Its December and officially winter. We are in the cusp of our first polar vortex of year. Temperatures are expected to be 20-30 degrees below normal this week in the key propane market areas of the Midwest & East Coast.
Let’s do a quick update on propane prices today. As of week ending 12/5/2016, according to the EIA the average price of retail propane on the east coast is $2.886, versus this time last year of $2.671. This price is made up of all retail propane so it includes everything from baroque tanks to 1000-gallon tank prices for whole house heating. In addition, this price includes gallons sold to customer owned and company owned tanks.
Total Propane inventories for the US are currently at 99.252 (million barrels) as of week ending 12/2/2016. This is versus 100.658 (million barrels) as of week ending 12/4/2015. Inventors are down versus last year but are still within the range of the seasonal average for this time of year.
Crude Oil Prices jumped up last week when OPEC announced a production cuts. All crude oil derivative energy products (gasoline, heating oil) followed suit and jumped across the board. In addition, Natural gas prices have been steady this winter as well. Propane is a byproduct of the two and has risen as well. Long term, Propane in the us is made domestically and is a byproduct of US drillers of oil & natural gas. If OPEC decreases production, those barrels taken off the market will be replaced by US crude oil barrels. So this announcement might have a long term impact of reducing propane prices.
The other factor driving prices is the impending cold weather that is upon us. Having a cold early winter could create inventories to draw down and could keep pressure on prices this winter. In the short term crude oil and natural gas prices rising will also keep some pressure on prices.
I would recommend for anybody that is on a will call delivery basis to call and get their tank topped off sooner than later . While prices have gone up slightly it is still a very good to top off any tanks. Get local quotes here.
Use this Propane Service Guide to Help You Select the Right Company
Fall is here and it’s to start thinking about heating your home. If you’re looking to switch L/P companies or finding a company for the first time here are 10 questions to ask before making your decision.
1) Dependability – it doesn’t matter if you are going to get one delivery or 10 deliveries a year. You want to know that you are in good hands. If you call when you tank is low, a company should be able t delivery within 2-3 business under normal working conditions. Ask the company representative how long typical time is for will call deliveries. If you are automatic what is the company policy on run outs? How long will you wait for your delivery?
2) Emergency Service – Ask if there is 24 hour emergency service. If there is an issue you want to know your company is there for you. They should have an after-hours procedure that they can explain to before you sign up. You always seem to need a delivery or have an issue at the worst times. Its important your company is there for you.
3) What happens after the first fill price?Propane companies can be very aggressive in summer offering low first fill rates. Ask if there are price protection programs available. Also, if you only get 1 delivery of propane per year o less be honest with the company and simply say “ I might only use 50-100 gallons a year, will my price go up drastically if the market doesn’t move? The company should be able to provide an expected price range
4) Budget Plans – Ask your company if budget plans are available. Paying for all your deliveries during the tough winter months can be difficult. Being able to spread your payments out over the whole year can be quite benefit to you & a great question to ask when signing up.
5) Tank options – If you are new to propane and need a tank installed there are few general questions to go over. Ask about the rental fee if its an above ground tank. If you are installing an underground tank ask if there is lease & buy options available. If you are going with a lease option where the company retains ownership of the tank ask if there is a buyout option. It should be made clear upfront.
6) Years in Business – This is a great opening question. Obviously if a company has been around a long time they are doing something right. They are serving their customer’s needs. Obviously, new companies can do this too. But I think it’s important to know. Also, if they are new to propane it’s good to know the background. Was the company a heating oil company now offering propane or HVAC Company etc. You want to know your company knows what it takes to serve homeowners/business during the cold winter months.
7) Delivery Fee’s – Ask if the company charges a HAZ MAT fee and or a delivery fee. If yes ask how much. A little quick math can show what you are really paying for propane.
8) Leak Check & Service Applications – When signing up ask if the company is capable of performing leak checks and running gas lines for additional propane applications. All companies should be able to perform a basic leak of your system. Also, a great benefit of propane is its versatility around the house. Choosing a company that can run additional lines in the future for you can save a lot of time and money instead of needing to call a plumber or somebody else out.
9) Safety & Insurance – When it comes to propane safety needs to be a priority. You can ask about their safety performance and ask if they are fully insured. In addition, you need to ask if there is a leak what is the company’s procedure is.
