Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Well played d.

Rgds, D.

 

[coldsteelva]

Perhaps you should consider an electric propane tank heater blanket. If the generator is running off propane, it could supply the heat to the tank to keep the pressure up and insure that you can get every possible ounce of LP out of the tanks. And keep the tank out of the wind if you can.

 

[LouNY]

A lot of years ago when I was living in West Texas I had a 1000 gallon Butane tank,
the Butane was almost free just a trucking charge.
That tank had an actual butane burner in a skirt on the bottom of the tank to keep butane flowing in cool weather.
We used to light it when temps were going to be less the 60F.

 

[daugen]

A lot of years ago when I was living in West Texas I had a 1000 gallon Butane tank,
the Butane was almost free just a trucking charge.
That tank had an actual butane burner in a skirt on the bottom of the tank to keep butane flowing in cool weather.
We used to light it when temps were going to be less the 60F.

Sure am glad you are still in one piece Lou.
Have watched lots of movies on BLEVEs, gets downright exciting when you overheat that pressure tank full of flammable gas.
impinging a flame on a single wall fuel tank is unlikely to be a NFIB approval today. Heating up the air next to the tank makes sense, which
I'm sure is what you were doing.
I like cold steels idea of keeping my cold steel warmer...:thumbsup:
Plus I have a 70 amp generator powering a 50 amp breaker through a 50 amp cord, so I have 20 amps left for the standard receptacles on the side of the gen.
So plenty of juice to run an electric blanket. Which would be a constant load which often is helpful for lightly loaded gens.

Now I wonder if they make them waterproof without costing a gazillion dollars.
Pretty soon I'm going to be building a house for this thing with hydraulic doors that open on solar sensors, the whole thing on a
turntable to track the sun... Sunshine directly on the tank has to be reasonably effective unless temps are below zero.
Then all bets are off for portable tanks unless kept in heated garage.
But I bet that tank is vaporizing a whole lot faster at 70 degrees than 30 degrees.

I can just see the cartoon in the paper where the guy is piling and lighting firewood under his propane tank.
Like the Russians still do to warm up their old trains, so they'll start below zero.

 

[daugen]

Powerblanket GCW3 Insulated Gas Cylinder Warmer Designed for 3 Pound Tank - Propane Tank Heater, Black: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

seriously expensive...

 

[grsthegreat]

Sure am glad you are still in one piece Lou.
Have watched lots of movies on BLEVEs, gets downright exciting when you overheat that pressure tank full of flammable gas.
impinging a flame on a single wall fuel tank is unlikely to be a NFIB approval today. Heating up the air next to the tank makes sense, which
I'm sure is what you were doing.
I like cold steels idea of keeping my cold steel warmer...:thumbsup:
Plus I have a 70 amp generator powering a 50 amp breaker through a 50 amp cord, so I have 20 amps left for the standard receptacles on the side of the gen.
So plenty of juice to run an electric blanket. Which would be a constant load which often is helpful for lightly loaded gens.

Now I wonder if they make them waterproof without costing a gazillion dollars.
Pretty soon I'm going to be building a house for this thing with hydraulic doors that open on solar sensors, the whole thing on a
turntable to track the sun... Sunshine directly on the tank has to be reasonably effective unless temps are below zero.
Then all bets are off for portable tanks unless kept in heated garage.
But I bet that tank is vaporizing a whole lot faster at 70 degrees than 30 degrees.

I can just see the cartoon in the paper where the guy is piling and lighting firewood under his propane tank.
Like the Russians still do to warm up their old trains, so they'll start below zero.

a larger tank will reduce freezing. those blanket wraps are major expensive. i know i have a patio heater that runs off of a small 5 gal propane tank, and it will freeze up even though the tank is located below the heater. go figure. oh, and you have a 35 amp generator, not 70. my 22,000 watt gen is only 96 amps.

 

[ultrarunner]

Remember those using Nitrous Oxide at the track have bottle warmers...

 

[nikdfish]

Maybe take a look at the heat mat/wire used in radiant floor heating? Might be adaptable used in conjunction with an insulating blanket.

 

[grsthegreat]

I dont think that could take moisture. Outdoor heat is usually in some kind of silicon coat coating. But, thats just a guess. The only time i have ever had issues with freezing propane tanks have been on 5 and 7 gallon tanks. I guess some of the 500 gal tanks can freeze, as people hear have said it happens, ive just never seen it happen.

 

[LouNY]

There are these but they are kind of low wattage don't know how much good they would do while using propane,
idle they would keep it at a warmer temperature then ambient to start with.