# How to store propane?



## tragerjs (May 22, 2012)

I bought about 8 shrink wrapped cans of propane for my camping stove. Right now I have the in my basement in an empty cooler. I don't have a garage.

What is their shelf life and is there another way I should be storing them?


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## taylort5 (Nov 6, 2008)

They will keep a long long time. Not sure about shelf life time. I have had some stored for two years. Used one recently and it was just fine. Just keep them in a cool spot and your should be good to go.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Propane keeps pretty much indefinitely. I keep 4 spare 20# tanks under the work bench in the shed.


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## Fridge (Apr 28, 2012)

I have had propane stored for 8 years and this spring I tried a 1 lb canister with my stove and everything fired up. Just keep your canisters in a dry location and keep clean.


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## Well_Driller (Jun 3, 2012)

As long as it doesn't leak out, the gas itself will never go bad. Just keep them in a cool place. I rarely use the small canisters, but my storage is a 500 gal tank that I fill my cylinders from....


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## kyhoti (Nov 16, 2008)

Not to be a nervous Nellie, but check with your local building codes people (anonymously of course) and see how much/where you are "allowed" to keep. That way you'll at least know to keep "extra" away from prying eyes, and maybe be a bit safer. Definitely keep it cool, dry and clean. Nothing says FUBAR like corroded threads on mini-propane tanks.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

I think storing large amounts of propane is dangerous. One of them leaks and your house will go off like a bomb. If you store it in an unattached building it will get stolen after it hits the fan. 

I'm a big believer in kerosene. Yes, it has a smell. Burning liquids is less convenient than burning gasses but it's a lot safer and it takes up a lot less space. You could keep about 375 lbs of kerosene in one 55 gallon drum.


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## Fridge (Apr 28, 2012)

whats the shelf life of Kero? I store gas for a year at a time and rotate. I keep 250 gallons at all times for my generator and a 500 gallon propane tank for secondary fuel for my generators after that IF SHTF and long term I will go to Solar with 4500 watts.. but Kero is something I never looked into and this sound good but what is the shelf life?


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

I have 30 of the small stove type propane containers that I have had stored since the 70's. A few months back I used one for sweating copper tubing, works great.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

BillS said:


> I think storing large amounts of propane is dangerous. One of them leaks and your house will go off like a bomb. If you store it in an unattached building it will get stolen after it hits the fan.
> 
> I'm a big believer in kerosene. Yes, it has a smell. Burning liquids is less convenient than burning gasses but it's a lot safer and it takes up a lot less space. You could keep about 375 lbs of kerosene in one 55 gallon drum.


Be careful with kerosene, If the the temp reaches above the lower explosive limits (LEL) and below the upper explosive limits (UEL) it evaporates and any spark will set it off. When it's in side of these limits it reacts the same as gasoline. I don't have my book infront of me or I would tell what it is. If I had to guess it's around 115F to 140F.


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

propane is eons old .... it's just filtered and packed into tanks .... it has an unlimited shelf life ..... it's the container (tank) that is limited ..... keep them dry and rust free ..... for safety, they sell metal screw on caps for the 1lb propane tanks .... likewise there are adapter caps for the larger 20lb tanks .....


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## tragerjs (May 22, 2012)

Thanks for the replies everyone. I will continue with my "empty cooler in the basement" plan for now. Unfortunately, I live in a townhouse so space is very limited.


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## Well_Driller (Jun 3, 2012)

BillS said:


> I think storing large amounts of propane is dangerous. One of them leaks and your house will go off like a bomb. If you store it in an unattached building it will get stolen after it hits the fan.
> 
> I'm a big believer in kerosene. Yes, it has a smell. Burning liquids is less convenient than burning gasses but it's a lot safer and it takes up a lot less space. You could keep about 375 lbs of kerosene in one 55 gallon drum.


You have to use common sense when storing ANY combustible fuel. They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but if they get ignited then the outcome may not be good in any situation....


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

IlliniWarrior said:


> it's the container (tank) that is limited ..... keep them dry and rust free


Yep - I have small containers from the 70's that still work. They don't need to be kept in a cooler, just keep the rust off of them, that's all.

Get yourself a long hose with an adapter to run your stuff off of a 20 lb bottle instead:
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-High-...8&qid=1341060647&sr=8-1&keywords=propane+hose


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Fridge said:


> whats the shelf life of Kero? I store gas for a year at a time and rotate. I keep 250 gallons at all times for my generator and a 500 gallon propane tank for secondary fuel for my generators after that IF SHTF and long term I will go to Solar with 4500 watts.. but Kero is something I never looked into and this sound good but what is the shelf life?


I think the shelf life is at least a couple of years. It has the tendency to absorb water so you should add some water-absorbing additive just before you start to use it.


