Protect Your Property: Anchor and Brace Propane Tanks and Gas Cylinders
What You Can Do
Earthquake protection can involve a variety of changes to your house and
property -- changes that can vary in complexity and cost. You may be able to
make some types of changes yourself. But compli-cated or large-scale changes
and those that affect the structure of your house or its electrical wiring and
plumbing should be carried out only by a professional contractor licensed to
work in your state, county, or city. Examples of earthquake protection are
anchoring and bracing propane tanks and com-pressed gas cylinders. These are
things that skilled homeowners can probably do on their own.
Anchor and Brace Propane Tanks and Gas Cylinders
During earthquakes, propane tanks can break free of their supporting legs. When
a tank falls, there is always a danger of a fire or an explosion. Even when a
tank remains on its legs, its supply line can be ruptured. Escaping gas can
then cause a fire. Similar problems can occur with smaller, compressed gas
cylinders, which are often stored inside a house or garage.
One way to prevent damage to propane tanks and compressed gas cylinders is to
anchor and brace them securely. The figure shows how the legs of a propane tank
can be braced and anchored. Using a flexible connection on the supply line will
help reduce the likelihood of a leak. Compressed gas cylinders, because they
have to be periodically replaced, cannot be permanently anchored. But you can
use chains to attach them to a wall so that they will remain upright.
Tips
Keep these points in mind when you anchor and brace propane tanks or compressed
gas cylinders:
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Before you alter your propane tank in any way, make sure that the tank is your
property and not rented from the propane supplier. Before welding new bracing
to the tank legs, you must remove the gas from the tank. You should also check
with your propane supplier to find out whether additional precautions are
necessary.
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Clear the area around the propane tank to ensure that there are no tall or
heavy objects that could fall on the tank or rupture the supply line.
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Keep a wrench near the shutoff valve and make sure the members of your family
know how to turn off the supply line if they smell a gas leak. On larger tanks,
such as farm tanks, consider installing a seismic shutoff valve that will
automatically turn off the gas during an earthquake.
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Provide a flexible connection between the propane tank and the supply line and
where the supply line enters the house. But keep in mind that adding a flexible
connection to a propane tank line should be done by a licensed contractor, who
will ensure that the work is done correctly and according to all applicable
codes. This is important for your safety.
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To attach a compressed gas cylinder to a wall, use two lengths of chain around
the cylinder -- one just below the top of the cylinder and one just above the
bottom. The chains should be attached to eye hooks that are screwed into the
wall. In wood-frame walls, the eye hooks must be long enough to penetrate not
just the wall but the studs behind it as well. In concrete or masonry block
walls, the eye hooks should be installed with expansion anchors or molly bolts.
Estimated Cost
Bracing and anchoring a propane tank will cost about $250. Having flexible
connections installed on the tank and at the house will cost about $75.
Attaching one gas cylinder to the wall will cost about $50.
Other Sources of Information
Seismic Retrofit Training for Building Contractors and Building Inspectors:
Participant Handbook, FEMA, 1995
Reducing the Risks of Nonstructural Earthquake Damage: A Practical Guide,
FEMA-74, 1994
Protecting Your Home and Business from Nonstructural Earthquake Damage, FEMA,
1994