Here at The Country Hearth we fill propane tanks… I mean, after all, that is a big portion of what we do. We fill anything from 5 lb, to 100 lb tanks each and everyday, and I thought I would let you in on a little secret that has a TON of people coming in….. for no reason at all…
The tank is full but when hooked up, nothing happens. The customer thinks the tank is empty and wastes time and gas to come see us, only to have us tell them they have a…
LOCK OUT
So here’s what ‘lock out’ means. All residential LP tanks (as mandated by the federal goverment in 2001) have a protection device that is part of the valve system. This will literally LOCK YOU OUT of your propane tank for safety reasons (i.e. propane goes BOOM).
You will give yourself a LOCK OUT if you do the following:
- Hook up your propane tank and have one or more of your grill control valves in the ON position and then turn the tank ON.
- Turn your grill ON by turning more than one control valve at the same time.
- Turn your grill OFF by just the propane tank.
- Sometimes excessive sunlight (overheating) will also cause a LOCK OUT – too much sunlight causes the propane to heat up and build excess pressure.
- A leak or another tank issue will cause a LOCK OUT
HERE’S WHAT YA NEED TO DO:
Don’t freak out!
- Turn off the propane valve.
- Slowly remove the black QCC connection (the black fitting that connects to the propane tank).
- Make sure the appliance (grill, heater, whatever) valves are in the OFF position.
- Reconnect tank to the QCC (black fitting that connects to the propane tank).
- SLOWLY turn your propane tank back ON.
- Turn your appliance back on, one valve at a time, light the appliance… THEN TURN THE OTHER VALVES ON (we’re on to you Scott).
If the tank is hot, you will most likely get a lock out again. If this occurs, just go ahead and repeat the instructions.
So don’t get LOCKED OUT and don’t panic if you do. Safety is a must when dealing with sweet lady propane, and we don’t wanna hear about any “BOOMS”.
Thanks!
Dave