What was the previous homeowner doing with all of this propane?
December 29, 2018 10:41 AM Subscribe
The previous owner of my house left behind a heavy duty propane storage cabinet with several tanks of various sizes. What were they using it for? What hobby calls for this kind of setup? Here's a photo. Let's speculate!
The house has central natural gas heat and electric cooking appliances, so I don't think this propane was trying to compensate for a basic heating or cooking problem.
Bonus points if you have any suggestions for how to sell this to someone who will take it away. I put it all on Craigslist for $50 and had no takers, even though metal storage cabinets like this are quite expensive new.
The house has central natural gas heat and electric cooking appliances, so I don't think this propane was trying to compensate for a basic heating or cooking problem.
Bonus points if you have any suggestions for how to sell this to someone who will take it away. I put it all on Craigslist for $50 and had no takers, even though metal storage cabinets like this are quite expensive new.
Best answer: Someone offered it to them and they could resist. My yard and house are full of things like that, with no real on-site purpose.
posted by humboldt32 at 11:04 AM on December 29, 2018
posted by humboldt32 at 11:04 AM on December 29, 2018
Best answer: Seconding that they just got a deal on it. Maybe a store selling propane in tanks went out of business — that's the kind of storage units they have, complete with the No Smoking signs. Anybody using large amounts for something like sculpting metal would have a single big tank and not deal with these small ones.
posted by beagle at 11:16 AM on December 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by beagle at 11:16 AM on December 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'd guess fuel for a bobcat or forklift. They do any landscaping or construction? Or, I knew a guy once who worked for a gas company and a had a little illicit side business going on.
posted by rodlymight at 11:18 AM on December 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by rodlymight at 11:18 AM on December 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Are they full of gas, or empty/half-empty?
posted by aramaic at 11:18 AM on December 29, 2018
posted by aramaic at 11:18 AM on December 29, 2018
Best answer: Really dedicated to his Hank Hill cosplay?
posted by phunniemee at 11:43 AM on December 29, 2018 [27 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 11:43 AM on December 29, 2018 [27 favorites]
Best answer: I've got a small herd of propane bottles around: metal forge, barbecue, crab boiler, RV, catalytic heater. It's a consequence of the desire for portable and powerful fire.
About the tanks themselves: from the shape of the handwheels on the valves, none of those tanks are OPD (Overflow Protection Device) equipped. I can't tell what the handwheel on the bottom one looks like, but it's probably the same as all the others.
"As of January 1, 2003, cylinders without OPDs cannot be refilled."
Concomitantly, they're old. Certainly too old to be refilled without pressure recertification (check the dates stamped into the tank).
You *could* get them recertified, and get an OPD installed, but for tanks of those sizes it's probably cheaper to buy new tanks.
In practice around here, people are very likely to fill these old tanks for you, but at your peril: three out of four times I have personally seen dangerous errors made when people fill OPD-exempt tanks, since OPD tanks are the rule. They keep surprising me with new ways that they screw up.
Nice lockable metal cabinet, though. Someone would surely haul it away for free.
posted by the Real Dan at 11:47 AM on December 29, 2018 [7 favorites]
About the tanks themselves: from the shape of the handwheels on the valves, none of those tanks are OPD (Overflow Protection Device) equipped. I can't tell what the handwheel on the bottom one looks like, but it's probably the same as all the others.
"As of January 1, 2003, cylinders without OPDs cannot be refilled."
Concomitantly, they're old. Certainly too old to be refilled without pressure recertification (check the dates stamped into the tank).
You *could* get them recertified, and get an OPD installed, but for tanks of those sizes it's probably cheaper to buy new tanks.
In practice around here, people are very likely to fill these old tanks for you, but at your peril: three out of four times I have personally seen dangerous errors made when people fill OPD-exempt tanks, since OPD tanks are the rule. They keep surprising me with new ways that they screw up.
Nice lockable metal cabinet, though. Someone would surely haul it away for free.
posted by the Real Dan at 11:47 AM on December 29, 2018 [7 favorites]
Best answer: If you want to get rid of it, call a scrapper - look for appliance removal on Craigslist, etc. Doubt they’ll pay you anything for it but they’ll surely pick it up for free. Tell them they have to take all the tanks too if they want the cabinet. In my experience they turn up within a few hours.
posted by pocams at 12:24 PM on December 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by pocams at 12:24 PM on December 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Leftover junk from an auction of a lot of random junk. My next door childhood co-hort's father did this. The garage was always full of random stuff to be picked through and sold off at the flea-market or by other means. It could have been part of a lot of goods from a closed down gas-station or something. That's how I lucked into a ton of fireworks, model rocket engines, and pyrex labware.
Pre-internet eBay business.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:42 PM on December 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Pre-internet eBay business.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:42 PM on December 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: When we first moved into our house, our yard and garage were littered with rusting propane tanks in various states from half-full to entirely empty. We were able to hand them off to the local nursery/garden store, which also sells propane, though I don’t think we got any money out of it. We were just glad to have them off our property — none of it seemed very safe the way it was.
In our case they were purely for BBQ (we’re pretty sure, anyway) and there was no fancy storage area for them.
posted by Andrhia at 1:35 PM on December 29, 2018
In our case they were purely for BBQ (we’re pretty sure, anyway) and there was no fancy storage area for them.
posted by Andrhia at 1:35 PM on December 29, 2018
Best answer: Maybe they’re into RVing and never wanted to run out? Or there was a mobile home permanently on the premises?
posted by cotton dress sock at 1:50 PM on December 29, 2018
posted by cotton dress sock at 1:50 PM on December 29, 2018
Best answer: Employer got rid of it when tanks were changed to the safer version; employer got a new cabinet & tanks.
I would bring that home because it's obv. useful, then never find good use for it.
posted by theora55 at 1:53 PM on December 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
I would bring that home because it's obv. useful, then never find good use for it.
posted by theora55 at 1:53 PM on December 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Typically if you needed a lot of propane on premises you'd just have one huge propane tank, rather than a gazillion little ones. I'd agree that they were likely acquired for free by someone who was a bit of a packrat (like for general grilling purposes—"I'll never have to buy propane again!" they were probably thinking) who then just never used up their supply before selling the house.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:19 PM on December 29, 2018
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:19 PM on December 29, 2018
Best answer: Could they have been for a small gas fired kiln?
posted by lakersfan1222 at 6:00 PM on December 29, 2018
posted by lakersfan1222 at 6:00 PM on December 29, 2018
Best answer: the Real Dan: ""As of January 1, 2003, cylinders without OPDs cannot be refilled."
"
There is an exemption for tanks used for welding/cutting (because the OPD doesn't flow enough). Oxy/LPG cutting torches are commonly used by metal scrappers as a much cheaper alternative to oxy/acetylene which might account for the tank cage too.
posted by Mitheral at 7:57 AM on December 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
"
There is an exemption for tanks used for welding/cutting (because the OPD doesn't flow enough). Oxy/LPG cutting torches are commonly used by metal scrappers as a much cheaper alternative to oxy/acetylene which might account for the tank cage too.
posted by Mitheral at 7:57 AM on December 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Obviously no burners in this thread. My guess is propane art, poofers, etc.
posted by frecklefaerie at 11:37 AM on January 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by frecklefaerie at 11:37 AM on January 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by erst at 10:50 AM on December 29, 2018