How to get rid of propane smell?

SickSilverado · Apr 2, 2018

I have an old tank about 4 feet tall, not huge(50lb maybe). I was told it was empty. When opened it let off a small hiss for about 5 seconds. It had about a cup of dirty brown liquid that leaked out, but man did it stink. It stunk up everything within a 25 foot radius(in the yard/car port). What can I do to get rid of the smell? I tried spraying soapy water around but have to be careful with all my tools and electronics around. Will it go away on its own? I emptied it about 24 hours ago. The smell is strong and seems to just linger even with good air flow.

Bondo · Apr 2, 2018

It had about a cup of dirty brown liquid that leaked out, but man did it stink.

Ayuh,..... Seein' ya didn't take care of where that stink oil went,....

Time is 'bout the only thing that'll now get rid of the stench,......

Years ago, I got 6, 1000 gallon propane tanks, that We built a 45' river barge outa,....
We'd dropped off the tanks in a big warehouse gravel yard, where I went, 'n removed all of the plugs, 'n valves outa the tanks, then rolled 'em to have the maximum holes pointed down, to purge any remainin' propane out, so they could be cut, 'n welded up,.....

Durin' that time, I walked through abunch of that oil with my work boots,.....
Those boots still stunk to high heavens, 2 years later when I finally threw 'em away,....
The yard stunk til we covered it with another lift of stone,....

Btw,.... if that tank is 4' high, 'n bout 1' diameter, it's a 100 lb'er,....

Buckgnarly · Apr 2, 2018

I had some old tanks that I shot up, damn things STANK for months until I finally took a load of scrap. It's going to be a while.... :dunno:

SickSilverado · Apr 2, 2018

I know where I dumped the oil. Gonna go dig it up and light it on fire. Haha...my boots definately stink from walking through that oil.

Dagny · Apr 2, 2018

I think it's a sulfur compound sort of like a skunk produces. try this, hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda. it works great on skunks.

SickSilverado · Apr 2, 2018

Ok, I'll try that. I tried digging up what I spilled and burning it in my burn barrel but it still stinks oustide.

Bondo · Apr 2, 2018

I think it's a sulfur compound sort of like a skunk produces.

Ayuh,.... Ethyl mercaptan,...

OccupantRJ · Apr 2, 2018

Tomato juice

rlitman · Apr 2, 2018

Dagny said:
I think it's a sulfur compound sort of like a skunk produces. try this, hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda. it works great on skunks.

Correct. Skunk recipes are what you want to look at.

DTE · Apr 2, 2018

Dry Ice will purge a gas tank and make it safe to handle I have never tried it with propane.

Kaizen · Apr 2, 2018

It’s called odorant. It won’t burn. Sorry late on that info to you. Throw the dirt away and wait. Not much else to do. It’s normally bound to the fuel in gas form. Not sure why yours is so concentrated

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OccupantRJ · Apr 3, 2018

Ethanethiol, AKA Ethyl Mercaptain. It takes about 200 ml to odorize about 8,600 gallons of fuel. Believe or not, some butane rolls down the highway in non-odorized form in transport tankers. I added the odorant to the fuel as part of my job for 28 years. It is unbelievable how strong smelling that stuff is in condensed form. When you open a bottle of it, always outdoors, EVERYONE runs away. Some gag or puke. I opened it upwind from the bottle, even with a respirator. It could be rather entertaining.

HoosierBuddy · Apr 3, 2018

You might try bleach. We used to use bleach solution in a spray bottle to clean down mercaptan contaminated tanks and hoses.

The chlorine in the bleach will react with the mercaptan and get rid of the smell...but if you just have a bunch of contaminated soil...not 100% sure it will work for you.

As someone else noted...mercaptan is flammable.

My other idea is you might try to contact a local propane supplier and see if they have any of the specialized chemical sprays designed to kill the smell. We use some stuff now that has bacteria in it that eat mercaptan. It works better than the bleach and won't ruin your clothes if you get it on you.

Phil

Lelandwelds · Apr 3, 2018

DTE said:
Dry Ice will purge a gas tank and make it safe to handle I have never tried it with propane.

Dry ice will displace oxygen temporarily. You need to think about the difference.

HoosierBuddy said:
You might try bleach. We used to use bleach solution in a spray bottle to clean down mercaptan contaminated tanks and hoses.

The chlorine in the bleach will react with the mercaptan and get rid of the smell...but if you just have a bunch of contaminated soil...not 100% sure it will work for you.

As someone else noted...mercaptan is flammable.

My other idea is you might try to contact a local propane supplier and see if they have any of the specialized chemical sprays designed to kill the smell. We use some stuff now that has bacteria in it that eat mercaptan. It works better than the bleach and won't ruin your clothes if you get it on you.

Phil

It is almost the same as one of the chemicals in decomposing tissue. It lingers. Some people are more sensitive to the smell of death than others. I would try clorine or peroxide compounds first. Then pH adjusters like baking soda.

rburke65 · Apr 3, 2018

Well there you have it......no one knows. I'm no help either as I've never been in that situation.

BDT/NWMN · Apr 3, 2018

Well, You have one of three explanations to offer visitors:
The smell might be from a propane bottle, a visiting skunk, or Your Mother-in Law's beer farts.
Things could be worse; with being blessed with all three..

Remove any contaminated soil? Try a spray of carb or brake cleaner on affected areas?

75gmck25 · Apr 7, 2018

Also consider the advantages of adding that horrible smell to US gas/propane supplies. It should help avoid tragedies like the one in Mexico where four tourists died in their condo from a water heater gas leak.

There were earlier reports of possible gas leaks at that condo complex from another guy who stayed there. He was a mechanical repair guy, and he knew something was wrong, but apparently whatever fuel they use in Mexico did not smell bad enough to get anyone else's attention.

Bruce

Lassen Forge · Apr 7, 2018

Google Methyl Mercaptan... It's what they add to propane to give it that "pleasant" odor.

They use it because you can smell amounts that are microscopic... so when you have a gas leak it smells like, well, a gas leak. As for getting rid of it? Old school was to rinse out containers with Clorox... Others used peroxide. Getting it out of the dirt, you can try this in a hudson sprayer... maybe.

Worst case, you can tell your visitors the smell should go away once the bodies in the storage shed have finished decomposing. :evil:

Bondo · Apr 7, 2018

Google Methyl Mercaptan...

Ayuh,..... That's the link I posted in #7,.....

HoosierBuddy · Apr 10, 2018

75gmck25 said:
Also consider the advantages of adding that horrible smell to US gas/propane supplies. It should help avoid tragedies like the one in Mexico where four tourists died in their condo from a water heater gas leak.

There were earlier reports of possible gas leaks at that condo complex from another guy who stayed there. He was a mechanical repair guy, and he knew something was wrong, but apparently whatever fuel they use in Mexico did not smell bad enough to get anyone else's attention.

Bruce

Oh...It's not just Mexico. CFR192 requires natural gas in distribution systems within the United States to be odorized...but that rule didn't occur until after this happened:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_School_explosion

The New London, Texas school explosion of 1937

Phil

bonneyman · Apr 15, 2018

You guys taught me something today! :thumbup:

How to get rid of propane smell?

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