The Discovery Channel's Myth Busters shoot a propane tank with a variety of guns to see if it will explode. See the video below:
The Myth Busters Try To Blow Up A Propane Tank
Posted on March 26, 2009
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ROUSH Performance, a division of Roush Enterprises, designs, engineers and manufactures completely assembled pre-titled vehicles, aftermarket performance parts, and superchargers for the global performance enthusiast market. Based in Plymouth Township, Michigan, ROUSH Performance was founded in 1995 by motorsports legend Jack Roush.
As a propane marketer with a motor and mobile fueling station, this video serves well to remind the public to treat cylinders with care, especially the 100 lb cylinder shown in the video. Many customers want to lay these down in the bed of a pickup after refilling which is very hazardous with liquid propane against the relief valve. Transport vapor service cylinders vertically and don't shoot at them!
Don't assume that the locations listed in the DOE site will actually sell propane to the public.
The DOE list shows a key-card station at a Suburban Propane, but when I called to ask about it, I learned that it is not open to the public. However, I have used U-Haul for the fuel, and they are open seven days a week for 12 hours (shorter on Sunday).
I just bought a 2008 Roush F150 in Texas and had it shipped to Maine after checking to make sure I could get propane nearby. You can't beat the truck for towing capacity or power, although the mileage does drop some. Lower price for propane evens that out.
Propane fueling infrastructure is an issue in some respects. Although there is a very large supply infrastructure for propane, it is not currently in the public awareness.
Initially we are targeting fleet users who can have their own propane fueling stations installed at key fleet locations to support their re-fueling needs. The goal is to create awareness in propane as a motor fuel and continue to build public fueling infrastructure so that in the near future consumers will have the ability to purchase and re-fuel their propane-powered vehicle as easily as they can a gas or diesel vehicle.
However, owners of propane-powered vehicles can fuel their vehicles at any one of more than the 2,500 public fueling locations listed on the DOE web site:
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/propane_locations.html
And they can also fill-up at more than 6,000 UHAUL locations around the country:
http://www.uhaul.com/
LPG is very widely available and popular here in Australia, compared to the USA. About 50% of Aus service stations have an LPG pump.
LPG enjoys a lack of excise tax in Australia, contributing to its attractive pricing, usually about 45% of unleaded petrol. The Aus government at present gives a $2000 subsidy for converting vehicles to LPG against a usual install cost of about $3000.
Once installed, drivers universally report their fuel costs are right on half what they once spent on unleaded. Motor oil no longer turns sooty, stinky black and lasts twice as long. Any engine suited to unleaded petrol will run beautifully on LPG and last much longer to boot. CO2 emissions drop 15% per km vs petrol and other pollutants by up to 80% even without a catalytic converter.
What mainly holds US drivers back from these benefits is the lack of LPG autogas filling stations.
Propane is safer than gasoline, has an unlimited "shelf life", won't cause varnishing in carburetors,engines last longer than ones powered by gasoline, there's less maintenance, oil changes are half as often as with gasoline, propane averages about 30% less in cost than gasoline and propane has about 80% less carbon emissions.
No contractor I know of has had any problem with employees needing to "borrow" a few gallons of propane to get home from work now and again.
Knowing all this, consider if you would that you've been using propane for the past few decades with all these benefits and a fuel company representative comes to you to let you know of a new fuel called gasoline.
*It's dangerous to store & handle
*It becomes stale over time
*It causes varnishing in carberetors
*Your engine will likely last half as long
*It can easily become a "borrowed item"
*It costs about 30% more
*It will increase carbon emissions by about 80%
How do you respond to that?