In this month’s safety minute, PERC Director of Safety and Compliance Lyndon Rickards discusses the importance of properly testing the emergency remote shut down system on your bobtail. Stay safe out there!
When it comes to installing a propane generator, proper placement and installation are paramount. In this month’s Safety Minute, PERC Vice President for safety, education, and compliance Eric Kuster talks about the importance of following code requirements and manufacturer recommendations for a safe generator installation.
Depending on where you live, freezing rain, ice storms, heavy snow and near-blinding blizzards may all be part of winter. But being unprepared for them shouldn’t be. Winter storms can cause extended power outages and hazardous travel conditions. Access to fuel, and emergency and medical services may be limited once a severe storm hits a region. Implementing a winter safety plan now is essential to help reduce your risk.
Before, during, and after a storm, there are a few key things to consider to keep your family and your home as safe as possible.
Work with your family to create a plan in the event of a winter storm. As part of this effort, make sure to post contact information for emergency services and utility companies—including your local propane supplier. You should also post instructions for turning off your propane, electricity, and water. (If you turn off your propane, contact a service technician to inspect your system before turning it back on.)
To better prepare for any potential damage, install a UL-listed gas detector in your home, which will notify you if a leak ever occurs. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to installation, location, and maintenance.
Keep a battery-powered radio handy, so you always have a way to receive updates on weather conditions. As storms approach, it’s also smart to charge up your smartphones, so you have an additional tool for communication through a long power outage. Or, consider purchasing a propane generator so you always have reliable power, even during blackouts.
If a storm causes harm to your property, be careful when you assess damage as downed power lines, damaged gas lines, and dislodged propane tanks can lead to dangerous situations. In the dark, use a flashlight instead of candles to avoid combustion in the case of a leak.
Your utility company, fire department, and propane supplier have expert training, and should handle any potentially dangerous situations with your home’s systems. Additionally, if a storm damages your property, it’s a good idea to have a qualified service technician perform a complete inspection of your propane system, to ensure no harmful damage was done.
For residents living in a propane home, there are a few specific precautions homeowners can take to ready their property for the potentially-high accumulation of snow. Propane is a safe, reliable, and efficient energy source that will provide comfort during the season, but accumulated snow and ice have the potential to damage the propane system. Many of these safety measures can be quickly implemented and will go a long way to ensuring a home is best prepared for the looming winter storm.
Get to know your propane system. If you are not familiar with your propane system, take a few minutes to review it. Identify core components — tank, regulators, meter, piping, and supply valves — as well as any appliance vents. Be sure you know where your gas supply valve is located, in case you need to close it in the event of an emergency. For more information, please contact us.
Mark your tank and regulator. Mark your tank with a brightly colored stake or flag taller than the maximum anticipated snow depth. Also, mark your secondary pressure regulator or meter. It is usually near the side of your home. This is important to enable emergency and propane service personnel to locate it at all times.
Have an adequate supply of propane in your tank. In high snowfall areas, roads leading to your home might not be accessible for delivery, particularly after a snowstorm. If there’s still time, contact your propane supplier and fill up your tank.
Talk to your contractors. If you use a snow removal service, make sure that the service knows the location of all propane equipment on the property. Instruct them to keep their equipment clear of all parts of your propane system.
Keep snow and ice from accumulating on propane equipment. Snow or ice accumulation can potentially cause parts of your propane system to crack or break, resulting in a gas leak. Gently brush away snow or ice that has accumulated around the tank, meter, regulator, and any other piping using a broom or by hand.
Be alert to snow buildup on rooftops and other areas. Frequently check where snow or ice collect on your roof, structure, or nearby trees and clear it if you believe it might fall on any part of your propane system.
Keep vents clear. Appliance vents and chimney flues need to be clear of snow or ice, too. Some homes may have “direct” vents, which are close to the ground. Improper venting can cause carbon monoxide to become trapped in your home, causing serious illness or even death.
Clear driveways and pathways to propane tanks. When clearing snow, remember that a propane delivery truck needs at least a 10-foot-wide path to be able to deliver fuel to your tank.
Check out the Propane Education & Research Council website for more information.
This past February the Department of Energy proposed extreme legislation that would effectively eliminate nearly all gas stoves and cooktops on the market today.
The Save Our Gas Stoves Act was introduced as a means to protect your kitchen appliances and more importantly, your right as an American consumer to choose. This was a bi-partisan bill that received bi-partisan support, recently passing through the House of Representatives. Thanks to all who supported this bill and the right to choose.
If you would like to know more about the bill and/or how your local Legislators voted you can find out more by clicking on the corresponding word. We also encourage you reach out to your local Representative in support of the right to choose your energy source.
The benefits of propane are many, and it is a part of a clean energy solution for tomorrow – available today. It is also a low-carbon, reliable, and versatile fuel that produces 43% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than an equivalent amount of average U.S grid electricity. A variety of clean energy sources working together – a wide path – is the only way to achieve a zero-emissions future. Learn more at www.propane.com/environment/.
Propane cooking appliances provide convenience, sharp design, and excellent performance in any kitchen — from starter homes to high-end custom projects. An attractive, stainless-steel gas range that combines a propane cooktop and oven is perfect for space-challenged homeowners, while propane also offers commercial-grade ranges, indoor grills and cooktops, in-wall double ovens, and other gas cooking applications in luxurious custom kitchens. In all cases, propane gives the homeowner ample cooking performance and precise temperature control in a wide variety of product designs.