10) On-line customer tools – Lastly, this day in age its nice to see your account online. You can see past deliveries, order propane and pay a bill. This is a question to ask when signing up.
Summer’s over, so you know what that means…football season has begun! While some might think the grilling season has peaked, true football fans know that that is definitely not the case. Tailgating for your team is half the fun and everyone can agree that nothing is better than the smell of BBQ lingering around your tailgate spot. So, don’t pack up your grill just yet! See how easy it is to root for your team and grill with propane on a portable grill, at your next game. Here’s how:
Check your tank
Nothing is worse than running out of propane in the middle of any BBQ. Don’t be that guy by planning ahead and checking your tank to make sure that you have enough fuel to last you the entire tailgate (or however long you plan to be grilling). Fill up your tank a few days before the game, so you won’t be driving around and looking for a fill station on the morning of.
And if you can, securely bring a second tank if you think that you will need it. (We said securely, because safety is always a priority with propane. Make sure your propane tanks aren’t rolling around in your car when you are driving, by putting it in a box or plastic crate. Also, note the weather and don’t leave a propane tank in the car for a long period of time).
Watch this video on how to transport your propane tank:
Gather Supplies the Day Before
The propane for a propane grill is obviously important, but let’s be honest, the food is key. Get the food, marinades and cooking supplies like tongs, etc. the day before your tailgate. Marinade the meat the night before and set everything up, so it will be ready to go the day of. Pull the cooler out of the garage and grab ice, so you are all set. Once you set up shop in the parking lot for the tailgate, it is almost impossible to drive out to go get anything that you might have forgotten at the store. And let’s be honest, no one would want to anyway… so it’s better to prep ahead of time.
Know the Rules
Every parking lot and stadium is different, but most have a defined set of rules when it comes to tailgating. To save yourself any potential trouble, be aware of these rules before you go. Nothing kills a party like having to pack up and move spots (or worse shut down) during the middle of the day. Most places have their rules and guidelines up on their website, so check there first and if you don’t seem them, consider calling and asking. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Get there early
The early bird gets the worm and that is true when it comes to tailgating! Pick the best spot next to the grass, water, stadium, bathroom…whatever you prefer. The bottom line is that when you get there early enough, you can choose your spot and won’t have to worry about fitting your car into one of the last parking spots.
Space it out
Not only will getting there early help you find the perfect location, but you will also be able to put out all of your stuff (including your valuable propane portable grill) and find the best place. If it’s a hot day, put the grill away from your sitting area, so you aren’t making your friends sweat more than they already are. If it’s a cold day, maybe everyone won’t mind sitting down wind of the BBQ’s heat. And as always, be safe. Don’t put your grill under a tent or too close to any chairs or tables.
Time Accordingly
Think about what time you will want to eat and what time you will want to enter the stadium. Want to make sure you see the teams run onto the field? Then, start grilling early enough to fill up your friends’ stomachs before this. Also, make sure that you have enough time to shut everything down and pack up what you can.
Securely shut off
Once you are ready to go into the game, double-check that you have securely shut off your propane grill and closed the valve on the BBQ propane tank. Do NOT put your tank in your car. Leave it outside until after the game and then, make sure that it is fastened properly before you go to transport it, so it will not roll around the car or back of your truck.
We hope these tips help you have a great time at your next tailgate! If you have any propane grilling questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Info@ComparePropane.com.
Summer brings all kinds of fun things. BBQ’s, hanging by the pool, vacations and the heat. But with all that fun we also get thunderstorms. And once we get through all the storms of summer we have hurricane season though the end of November. The last 5 years has shown us that extreme weather is becoming more and more common place. Therefore, home generator sales are growing each year.
Generators for your home come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can have portable generators that can be used to service standalone appliances during a power outage. Becoming more popular now more than ever are whole house (also known as Standby generator). Standby generators basically keeps your home powered as if it never went out.
If you have a whole house generator it can be fueled by propane, natural gas or even diesel fuel. The vast majority are powered by natural gas or propane. For the purposes of this article we are going to focus on whole house generators with propane fuel.
The same generator can use Natural gas or propane. There is a very simple switch inside the generator itself that allows the same generator to use either source.
Whoever is doing the installation will be able to very easily set up depending on what fuel source is available at the residence. If you have Natural gas lines already run to the house chances are you will use that to power your generator. If natural gas is not available at then a propane tank or tanks will need to be set up.
