Whether grilling, heating, or using propane for another purpose, safety is always a concern. It's especially important that you're working with this fuel safely if you hope to keep spare tanks and fuel around the property on an ongoing basis. However, other than ensuring that the safety valves are closed, you may not understand how best to store propane. These actions will enable safe storage.

Proper Placement

Perhaps the best thing to do when hoping to avoid trouble with storage is to set the tanks in a suitable position right off the bat. Not everywhere on the property is a good place for propane tanks, as the tanks require protection from direct sunlight and water. If you set a tank in the grass, for instance, you have to realize that morning dew from grass can cause rust over a period of time. Rust is terrible for fuel tanks because it can affect your ability to tell there's some leakage; the "rotten egg" odor that can be an alarm indicator can change because of it. Direct sun can heat the tanks to the point where a valve will slip and allow some fuel to leak.

If a leak does present a problem, you won't want any propane to seep slowly into living spaces, so it's also smart to avoid putting any tanks right up against the outside walls of your home.

To avoid propane issues, you can set your tanks in an area where they're not sitting in the sun or susceptible to water exposure. For instance, you might keep them on the concrete pad in your backyard under a canopy or in the garage away from windows.

Regular Monitoring

The second action that will keep tanks safe is to inspect each tank periodically. Just looking over the tanks can allow you to check the valves and let you know whether there is external damage which should be addressed. Understand that slight changes in temperature can affect the tanks, so your attention is needed before any trouble arises. You might need to put heating blankets on the tanks in the winter months so the fuel won't flow slowly as can happen at low temperatures.

Propane has many uses, but for all them safety is critical. These storage tips enable you to use the fuel however you need to while keeping the tanks and your property safe when you've got extra tanks on the land. For more information, check with a company like Southall Gas LLC.