How To Easily Spot A Propane Tank Leak

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When you are using propane to heat your home, you will want to make sure that you are not wasting any of that precious fuel. If you have a leak in your tank, even if it is a small one, you are going to find that you need a refill a lot sooner than normal. As this continues to happen over the year, you could find that you are wasting a lot of money in addition to putting you and your home in a potentially dangerous situtation. To help prevent this from happening, check out the following ways to spot a leak in your propane tank.

Give It A Close Look

You are going to want to take a little bit of time to closely inspect the entire propane tank as well as the lines that go from the tank towards the building. You are specifically looking for apparent holes, but that's not all. You will also want to look for problem areas that might not yet be leaking but that will leak in the near future if they are left alone. Depending on the problem, you might be able to have a contractor patch it up for you. However, if it is something like a big rust spot that seems to have eaten almost all of the way through the metal, it is simply time to replace the tank.

Put Cardboard Under The Tank

This is something that you are going to have to do on a day or night when you know that there will not be any rain or snowfall. The idea is that a dry piece of cardboard will remain completely dry after spending several hours under the tank. However, if you happen to spot some liquid on the cardboard, then the tank is leaking. You will want to make sure that you are using something strong and sturdy on the corners of the cardboard so it does not blow away while it is left under your propane tank. You'll also want to raise the cardboard to protect it from dew if you choose to leave it there over night.

Now that you know what to look for when it comes to propane tank leaks, you will want to get out there and check it out. The more often you go out to the tank to investigate its condition, the more likely it is that you are going to catch a leak soon after it starts. When you catch the leak quickly and put a stop to it, you will save yourself a lot of money.


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