• Propane keeps the barbecue fires burning.YAKUMO DIGITAL CAMERA image by b1sch from Fotolia.com
  
  Each year, millions of Americans heat their homes and cook their food with liquefied petroleum gas or propane. Small tanks of propane keep many backyard barbecue grills supplied with cooking gas each summer. Large tanks supply whole households with gas. Propane is in a liquid form under pressure when it is in the tank. Generally, propane gas is safe to use; however, the gas can become a mortal hazard if you do not maintain it correctly.
  
  

Small Tank Storage

• Do not store your small propane tank in a basement, garage, shed, tent or any enclosed area. Keep your tank away from fireplaces and other heat sources. Resist the urge to store your spare tank underneath or next to your barbecue grill. The National Propane Gas Association suggests that you store your tanks outside and away from any ignition source. When a propane tank heats up, pressure builds inside the tank and may cause the pressure relief valve to release propane. Any spark can ignite the escaped propane.
  
  

Small Tank Transport

• Place your propane tank in a well-ventilated area of your vehicle when you transport it between your home and the propane dealership whether the tank is empty or full. Never lay the tank on its side or place it where it may fall, shift or roll as per recommendations by the Propane Education & Research Council. Do not leave a full tank in a hot vehicle. Schedule the time when you will refill or pick up a new tank when it is your only errand. Choose safety over convenience, and make separate trips for the propane and your other barbecue provisions. The Council also advises that local codes may limit how many propane tanks you can transport at one time in a closed body vehicle.
  
  

Heavy Snow, Large Tank Care

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns propane tank owners that pushing heavy snow from their roofs on their propane tanks may damage the pipes and fittings, causing gas leaks and fires and leading to injuries and deaths. Avoid shoveling snow onto exposed piping around the propane regulator. Inspect regulator vents, and contact your propane supplier if ice or snow is clogging a regulator vent on the propane system. In anticipation of a heavy snowstorm, protect valves from the elements. Mark the location of the propane tank with stakes that are much longer than the forecast snowfall.
  
  

Large Empty Tanks

• Take every precaution to avoid running out of gas. Running out of gas is a safety risk because pilot lights on appliances attached to that tank will go out. Leaks may occur when you recharge your tank with propane if a gas line or appliance valve was open when the supply ran out. Rust may build up in a tank where air and moisture replace the propane. Rust may reduce the life expectancy of your tank and reduce the concentration of the odor of propane, making it more difficult to smell leaks.