Propane Tank Regulator

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G6 at Snook TX

G6 at Snook TX

Member
Oct 17, 2011
123
central Texas
Should you smell any gas from the regulator sitting on the tank if nothing is burning other than the pilot light on the water heater? I wonder if I have a faulty regulator. I opened the lid and got a distinct whiff.

The gas amount has dropped significantly this winter, but it is winter and I have burned the central heat, Dearborn space heater, and the normal stove and water heater operation. Since it was filled in November it has dropped from 80% to 48% on a 500 gallon tank. It hasn't been a horrible winter in Texas (not like last year), and the house has spray foam insulation in the attic and under the floor joists. It is an old farm house that breathes.
 
How do you know it is coming from the regulator? Do you own the tank or does a propane company? If it is your tank, bubble spray the fittings to make sure it is the regulator. If no fittings show a leak, there are threaded test ports on the regulator itself that may be leaking. Regulators are vented for safety reasons, so an occasional whiff is common, but it should not be a steady odor.

If your propane company owns the tank, you should be calling them ANY time you smell LP. They should come out and not charge unless you did something to cause the issue, like hit the tank with a truck (seen it) ran over the gas line with a mower (seen it) tried to tap into a 500 gallon tank directly for a BBQ(seen it).
 
Fsappo said:
How do you know it is coming from the regulator? Do you own the tank or does a propane company? If it is your tank, bubble spray the fittings to make sure it is the regulator. If no fittings show a leak, there are threaded test ports on the regulator itself that may be leaking. Regulators are vented for safety reasons, so an occasional whiff is common, but it should not be a steady odor.

If your propane company owns the tank, you should be calling them ANY time you smell LP. They should come out and not charge unless you did something to cause the issue, like hit the tank with a truck (seen it) ran over the gas line with a mower (seen it) tried to tap into a 500 gallon tank directly for a BBQ(seen it).
Click to expand...


I own the tank outright and will check for leaks with soapy water.

Thanks,
NDG
 
After you spray, it can take a good 5 minutes for a decent bubble to develop. So take you time with it. Also, side from the primary connections under the dome hood, there are other fittings at the top of the tank. Give them a spray as well. I've seen everything that has a thread on a tank leak at some point. Let us know what you find out.
 
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