Propane heater safe for garage?

[ben4372]

I went through all the heaters. my latest is a diesel vehicle heater. You do need to exhaust it outside. Also need a 12volt power source> I used an old battery with a trickle charger. I can get my detached, semi insulated garage warm enough. About a half gallon every 4 hours. Totally recommend. I recommend the split more. If I had a few bucks that would be my choice.


https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-8KW-Die...st_slp_dp&th=1

[longrange2]

If you can afford to do it, mini splits are great. We live in a house built in the 70s that only had baseboard electric. We put in the mini split a few years ago and love it, so nice to have AC in the summer now.

By the time you figure this out. You could have had a mini-split installed.
I run a 110v unit in the reloading building (13x15) 64 is t-shirt comfortable.
2-220v in the shop (30x24) with 18' ceiling and 2 ceiling fans @ the 12' mark on each end of the shop. 1 hr running both @ med fan and ceiling fans keeps the shop @ 60, 2 hrs and it's t-shirt weather.
.
Heat in winter, cool in summer. no hoses to trip over, worry about condensation on tools, machinery, or reloading equipment. Surprisingly it's not a serious hit electric bill wise, but i also don't run them 24/7

[zimagold]

Used portable propane with all the drawbacks for a few years in my attached 3 car garage because small electrics weren?t enough. It sucked as noted above.

I now have a mini-split installed because I added a sink and wanted to keep everything from freezing. It?s just left on freeze protect (46F) all winter. About an hour to bring it up to 60F for projects.

No moisture issues and no flame risks. I vote mini-split.

[theGinsue]

Anyone here a propane expert?

I refilled 2 of my 20lb tanks on Saturday. Both of these tanks have been refilled within the past month and both are well within the 5 years re-inspection dates (one was re-certed in November).

I went to use one of them (then tried the other one) yesterday. I plugged my hose for my heater in nice and tight, as always. As soon as I opened the valve I heard the hiss of leaking gas. I turned it off, checked the hose tightness and screw on the side, all good. Tried again; same result. Detached the hose, re-attached the hose. Tried again, same result. By now I faintly detected the smell of the propane in the air. I swapped the tank out with the other one and had the same experience.

When I got them filled I came out from paying after the guy had 1 tank filled but I noticed that the guy doing the filling (never seen him fill tanks before) never used the screw vent on the side. I also noted the weight of the filled tank on the filling scale and the sign showing how much a filled 20lb should weigh. The second tank was OVER the weight by more than a pound.

Are these tanks TOO FULL to keep from having the excess leak when the valve is open? Is there damage due to the guy filling not using the side screw vent while filling?

I really want to be able to use this propane for my heaters but I can't allow the garage to fill with propane - especially since my wife comes out to the garage to smoke.

Any help is appreciated.

[Erni]

If they are recent tanks than they have an overfill protection device. Basically idiot proofing so tank doesn?t go boom.
Since you had the issue with two tanks my money is on the hose being bad. That or the guy filling them messed up both tanks inlets - probably unlikely.
If there is an oring it may be old and with this cold not sealing well.

[buffalobo]

If they are recent tanks than they have an overfill protection device. Basically idiot proofing so tank doesn?t go boom.
Since you had the issue with two tanks my money is on the hose being bad. That or the guy filling them messed up both tanks inlets - probably unlikely.
If there is an oring it may be old and with this cold not sealing well.

This^^^ with emphasis on bad o-ring. Unless you cap or plug the valve the o-rings weather/harden/crack faster than ever.

Problems with both tanks - replace hose.

Easier to just do the swap at favorite big box store, fresh parts and regular inspection(poor as it may be these days).

If you're unarmed, you are a victim.

[Erni]

One other thought. On my BBQ the regulator failed. As in the propane was coming out of the regulator. I could make the bbq go extra hot by plugging the vent hole on the regulator. Replace if it?s old since it might have cracked in this cold.
You can check what is leaking with soapy water.

[thebolt]

Anyone here a propane expert?

I refilled 2 of my 20lb tanks on Saturday. Both of these tanks have been refilled within the past month and both are well within the 5 years re-inspection dates (one was re-certed in November).

I went to use one of them (then tried the other one) yesterday. I plugged my hose for my heater in nice and tight, as always. As soon as I opened the valve I heard the hiss of leaking gas. I turned it off, checked the hose tightness and screw on the side, all good. Tried again; same result. Detached the hose, re-attached the hose. Tried again, same result. By now I faintly detected the smell of the propane in the air. I swapped the tank out with the other one and had the same experience.

When I got them filled I came out from paying after the guy had 1 tank filled but I noticed that the guy doing the filling (never seen him fill tanks before) never used the screw vent on the side. I also noted the weight of the filled tank on the filling scale and the sign showing how much a filled 20lb should weigh. The second tank was OVER the weight by more than a pound.

Are these tanks TOO FULL to keep from having the excess leak when the valve is open? Is there damage due to the guy filling not using the side screw vent while filling?

I really want to be able to use this propane for my heaters but I can't allow the garage to fill with propane - especially since my wife comes out to the garage to smoke.

Any help is appreciated.

I've had this same problem with leaking out of the tank and it has always been an o-ring issue. They get old and brittle and will crack and/or fall out of the tank.