Propane Tank Storage

[salecker]

Hi
I'm a total newbie to boilers,have burnt wood in many different types of stoves over the years.I wish i had found this site a year or so ago,i would know more,would have read way more.
Any how i have two 500 gal propane tanks that i would like to use as storage for my Econoburn boiler.I would love to hear from anyone that has used similer tanks.
Some of my questions are,i would like to stack them on top of each other,is this the best?
How many fittings will i need on each tank,and what would be the best locations?
How much spray foam would be optimum to retain maximum BTU's?
What is the best way to plumb them together and into the system?
I'm going to be doing most of this work myself,small town and no tradespeople in town.

Now i have read on here that a lot of people are looking for tanks,so this is some info that may help you find tanks.In Canada there are new Regs for tanks.They now need to be rated to 250#,there are a lot of older tanks only rated to 200#.I talked to one of the propane supliers in the bigest city up here and they told me about the Regulation change.They loaded 4 tanks on my trailer and said they had plenty more if i wanted them.Scrap metal isn't worth much up here,so if you are down south you may have to pay scrap price for them.
Anyhow thanks for any info.Seems like a ton of knowledgeable people on here.I hope to learn from you as i start down the road of a gasifying boiler stoker.
Thanks Thomas

 

[Medman]

Welcome to the Forum! You have asked a lot of questions that have been answered before in great detail, but I will try to summarize.

Stacking one on top of the other is best if you do not have the room to stand them on end. Most agree that vertical orientation is best for stratification.
You will need fittings for flow in and out, sized to the btu output of your boiler. You will also need fittings between the two tanks, the bigger the better, again for stratification. Don't forget a few fittings for temp sensor wells.
Consensus on spray foam seems to be about 3 inches - anything more and you are subject to the law of diminishing returns. I am in the process of sourcing foam contractors now; others who have already done this may know more.
Use the "Simplest Pressurized Storage" sticky at the top of the forum to look at plumbing.

I had difficulty in getting a tank here in Northern Ontario (Sault Ste. Marie) because the local dealers were wary of the liability of selling me an old tank. I basically had to sign a legal liability waiver to get the tank, and I had to pay scrap price - at the time, around $300 here. The guys working in the yard were helpful with loading, and would probably have given me the tank, but the boss was a PITA.

Do some searches and read on the subject and you will get the info you need - its all here!

Good Luck!

Ryan

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

What Medman says! With propane tanks you should have 1/4" wall thickness minimum & this can be tapped directly for immersion thermometers saving you some welding. These are accurate, cheap & last a long time. These you can get off Ebay. Randy/ A good way to use this type of thermometer is to screw it into a bell reducer & then just use a pipe(1/8", 1/4") of the correct length for your insulation thickness. The stems are available in many lengths.