SHUT OFF the Propane at the tanks - OR NOT?

[The Ice Man]

We've recently taken a couple of back-to-back short trips and simply left the propane valves open at the tanks. No having to purge air from the lines, Frige and Hot Water and Stove burners start right up.

So how dangerous is this?
Are the valves at the appliance end sufficiently robust to handle the constant pressure?
Does propane leak when the appliances aren't used for 5-10 days?
What do others do?
I would think full-timers generally leave the valves open for extended periods. True?

Observations, cautions, suggestions welcomed.

[Tincampers]

I only turn mine off when refilling the tanks or if we are boarding a ferry or a tunnel that requires them to be off. We fulltime.

[CDONA]

I full time, so I'm around to catch a whiff o' propane on occasion.
The only time I would get the smell inside is when I run the pilot light on the oven and the tank goes empty. Flame dies and what little pressure in the tank that is left will flow a bit of the gas & smell.

I would turn them off, when not in use. No air will get in, no need to purge, until you remove to refill a tank.
I only have one open at a time, I ran myself out of gas one time letting the auto changeover happen without me checking on the green stripe.

[Lily&Me]

Mine is open all season, but when getting a refill.


Maggie

[dkottum]

We leave them open all year. If there are any leaks in the fittings, valves, or lines anywhere is the system they should be found and repaired.

[AtomicNo13]

Been on for 25 years except when refilling, fretting, or where required by law.

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by AtomicNo13

Been on for 25 years except when refilling, fretting, or where required by law.

That sounds about right.

Now that said I did have a period when I was losing a bit more gas than i should have. Turns out the flared nut on the hose from the tank to the copper piping at the tongue had vibrated loose. Never enouth to smell just enouth to lose some gas while the trailer was stored.

So maybe once a year turn them off when you expect to be away from the trailer for weeks or more. When you turn the tanks back on if you hear any gas flow that will test the system for leaks.

The valves in the appliances should never leak.

[AtomicNo13]

Should read ferrying......

[overlander63]

Leave them on, and leave the fridge on as well, unless you are refilling the LP or TV fuel tanks. Then, shut the fridge off, and restart it after you move away from the pumps. Personally, I feel my chance of there being a problem caused by leaving the tanks/fridge on is much lower than my chance of getting food poisoning from the stuff in the fridge getting a little too warm.
And one of our customers was involved in a serious accident with his Airstream, and the open LP tanks did not cause a problem.

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by AtomicNo13

Should read ferrying......

That is a Coast Guard regulation that applies to anything stored in a ship hole.

On the 17 hour ferry from Port Hardy Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert we froze a couple of soda bottles the day before and they held the frig for the trip.

[AWCHIEF]

I keep my tanks turned off when at home. Never really had any trouble restarting appliances. I have never turned my gas off when refilling gasoline or going thru tunnels. Never had the trailer on a ferry so will cross that bridge when I come to it.

[NoResults]

Chief, thats the reason there is a ferry there as you don't have a bridge to cross.

Dave

[PaulnGina]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

I keep my tanks turned off when at home. Never really had any trouble restarting appliances. I have never turned my gas off when refilling gasoline or going thru tunnels. Never had the trailer on a ferry so will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Ditto.

( I caught your humor..... That was good....)


PaulnGina
1987 Avion 34W
1995 Ford F250 7.3L PowerStroke

"I don't mean to sound degrading but with a face like that you got nothing to laugh about"

[kdickinson]

closed when not in use. The furthest gas fired appliance away from the source is the water heater and it fires right up when we set up.

[J. Morgan]

I don't think that there is a big risk associated with leaving the propane on all of the time, but since I have an electric fridge and an on demand water heater I turn it off when traveling.

Last trip I ran over a piece of road debris that punctured an LPG line, had the propane been on I would have lost the best part of a cylinder of propane.

If I had a propane fridge, I would travel with the gas on.


Superat stultitia.

[Bill M.]

We run with the fridge on and thus leave the gas on when traveling. But cut the gas off as soon as we get home. I seen no advantage to leaving the gas on if you are not using it. If I refuel near the gas pumps while hooked up I cut the gas off.

[Streamracer]

I leave mine off when home but one time between quick trips I left it on and came home to a hissing sound which turned out to be a blown regulator gasket. So unless you are around close by I'd turn them off.

[guskmg]

I always leave my tank valves on, even in storage (open air). Not in closed storage. Once, I had a leak on the main tank to trailer supply hose. I noticed this when walking buy it sometime later. Had the tank valves been off, I would have been using the gas on my next trip with a unknown leak. You may lose a tank of propane, but that is better than fire or explosion.
guskmg

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by HowieE

That is a Coast Guard regulation that applies to anything stored in a ship hole.

On the 17 hour ferry from Port Hardy Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert we froze a couple of soda bottles the day before and they held the frig for the trip.

Smart man, beautiful trip.

Cheers
Tony

[jcanavera]

Mine stay open also all the time other than for refill. I do an annual check for leaks though for safeties sake.

Jack