Stubby wrote:
Joseph Meehan wrote:
Kurt Gavin wrote:
How vulnerable are those 500 gal home propane tanks to lightening?

Are any particular grounding or other precautions useful?

thanks

I would follow local codes and you should be safe.

The tanks are metal and totally enclosed. There is not oxygen
in the tank so unless the tank ruptures it is safe. The electricity
will run around the tank, the same way it does if your car gets hit
by lightning. Sort of like a Faraday cage.

Other things can happen. I know a guy that had a large tank on his
property for the purpose of fueling his balloon tank, about 45
gallons. He had a heater on the tanks to keep the propane volatile
in the midst of winter. When he came down in the morning and flipped
on the light switch, an explosion occurred. The shed was destroyed,
a wall on his house was burned, he suffered burns and was in a
hospital for several days. I can guarantee that he obeyed all the
rules and laws. But there must have been a tiny leak somewhere.

Yep, all bets are off if there is a leak in the tank. Propane is more
of a problem in some cases when it comes to leaks as it tends to "pool" in
low spots unlike NG that tends to float up.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit