Subject: Propane Tank
Installations
Recently the
LP-Gas Inspector for the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
inspected a sample of above ground and buried gas tanks in Cypress Landing. Above ground installations are inspected
primarily for location to ventilation openings in the house and underground
tanks are inspected for electrostatic corrosion
potential.
Approximately
90% of the buried gas tank installations failed. The problem is improper
installation. In particular, an
anode bag is supposed to be attached to the tank at installation. Its purpose is to prevent galvanic
corrosion of the buried tank. Based
on his sample, most of the local gas suppliers are not properly installing the
tank. The inspector has written a
ticket for each failed installation.
This ticket is sent to the company installing the tank (or the homeowner
if the supplier is not identified on the tank) and to the NC Department of Agriculture offices
in
The 1000
gallon tank will have to be removed from the ground and either replaced by a
tank certified for below ground or installed above ground. Water in the dome is an
indication of improper drainage and will require some modification to improve
drainage.
Inspection of
a buried tank is done by measuring the electrical potential between the tank and
the surrounding ground. A pass/fail
limit has been set in state regulations for this
measurement.
What does this
mean to the homeowner? There is no
immediate danger from the galvanic corrosion problem, but the life of the tank
may be shortened. The inspector informed us the failed tanks are the
responsibility of the installing gas company. All homeowners in Cypress Landing with
an underground LP tank should contact their installer and have its compliance
with state regulations verified in writing. The state inspector feels his sample was
sufficiently large to show an overall installation problem in the community and
all residents should follow up to ensure they have a proper installation.
Suggested
wording to be included in a letter to your LP
supplier:
“A recent
inspection of a sample of LP tanks in Cypress Landing has shown that
approximately 90% of the tanks failed the requirements of state regulations,
NFPA-58. Please inspect our tank
and provide us, in writing, certification of
compliance.”
If you have
any questions in regards to the inspection and/or this notice, please contact
the Architectural Control Committee at 252-975-8955. As this committee does not have regular
hours, please leave a message and a member of the committee will return your
call.