Freezing propane tanks

Hi,

Just wrap a heating blanket around the tank and regulator and use up the fuel.

bluearc wrote:
The most likely cause of the freeze up could be when I left florida The tanks were topped off and most likely filled with butane.

I appreciate and thank all who offered help with this problem. I will have the tanks purged and refilled now that I have enough confidence again to use the camper in winter.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi red31,

My point was someone came up with a new property call vapor temperature! :@

The most likely cause of the freeze up could be when I left florida The tanks were topped off and most likely filled with butane.

I appreciate and thank all who offered help with this problem. I will have the tanks purged and refilled now that I have enough confidence again to use the camper in winter.

In cold weather and having propane issues....hang a light bulb next to regulator.

11" WC is 0.4 psi (0.397)

I used to bulk carry propane but luckily forgot most of the esoteric math. What I do remember is sitting in my fish house out on the lake at -20f and we never had a propane or regulator issue. Some of our heaters approached 20K BTU or had supplies split for gas lights.

For an RV, the easiest protection for regulator freeze up would be a 5 sided cardboard box with a lamp inside, I'm thinking.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi red31,

6.3 psig equates (I think) to 11 inches wc. That is the minimum to run the furnace going full blast. As the propane boils it lowers in temperature--the tank draws in heat from the surrounding ambient temperature. If that is -30 then the tank can get much colder and the pressure will drop. Then the furnace will be starved for fuel.

If we had a thousand gallon tank this would not be much of an issue. But...my tank is just 15 gallons (~59 pounds).

One psig = 27.7"wc. so 6.3 x 27.7 = 174.51 wc

Hi,

I'm not sure I'd call butane a "rip off". It would not be useful in the north where it gets cold--but butane has more energy per pound than propane. In fact about 24% more. So a mix gets you more energy for the same or even a lower price.

It would be ok in summer time here--but I use so little propane it would not be worth the effort.

Hi red31,

(I'm wrong! *again*) Thanks to Gripnriprod for the correction on the psig to wc.

6.3 psig equates (I think) to 11 inches wc.

I think the rest of the post is correct.

That is the minimum to run the furnace going full blast. As the propane boils it lowers in temperature--the tank draws in heat from the surrounding ambient temperature. If that is -30 then the tank can get much colder and the pressure will drop. Then the furnace will be starved for fuel.

If we had a thousand gallon tank this would not be much of an issue. But...my tank is just 15 gallons (~59 pounds).

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Google is your friend. Propane freezes at -188 C (-306 F). At those temperatures one would have other problems!

Thanks Tuna.. I did not google that because I do not really need to know that but.. Hey.. I do collect trivia so Thanks.

And I agree.. now when does Butane turn solid? (No need to bother).


As I said, I think he got ripped off by a butane salesman.

vapor temperature, is that the temperature of the vapor?

if so it ain't -44 round here!

"At -30 degF, pure propane will have a pressure of 6.8 psig. "

So the vapor temperature would be -30F