Underground propane tank - sacrificial anode bag

[Donald]

My propane tank about 20 year old failed the test and now needs a new bag of sacrificial anodes. Kind of like a boat.

Anyone replaced it themselves or paid the propane company to do it? Cost?

 

[andyd]

No, but I have a new 100gallon tank beside my bulkhead and have considered getting a buried tank. Please post a follow up Donald.

 

[Donald]

I have found that the bag of sacrificial anodes is $300 at one place.

 

[Rand]

I have found that the bag of sacrificial anodes is $300 at one place.

sheesh its not gold...

how big is your tank.

 

[Donald]

sheesh its not gold...

how big is your tank.

500 gal takes one bag. 1000 gal takes two.

The sacrificial anodes on a boat are not cheap either. I think I have 4 or 5 on my boat.

 

[Chris142]

Curious. Why burry one? Wouldn't the alkalinity of the soil cause it to rust quickly? Here we just stick them on some bricks.

 

[supton]

Curious. Why burry one? Wouldn't the alkalinity of the soil cause it to rust quickly? Here we just stick them on some bricks.

I’d think so too. I want to say its no longer allowed here?

Neighbor had his buried. Years of frost heaves had it slowly rising out of the ground, like a submarine.

 

[thastinger]

Curious. Why burry one? Wouldn't the alkalinity of the soil cause it to rust quickly? Here we just stick them on some bricks.

I'm planning to bury a 1K tank because that is a big piece of metal to try to make look decent. The only place I have to put one is where it would be visible all the time, and I don't want to look at it

 

[mk378]

James Brown had a song about this.

 

[Donald]

Curious. Why burry one? Wouldn't the alkalinity of the soil cause it to rust quickly? Here we just stick them on some bricks.

The tanks for underground have a different rating than above ground tanks and last a long time underground assuming they are protected against corrosion using the sacrificial anodes and the backfilling is done carefully so the exterior coating is not scratched off.

HOA requires it buried.

 

[Chris142]

I'm planning to bury a 1K tank because that is a big piece of metal to try to make look decent. The only place I have to put one is where it would be visible all the time, and I don't want to look at it

You would not like my neighborhood then. With all the tree hugging in my state I would not be surprised if they would not allow one to be burried here.

 

[Donald]

So the propane company tried to get the tank up to standards by installing an insulated pigtail pipe that insulates the tank from the propane piping. But still did not pass. So they came back and installed the bag of sacrificial anodes and now it easily passes. Cost to install the bag of sacrificial anodes & test was $390. I was quoted $250 (plus shipping) for a bag of sacrificial anodes alone. I can also get the special probe for $50 and use a voltmeter to test myself.

The lingering question is how much corrosion has occured during the time between when the sacrificial anodes were fully sacrificed (gone) and now. One assumes since the tank was initially rented that the propane company that installed it in 2000 would have included a bag of sacrificial anodes since they rented the tank and would have wanted it to last as long as possible.

 

[PimTac]

That HOA made it complicated. A nice screen fence is a whole lot cheaper than digging and burying. We planted azaleas in front of ours.

 

[Donald]

That HOA made it complicated. A nice screen fence is a whole lot cheaper than digging and burying. We planted azaleas in front of ours.

I have read that burying the tank will make the tank last longer than sitting in the weather.