Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living NH3 leak.

We had a 1500 gallon nurse tank leaking after Jake shut it off. 20% gone. Crack maker steal some, and leave the valve lose?

After I retired, I started helping my brother who manages a fertilizer company. I could not believe the number of tanks that would leak. Heat and humidity really affect valves leaking. I would see a leak and go tighten it down only to have another tank start leaking somewhere else. If you get a tank that has been overfilled when it gets hot the pressure relief valves pop. Weak pressure valves sometimes wont close back up when they are supposed to. Tanks are only supposed to be filled to 80 percent because of hot days and expansion. Crackheads normally let the whole tank empty out. Heard a story about some idiots who drilled a hole into a storage tank to capture the product. They gone, they dead. I hate anhydrous, I eventually got a chance to help a farmer 5 years ago. He has his gas put on by the fertilizer company. I am now a very happy farmhand.

Once had a neighbor that spent a little time in the hospital because of a broken hose when he was putting down anhydrous. That was back in the day before cab tractors became the norm. I always used liquid nitrogen, urea, or ammonium nitrate, so I don't have any experiences with it. Have seen some tanks on neighbors farms that were hit by the meth makers.

We use it for refrigeration where I work, had a 300hp compressor with a leak earlier in the week. Total plant evacuation. Nobody ever in any danger. Estimated loss of under 100 pounds. My buddy is the maintenance manager. The number of forms he has to fill out now and deal with OSHA is unbelieavable. He wasn't happy with me when I pointed out the corn ground across the river from us will have thousands of pounds of the exact same stuff knifed into the soil in the coming months.