Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:24:31 -0400
Reply-To: Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Subject: Re: Sudden Propane Venting from Tank Valve
In-Reply-To: <E48183322C116741986D88D916E1FA620343C0@gmxmail1.geomatrix. com>
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The arrow is pointing to what I am pretty sure is the emergency
pressure release of the tank. Your tank looks different from
mine. Is that valve on the right the 80% level bleed valve? Mine is
up higher. Like it is at 80% up the height of the tank. If you are
getting liquid propane out of the 80% bleed valve, then your tank is
overfilled. The doofus at the propane place I go to has twice filled
my tank as full as possible, ignoring the 80% fill requirement. I
then have to come home and open that valve and let the propane bleed
out until no more liquid comes out. If your tank is overfilled, and
you are having much hotter weather than when it was filled, you may
get some bleeding out the pressure release as the pressure inside the
tank gets too high.
Edward
At 09:53 PM 4/11/2008, David O'Shea wrote:
>Greetings,
>
>Description of the problem:
>I came back to my Westy after a short drive this afternoon and was
>hit with the distinct smell of propane. I got down on my hands and
>knees and checked around the exterior tank and discovered the
>source. I could see fumes coming out of the valve assembly to the
>right of the control knob (I could see cold propane diffracting
>light around the source) and the knob was cool to touch. The knob
>was completely closed. I grabbed some gloves and opened the small
>valve to the far right and let it bleed for about 10 seconds and
>dumped a fair amount of propane to the wind. I drove home and
>checked again and could faintly smell but not see propane as before.
>Clearly the leak had slowed down. Needless to say, I'll be parking
>outdoors until this is sorted out.
>
>Background:
>The tank was filled a couple of months ago and I have had no
>occasion to use propane in the meantime. The van has typically been
>garaged when not be used (infrequent use). If it had been leaking
>all this time I certainly would have smelled it, and the tank would
>probably be empty by now. Either that or my house would have blown
>up. One fact that may bear on things is that, for the first time in
>months, it is above 80 degrees here in San Francisco. Was it
>overfilled and I have nothing to worry about if I vent more propane?
>Is my valve failing? I've had the van for over 10 years and this has
>not occurred before. I seek the wisdom of the list.
>
>I've posted a photo showing the location of the venting propane -
>it's circled in red:
>http://picasaweb.google.com/dmo8888/Vanagon/photo#5188162901689197282
>
>-Dave O'Shea
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