Catastrophic loss of propane

I don't think it the gasoline or petroleum product contained in the tank. It's the tank itself. The soy bean oil used as feed stock to make the plastic tank is what attracts the squirrel. Must taste good to squirrels.

Those little bastards!

I'd run copper oil line in place of that plastic. I'm not a big fan of plastic anything.

And don't even get me started on the insurance rackett!

Sorry for your loss Kirk!

coalkirk wrote:My agent didn't think the amount of propane was going to be an issue. Just if the loss of propane is covered. I told him I only had a cooktop and a standby generator. I urged him to have an insurance investigator come out to check and he said for a claim that small they wouldn't bother. In all the years I've owned a home I've had one very small storm damage related roof claim. I'm going to be *censored* if they don't pay it. Someone told me the amount the insurance doesn't cover I could take as a causualty loss on my taxes. Any tax gurus here with an opinion?

Taxes-report on an Itemized deduction form line 20 and also file Form 4684 dont remember the specifics on it but if you read the instructions for the form as you are doing it they become self explanatory! Good luck with the insurance company!

Working with industrial gases most of my adult life, I'd ask, why didn't you keep the system isolated and merely turn it on the system in the event of the power outage? I understand you are using the propane to exercise the generator but maybe you could open/close the main valve in order to exercise the unit? ( Or did you say you use it for a gas stove? )
If the squirrel hadn't eaten your hose, at some point the regulator likely have developed a leak anyway. Some regulators have a bleed hole which will leak through the diaphragm. You could also replace the hose with copper tube or a ss hose. But I will admit, losing 700gals of propane is tough to swallow.

Cap

We have a gas stove and the gen runs once a week to exercise. It won't happen again. See pics. I'm thinking of replacing my oil fired boiler with a propane fired boiler too so turning it on and off isn't an option. The underground pipe is plastic. Polyethylene to be exact. It what has been used for many years for all underground gas lines. The tank is 100' from my house.

Better focus on how bad it could have been and how lucky you are it did not hurt anyone.

Im guessing you will be *very* diligent about whatever you do next time around.

You are not the first to say that, but there was never any danger. It's an underground tank 100' downhill from my house. Now my neighbor down the hill might have had a problem.
My insurance company sent me a letter Friday. They are denying my claim. Rodent exclusion.

That figures.

Typical insurance company.

coalkirk wrote:........ My insurance company sent me a letter Friday. They are denying my claim. Rodent exclusion.

Terry,

Did they show you WHERE in YOUR POLICY that rodent exclusion is located. And was it in the last policy or declaration page you received ??

Is there a way to add a rider onto the policy to include rodents??

Just because they say there is an exclusion doesn't mean that you have that in your policy.



Rick

Hey Rick. It was in my current policy. I actually saw it before I called them. It won't happen again cause I rodent proofed the cover now. Closing the old barn door after the horses have already gone. I'm going to talk to my tax accountant about it. It may qualify as a casualty loss on my Federal return next year.