What size generator?
There are various tools to determine what size generator is needed. I would recommend going on the leading standby generator sites to determine which is right for you. But for the purposes of this article I will use ball park generalities. A home that is approx. 2000-3000 sq ft with one air conditioner and primary heat source is a fossil fuel (natural gas, propane, heating oil) a 16 kw could possibly suffice. Larger homes with multiple ac units or homes that use electric heat pump as primary heating source might need to go with a 22kw generator or larger.
How much Propane will I Burn?
The smaller end of whole house is a 16kw generator. This will burn approx. 2.4 gallon per hour while running at full capacity. The larger 22kw generator will burn roughly 3.4 gallons per hour. These numbers are based on the generator running at full capacity. While your generator will be running the entire time you are without power it might not necessarily running at full capacity. I have found that if you take these numbers and halve them it’s what you will roughly be burning per hour.
Generators will exercise (run) every week or every 2 weeks depending upon set up. This keeps everything running smoothly. Expect to burn approx. 10-20 gallons a year.
Propane Tank Size
Now that we know what gallons per hour your generator will be running lets figure out your propane tank size. Its generally recommended to have at least 250 gallons of propane capacity for generators. Its always better to be safe than sorry when determining what tank application is best for you. If you don’t have power there is a possibility of wide spread outages. Think Hurricane Sandy. Parts of the east coast were without power of weeks at time. While this is at the extreme end the spectrum its entirely possible to happen again
In addition, a ice storm in winter could lead to prolonged outages as well. So lets decide what tank we need to have 4 days of power outages. Generally, your propane company should be able to deliver within 4 days. If you are burning 1.5 gallons per hour and you have you will burn though about 144 gallons in 4 days.
Above Ground/Underground Tank
There are a few different options in how to set up propane tanks for your generator. One way is to set 2-120 gallon above ground propane tanks. They will need to be set 10 ft away from the generator and any other electrical source of ignition. Your local propane dealer will either be able to lease the tanks or sell the tanks outright. For leased tanks you can expect to pay a rental fee of $125-$250 per year. The price per gallon with vary. Because generator usage isn’t very consistent and there is a good chance you might only get a delivery every few years its hard to ball park price per gallon but the range will be $2.799-$3.799 depending on your area and how much propane you use.
Another option would be bury a 500 gallon tank. The cost to bury a tank and run lines to the generator will vary from area to area but rough estimate is $3,500-$5,000 depending on how much work is involved. While the outlay is greater the price per gallon can be expected to less. A rough estimate for a delivery as of 8/8/2016 would be approx. $1.599 -$1.899
If you have a DOT propane tank it will need to be re-qualified after 12 years of manufacture date. Sounds good. How do I know if I have a DOT tank and why is it called DOT?
Smaller portable propane tanks tank size from 5lbs to 420 lbs or 1 gallon to 120 gallon tank can be transported over the highways and roads are therefore are regulated by The Department of Transportation. That’s what they are called DOT tanks.
Most BBQ tanks and smaller 100lbs are DOT tanks. Therefore tanks are called DOT tanks.
If you have a 100 gallon tank at your home it could be a DOT tank or an AMSE Tank (The American Society of Mechanical Engineers). If you have a DOT at you home it will be need to be requalified 12 years after manufactures date. If you have an ASME tank there is no requalification needed.
How do I know if I have a DOT tank?
They make it pretty easy as it will be stamped on the outside collar of the tank. It will say “DOT-”
Once you establish you have a D.O.T. the next step is to find the manufacture date. Once again its stamped on the tank collar. Per DOT regulations tanks need to be recertified every 12 years from date of manufacture and every 5, 7 or 12 years thereafter depending upon how the last certification was performed.
This tank would need to be requalified on 4/2020
Types of Re-Certification
A tank can be requalified by visual inspection. Only a qualified technician can perform this test. If you have a bbq tank that needs use to be requalified locally you can take it to where you normally have your tank filled and they should be able to help you. IF you have a DOT at your home, your propane provider should be able to re-certify the tank for you.
Another way to requalify a tank is to do what called “Proof Pressure” where the tank is tested with air at twice the marked service pressure. If this test is completed it will need to be retested 7 years after this date.
