Yesterday 'bout 5 PM, I had a few minutes of excitement after installing full,
20 # tank of propane on my Weber grille.
'Had the tank filled 2 or 3 months ago at local hardware store. 'Thought I
heard it leaking at the fill/dispensing valve while the clerk lady was filling
it, and asked her, "Is that bottle leaking at the valve shaft?" She replied,
"Nah, I probably didn't have the fill/charging connection quite tight enough."
Coupla months ago, SWMBO had problem with the grille not getting hot enough.
I read owner's manual, and realized that she was turning it on in such a manner
(too quickly) as to cause a safety feature to keep it from providing high heat.
During my tests, I temporarily installed the full tank and found it leaking at
the fill/dispensing valve when I opened the valve on top of the tank. I
changed the bottles back to the "old" tank. Coupla days later I took the
"newly-filled" tank back to the hardware store and tried to tell 'em that,
indeed, it does leak and asked if they could change the valve. 'Lady who had
filled it nearly went "ballistic" when I tried to ask her if she remembered my
concern about it while she was filling it. Another clerk (male) took the
bottle to the charging station, plugged it in and declared, "Not leaking; ya
may not have had the connection tight enough." I replied, "Well, I had it as
tight as I could get it with a wrench (big pliers)."
'Brought the tank back home and sat it on patio/terrace by the grille until I
installed it yesterday.
When I first opened the valve on top of the tank to start the grille, I heard a
slight hiss/leak at the valve; after closing the valve, "got on" the
connection nut again with the big pliers while trying to wiggle the hose. When
I opened the valve on top of the tank again, I heard no hiss and proceeded with
the grille starting procedure and leaving the doors to the tank compartment
open. When I pushed the ignition button, not only did it ignite the grille
burners, It ignited a significant flame around the valve on top of the tank in
such a manner that I could not reach the valve handle/knob to turn it off!
'Grabbed my cell phone and told Siri to call 911. 'Clearly identified myself,
location and situation to the dispatcher, "Propane leak with active flame that
keeps me from reaching the valve, 'needing help NOW!" Dispatcher started
asking his questions, and I went through all of it again and finished with,
"While we're talking, I hope you have a truck underway, I need it now!"
Fire station is only about 10 to 12 blocks away, so I quickly began to hear the
sirens headed my way, and noticed that the flame pattern around the valve and
top of the tank had changed slightly so that I may be able to use the pliers to
turn the valve bit by bit to turn the gas off. 'Grabbed the pliers and began
to get a grip on the hard-to-hold triangular-shaped knob while trying to dodge
the flames. After several tries, I began to find a way to grip the knob and
turn it off a bit each time. I finally got it off as the fire truck pulled up
in front of the house.
'Was literally bar-b-q ing my hand - 'got coupla small first degree burn (very
minor) places on inner, top of thumb. Singed hairs on back of fingers, hand
and wrist.
Wilton
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