Propane Tank burial

[albaran]

With all of the power outages going on, I thought I would post my solution that I added when I built my garage addition a few years ago. It was pricey but I am glad I did it. The tank is a 500 gallon propane unit that runs the generator and provides heat to the garage. I estimate I could go close to two weeks without power. I did go as long as four days already.
The generator is a GE 1400k unit that is really a Briggs and Stratton. It completely powers everything in the house. It kicks on 10 seconds after the loss of power.

 

[readhead]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[ZipSnafu]

Smart move... and propane to spare.

 

[kj_mustang]

I was required to bury my 1000 gallon propane tank in sand. It took 22 tons and cost me $500 just for the sand. I did all the excavating.

 

[tinmanwpk]

Living in Florida we just might be susceptible to some rain. During a hurricane my neighbor's tank was floating on the surface of his yard while mine was thoroughly anchored down. Mine stayed buried, so it passed the test. Just be sure if you bury a tank that it is anchored in there.

 

[Lassen Forge]

We put in 3 350 gallon aboveground tanks (see a different thread about my rants with buried tanks), one is kept off and full in case we have a long term power outage, the other 2 run our house heat and generator. We also oversized the generator so if we had everything in the house AND the shop going we would still be just over 50% of the capacity of the genset.

So far, we have gone almost a full week without power, and it was the difference between staying in my shop, er, our home and living out of a motel room (a lot of folk did just that)...

Best money we ever spent. Ditto about anchoring your UST's... they like to become buoys in high groundwater (read flooding) events.

 

[58Yeoman]

HAHA...years ago, a friend of mine owned/operated an Amoco station. He replaced the old metal tanks with fiberglass, but didn't fill one all the way. He also didn't cover them yet with concrete,and we had some severe rain. One came floating up out of the ground.

 

[matt_i]

Do you have to put a sacrificial anode in there or order a special tank with "below ground" paint type? Just curious. I've seen the tops before when looking at houses but nobody knew about the details.

 

[Lelandwelds]

After a big flood, a friend (not my smartest friend) decided to go skiing. He hit a 250 gallon and did major damage to his boat.

Almost to a man, everyone asked if he kept the tank when they first heard the story. Lol.

 

[Lelandwelds]

We put in 3 350 gallon aboveground tanks (see a different thread about my rants with buried tanks), one is kept off and full in case we have a long term power outage, the other 2 run our house heat and generator. We also oversized the generator so if we had everything in the house AND the shop going we would still be just over 50% of the capacity of the genset.

So far, we have gone almost a full week without power, and it was the difference between staying in my shop, er, our home and living out of a motel room (a lot of folk did just that)...

Best money we ever spent. Ditto about anchoring your UST's... they like to become buoys in high groundwater (read flooding) events.

Greatly over sizing a seldom operated machine guarantees it will never operate smoothly, doesn't it? Generators like to run. Not sit idle. I don't think monthly tests really ever even bring it up to operating temp.

I do not have one. Don't plan to acquire one but curious. ( I could fire up a welder and run the freezers enough to save everything if needed.)

 

[ghlkal]

The tank is a 500 gallon propane unit that runs the generator and provides heat to the garage. I estimate I could go close to two weeks without power.

Nice. Glad that worked so well for you.

 

[barks]

How far is that tank from the occupied building?

 

[ard]

Sorry for your loss.

Took me about 3 seconds...then literally LOLd.



Ive got two tanks, 500, 250. Just cut into the hillside, one with landscaping, the other has retainging walls around it. Burying seemed pointless.

 

[chaosracing]

Do you have to put a sacrificial anode in there or order a special tank with "below ground" paint type? Just curious. I've seen the tops before when looking at houses but nobody knew about the details.

Underground tanks are coated, but also require sacrificial anodes. I did mine and followed what the supplier said to do and bury in grit. If I could do it over again, I would use clean 3/4" stone instead to help move water away from the tank better.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Do you have to put a sacrificial anode in there or order a special tank with "below ground" paint type? Just curious. I've seen the tops before when looking at houses but nobody knew about the details.

Like Choas says, they are coated.

If you are interested in one, stop by your local LP supplier, they should have one in stock in their tank farm. A decent local supplier would probably bury it for you or at least set it in place once you ready he hole to their specs.