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Doug
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2024 02:31am
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Greetings, I am, my question is new here and a little about me. I have a small cabin in South Central, Virginia a peaceful place where I can garden, have an orchard and hunt. My wife and I go on weekends and I could go more if she was retired as I am. Anywho, my concern is this; what can I do to hide the 100lb propane bottle on the back of my cabin? My wife doesn't like the look so I thought I could build a rustic enclosure to match the board & batton siding of our cabin. I could add a door with small gaps between the boards to prevent an air-tite enclosure. Propane is just used for our stove. Also the bottle is less than 3 feet from a crawl-space vent which adds a concern but it passed the final inspection. Am I overly concerned about this? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2024 02:36am
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Gotta keep her happy or.....
Yes, a simple yet complimentary wood enclosure would be fine.
Btw. that 100# will last a Lonnggg time. We used the bbq size 20# for 30+ years at cabin1 for just the cooking range and only had to fill it about every 1.5-2yrs.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2024 03:34am
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You could probably make the enclosure with a sheet of latticework. Put a potted plant on the top for decoration.
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Fanman
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2024 11:51am
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At one point I was using a flexible bamboo screen to hide the bottles, until I just got tired of dealing with it.
Or you could just paint the bottle to match the cabin. That's what I did with our washer and dryer which are outdoors under an overhang; painted 'em dark brown so they don't show up against the dark logs.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2024 12:08pm
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Not sure about painting them, at least dark colors if you get sun. But gcrank is right, 100lb will last you years just running a stove. Downsize to a 20lb and its a lot easier to hide and lot less risk if anything goes wrong, but that isn't worth worrying about.
Not to mention when you do need to refill its easy to carry.
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ICC
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2024 02:32pm
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NFPA 58 rules require a heat reflective paint. That usually means a light color. There is an exception for extremely cold climates.
It is possible for a dark colored tank to get too hot in direct sunlight which could cause the safety release to release propane gas. It is also possible for the safety to fail if it has been heavily painted over. Portable tanks should only be stored in the position they were designed for or the safety release may release liquid propane which is much more dangerous than propane gas. IE, most tanks should be vertical not laid on side.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2024 02:44pm - Edited by: ICC
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The heat induced release is more likly to occur with a tank that os newly filled or at a higher level.
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paulz
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# Posted: 14 Nov 2024 06:28pm
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4.99
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travellerw
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2024 04:04am - Edited by: travellerw
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Propane is heavier than air (unlike natural gas). So take that into consideration when thinking about building any surround. The venting must be at the lowest point to allow any leaking propane "flow" out.
Propane bottles are pretty darn safe, even in an enclosure. As long as it has a way out. This is why pretty much every propane locker on an RV has a wide open bottom.
My wife is like yours and didn't want to see our bottles. Instead I opted for 2 30lb bottles like an RV. Hooked up exactly like an RV with an auto switcher. I put them in an old electrical cabinet I bought at auction. Its elevated on steel posts and there are holes drilled in the bottom to allow the propane out. I could paint it, but I choose to leave it as its 316 stainless and I like the look.
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travellerw
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2024 04:08am
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LOL.. I just scrolled up and saw Paul's suggestion..
If you used that you would need to be super careful when walking around the area. You could accidentally run into the bottle! Might be a good idea to put flags around it so you know where it is when you need to fill it ;)
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