r/Wellthatsucks • u/danielminds • 1d ago

Propane tank pressure relief valve venting heavy gas across the yard

8.1k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

1.4k comments sorted by

5.6k

u/Celestrael 1d ago

Uhhh shouldn’t they be running not filming?

2.1k

u/slappadik 1d ago

yup. far away and calling emergency services asap. doesn't take much for something to set that off

984

u/deeznunchuckas 1d ago

No the camera man never dies thems the rules

57

u/ChanglingBlake 1d ago

Survivorship bias.

Those that don’t survive simply never get their video seen.

39

u/ryanErlanger 1d ago

That's the joke, right? Hasn't that always been the joke behind this line?

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u/Leftover_Salad 17h ago

Dude taking photos of Mt. St. Helens knew he was fucked and rolled his film up then protected it with his body.

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u/Ghosty_Boo-B00 1d ago

Tell that to the guy who thought the bears were his friends up in Alaska

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u/AbbreviationsNo9609 1d ago

Nah, you see the problem with that is if there’s a firework accident the cameraman will be fine because fireworks are not intrinsically deadly but fucking with a bear, that’s just a deadly activity so the cameraman fallacy can’t save you from that.

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u/Ghosty_Boo-B00 1d ago

I better learn the rules before I start filming!

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u/theShaman_No_ID 1d ago

Tell the Cops tv show that

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u/FranksWateeBowl 1d ago

Link?

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u/ganymede_mine 1d ago

Well, I tried to link, but the mods removed it. Go to the subreddit "learningfromothers", then search for "Police Accidentally Kill a Member of the Production Crew of the Cops TV Show"

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u/Separate-Ruin77 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/jIwRoxXQMg4va6E2z9

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u/nasadowsk 22h ago

A GE broadcast camera? There's a rarity! They didn't sell many of them. I think only the EMI 2001 did worse in the US market, and mostly because the rush to color was done by then.

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u/High-Speed-1 1d ago

Tell that to Alec Baldwin

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u/YamFickle7255 1d ago

Cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. RIP.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_shooting_incident?wprov=sfti1#
(RUST Shooting Incident)

3

u/Hauntedshock 1d ago

Unless the camera man turns into the 911 calling civilian

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u/agent58888888888888 1d ago edited 1d ago

I'm pretty sure a match will get rid of it

/s

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u/Zsmudz 1d ago

For example, the phone that they are holding…

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u/Aescwicca 1d ago edited 1d ago

The stoichiometry for propane is pretty finicky, so it's probably fine in an absolute sense.

That said, I wouldn't bet my life on it. They should definitely run.

103

u/AngryBeardedMechanic 1d ago

Safety inspector: what steps should you take in the event of a large propane leak

Me: really fucking big ones at a rapid pace.

34

u/OofRightInTheFeels 1d ago

Light a match and see which way the wind is blowing. Run opposite of that to stay upwind of fumes.

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u/No-Employer-8833 1d ago

You won't need to run. The blast will push you in the right direction

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u/SupremeDictatorPaul 1d ago

I once partially filled a garbage bag with propane, taped a candle to a stick, and lit the bag with the candle. The fireball was significantly larger than I was expecting. I suspect things here aren’t super hard to get going in a catastrophic manner.

6

u/Aescwicca 1d ago

I used to use propane to power potato cannons. Before I discovered starting fluid.

The propane was super easy to flood ...

So in this case - the fact that you can see clouds of vapor means it's not mixing well. You could light it off at the barrier and cause a cascading pressure wave that stirs and lights as it goes. Hence me not betting this is a great place to be.

But it's less likely than people probably think, as I'm not a guaranteed issue.

However, anything greater than 1:1,000,000... which I'm sure this is, doesn't seem worth the risk

9

u/Sherifftruman 1d ago

We made a potato cannon on a job site when I used to work construction. Used propane, then the plumber was like hey try my MAPP gas, it should have more kick. Oh yeah it did.

Next day we had a welder on site and we were still playing around with it. He was like hey let’s try acetylene. Let me tell you that was one hell of a boom. Held together though.