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## TopTop (Nov 11, 2011)

LincTex said:


> Get yourself a long hose with an adapter to run your stuff off of a 20 lb bottle instead:
> http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-High-...8&qid=1341060647&sr=8-1&keywords=propane+hose


About those hoses, I ruined two Buddy Heaters like this one, http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&id=24 using the the hose they sell. Over time the hose comes apart inside & plugs up the gas valves. I use one of these heaters on the boat when fishing in December & January.

Then I bought one of these http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F276172-Propane-Adapter/dp/B000AMC5WO and filled my own one lb tanks.

That works quite well using only the sun to pump the gas. In fact it's very easy to overfill the little tanks. The only problem is those tanks are single use only and after a few fills the valves will start leaking. Also you really do need to be trained on handling propane. Besides the obvious fire & explosion hazard the stuff can blind you or cause your fingers to fall off.

BTW, these bigger tanks stored outside can rust out at the bottom. There is an easy way to temporarily seal the hole so you can use the gas instead of losing it. I once used this trick on a 100lb (23.5 gallon) tank. Get a large bath towel, soak it in water. Don't just wet it, soak it in a bucket.Tip the tank to one side, place the dripping wet towel underneath & stand it back up. The towel should be big enough to hold the tank off the ground a tad. The wet towel will instantly freeze & stop the leak.The time I did it the lady continued to use the tank for over eight weeks before it was empty. She said she only lost a few days worth of gas. I have also used the wet rag trick on leaky pumps used to offload a tractor trailer or railroad car.

Whenever you hook up a tank you must check it for leaks. The approved way is to use a soap solution & look for bubbles. I usually use a match, it really thins out the crowds. First their eyes kind of bug out, then a nervous laugh as they think I'm joking, then they haul ass muttering something about "That crazy old sumbitch is gonna kill us all!!!!"


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

Tweto,

You've mixed a couple of different properties. Explosion limits have to do with % of concentration, and flash points have to do with the temperature.

Kerosene is a class II flammability, where gasoline is 1b.

Gasoline has an extremely low flash point, where kerosene has a much higher flash point. Explosive, unlikely... still a fire hazard tho.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

TopTop said:


> There is an easy way to temporarily seal the hole so you can use the gas instead of losing it.


To seal a leak on a large 500 gallon tank, a friend of mine liberally used JB Weld to attach a pipe flange centered over the hole.... then 24 hours later, threaded a pipe plug into the flange. SEALED!


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## TopTop (Nov 11, 2011)

LincTex said:


> To seal a leak on a large 500 gallon tank, a friend of mine liberally used JB Weld to attach a pipe flange centered over the hole.... then 24 hours later, threaded a pipe plug into the flange. SEALED!


He should have just used a stick welder, problem solved in no time.

That is a great idea. JB Weld & Marine Tex are very useful to keep around. Very strong & will bond to almost anything. Everyone should keep a few cans around & experiment with it a little. Another great product that most have never heard of is 3M 5200. A single part caulk that will cure underwater & is nearly as strong as the two part epoxy. 4200 is the same but easier to remove later. Downside is short shelf life before its opened, and it won't last no time after you crack the seal. Vacuum pack & freezing will stretch it out a little.

A funny story from about 60 years ago. A friend was a field mechanic for heavy equipment & had a welding rig in his truck. The gas station near his house was getting new tanks & the riggers damaged one of the pipes coming out the top. They asked him if he could weld it. No problem, I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon. After finishing up the excavator operator came up & said
"I just want to shake your hand. I have never seen anything like that in my life." 
He says "What are you talking about?" Then the light bulb came on. "Is there gas in there????" 
"Well yea. With the rain coming they filled it so it wouldn't float out of the ground. Thought you knew."


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

TopTop said:


> "With the rain coming they filled it so it wouldn't float out of the ground. "


I wouldn't have a problem as long as it was full. I have done that before. If it was used and then empty, that would have been scary.


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## TopTop (Nov 11, 2011)

Yea, if it would have had any fumes he would have looked like Slim Pickens straddling that bomb waving his hat like a bronc rider in a rodeo. The real issue was him not knowing it was full so he could check that it was completely full or take any other precautions like purging it with inert gas. My sons have done a few hot taps on major pipelines where they weld a saddle to the line then tap in without shutting it down.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

TopTop said:


> About those hoses, I ruined two Buddy Heaters using the the hose they sell. Over time the hose comes apart inside & plugs up the gas valves.


Wow, thanks for the heads up!!! I just bought one (since it is summer and they are cheaper) and I will be sure to add one of these inline propane filters before hooking the hose up:












TopTop said:


> My sons have done a few hot taps on major pipelines where they weld a saddle to the line then tap in without shutting it down.


I watched that once... pretty impressive what they can do.


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