The last test is a “Volumetric Expansion” test that is a water jacket hydrostatic test where the tank is tested at twice the marked service pressure. Tanks will need to be re-qualified 12 years after this type of testing. After a certified technician requalifies a tank he/she will mark tank with the date and type of test performed.
Summary
The basic idea to come away with from this is that 99% of BBQ tanks are DOT tanks and they will need to be requalified 12 years after the manufactures date stamped on the collar of the tank. If your tank is approaching recertification date just take it to where you normally have them filled or to your local propane dealer and they will be able to help you out. You will not be able to get your tank filled right away but should be able to exchange it for another. If you have DOT at your home, your propane dealer will be able to requalify the tank using one of the above methods.
Ever wonder what hazmat codes mean? Check out this video explanation:
What Type of Propane Delivery Program is Best for You?
If you have propane at your home or business there are a few different delivery options available to you. Propane can be delivered on an automatic delivery basis, will call basis or calendar basis. Often when I am talking to customers they are not aware of the different delivery options and just like to stick to whatever option they have done in the past.
When speaking with consumers new to propane they will often ask which delivery option is best. That is not a simple answer, because not everyone has the same set of circumstances as everyone else. Factors for choosing the right delivery program depend on what you use propane for, if you’re planning to move in the future and your overall monthly budget for utility expenses.
Automatic propane delivery is when your propane provider delivers propane to your home or business automatically throughout the year. Thank you Captain Obvious. You will not need to call or monitor your tank throughout the year. Your local propane dealer will come out periodically and deliver throughout the year depending upon your usage rates. In order to be on this program you will need to use propane on a consistent basis. The usage includes using propane for whole house heating and or using it for hot water.
How does the company know when to come out? This is a great question and often two identical sized houses can have much different usage rates. The propane company does not want you to run of propane and they don’t want to make small partial deliveries either. So, what companies do is monitor your usage using a degree day delivery system.
A degree day is a measurement of weather. To calculate a degree day you simply average the high and low temperature of a day and subtract it from 65. For example, a typical January day in Philadelphia the high is 40° and low is 23°. That gives us an average of 31.5. The total degree days for that day is 33.5. (65-31.5=33.5)
Your home’s usage is assigned a usage rating by taking the total number of degree days between your last delivery and divide that by the number of gallons you are delivered. This is known as a K-factor or usage factor. For example, the month of January would have an average 1000 degree days accumulated. If the company delivered 500 gallons, your home’s usage rating or K-Factor would be a 2.
A K-factor is like the miles per gallon for a car. An old V-8 muscle car that uses a lot of gasoline would be like an old 5,000 square foot farm house with little insulation and would have a low K-factor. Conversely a compact car with a small engine would be similar to a smaller type home that is well insulated. Depending on how cold it is and your historical usage, you will be able to get an idea of how often your company will come out and make deliveries. If you use propane for hot water, industry standards predict that you will use approximately one gallon each day and come out accordingly.
Benefits:
The obvious first benefit of automatic delivery is the convenience factor. You don’t need to dredge out to the tank in a foot of snow and check your tank gauge. Also, you have the peace of mind knowing your propane company is going to keep your family warm. They really don’t want you to run out of propane for multiple reasons. No company wants to pay a driver overtime to make a delivery in the middle of the night. Also, if you run of out propane and there is damage to your home, the propane company may be liable, if it was their fault. So, companies want to keep your tank with product at all times.
Other advantages for automatic delivery customers is they often have budget plans available to spread your payments out over the whole year. Lastly, often times companies offer a prepay option to automatic delivery customers as well. This will help whoever wants to pay for their fuel out front in the beginning of the season and not have to worry about paying the heating bills as they come.
Disadvantage:
The main disadvantage is that the company is coming out without notice and it’s possible you could incur a bill that you might not be expecting. If you are about to move or are renting, the company might make a delivery and you will no longer be living there to use the product. So, you would have to pay for a delivery that you might not even be able to use.
Will Call Delivery
If you have propane at your home or business but don’t use it consistently, being on a will call basis might be best for you. Examples might be using propane for a generator, or fireplace insert, or to heat a swimming pool. It is very difficult for a company to make an accurate assumption about your usage, which could lead to either run outs for small partial deliveries, which could incur fees from the propane supplier.
If you use propane for heating and you own your tank, being on will call is an option as well. Will call customers will want to call to schedule a delivery when the tank is at approximately at 20%. This will give the propane company enough time to schedule a delivery and fill your tank before you completely run out of product.
