Dear fellow BBQ'rs,

I am new to the forum but have been reading as I recently rebuilt my '90's Weber Spirit 500.
Stripped off all of the old grease and other debris and added new paint, gas pipes, electronic starter, flavorizers, and grill grid.

I also have a quick disconnect on my spare and main propane tanks.
In the past, if I didn't shut the valve on the propane tanks, I would have an empty tank within 1 day.
My father-in-law tells me that he only shuts off the propane on the BBQ valves and it never leaks.
Does anyone know if I should replace my valves as well or is this normal?

Many thanks in advance for your help!,
KLAC'r

From a safety standpoint, I'm pretty sure all the manufacturers recommend you shut off the gas at the tank when you're done cooking ( I don't always do it either ), but I'd recommend you spray some soapy water on all the connection points to check for leaks. If it empties a tank in a day, there's more gas escaping than I'd be comfortable with. It could build up in the cook box and lead to a nasty surprise when you light your grill some time.

Huck

Yes, you have a leak somewhere and a tank emptying in a day is a big one.
I sometimes forget to turn off my tank too, but for safety reason you should always turn the tank valve off.
You need to find that leak pronto!!!

Hike

the fastest , cheepest & easiest thing to eliminate first is the weak link between a tank and a grill.

if your still losing gas after removing the Q-D's the hose is the next suspect.

replacing valves on the grill would be the last step i would take.

The law firm I work in has had a few cases of house fires resulting from grill tank leaks over the years, (if they prove the valve was open -- case closed -- you lose), and a former neighbor was a firefighter and he'd seen fires too... I keep my gasser right outside my back door on a deck, and I've had my share of grief about it being a fire waiting to happen... I ALWAYS close the tank valve and let the burners go out before shutting things down and going in... even in the cold... even in the snow... even in the rain...

Don't mean to sound preachy about it, I just still remember some of the pictures we had as evidence on one of the cases that showed a bunch of kids toys all burned and melted... left an impression om me.

Bob

Klacker
When I first read your post I thought you were kidding.
If you are talking about a 1 lb tank then ok. ytou cant shut those off but they have a safty release feature.
For the larger tanks. To not shut them off is a major fire and insurance issue.
In short your neighbors cant be to happy with you.
What you have described is a major accident waiting to happen. I only hope you live in a sparcely populated area

I agree, As a firefighter, the safety factor comes into play,propane is heavier than air which means that could creep into a basement,if a ignition source is found.......boom. When I'm done grilling I always shut the tank off , wait until the flame goes out then I turn off the valves on the grill.

[quote name='KLACKER' date='Jan 14 2009, 02:24 PM' post='36113']
Dear fellow BBQ'rs,



Any of the old quick disconnect systems could definitely drain a tank in a hurry if there's a leak. You should make a point of always turning the tank off. That being said, you can replace the old hose&reg/quick disconnect with one of the new QCC1 units or even a POL hose&reg but you will need an extra fitting as most standard hose&regulators have a 3/8 female flare on the end and you need a 1/8 male pipe thread so you will need a brass fitting with 3/8 male flare on one side and 1/8 male pipe thread on the other to connect a standard hose and regulator to your valve set.

I found the problem. One of the brass connectors on the hose from the tank to the barbeque was cracked.

It was on the backside and not visible until I luckily did a 360 look on all the lines.

Thanks for everyone's help.