Could this be a way to stop regulators from freezing up?

[Chad Holst]

I see alot of posts, with the weather so cold, about 20/30 lb tanks not being able to keep up when they get cold and the gas doesnt flow so well. Also alot of people are saying they have regulators freezing up.

I am doing a house build and we built a box to hold the 20/30lb tanks x2 and the regulator. Not too far away would be the exhuast from the furnace. I know that alot of heat comes off the exhaust on these units. My thought was to see if i could run the exhuast through the propane box before it goes outside. (we have not installed the furnace yet, so the exhuast has not been ran) The box needs to be vented anyway, so would it hurt anything to have the heater exaust into the box and then have a vent/vents on the box to let the exhuast out? it would keep the tanks pretty toasty and i wouldnt have to worry about the issues many are having.

When the furnace turns off, would i have to worry about the propane box letting fumes into the house? Any issues a person can see that COULD happen?

The box is 1/2 sheet, framed with 2x2's, diamond plated and a double propane tank holder has been mounted inside, along with a double regulator.

[harvey lee]

One question, where the heater is vented for exhaust, is there a cold air return there also? If so, you may suck some of the exhaust back into the house via the cold air return. Just a thought.

I purchased a used house and had issues getting the heater to run correctly or well enough to get the house to 70 on a 20# cylinder.

Today, I got a 100# cyl and hooked that up.

House is now 74 inside and all three burner's on the cook top run fine on the larger tank.

I believe when it is very cold out, I will just use the larger tank. -10 this am and working great.

The 20#er worked fine when it was warm but when it went below 0, nothing but issues with the smaller tank. But, I could not use the cooktop while the furnace was running on the smaller tank, fine with the larger when it is cold.

[Surface Tension]

There is a lot of moisture coming out the exhaust. The box would fill up with frost.

Having an unregulated heat source going into the box wouldn't be good either.

I would think that the propane tanks if enclosed need to be isolated from the house.

[grundy]

I don't know if that would work or not but the furnace also has a fresh air vent below the exhaust vent. I don't think it would get enough fresh air from the box. I think all you would be taking in is exhaust air if that makes any sense.

[Hawg]

ST is right. You would have more problems, not less. The exhaust is almost pure moisture.

[outkast7222]

Most of the freeze up problems are from blowing snow and what not getting into the regulator vent. Wrapping a dry rag around a dry regulator would negate most problems.

[DTro]

I think increasing our carbon footprint is a better long term solution.

[fsnrod]

If you got a enclosed box for your tanks you should be fine. I just have that white plastic cover they use on campers I bank snow around the bottom of it, I use 30 pound tanks have been out in 30 below and haven't had a freeze up.

[Hoey]

I hang a 100w trouble light in, underneath the white plastic cover, below the regulator to provide some small amount of heat on the tanks. This assumes my generator is running.

[Jeremy airjer W]

There is a lot of moisture coming out the exhaust. The box would fill up with frost.

Having an unregulated heat source going into the box wouldn't be good either.

I would think that the propane tanks if enclosed need to be isolated from the house

I'd have to agree.

[Chad Holst]

Moisture! I new this was too good to be true. I wouldnt be too concerned about the fresh air in-take, as i would run the air intake from another spot, and then just exhaust the air into the box...but you are correct, i think i would end up with alot of condensation. It wouldnt be an issue until the furnace turned off for a bit and the box froze. Yikers.

I would imagine the box alone should be enough to prevent any issues, but i tend to over build/over think. Thanks for the thoughts guys.

[Dozer]

Seems like a bad idea to me to have the exhaust anywhere near the tanks let alone inside a enclosed box. What if you develop a propane leak? I put my tanks and heater exhaust on opposite sides of the house for exactly this purpose.

[hawgchaser]

I misunderstood your original post when you spoke of running exhaust through the tank enclosure. I see no reason you'd have an issue if you piped the exhaust completely though your enclosure and vented it out the other side. You should get plenty of convection heat plus dry/warm the air coming into your regulator.