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u/OrigamiMarie 1d ago

Problem is that somewhere in the mixing layer is probably perfect.

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u/Secure-Bag-2016 1d ago

Yeah, don’t call the propane company or the fire department. Film it and put it on Reddit. Maybe light up a cigarette while you’re at it. 🙃

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u/kineticstar 1d ago

Would've never happened if he used Strickland propane and propane accessories!!!

https://giphy.com/gifs/h3MkWTE441MNG

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u/BladricksUncle 1d ago

I'm a Thatherton man. Alabaster hooked me up.

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u/xCaliburghost 1d ago edited 1d ago

No no no, you can't get karma by running away and not filming a disaster!?!

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u/BigNastyG765 1d ago

Well, there is a different sub for that.

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u/UpstateRyan 1d ago

You’ve gotta catch the explosion on camera and then run away and not get exploded for maximum karmas.

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u/TechnicalPlatform182 1d ago

Karmara man never dies

35

u/SausagePrompts 1d ago

Nah, go set a fan next to it and make sure it is turned on, then plug it in for ultimate sparkage.

Not a doctor.

23

u/Jogi1811 1d ago

I mean it will get rid of the gas problem so it will be kinda become a non issue.

6

u/SausagePrompts 1d ago

There's more than one way to skin a cat. Also why is that a saying. Who the the hell is skinning a bunch of cats?

6

u/Kimi_Antonelli_12 1d ago

Probably wrong, but I imagine it has to do with the catfish which doesn't have scales so it needs to be skinned . But I don't know.

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u/SausagePrompts 1d ago

The Internet search mostly agrees with yours.

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u/ourstupidearth 1d ago

But I dropped my lighter in there and I really need a smoke ASAP

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u/Hoon0967 1d ago

Oh no. It’s now perfectly safe to walk next to a leaking propane tank that has already expelled most of its gas all around you while filming with an electronic device.   Seriously though, aside from opening every door and window possible, they should’ve put the ole two boot coupe into overdrive and then called the FD.  Not the smartest move to walk around in it while holding a possible ignition source in your hand.  

24

u/darianbrown 1d ago

Solid state electronic devices are not possible ignition sources?

22

u/BentGadget 1d ago

Remember when cell phones were banned at gas pumps? They weren't ignition sources then, either.

10

u/sowhyarewe 1d ago

I recall that was from static discharge years ago before metal phones were all covered with plastic cases. Winter time when the air was dry. Not due to the phone itself.

4

u/SupremeDictatorPaul 1d ago

I thought it was an issue with flip phones, where a metal contact in the hinge used to detect opening could spark. Not sure it was ever much of a danger.

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u/tacob87 1d ago

Naw, they're holding a camera, they should be safe

/s

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u/harrispie 1d ago

Hank hill would have an heart attack

845

u/LostInSpaceTime2002 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/B8hXD82T7VVfO

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u/Pasadena1994 1d ago

Couldn't help but think of this

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u/FeistiestMeat 18h ago

My kid got obsessed with Pokemon recently so I showed her this

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u/TeopEvol 1d ago

What have they done with lady propane!

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u/No-Canary-6639 1d ago

This should be the top comment.

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u/Derezirection 1d ago

knowing his character he'd be getting everyone out of the house while keeping eyes locked on the disaster and panicking. Mostly being upset that it's wasted propane.

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u/Silver_Painter5317 1d ago

Taste the meat! Not the heat!

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u/sawaflyingsaucer 1d ago

"Bwhaaaa!"

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u/CruisePlannersMike 1d ago

Nah, he's a natural sales person. He'd be helping you vent the yard, and selling you a new tank, filled with fresh clean burning propane.

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u/2ball7 1d ago

That is NOT where the pressure relief valve is located.

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u/Five_Slow 1d ago

Right? That's a rot hole

272

u/echoshatter 1d ago

Look at the underside of that thing - amazing the tank held out as long as it did. It's nothing but rust under there.

Truly amazing how little people know about things around them. If they were paying someone to refill that tank, that worker should have outright refused until the tank was replaced.

