Anne Webb on fri 8 oct 04
Brian O'Neill wrote:
>I have a regulator on an 80 gal. vertical tank, and I always check the
>hose, ready myself for working with a large flame, keeping any
>combustible material at a distance. Another note of caution for anyone
>thinking of using a weed burner: my space is large and drafty, so I do this
>indoors. If yours is small and/or well sealed, I'd open windows to keep
>some oxygen flowing to avoid exphixiation. Some would say don't
>even use it indoors at all.
I guess I would be one of the latter group of people...? Have to pipe in
here.
Sorry, working with propane indoors is NOT adviseable, not because of the
chance of asphixiation but because propane is HEAVIER THAN AIR and it SINKS.
doesnt take much of a depression for it to sink into either.
**Propane will NOT creep up and out a window. **
have to think about more than a hose getting cut or burned through.
If you choose to use a weed burner, use it in an *extremely* well ventilated
area...like outside. Ever see a burn victim? Be smart.
Anne
Louis Katz wrote:
> propane is far more dangerous than natural gas.
>>It settles and collects in low places. It is explosive in a much wider
>>range of concentrations,
_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
Vince Pitelka on fri 8 oct 04
> Sorry, working with propane indoors is NOT adviseable, not because of the
> chance of asphixiation but because propane is HEAVIER THAN AIR and it
> SINKS.
> doesnt take much of a depression for it to sink into either.
This is overly alarmist and not particularly applicable to this discussion,
and that serves no one. It is perfectly safe to use propane or natural gas
torches indoors as long as one follows common sense and reasonable safety
precautions. The small cannister propane torches are very safe if used
wisely. If one is using a larger torch with a 20-lb propane tank, then
there is certainly increased risk. Such a system should always include an
adjustable regulator on the tank. Some of the weed-burner torches sold by
Harbor Freight and other vendors feature a metered orifice connection to the
tank, and those make me very nervous. An adjustable regulator is far safer.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
| |
|
