I know this is frowned upon not because they will inherently explode, but in case there is a fire in the garage a propane tank can make things worse.
That being said, who stores tanks in their garage? I have done this more recently as it is much more convenient.
A lot of people store it in their garage for convenience. I store it in my shed… I rather see my shed burn down than my house. I’m guessing you’re in FL too. That is my home state and I know how hot it gets. Just the fact that you’re posting you must be a little concerned. Get it out of the house for safety, ease of mind and some exercise transporting it. Maybe do lunges with it back to your brewing area!
Outside, always, except when brewing.
Outside, safety first.
Mine stay in the garage. If a fire were my concern, I’d be much more concerned about the gasoline for the lawn mower and other power equipment, but honestly, if my house catches on fire, a few propane tanks are not going to make anything much worse. Mythbusters had to use high explosives to get one to ignite.
They issue is that when the temp get high, they vent. When venting they become torches with a lot of fuel that is difficult to put out.
garage. i figure if they’re going to explode, in the garage or against the side of the house, they’ll likely do about the same amount of damage.
True, and tanks can explode, no bullets or explosives required. I did watch the Mythbuster’s clip, this is a different situation.
In the garage for Fall-Spring. Outside for summer.
In the garage year round.
I keep mine in the garage all year long. One reason is that the tanks stay in better shape, like no rust or weather related corrosion. They are stored on an outside so if they were to blow explosively they should go through the wall and outside, not into the house.
As for leakage? The garage is by no means air tight and is used as the “front door” so it is open a lot so it gets aired out regularly.
Unless the tanks are rotting, I’ve never considered them a risk worth worrying about too much.
Paul
Outside. Always. Not even in the shed.
No outside for me at my condo. They are stored in the basement.
It seems as if everyone is about 50/50 here, as we are most of the time. I keep mine in the garage, and I am in comparable weather in Texas. If I had a detached shed I would put it there, but as of now it’s garage or completely exposed to the elements.
Removing the outside label, and storing off of the ground, helps them last longer. I normally exchange when they get rusty.
I’ve been meaning to get mine out of the garage. I’m not worried about one exploding during a fire as much as if a tank were to leak, the propane may find an ignition source and become the root cause of said explosion/fire.
If its a good tank, not falling apart, the fire needed to cook off the tank will be destroy the garage/shop/shed by the time the tank cooks off. You might tell the fire department that theres a tank in your fully engulfed building. But if you forget, they will assume the worst.
A healthy propane tank is not going to just suddenly explode all on its own.
If a full/ over full tank warms up it can vent, and it can pool. Then if there is a spark from something starting up, like a fridge, you can have problems.
My only reason for keeping them in the garage this far. A new one I purchased recently looked abused and rusted after a summer on the back porch. Also, birds like to use the tank as a facility.
And never exchange a tank for one that has brass fittings that have turned blue. 8)