Benefits:
A major advantage of being on will call is that you know when to expect a bill and can budget for it. In addition, if you’re on will call and you own your tank, you can shop around for prices and get the best deal possible. If you use propane for a generator or fireplace insert, it is very difficult for your company to predict when your propane tank will need a fill up and how much you are using. Often times this leads to either you running out of propane during heavy usage times or getting deliveries of small amounts which could result in an added fee from the company. So, it really is best to keep an eye on your tank and usage and call when you tank is at about 20% full.
Disadvantages
Being on will call for whole house heating, it’s very important that you remember to monitor your tank and call when you are getting low. Sometimes in our busy lives we forget to check the tank. When this occurs often times there is a delivery charge. Another down side of auto delivery for whole house heating is during times of extreme cold weather or snow and ice, when delivery times could be delayed.
Calendar Delivery Basis
The last option for propane delivery is on a calendar basis. What this means is that your propane provider will come every so many days or weeks, etc. This is good for many large commercial accounts like restaurant’s ones for industrial uses. They might be on a program where they get deliveries once every one or two weeks, etc. But it can also be good for homeowners as well who use propane for hot water and/or cooking. Often a company can come out quarterly or even annually. The main advantage is that you don’t always have to be monitoring the tank, but on the flip side, if you’re using more propane than normal you will have to be proactive and contact the company if your tank gets too low.
Should I Consider a Propane Pool Heater for my Pool?
If you live in the Northeast it might be hard to believe this but Summer is almost here. More than ever, if you have a pool you might be considered heating that pool after the chilly May we are having. This blog will explain how pool heating with propane works and gives a rough estimate on how much propane you might burn to heat that pool. Often it’s very costly to run natural gas lines to the pool area as the majority of pools are in the backyard and a great distance from the street connection. Propane is a preferred choice for pool heating.
What size Tank do I need?
For a standard size pool (21,000 gallons) most pool heaters are 300,000 – 400,000 BTU . Because of this you will need at least a 200 gallons of propane to satisfy the amount of pressure to run these heaters. This can be accomplished a few ways. One way is with 2-100 above ground gallons tanks, this is probably the most common application for pool heat. Another option is 1- 250 above ground gallon horizontal tank. Another option would be to install a 500 gallon or 1000 gallon underground tank. This option is much more costly, but is less of an eye sore. If you intend to heat your pool regularly this might be the most expensive option upfront but could actually save you money in the long run.
How much will I use?
A common call after a homeowner runs their pool heater for the first time is, “I think my tanks are leaking, please come out and check.” More often than not, there is no leak and homeowners are shocked at how propane they burned for heating the pool. If you are planning on heating your pool, please know ahead of time it will consume a decent of propane in a relatively short amount of time. Let me explain.
The average pool heater burns about 1 gallon per hour per 100,000 BTUs. Like I mentioned earlier, propane heaters are generally 400,000 BTU’s. Therefore, you will be burn approximately 4 gallons of propane per hour. So how many hours will the heater run for?
Enough math, what’s the simple answer already. If you run your 400,000 BTU heater for one hour you will raise the temperature approx 1.828 degrees. So it will take 4 gallons of propane will raise your pool 1.82 degrees. If you live in the northeast and your pool is 60° and your kids only want to swim in 80°water, you are looking at approx 10-12 hours of running the heater. The cost per gallon of propane for pool heat is approximately $2.50. So the bottom line, its going to cost you about $100 to have the pool party in May.
This is an extreme example. Generally you will not be attempting to raise the pool 20 degrees. While it is not cheap to heat the pool it does have its benefits. Often pool owners can extend their pool season by 2 months with a pool heater. You an open in May and close in October. Having a solar cover will greatly offset these cost because it help maintain the waters temperature and allow to the starting temperature to be greater to begin with and will help keep the heat in overnight.
Cost to hook up?
The hook up costs/fees with vary with what size tank size application. If you go with two 100 gallon above ground tanks or one 250 gallon above ground thank they will be need to be at least 10 feet way from an exterior source of ignition i.e your pool heater itself. So there is be some work for the propane company to run the lines and set the tanks. A ball park figure for basic installation 10ft away from the tanks is $350-$500. In addition, there may be an annual tank rental fee. Some companies might sell the tanks outright and you could expect the costs for tanks and installation to be roughly $2,000 and up.