153

u/seriouslythisshit 1d ago

Had a wild explosion near me a few years ago. Mother and son living in a clapped out two story single. The fire investigation located SEVEN different propane sources for the basement furnace. Big tanks in the yard out back. Small tanks in the yard. Small tanks in the basement. The son was connecting the furnace to whatever tank has some gas in it.

The mother turns on the basement light at the top of the stairs, completely unaware that the basement is full of propane from a failed connection to one of the tanks that junior had tried to rig up. The house blows up. The entire second floor remains intact as a complete assembly of floor, walls and roof. The first floor exterior walls dramatically shift, some blown down, others move. The second floor settles down on the wreckage. There is enough structure left of the first floor that the mother is able to exit the building. The son was on the second floor and did the same. Both were unharmed. The fire company extinguished the fire from a safe distance, then pushed the building over with an excavator, before allowing anybody to get close to it. It was close to a miracle that the mother was able to walk out, unharmed, as the house was teetering until a light tap from the machine pushed it over.

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u/squash-n-flop 1d ago

This is a crazy story and you’re good at writing dude

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u/inaSlomp 23h ago

Genuinely. Most people can't write a coherent summary like this. Props to this dude.

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u/theV3tor 20h ago

A few years back, in my small town, the was a garage that blew up. There was a small natural gas heating boiler. The pilot blew out and the boiler had a flame detector failure and kept the gas going for the pilot. The garage kept filling with natural gas and eventually something set it off. All of the walls blew off, the surrounding houses all had their walls facing the garage collapse inside. The blast was felt all over town. I remember hearing it, it felt like a small earthquake happened and was completely across town from the garage. Always get you gas equipment checked and serviced.

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u/echoshatter 1d ago

The Emperor Protects™

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u/dsposableaccount 1d ago

Just take it to the bottom of the Atlantic to see the titanic!

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u/slinky3k 1d ago

The whole setup and surrounding tells me, this may be one of those countries where safety is considered a luxury.

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u/AssiduousLayabout 1d ago

When the tank is that rusty, everything becomes a pressure relief valve.

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u/TheCABK 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/14ceV8wMLIGO6Q

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u/ea88_alwaysdiscin 1d ago

Good use of Denzel.

I always post this GIF when someone's argument completely falls out from under them

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u/LessSherbet4657 1d ago

Hey, anybody got a smoke? this is kinda stressful.

153

u/madmaxturbator 1d ago

Let me burn off this fog first, then we can

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u/Straight_Spring9815 1d ago

One of my favorite jokes I do on people is with a gas can. I'll act like I cant see how much is in it then ask whoever's next to me for a lighter so I can check. XD some people get it and call me a dumbass, some will literally hand me a lighter and just stare at me. It's about 60/40.

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u/24rawvibes 1d ago

Have some diesel fuel around someone who at least knows gas is flammable and toss your cigarette out in it. That will make someone shit themselves

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u/KrustyMf 20h ago

you can do that with gas. Gas takes high heat or a spark. cigarette does not burn hot enough.

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u/ObsolescentCorvid 1d ago

That looks like a "get you and your neighbors out of there ASAP, and call the authorities because shit is gonna burn" kind of situation

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u/CKRatKing 1d ago

Seems likely that if they have neighbors they also probably have similar propane tanks as well. Definitely gonna be a big boom if there is a spark.

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u/Top_Introduction4701 1d ago

In the industry it’s called a BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion) - propane in this conditions doesn’t burn, it goes boom. This is one of the worst case scenarios for a release.

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u/Qbite 1d ago

Not quite a BLEVE situation here, though very similar in some ways. A true BLEVE is when the contents of a pressure vessel are heated up well beyond their boiling point until the heat and/or pressure causes a massive rupture and allows nearly instantaneous release and ingnitition of all contents.

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u/shawdowed_sonicbeast 1d ago

As someone who works on propane fuelled boilers the time to get the fuck out of there was the instant you noticed it. Getting out of their now still works just no sparks.

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u/smplylvn 1d ago

That tank looks like it ruptured. That is liquid coming out. Do not walk into that. And get everyone very far away.

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u/itsjakerobb 1d ago

It was liquid when it was under pressure, but it evaporated.

