How Do I Know if My Propane Tank is Bad?

Propane tanks are built tough. Aboveground residential tanks typically last 30 years or more, and underground tanks are rated for around 20 years. But a tank that's aging, exposed to the elements, or simply past its service interval can develop real problems — and in North Texas, where summer heat, heavy rains, and freeze-thaw cycles all take their toll on outdoor equipment, it pays to know what to watch for.

Here are the most important warning signs that your propane tank needs attention. If you're ever in doubt, the right call is to stop using the system, shut the valve, and call a licensed propane technician.

1. You Can Smell Propane Near the Tank

Propane has no natural odor — the distinctive "rotten egg" or skunk-like smell is added by manufacturers as a safety measure. If you can smell propane around your tank, at a fitting, or near any part of your system, that is a leak. This is not something to investigate yourself.

What to do: Don't use any electrical switches or open flames. Shut off the main valve on your tank (turn it clockwise), leave the area, and call your propane supplier or 911. Don't return until a technician has inspected and cleared the system.

2. Visible Rust, Corrosion, or Dents

Surface rust on an older aboveground tank can look alarming but is sometimes superficial. What matters is the extent and location. Rust that has compromised the tank wall or fittings — especially around the collar, valves, or welds — indicates structural degradation and should be evaluated by a technician before the next fill.

Deep dents are also a red flag. A dented tank has potentially been subjected to impact significant enough to compromise structural integrity. Even if it looks minor from the outside, the internal condition of the tank could be compromised.

• Light surface rust on the tank body — monitor, ask your technician at next service
• Rust around valves or fittings — have it inspected before next fill
• Deep rust pitting, scale, or flaking — take the tank out of service
• Any dent of significant size — inspection required

3. Yellow or Orange Flames on Appliances

Propane should burn blue. A clean, complete combustion of propane produces a blue flame with a small inner cone. If you see yellow, orange, or flickering flames on a gas range, water heater, or furnace, that's a sign of incomplete combustion — which could be caused by a regulator problem, a dirty burner, low pressure, or a gas mixture issue related to the tank.

Incomplete combustion also produces carbon monoxide. If you see yellow flames and your CO detector is alarming, treat it as an emergency. Leave the house and call for help.

4. Your Pilot Light Won't Stay Lit

A pilot light that repeatedly goes out is usually a thermocouple issue, but it can also point to a problem with gas pressure or a blockage in the line. If you've replaced the thermocouple and the pilot still won't hold, the issue may be upstream — at the regulator or tank valve. A licensed technician should check both the appliance and the propane system before you assume it's purely an appliance problem.

5. The Tank Is More Than 10–12 Years Old and Has Never Been Inspected

Federal regulations under DOT and NFPA 58 require that propane cylinders (portable tanks) be recertified after 12 years and then every 5 years thereafter. Larger residential and commercial tanks don't have a federally mandated requalification interval in the same way, but industry best practice is a professional inspection every 10 years.

If you bought property with an existing propane tank and don't know its age or service history, that's important information to get. An aging tank in unknown condition should be inspected before you rely on it for heating season.

How to estimate your tank's age: Check the collar or dome area at the top of the tank. You should find a manufacture date stamped into the metal, typically in the format MM/YY.

6. Frost or Ice on the Tank During Normal Use

Some frost formation on a propane tank can be normal when the tank is being drawn down rapidly — this is a side effect of the pressure change. But frost that forms continuously during moderate usage, or that appears in unusual locations, can indicate that you're drawing the tank down faster than it should be vaporizing. This is often a sizing issue (tank is too small for your usage) but can also indicate a regulator or delivery problem.

7. You're Consistently Running Out of Propane

This one isn't about the tank being defective — it's about the system being undersized or under-managed. If you're running out of propane more than once in a season, it's worth having a technician evaluate whether your tank is the right size for your home's usage and whether you'd benefit from a larger tank or an automated Monitor Keep Full program.

Running a propane system completely empty isn't just inconvenient — it requires a pressure test and system inspection before the tank can be refilled safely. That adds cost and downtime.

When to Call Heine Propane for a Tank Inspection

We perform tank inspections and handle regulator replacements, valve repairs, and full tank replacements across Hood, Parker, Johnson, Tarrant, and Somervell counties. If you've purchased a home with an existing propane system, recently noticed any of the warning signs above, or simply can't remember the last time your tank was looked at, call us. An inspection is a straightforward visit — and it's a lot less disruptive than losing heat in January.