The other option is to install an in ground tank. This option would cost substantially more but if you don’t mind paying the cost to heat the pool you also might not mind the cost of burying a tank. The cost for 500 gallon in ground tank ball park is $3,500-$5,000. There are limitations where in ground tanks can be installed. Because pools are most often in the back yard you need to be mind of staying 10feet of the property line, and 10 feet from any source of ignition. Other factors include keeping the tank out of tree roots systems and making sure the tank is in a location that your propane company can reach it with their delivery hose. Most delivery hoses are 135-150 ft long. While it might cost more upfront, you will be able to buy propane in a greater quantity so your price per gallon will be reduced. Because most of the purchase will be made in the non-peak demand period for propane the prices are generally at the lowest rates of the year when you be ordering propane deliveries.
In conclusion
Heating your pool is not a monumental task but not simple either. With the right heater and good propane company it can be set up relatively stress free for you. While it might seem a little pricey to heat the pool you will be able to spend more time with your family enjoying your pool. With what entertainment cost these days the price is actually in line with other actives. You would spend more money taking your family out to the movies or out to eat you would spend the same amount for 2 hours family activity, versus the hours of hanging out in and around the pool.
At Compare Propane, it’s our job to find you the lowest lp gas prices depending on where you live. Fill out the form and we’ll provide you the best quote we can find!
The weather is finally breaking and the warm temperatures are being felt across the nation. Baseball season has officially begun and the sound of mowers cutting grass can be heard. All of these things point to the start of summer and thus, the start of BBQ season. Although the perfect hamburger recipe can be debated from here until eternity, there are a few definitive tips to save money while filling up that BBQ tank.
THE FACTS
Weight
A typical barbecue tank is also referred to as a 20-pounder. This is because the tank can hold approximately 20 pounds of propane. This equates to 4.7 gallons of propane. Propane weighs 4.24 pounds per gallon so now you get the 20 pound reference.
So, does a full tank weigh 20 pounds? No, because the tank itself has weight to it, too. That is called the “tare weight” which is the weight of an empty tank. Tanks have “T.W.” (tare weight) stamped on the collar of the tank. On average, the tare weight of a propane tank is about 17.2 pounds. Some might be 18 and some might be 16.6.
All in all, a completely full BBQ tank weighs approximately 37 to 38 pounds.
The Tare Weight on this tank is 17.9 pounds.
Valves
An OPD valve is required on all grill bottle tanks. OPD is short for “Overfill Protection Device”. It is a safety feature that prevents the tanks from being overfilled. If you have a tank without an OPD, the company will not be able to fill your tank. If your tank has a fly wheel valve it’s the older style and cannot be filled. The OPD valves are more of a triangular shape (see below).
Above is a non OPD tank and will not be able to be filled.
Above is an example of an OPD valve on a good standing tank.
Date
You will notice that there is date stamped on the collar of your propane tank. The Department of Transportation states that smaller propane tanks have a usable life of 12 years. After that, they will need to be refurbished. For example, if a tank has stamp 04 10 that means it will need to be replaced or refurbished on 05/2022. Most local propane marketers can refurbish out-of-date propane tanks.
To Refill or Exchange
In terms of most value for your dollar, I would recommend having your propane tank filled by a local company versus a tank exchange at a gas station or big box store. The national chains often fill their BBQ tanks with only 15 pounds of propane. This means that you are truly only receiving 3.5 gallons (15 lbs of propane = 3.5 gallons of propane). Your local garden center or propane marketer normally fill your propane tank with 20 lbs of propane or 4.7 gallons.
Some people might ask what the big deal is, because it’s only a difference of 1.2 gallons. However, when it comes to grilling, 1.2 gallon of propane equals about four to five hours of extra grilling time. I could show the calculation of this, but it bore even Steven Hawking.
In addition, the cost at one of these exchanges are usually $20-22 per tank. If you look around many local propane marketers offer deals in the summer time for tank exchanges. The deals normally range from $12-$15 per bottle exchange.
The per gallon comparison looks like this:
Big Box Store tank exchange for $22 equates to $6.28 per gallon of propane.
Local Fill station for $12 equates to $2.55 per gallon of propane.
Knowing When To Refill Your Tank
The simple answer for knowing exactly when you need to refill your tank is to actually weigh it. Use the Tare Weight as your base line and the difference is the amount of propane left.