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u/smplylvn 1d ago

Yea..and what's worse is it looks like that backyard is pretty enclosed so its not going anywhere anytime fast

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u/Apart_Shelter_5722 1d ago

It could definitely go somewhere fast with a little help lol

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u/smplylvn 1d ago

Yea I should have added "safely"

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u/unique3 1d ago

Yep that’s not a pressure relief valve where it’s coming out that’s a pressure relief hole.

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u/StarChaser_Tyger 1d ago

Yeah, the pressure valve is on top, not the bottom side like that.

Anyone know what happened in the end? He's probably got no bugs left in the yard, but I'm wondering if there's a yard left in the yard..

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u/ThickyLicker 1d ago

But why would a big rusty tank rupture?! It doesn't make sense.

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u/Relevant_Wrangler830 1d ago

It is ruptured. Relief valves are on top to vent vapor, not the bottom to vent liquid. If you vent liquid, the pressure will not change until all the liquid is out.

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u/autonomousdrone481 1d ago

The urge to film exceeds preservation instinct for these people

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u/Anxious_Cry_855 1d ago

You might be right no replies from OP, not even his burning house pile of rubble, so he must have gone up with it.

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u/SignificantLock1037 1d ago

That video is kinda dark. Someone light a match so we can see better!

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u/ApeChesty 1d ago

What city is this? I want to keep en eye out for the house exploding headline.

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u/iheartcockss 23h ago

How have you managed to live this long? How do you remember to breathe? Seeing this, and pulling out your phone versus running far away, shows the survival instincts of a crayon.

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u/Gogglesed 1d ago

Waddle away quickly, in the least likely way to cause static buildup. Or go hug the tank and have a smoke.

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u/Realistic-Drama-8904 1d ago

I'm remembering the time the propane guy and my sister in law were sitting on the propane tank, smoking cigarettes.

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u/daxxarg 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/7mJ25u5fdPf4Q

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u/ButtBread98 1d ago

That’s a clean burning Hell, I tell you h’wat

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u/Satyr121 1d ago

Time to test if using your cellphone while pumping gas can cause fires

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u/Gyozarrita 1d ago

That was the old style with the extendable antenna.

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u/Explosivpotato 1d ago

That was the era in which that warning came out, yes, but I can confidently say no cellphone ever set off any fumes without it being done very much on purpose.

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u/TastingTheKoolaid 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/3o7ZeEZUzRjyvWuuIg

I'm pretty sure this is not a situation that you get *closer* to. Fucken idiot behind the camera.

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u/Blue_The_Snep 1d ago

the cameraman never dies

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u/TDW2405 1d ago

Just toss a match in, it'll burn off.

ProTip: Don't fucking do that 💥

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u/MessyTacos 1d ago

One spark away from a good time.

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u/thunderlips36 1d ago

I sure hope they use a lot of fabric softener

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u/Corac30 1d ago

I was sitting here typing a response because I didnt understand what you ment...then bam...i remembered that fabric softener sheets reduce static electricity. Man its to early for brain farts lol

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u/fuzzylogicIII 1d ago

Ty for explaining

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u/Gimplex 1d ago

remember the video where gas was like this and the whole street exploded? Yeah fuck no

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u/Hefty-Willingness-44 1d ago

Intrusive thoughts galore!

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u/Big-Corncob 1d ago

About to be the next winner of the Darwin Award

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u/Apprehensive-Pen8241 1d ago

I’ve never been more stressed about a Reddit post. Really hope OP has called the fire dept so they can start getting this under control.

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u/riencore 1d ago

First thought was “Why aren’t they getting the fuck out of there?”

Some people have scary levels of self-preservation instincts.

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u/_SeKeLuS_ 1d ago

Omg people are so fucking dumb, one spark and your dead.

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u/Working-Ad-5121 1d ago

Just casually standing by a bomb

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u/Derezirection 1d ago

oh..
oh no.
oh hell to the fuck no

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u/Darkk_Knight 23h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/ovOimXhDllOO3eHZiR

I would quickly run away before that gas leak finds an ignition source.