[BigDogRob]

I agree with fsnrod, I bank around my plastic tank cover. I haven't had any problems yet. Not saying that I never would! I do think it has alot to do with blowing snow and having the regulator sucking up moisture in the air and snow particles into the bottom of it. by using the cover and banking the bottom of the cover you eliminate most of that problem. I think somone mentioned a small heat tape which would probably be the easiest fix in a pinch as long as it was packed in the house and someone don't borrow it and forget to bring it back.

[Hawg]

OOPS- I misread it also. I thought you were running the exhaust into the box.

[Chad Holst]

If a propane leak happened, how would exhausted air hurt anything? I'd simply have been running warm air into the box, then that air would go outside. If the propane tank leaked the propane would still be forced out the vents, and there would be no way for it to get inside.

The propane box is not inside the house, it is an entirely seperate box, mounted on the side of the house, with a small sealed hole for the hose to fit inside. the bottom of the box has several holes to allow the propane to vent out, if it ever had propane inside. (propane is heavier than air.)

But, the moisture issue has nixed this idea.

Edit: i see that some dont understand the idea. Basically i was just wondering what would happen if i vented the furnace exhuast in and then out of the box, rather than just straight outside, to use the heat from the exhuast. I think people are right that it could cause alot of moisture, but there was a good point that the air moving should keep it dry..hmmm, now im not sure.

[outkast7222]

The problem would be it there was ever a leak. There would be a direct link between the box and the combustion chamber. when the fan isn't running it could full the chamber with propane.

[broman]

The problem would be it there was ever a leak. There would be a direct link between the box and the combustion chamber. when the fan isn't running it could full the chamber with propane.

That's what I was thinking as well. I like the tank outside with no way of gas getting into the house.

[leechlake]

how about a heating pad with a blanket covering it?

[hawgchaser]

Running the exhaust straight thorough the box would give you the heat without the moisture. If you're concerned about the direct heat from the exhaust pipe, you could run the exhaust pipe inside a slightly larger pipe similar to the concept of double-wall wood chimney pipe.

[Chad Holst]

Good point Outkast.

I was also told the box we are building for the batteries needs to be vented, as it creates gas when the batteries charge. I was going to simply build a small box with the left over sheet from the walls that is sealed and has a small access door on the outside. How do people vent these or is simply not sealing the door good enough. I dont know that I have ever seen a perm with this "box" vented to the outside, but simply sealed to protect gases from getting inside the house.

Hawgchaser... I think your right. One wouldnt have to actually have the exhuasted air in the box, just running the pipe out of the house, through the propane box and then ultimatetly outside, would heat the box. Im not too concerned with the pipe being that hot, i doubt it would or could ever get to the point that it could cause an issue in the box.

From what people are saying it may not ever be needed, and we dont make too many trips up north where this could be as big of an issue more often. So we probably are not doing this, but i think its the right line of thinking for someone building a house for up north.

[Hawg]

I'm confused now. If you are thinking of running the exhaust straight into the box, don't do it. You'll make a popsicle. Running the exhaust in the pipe thru the box would be such minimal gain I don't think it's worth it.

[Gordie]

I'm pretty sure there is a reason that this has not been done before due to safety reasons and one of them being that the regulator could actually vent propane gas into said box and possibly/most likely cause an explosion.

Not saying it will happen but I sure don't want to take that chance, most tank covers have no bottom on them and it allows no snow ice build up on the regulators along with a incidental venting of any gases.

Most of the regulator problems are due to moisture freezing them shut or open. I think it would wiser to have a spare regulator in the shack for a just in case moment.

[outkast7222]

Batteries should be vented. All the new houses do it with a batteries box and plastic vent tube. You can get them cheap from places like fish house supply or unclaimed freight. They went without them for years. Now is safety safety. You could also use a a gel cell and not worry about it.

[RJMOEN]

Exhaust from furnace has huge moisture content that will freeze your regulators up. Also, exhaust from furnace has carbon monoxide, when carbon monoxide condenses and creates said moisture it is quite acidic. About the same level of acid as a can of coke. Thats why tail pipes and furnace vent pipes rust from the inside out.