For example:
TW=17 and the total weight of the tank is 25 lbs. This means that you have 8 lbs of propane (25 lbs – 7 lbs = 8 lbs) or 1.9 gallon left. Note that 1.9 gallon equals about 7 hours or so of grill time.
It’s always fun to leave in the middle of a BBQ with your tank under your arm and go weigh yourself, right? It’s a really cool party move. False.
The best option is to have a backup tank and just swap it out. Also, if you bring a half full tank to get filled you are charged a flat fee and not a per gallon fee. So, it’s also better to run completely out and then get it filled. Having a backup tank allows you to do this.
I currently have a propane tank at my house but want to switch to a new company… How do I do that? Is it even possible? These are common questions we get when a customer is looking for a new company, so we decided to write a blog to map out the best way to switch your propane providers.
First things first, you need to figure out what company owns the tank. People often think that if they bought the house, they must own the propane tank on the property. However, that is incorrect. Refer to the seller’s disclosure when you purchase the house for more information. If you want the tank at your home you can basically switch providers as you see fit. The rest of this pertains to propane users who do not own the tank their home or business.
The second question that you will have to answer is whether the tank is above or underground.
Above-ground Tanks
There are a few different size above-ground tanks that could be located at your property. Depending on your usage, we can figure out the size tank. Typically, if you use propane for cooking, fireplace inserts, or space heating you will have a one hundred (100) gallon tank or smaller at your home. One-hundred (100) gallon tanks are approximately four feet tall and two and a half to three feet in diameter. Generally, these tanks are owned by the propane company. It’s obviously best to check your original contract with your provider to determine whether or not you own the tank. If you have a larger tank, follow the same process but there is always a chance that you may own the tank.
If you have don’t own the above-ground tank at your home it’s not the end of the world, you can still switch. First, you will want to figure out the cancellation policy of the current provider. Usually, if you cancel within the first few years of the original contract, there can be a cancellation fee that would be greater than any savings you could realize by switching. If you are out of the cancellation period the chances are your company will not give you a dollar for dollar credit for the gas that is currently in the tank. More than likely, you have already paid for the propane in the tank so you will want to use as much as that propane as possible before switching. To prevent any more deliveries coming to your home make sure you are not currently be delivered propane on an automatic delivery basis.
Now that you have taken these steps it’s time to find a new company. Generally, once your tank is at approximately twenty-percent (20%) you can call your new company to come set their tank. Your new company will simply disconnect the existing tank at your house and set it aside for your old company and place their tank at your house.
Underground Tanks
If you have a below ground tank at your home, the first step again is to determine who owns the tank. It really is equal chances that the propane company owns the tank versus the homeowner owning the tank. Once again, you will have a bill of receipt if you own it, or you will have a contract with the original provider.
If it’s determined that the propane company owns the underground tank at your home or business you will have few options. Option number one is to see if there is a tank buy out option. Generally, a company will offer a deprecation schedule with tank buyout options based on the number of years that the tank has been in service. For example, if you have had a tank at your home for 10 years there might be a buyout of approximately $2,000-$3000 for a 500 gallon tank and it could be more for a 1000 gallon tank. Keep in mind that I am using very general numbers and actual numbers will vary from town to town and from company to company.
If the buyout is acceptable and you purchase the tank you are now a free agent and choose a new provider. If the company does not offer a buyout, it is a little tricky. One option is to have the company dig up their tank and have a company set a new one. This isn’t always the best option. If you fall under this category you can always determine when the contract is up and make the switch then.
Recap:
Step 1 – Determine who owns the tank
Step 2 – Make sure there is no cancellation fee at this time
Step 3 – Cancel auto delivery with current provider
Step 4 – Choose new company
Step 5 – Burn propane in your tank down to approx. 20%
Step 6 – Contact new company to place new tank and remove existing tank
Step 7 – Call your previous provider to pick up their tank
Summer’s over, so you know what that means…football season has begun! While some might think the grilling season has peaked, true football fans know that that is definitely not the case. Tailgating for your team is half the fun and everyone can agree that nothing is better than the smell of BBQ lingering around your tailgate spot. So, don’t pack up your grill just yet! See how easy it is to root for your team and grill with propane on a portable grill, at your next game. Here’s how:
fastened properly before you go to transport it, so it will not roll around the car or back of your truck.
