underground propane tank

[dr3131]

My wife and I are building a home and she doesn't want to see the propane tank.
It seems that this will cost me 2000.00 to do this. I am having a hard time justiying this and was wondering if anybody has heard any horror stories from burying the tank.
Has anybody obtained tanks any cheaper?
Thanks in advance

 

[RobS]

We wanted to do this as well when we built but the money kept us above ground. It is fairly common so you shouldn't have any issues. The biggest difference (other than the aesthetics) is that you own the underground tank and the propane supplier owns the above ground ones /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[GaryM]

In many areas the homeowner has a choice of leasing or purchasing the above ground tank. If you lease it you don't have to do anything but pay the bill. But you also aren't free to seek out the lowest price. If you own the tank you can shop for the best price on propane. But you are also reponsible for the tanks condition and recertification.

 

[OkeeDon]

Policies differ from area to area and from dealer to dealer. I had an underground tank installed at my last house; the tank was "leased" but I had to pay to have it buried. Cost $765 - the gas dealer had a contracted backhoe come out and set the tank. I didn't have a tractor, then, kind of hard to justify on the 1/4 acre lot /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

The dealer retained ownership of the tank and was responsible for all maintenance, replacement, etc. If I used enough gas, there was no charge for the tank but if I fell below the minimum, it was something like $6/month for the tank. Usually, dealers like to retain ownership of the tank, because that means they're the only ones that can fill it. If you own the tank, you can shop for the best gas price. However, you lose the loyalty factor, and may find it harder to get anyone out when you really need a fill.

If you absolutely decide to change suppliers, they'll usually work out a swap of ownership on the tank. They have enough folks going back and forth that it often comes out to a wash.

 

[theonlybull]

put it above ground, and build a nice wooden fence around it.... then she won't see it /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[dr3131]

bull- I like that idea
don- no company will rent an underground tank b/c they don't want the "liability"

 

[OkeeDon]

<font color="blue"> don- no company will rent an underground tank b/c they don't want the "liability" </font>

It's very common here in Florida. It would be hard to agree that "no company" will do it, since I had one.

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

When we built our new house in "93 the propane people wanted to set the tank about 20' behind the house. I didn't build my new house on the banks money to look at an ugly potential bomb 20' from my house. I researched the issue and bought my own tank and lines , regulators etc. from a propane dealer and placed the tank 170' from the house at the back of my property.(there is an access drive to the tank) I had to size the lines accordingly for the distance. I paid the propane dealer to install the lines and regs. and set the tank (empty) using the boom pole on my ford 3000. Owning the tank is great........I call all the area suppliers and get a quote for a year at a locked in price and usually get them to compete for my business. I did the same thing at my business property too........It's the only way to go........If they set their tank they want to use the bare minimum of line and the closest distance allowed by code to get off cheap on labor and materials.........TOM

 

[OkeeDon]

Tom, I'm doing the same thing at my new property, only going even further away. I plan to put the tank at the gate so the propane delivery truck doesn't have to enter the property. It's the heaviest truck that would come on a regular basis, and this way it won't tear up my driveway. Also, they'll be able to deliver whether I'm home or not, and I won't have to give them a code for the electric gate.

It's going to be about 600' from the gate to the house, and then another 200' to the barn. Like you said, that's no problem if you size the line properly. Around here, we use polyelthelene tubing for the underground stuff, so it won't even be very expensive. The lines won't have to be huge, because it's normal to install a first stage regulator on the tank and run at fairly high pressure (around 20 psi) back to the house, then install a second stage regulator to drop it to usable pressure (11" WC, approx 1/2 psi). I'm also going to install a tee and a regulator every so often on the line in so if there is enough $$$ left after the house is built, I can install 3 or 4 gas lights on the driveway. It's too expensive for me to run the gas lights all the time, but they'll be neat on those "special occasions".

I don't know whether I'll have a buried tank or above ground. While I was in the propane dispensing business, I made good friends with the state LP Gas inspector, who stumbles across good deals on tanks from time to time. He has a 1000 gallon tank with a refill station set in the bushes near his gate which he got for free; I have my fingers crossed for something similar. I'd like to have the dispensing station (pump, meter, hose and nozzle) so I can refill my own RV, plus 20# cylinders for mosquito magnets and grills, at the delivered price - a lot cheaper than paying someone else to fill the tanks. You probably have something like that at your business if you refll fork lift tanks.

If it's underground, it will be between my driveway and the entrance fence. If it's above ground, it will be just inside the entrance fence, set in landscaping brushes, and the delivery guy will have to lean over the fence to fill it.

Attached is a picture of my unfinished and yet-to-be-landscaped entry; the tank will be to the left in the picture, on one side of the fence or the other.

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

Don........as I remember, I ran copper off the tank and pvc underground as they said sunlight could take its toll on the pvc if its exposed.......... Actually on the propane forklift bottles, I have a really great relationship with a new propane supplier in my area who fills them for the bulk tank rate. Some former employees of my closest (FORMER) supplier started thier own company and are VERY customer oriented. I bought 50 steel forklift tanks when another supplier closed, and I have sold tanks to the new company on occaision when they need them........We both try to keep things simple and keep each other happy. TOM