# My propane provider won't run a line for a portable



## m1lreese (Mar 29, 2018)

Hi, new to the forum.

I have a 500 gallon tank in the ground that I lease so I can only get propane from one provider. I have been chasing them for months about getting a price for a propane line that I would use to hook up to a portable propane generator - something rated between 8500-10500 watts. They refuse saying it's a safety risk because it's a portable. 

The gen is going to be about 3' from the house and regulator and about 20' from the tank.

Why can't they just hook it up with a plug and shut-off valve or two?

Alternately, should they be able to hook up a high pressure line to fill a bbq tank?

It's crazy to me that I have this massive tank in the ground that I can't use. They did tell me I can use someone else to hook up the line, but I know I'm going to run into problems there with other vendors saying they won't work on the equipment unless I'm their customer. It was suggested I tried an HVAC guy next.

(To save everyone time... I don't want a fixed standby. I can get the portable hooked up for $600 plus $1100 for the gen... and it's PORTABLE vs a standby w/ similar power that would cost $7800 and I can't use it anywhere else. I'm totally fine with wheeling out a portable when I need to for that tradeoff.)


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## motormonkey (Jul 10, 2016)

The gas company's response is not surprising. They have enough liability without taking the chance that you will hook up the generator improperly to the line they installed, and cause a fire or explosion.

There is probably no reason you can't find some unlicensed handyman to plumb up what you need, or even do it yourself, but if something bad happens because of it, you're screwed.

BTW, a bbq tank is filled from a liquid line, using a liquid pump. The gas company isn't going to do that for you either.

Just bite the bullet and get a low pressure generator that can be hooked to a bbq tank, and keep a couple of tanks around. That's what I do.


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## m1lreese (Mar 29, 2018)

motormonkey said:


> The gas company's response is not surprising. They have enough liability without taking the chance that you will hook up the generator improperly to the line they installed, and cause a fire or explosion.
> 
> There is probably no reason you can't find some unlicensed handyman to plumb up what you need, or even do it yourself, but if something bad happens because of it, you're screwed.
> 
> ...


Let's say I have a pool with an outdoor kitchen. How would this be any different than hooking a line up to a pool heater or the grill? They aren't meant to be permanent connections.

All of the dual fuel generators work the same from what I can tell. They come with a line/regulator and run off a bbq tank or can be connected to a larger tank. Every reference I've seen indicates the bbq tank vs big tank connection is interchangeable and a matter of preference. For example... https://www.homedepot.com/p/Duromax...-Start-Portable-Generator-XP10000EH/205635157

If I can only run off of a bbq tank then I'm better off using gasoiline which is what I'm trying to avoid in the first place. If there's an outage, it's usually means it's a bad idea to travel on the roads here. That means getting more propane will be difficult if it not impossible. I'm not too crazy about leaving a bunch of tanks lying around. I suppose it's an option but not ideal.

Same goes for gas as well. Last outage we had, power was out for almost 24 hours in 10 degree weather with a foot of snow and ice while I was out of town and my wife was home alone with a baby. The generator would have been useless after 5-10 hours. Realistically, if that's all I can expect from a coverage standpoint, I can do without a generator. 

What I expect is a T connection before the regulator going into the home with a quick disconnect. I just don't see why this is a problem.


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## motormonkey (Jul 10, 2016)

You don't have to convince me, I see your point and like the idea. I would have something like that myself if my LP gas tank was not on the opposite side of the house from the generator connection.

The final decision on what the gas company will or will not do is theirs alone. If you can't convince them to install a quick disconnect line for you, you are going to have to do something else. There are no perfect options here.

Find someone else who will run the line for you, maybe another gas company, or a generator installer, or a handyman, or do it yourself. You REALLY need someone who knows what he/she is doing tho.
Operate the generator on LP gas from grill tanks, and live with the limitations you mentioned. In addition to 20# tanks, 40# or larger tanks are available.
Operate the generator from gasoline. Unlike LP gas tho, which will store almost indefinitely, gasoline goes stale after just a few months in storage.


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## m1lreese (Mar 29, 2018)

motormonkey said:


> You don't have to convince me, I see your point and like the idea. I would have something like that myself if my LP gas tank was not on the opposite side of the house from the generator connection.
> 
> The final decision on what the gas company will or will not do is theirs alone. If you can't convince them to install a quick disconnect line for you, you are going to have to do something else. There are no perfect options here.
> 
> ...


I'm having a hard time finding anyone that will do it. Even if I do, IO'm not sure the pressure coming from the tank is at least 3PSI. If it's not, then I'm not switching the regulator at the tank to high pressure. I'm not sure if that means I would have to change the regulator at the house to deal with the increased pressure either. I think it gets reduced to about 1/2-1 PSI inside t


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## m1lreese (Mar 29, 2018)

..inside the house


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## m1lreese (Mar 29, 2018)

Should the electrician be installing a transfer switch for the portable? I'm only seeing an interlock kit on the quote. I don't want to fry any equipment.


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## motormonkey (Jul 10, 2016)

There are two commonly used means of switching the electrical loads in your home between the utility power and the generator:

1. A _transfer switch_, which is a dedicated switch that switches the electrical loads in your home between the utility power and the generator.

2. An _additional circuit breaker_ in your electrical panel, in conjunction with an _interlock device_. The additional circuit breaker provides power to the panel from the generator. The interlock assures that this breaker and the main breaker from the utility cannot both be turned on at the same time.

The circuit breaker and interlock are more common for portable installations like yours.


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## m1lreese (Mar 29, 2018)

That makes sense. Thx


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

I also have a 500 gallon propane tank underground. I Built a sound insulated generator shed and fed hard piped low pressure propane into it. It then goes to rubber hose to connect to my demand regulator with a quick disconnect. 

Any plumber can easily run a stub out from your propane supply with a valve and quick connect that will remain closed without a hose attached. I see no harm in this, though an enclosure has been a great investment for me... and my neighbors appreciate it.

I have a interlock backfeeding my panel, simple, solid solution. Try to find a UL listed interlock made by the panel manufacturer. 3rd party options exist but a listed item is the better move.


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