After a propane delivery replenished their empty tank, a trailer resident still had no heat or hot water and could not get the stove to work.
Here's what to know
Several household appliances lost their fuel supply when the resident's propane tank emptied, according to their post on Reddit's r/Plumbing community. That happened the same day they paid an outstanding balance; a missed payment had interrupted deliveries.
"Well my water heater won't relight. My stove won't light. My heater is just pumping out air. Did they not turn the supply back on to my house or something? Is this something I can fix myself this weekend (with my limited to zero knowledge of any of this stuff) or do I have to wait until Monday to contact the propane supplier?" the original poster wrote.
A commenter identifying themselves as a propane technician offered a possible explanation: The supplier may have locked out the tank until a safety check could be completed.
At the self-identified propane technician's company, service personnel had to perform a leak check before they could remove a refilled, previously empty tank from lockout.
A single propane supply powered the resident's stove, heating system, and hot water.
The resident had tried bleeding air at the water heater but said they did not know how to address the line serving the whole home. Other commenters raised air in the lines and ignition issues as possibilities.
What can be done?
The propane supplier could help answer whether the tank was locked out and needed a service visit. One commenter said service personnel would need to verify safe appliance operation and check for leaks.
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"Assuming tank has been filled however valve has been locked out until service can 1) verify no leaks present and 2) appliances are functioning safely. It's a very serious liability to the fuel provider. The correct response here is to contact your provider. There should be communication to the homeowner on this but rarely occurs," one user concluded.
Where can I learn more?
When a propane supply is interrupted, or an appliance stops working, households can lose heat or hot water. These stories cover propane heating failures, cold-weather tank limitations, water-heater venting issues, and heat-pump troubleshooting.
• In Nova Scotia, a homeowner's leaking propane unit left them without heat and hot water.
• At 14°F, generator owners said a 20-pound propane tank could freeze before reaching half-empty.
• A generator owner's two-tank propane plan prompted warnings about freezing during winter generator use.
• A homeowner's gas water heater kept shutting off until a helpline flagged venting issues.
• In the UK, a first-time buyer's hot-water problem prompted a plumber to suggest checking the heat pump.
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