Propane Gas Smells

[Henry]

Early Sunday Morning around 1 a.m., The Fairfax Fire & Rescue was called out for the smell of propane at a residence in the village.  It was later mentioned that the propane was low in the tank.

Although I haven't heard my sister mention it as of late, that used to happen a lot at my parents home and it always scared the living daylights out of everyone. 

Anyone have a good explanation as to why this happens??

[special ED]

normally if the tank is low there souldnot be any leakage from the regulator only if it expands more that the tank can handle will it vent to atmosphere,i.e. the tank was over filled or one of your handy andies around town tried installing a propane heater and didint check for leaks,the rule for propane companies is if the come to a tank and it is empty the are not supossed to fill it until it gets a pressure check,I have seen regulators freeze open and vent alot of gas to outside before especially old ones

[Mike Raburn]

I must disagree with my IDOL, ED.

When my grrill bottle gets low, I can smell the "propane". It isn't burning off correct.
Propane has NO smell, it is the additive we  add to detect it.

And ED, with the new mandatory bottles,, even a slow person like me could fill a bottle properly.

[special ED]

mike i`m not talking about small 10 lbers I am talking about 300 gallon tanks with a separate regulator

[NorthFairfaxBoy]

With increases/decreases in temperature even of only a few degrees, propane expands and shrinks.  Tanks all have a pressure relief valve to accomodate for that.  When the pressure inscreases due to expanison a little gas will release.  Nothing to worry about though.  If you see a cloud low to the ground near the tank or can hear the high pressure whistle?  Then it is time to worry.

By the way the additive put in the gas to give it a scent is highly concentrated.  Even a few drops can make it seem like there is a huge tank leaking.

(In my 15+ years in emergency services I have been to many "leaking" tanks only to find no leaking only pressure relaseses.)

[Mike Raburn]

mike i`m not talking about small 10 lbers I am talking about 300 gallon tanks with a separate regulator

Who says I don't have a 300lber hooked up to my grill?