pat sublett
Well-known Member
I have a 500 gallon LP tank setting on a concrete slab. Do I need to ground it?
- Thread starter pat sublett
- Start date
I have a 500 gallon LP tank setting on a concrete slab. Do I need to ground it?
Pat: I have two LP tanks here, neither has a ground rod. Both installed by the LPsupplier. Possibly the copper line coming from tanks underground then up to regulator before going into house and shop act as a ground. I used 100# cylinders here for years when we just used lp for the stove and clothes dryer, they were never grounded. Happy Thanksgiving gobble
Pat when I was in the LP business the professor in L P school told us "if they are going to be sitting on a concrete pad you need to drill a hole in the foot and attach a ground wire to them.". I sat dozens of them on 4X8X24" cement blocks that were never grounded. I am going to pore a slab next summer and sit my tank on it. I will ground it. I am going to sand it down and paint it after grounding it.
Gambles
Well-known Member
I had my tank installed by my supplier back in 2004 and they didn't ground it. About six months ago, that same company was filling my tank and told me all of the things that were required (by law, they said) on a tank and grounding was not one of them. The guy did tell me that having my tank set on treated wood on cinder blocks was a no-no (a fire hazard, I was told) even though they were the ones who used cinder blocks and treated wood back in 2004. I have since used a new propane supplier and they came out and did the mandatory leak check and visual inspection. Before that, I had taken out the treated wood and replaced that with an old grader blade to stop it from being a "fire hazard". Neither supplier mentioned anything about needing my tank grounded, although if they had, I would have grounded it.
pat sublett
Well-known Member
To prevent a possible static electricity discharge when fueling them.
Aaron SEIA
Well-known Member
Isn't the bare copper line running from the tank underground "ground" enough?
AaronSEIA
AaronSEIA
showcrop
Well-known Member
The more recent installations use the copper sleeved in poly which of course insulates the tubing from grounding. Many of us who have installed electric fencing know how difficult good grounding can be. Sometimes you need to install a half dozen grounds before you get a good one, or you have a good ground one year and two years later you are in a drought and your ground goes bad.
Do you ground your car or truck every time you buy gasoline? I know none of my propane tanks are grounded. Modern buried line is plastic-covered copper for direct-burial, so the line does not ground it. I just installed a new 500 gallon tank and had it inspected and no ground was required or requested.
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
If like mine it has a 50', ⅝" soft copper line running to the house. Grounded!
Blackhole49
Well-known Member
- Location
- White Lake MI
Not your vehicle, but try filling a plastic 5 gallon can in the back of your truck in Mears (Silver Lake Dunes). They will turn the pump off until you set the can on the ground. They lost the station and a couple of vehicles a few years ago due to a static spark. They have the pictures hanging up inside to prove it.
Rich'sToys
Well-known Member
- Location
- Southern MN
That is because the fumes will collect in the truck bed. With the tailgate up there is nowhere for them to go, so they accumulate and fill up the truck bed. By setting the container on the ground it allows the air to circulate around the container and the fumes to dissipate.
showcrop
Well-known Member
Well, I have never heard that explanation, but the actual reason is that the rushing liquid can create a static charge, unless the container is on the ground, because of course the vehicle tires insulate the gas container along with the vehicle. If the static charge were to discharge by a spark the vapors would of course ignite.
The only tanks I've seen grounded are the large storage tanks the trucks are loaded from and the trucks when loading. I have spent a little over 13 years working with propane including setting tanks and taking classes. So unless your state has adopted some strange rules I would say know.
Rich'sToys
Well-known Member
- Location
- Southern MN
Your point is well taken. I think the original piece I had heard on this was a combination of what we both said--about the build up of a static charge as you stated, but also that the fuel vapors would settle in and accumulate in that confined area because they are heavier than air, thus making it even more dangerous if they should ignite.
Regardless, it's not a good idea and I don't do it.
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