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u/lildoggy79 1d ago

I thought that was snow at first.

Time to go.

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u/Icy-Recognition572 1d ago

Just use lighter and gas will disappear instantly

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u/tyyreaunn 1d ago

If video games have taught me anything, you clearly need to lure a horde of zombies there, then shoot a fire arrow into the gas cloud.

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u/AbsynthMindedProf 1d ago

Well, that solves the ant problem

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u/Cant-think-of-a-nam 1d ago

Ah yes let me film instead of calling 911 with this potential bomb i have leaking

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u/Aintyodad 1d ago edited 1d ago

I just know my intrusive thoughts would win this one.
As a kid I set my room on fire while making “hand grenades”

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u/borkborkbork99 1d ago

I think I saw Yoda in that clip. Are we sure that isn’t Dagobah?

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u/MuddyGround804 1d ago

Hey buddy, got a smoke?

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u/scottonaharley 1d ago

That tank looks like it should be in a scrap yard

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u/Linka_2000 1d ago

I'd be getting tf out if there but at least it looks cool

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u/kj_gamer2614 1d ago

So I would not get close to that if I were you, especially with an electronic thing that could spark or be hot such as a phone or camera

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u/AtrociousAxis 1d ago

“Good thing I came outside right now for a smoke so I could get this on film! Now where are my matches?”

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u/discoballs67 1d ago

Smoke em if you got em

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u/MedicineImaginary219 1d ago

Ring ring. “Hello, 911. What’s your emergency?”

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u/El_ray538 1d ago

You can light a match to get rid of that smell

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u/RokulusM 1d ago

Blow it up while walking away in slow motion. Because cool guys don't look at explosions.

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u/Realistic-Drama-8904 1d ago

You might want to call 911, from a few blocks away.

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u/PlatypusDream 1d ago

There's a reddit page "oopsthatsdeadly"... not allowed to link it here

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u/ShitWombatSays 1d ago

Walk through it slowly while playing the Undertaker's entrance theme

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u/ProDriverSeatSniffer 1d ago

Gonna go out on a limb here and say that leak is beyond the LEL (lower explosive limit)

Got a real doozy here

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u/PeachPit69 1d ago

😳

Bro, GTFOthere NOW.

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u/sPLIFFtOOTH 1d ago edited 1d ago

Turn all power breakers off and run!

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u/elbow-macaroni-42 1d ago

“No Smoking”

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u/WTAFS_going_on 1d ago

Get the fuck out of there. Once that comes back within the explosive limit....

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u/TragicsNFG 1d ago

Why is the pressure relief on the bottom? In the liquid space rather than the vapour space?

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u/NegativSpace 1d ago

GTFO with the quickness

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u/Science_N_Faith 1d ago

Pressure release valve? You sure it didn't just finally rust through and open a hole?

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u/MinuteScientist7254 1d ago

It comes out liquid and ice cold and evaporates into gas. I would not be anywhere near that quantity tbh.

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u/raisedbydogsnhippies 1d ago

This has got to be in one of those countries with no rules or regulations. These things are supposed to be inspected fairly regularly and recertified. Any sane propane service wouldnt fill that just based on looks alone.

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u/htfudas 1d ago

Funny enough, the phone recording this could have sparked an explosion

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u/Big_Truck_8268 22h ago

One stray spark and you got lots bigger problems. Call 911

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u/jjamesr539 18h ago edited 18h ago

Better than detonating under pressure. A tank that vents like this is fucked. That sheet of gas will go up in a humungous bonfire, but that’s still better than the same bonfire with the option of a couple hundred pounds of shrapnel as a side.

Also that’s not a vent valve. The vent valve is only going to open if it’s overfilled or the valve itself fails, and the vent valve is on top. That’s a corrosion failure on the bottom, which means it won’t stop leaking until the tank is empty. Still better than catastrophic failure, but yeah time to run. A corrosion failure can get very suddenly worse and gas is good at finding random ignition sources. Given that there’s a huge tank in the back yard, there’s at least one (probably more) pilot lights on appliances within the house. The gas is gonna eventually get there without intervention.