Getting Ready To Use Propane? A Few Tips To Make The Transition Safer
Moving into a place that uses propane for fuel can be exciting. You'll be able to cook food and heat your place just as you would with natural gas, but you'll have the supply of propane right on your property. As such, you'll have more maintenance and refilling duties to take care of. However, you'll have more choice in who provides the fuel and how much you pay. Propane can take a little getting used to, but if you follow a few tips, the transition will be easy — and a lot safer for you.
If You Rent a Tank, You Must Get Propane From Them Only
If you are renting a propane tank, refills can be done by that tank's company only. You can't have another company top up the tank, for example, just because they have a different price. This makes sense for a couple of reasons. First, the rented tank is still that company's property, and having another company come in and add propane could result in damage to the tank if refilling isn't done properly. Yes, the company's own service people could damage the tank by accident, too, but then there's no question about who pays for the repair or replacement tank.
Second, you won't have any worries about mixing propane of different quality. You avoid the concern of whether another company used the same quality as the propane you usually get from your standard supplier.
You Should Have a Carbon Monoxide Detector
You should install a carbon monoxide detector if you're going to use propane, even if your state doesn't require these detectors. Propane can produce carbon monoxide, and unlike propane, carbon monoxide is something you can't see or smell. You have to treat propane like natural gas in this respect and make sure you have the tools in your home to keep you safe.
You Must Have a Propane Company Install Your Tank
Finally, never try to fill propane tanks yourself. Even those smaller portable tanks are exchanged at those self-serve kiosks you see around town. If you have a portable tank that you want refilled, the company that owns the tank should have stations where you can have someone fill it for you. Otherwise, the company can send a propane truck to your property to deliver more propane to your tank.
How much propane you'll use will vary, but the company that delivers your propane can help you learn how to read tank gauges and figure out how much you really need. Propane is an efficient fuel, and you'll get used to using it before you know it. Contact a propane company for more information.