Propane Question

I just had a customer call, they have a problem with losing propane at record speed. They spent $700 on fuel in one timeline of a year and from January 7th to last tuesday, went through another $700 worth of fuel, the propane company was there twice this week, tested their assemblies/valves at the tank with soap solution and said that all connections are tight.

Thing is, the tank is already drawn down to 70% as of today and the kids outside can smell propane. !!!

My experience is limited with propane other than installing/replacing propane powervent or regular gas water heaters, log fireplaces but most of my work is the black iron piping leading outside the building wall to have the propane guys connect to with their service line.


This customer *repeat* wants me to run a new soft copper line thinking that is the problem.

I'm not there to see this line and it is about 40 minutes from the shop. Most if not all of those propane setups, don't they have a regulator that mounts to the wall of the structure OR at the tank, with a built-in vent that if there is a pressure surge that it will blow off and release that pressure?

I've broken a few of the mercury type diaphragm vents on natural gas meters by turning the gas on too quick, but I know the diaphragm is similar in design.

Am I hedging in the right direction that the regulator blowoff is possibly stuck open, bleeding gas to the outside air?

In a week this fuel will be gone in this tank the way it's going and I don't want to deal with this at all since I'm thinking it has not a thing to do with the service line. It hasn't been disturbed and the propane company said there is nothing wrong with the service line, the tank, or the valves on the tank.

???

I'd like to dish this one away and let someone else deal with it but I'm thinking I might have to figure it out.

Any ideas are welcome.

IF the kids can smell it then they need someone to come out with a detector and find the sourse of the leak. Then tell the customer if it is their responsibility or not and what needs to be done to fix it.

I'm sure all they did was soap the connections. The wind may have been such that they didn't smell anything that day.

RUGGED said:

This customer *repeat* wants me to run a new soft copper line thinking that is the problem.

Click to expand...

In a respectful way, let the customer know you are not a mere and ultimately expensive "parts changer", but a true mechanic who first precisely determines what part(s) to change.

I would call the propane company's "emergency service" department and get them out there immediately. That tank is likely theirs all the way to the service line connection.

Correctomundo, most if not all propane setups are owned all the way to the service connection stubbed out of the structure.

The customer wanting me to start replacing items till it quits is not my forte and interferes with liability issues greatly.

The propane company has been out twice, both times they state that everything of theirs is tight as a drum but you shouldn't be losing 30% capacity in a week, especially if warmer weather has been around.


I'll follow up when I get an answer to the outcome. I feel more comfortable from a distance on this one.

Results

A custody battle is part of this equation.


Apparently the ex-husband knew of a valve on the regulator that can be unscrewed and allow fuel to dissipate.


This was revealed after a propane rep showed up again and found this loose piece at the regulator.

Tightened it up and no leaks.

Still glad I wasn't a part of the whole mess.


A water heater went bad at this same trailer.

Handyman had 5 hours total in replacing this heater and that included the 23 mile trip to the big box store and back.

All for $100 dollars.