How to Get Rid of a Full LPG Tank?

[Davo]

I've had, sitting in front of the house for the last three years, a full LPG tank that a previous tenant left behind. I kept it because I wanted the bracketry clamped to it, and I thought the big tank would be handy.

But I can't use the tank and it has to go to the tip. However, I don't want to leave it there, full of gas, just waiting to blow up, even if that happened in eighty years. No-one in town works on gas, so I can't take it to a garage to empty, and no-one here wants a tank for their car.

I did think it would be fun to undo a fitting, let the gas leak out, and then take shots at it with a rifle until it (hopefully) exploded.

Unfortunately, that would be really stupid as well, and in such a small town I don't want to be known as "that idiot who blew himself up at the tip".

So, any ideas?

[Disco Steve]

I think the air rifle sounds fun
give the local council/tip a call and ask them, it will change from state to state but we have to get rid of 100L+ LPG and natural gas tanks all the time. and the local council takes care of it for us.
hope that helps.
cheers steve

[DeeJay]

No need to set fire to it.
Releasing the gas is the equivalent of 10,000 cow farts and does no real harm to the environment.
Take it to a lonely paddock and S L O W L Y open the valve possibly only 1/4 turn.
It might take a few hours to empty.
They have an excess flow valve and if the gas gets out quickly this valve will snap shut so you have to shut the valve for 30 sec to let it reset.
Just make sure there is no ignition source within 30m.
A windy day is best

[Disco Steve]

DeeJay is right, the LPG will not hurt the enviroment.

[damienb]

Please don't do this. It stinks, will drift as a big cloud setting off gas leak complaints for ages, and LPG pools in hollows, hanging around for days.

Setting fire to it, while incredibly stupid, would also not work - the failure mode of LPG tanks is failure of he metal skin due to external heat, followed by a BLEVE. Call the council.
/Damien

Edit: I know you weren't seriously considering setting fire to it - just commenting.

[TJS-70Y]

I was going to get some copper pipe and hook it to the barbeque regulator and run the barbie on it for a while but a mate bought the tank for his ute. You could do it with plumbing fittings.

Thomas

[Basil135]

Another fun alternative is to call your local Country Fire Service, and ask them if they want it for training.

We used to use them for this exact thing. With a couple of trucks, and a bunch of guys that know what to do, it can not only look impressive, but gives them some much needed gas time.

They will be able to either do it as a leak scenario, or as a fire scenario. It would be up to the captain.

[damienb]

It won't burn clean on appliances made for appliance gas. Different butane/propane mix. Not a major problem, but expect some soot, and you can't really use the grill section.
/Damien

[sclarke]

use it to re create the landscape....

dig a hole in a rabbit warren big enough to take it...
make an ignition source from a remote location....
open the valve.. watch bunnys run out.. shoot them as they do, then fire the ignitor...
the warren should lift about 2m in the air then re-level its self all nice and flat.... the tank on the otherhand might end up 20km away..lol

get a video of it as youtube is the king of exploding things...

i have never done this and i have never used a bbq bottle as the fuel source...

Clarkie
blind, burnt and amputee

[chazza]

Setting fire to it, or blowing it up will only result in gaol on a terrorism charge - remember the bloke in NSW who blew his car up for fun?

It is after all a hazardous chemical, so it needs to be treated as such. Getting the FRS to use it for training is the best idea on this thread,

Cheers Charlie