electrical problems than propane . Every thing is dangerous when used improperly !

X2

[wanderingbob]

I would assume that more deaths and fires occur from electrical problems than propane . Every thing is dangerous when used improperly !

[lison]

My brother blew up his cabin last Summer from LP leak coming from a small corrosion hole in the flexible pipe connecting kitchen stove. When he lit the top burner on the stove for the first time of the season, it blew him across the cabin and the ensuing fire destroyed the cabin and burnt him pretty bad. The issue with propane is that it is heavier than the air, so it goes down and you don't smell it, where as natural gas goes up and you know it's there by the smell. Alarms should be positioned near floor, and kept clean and working. I've got new respect when dealing with any LP.

[wa8yxm]

A propane refill class was just held about 15 yards from where I'm typing,

I do not know the explosive power of Propane off hand but I do know it is serious. however for the maximum effect, be it propane, Natural gas or gasoline vapor, you need the proper mixture of Air and Fuel.. once that happens, add an ignition source, A spark from a switch opening or closing, a cigarette ash, a lighter, two pieces of metal striking each other, a hot wire.

And.... Well, when the instructor ask what happens.. I answered "you land one county over" he liked my answer (The proper answer was an explosion but I put it better).

That said.. I have lived with propane many many years, Grew up with it in fact, and never in 59 years of living with propane (I'm 62 by the way) and natural gas as well, have I had a problem. Came close one time... but replaced the defective device before the problem manifested. (Discovered the problem while loading it on the scrap truck that hauled it away via visual inspection.. the best way to find one I might add)

[Dakzuki]

The same thing happened due to a natural gas leak in my parents' neighborhood. An entire house blew up. Killed the lady that lived there.

[2oldman]

Please don't let this turn into another 'driving with the propane' on thread!!

[past-MIdirector]

That's why they installed propane detectors in RVs. Most will shut off the gas between the tank and the inside if fumes are present besides setting off an alarm.

[mowermech]

The same thing happened in Whitefish, Montana, many years ago.
It was determined that a Propane-powered pickup had been parked in a closed garage, with the propane valve left on. A leak developed somewhere in the system, and when the propane level reached the pilot light on the water heater, the garage and the house disappeared! The explosion broke windows several blocks away.
The same thing could occur with a natural gas leak, or an acetylene leak, or a leak of ANY gaseous fuel. LEAKS are a BAD thing!