Propane tank / lightening question

[Kurt Gavin]

How vulnerable are those 500 gal home propane tanks to lightening?

Are any particular grounding or other precautions useful?

thanks

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, Tank is almost at ground level and I don't remember ever hearing of hit on the tank.

[Joseph Meehan]

I would follow local codes and you should be safe.

The tanks are metal and totally enclosed. There is not oxygen in the tank so unless the tank ruptures it is safe. The electricity will run around the tank, the same way it does if your car gets hit by lightning. Sort of like a Faraday cage.

[Stormin Mormon]

All the folks I know lighten them with white paint, or sometimes silver paint.

[Stubby]

Other things can happen. I know a guy that had a large tank on his property for the purpose of fueling his balloon tank, about 45 gallons. He had a heater on the tanks to keep the propane volatile in the midst of winter. When he came down in the morning and flipped on the light switch, an explosion occurred. The shed was destroyed, a wall on his house was burned, he suffered burns and was in a hospital for several days. I can guarantee that he obeyed all the rules and laws. But there must have been a tiny leak somewhere.

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, Didn't he know there is winter grade propane? Like winter grade gasoline?

[Joseph Meehan]

Yep, all bets are off if there is a leak in the tank. Propane is more of a problem in some cases when it comes to leaks as it tends to "pool" in low spots unlike NG that tends to float up.

[Avery]

Actually, painting them makes them heavier.

[m Ransley]

They are to heavy to steal

[Stormin Mormon]

Yah got me! I'm the one in the middle.