High-performance gas ranges, cooktops, and ovens are preferred by a majority of professional chefs and designers, for their own use as well as for their clients. Why? Propane ranges, cooktops, and ovens allow for greater control of heat levels. Instant-on burners allow cooking to start right away. Propane burners are also instant-off. This capability provides a safety feature not found in electric cooktops, which can remain dangerously hot for a few minutes after they’ve been turned off. A propane burner’s instant-off feature also allows the food to start cooling immediately and prevents overcooking.
Beyond these core benefits of propane burners in ranges, cooktops, and even indoor grills, propane kitchen appliances also offer:
Propane ranges, ovens, and other cooking appliances will have wide variations in energy use and costs — depending primarily on frequency of use. Homeowners who use their range and/or oven daily will use more energy, while infrequent chefs will have low usage rates. A general annual estimate for propane use in the kitchen is 25 gallons per year.
Cooking appliances are generally not a major energy end-use in the home, and residential cooking appliances are not labeled by the Energy Star program. In many parts of the country, however, the benefits of gas and propane cooking go to a much higher level. In regions like California, where peak demand period on the electric grid often occurs in the late afternoons of hot summer days, electric cooking is a major load. In fact, the energy factor of electric cooking — which compares its overall energy use to its energy use in peak demand times — makes it the second-most significant load in the home, behind air-conditioning. For this reason, switching to propane cooking can ease peak load issues with the electric grid and reduce electric bills in the process.
Propane cooking results in lower CO2 emissions than electric cooking. This is true because a significant portion of electricity production comes from coal or oil-fired generation plants which release CO2 emissions as part of the generation process. Based on typical cooking usage levels and the emissions which electricity generation creates, propane cooking has roughly 30 percent fewer CO2 emissions.
Winter is the time of year when many homeowners are most inclined to raise their thermostats to the highest setting in order to block out all of those chilly drafts.
Despite the fact that it could appear like a good idea, this is not the case. Wintertime thermostat settings that are consistently high will result in a significant increase in energy costs. Here are some ways you may configure your thermostat to conserve energy and money during the chilly winter months while preventing your HVAC system from working too hard.
While setting the thermostat to the right temperatures can improve the comfort of one’s home, it is not the only way to do so. Other ways for a homeowner to minimize energy usage and costs, while improving the overall environment inside of their home include:
Prior to the cold weather setting in, homeowners should make every effort to winterize their home. Stop playing with the thermostat and get more enjoyment out of your home by making it as energy efficient as possible.
When it’s freezing outside, turning up the thermostat is like to throwing money out the window. The faster thermal energy is lost to the outside, the warmer your home is. The rate of thermal energy loss is slowed down by lower interior temperatures. While there are occupants in the house, it is advised for homeowners to set their thermostats between 68 and 72 degrees to promote maximum comfort. A pleasant temperature for everyone in the house, regardless of the apparel they are wearing, is between 68 and 72 degrees, which is neither too warm nor too cool.
If the room is vacant for a long time and at night, it makes sense to reduce the temperature to 58-62 degrees. When everyone is asleep and not very active, the heating and cooling system doesn’t have to waste energy when it isn’t needed. This temperature setting is also good enough to keep the house’s pipes from freezing when the outside temperature drops and no one is home.
Invest in a digital thermostat to make setting and maintaining temperatures a breeze. Digital thermostats allow homeowners to set the thermostat in advance and not have to worry about resetting it until the season changes. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and place your digital thermostat within easy reach and away from drafts, sunlight, furniture, doors, and windows.
When setting the digital thermostat, be aware of when everyone is awake and when they are asleep. Consider programming devices to turn the temperature down or up just before everyone wakes up, goes to bed, or leaves the house. If your home is vacant for more than 3 hours, remember to set your thermostat to a lower temperature to save energy and money while you’re away.
Older Furnaces and heat pumps take longer to heat up your home. This can make your home feel colder than it really is, as the heating appliance takes longer to warm up. To improve your furnace’s response time and maintain a warm atmosphere in your home, we recommend replacing all old appliances, including your stove, with energy efficient appliances.
Check out the Propane Education & Research Council website for more information.
Winter weather will still be around for at least awhile, so there’s still time to save money on your heating bills. Following just these few helpful tips can help you stay warm this winter in a cost-effective and environmentally conscious way.
Efficiency is key to reduce winter heating costs. Make sure that your appliances—especially furnace and hot water tank—are working at their best efficiency. Have them serviced to ensure that you get the best return on your fuel dollar spent.
Windows, Doors and Curtains are your first line of defense against cold air.
Make sure that your doors and windows are properly insulated to stay warm. During the day, curtains and blinds should remain open to allow the sun to work its magic. At night, close curtains and blinds to create an extra barrier between the inside and outside.
Hot and humid? Just like on the sultry days of summer, humid air holds more heat than dry. Increase the humidity in your home with an energy-efficient humidifier. You can also take advantage of the humidity released by a hot shower. Don’t trap that moist air in the bathroom. Open the door and let it help heat the whole house to stay warm.
Ceilings fans work in winter, too. Don’t forget that hot air rises. Send it back down where you are by reversing your ceiling fan. Be sure to flip that switch when the furnace turns off to keep the warm air where it belongs to keep the furnace off longer.
Act like it’s winter. A great way to stay warm is to dress in layers. Cold weather is also a great excuse to snuggle under a blanket on the couch and to make a cup of hot cocoa.
If you have any other questions on how to stay warm during the winter, please contact us.
Check out the Propane Education & Research Council website for more information.
Summer is a time you try to think a little less about your propane tank. But you still need to practice caution during the warm summer months. Please follow these important summer propane safety tips:
Don’t forget the summer is a great time to buy propane. Ask us about our Budget Payment Plan.
Propane grills make outdoor cooking as easy as enjoyable. Keep the mood light and the good times rolling with these few propane grilling safety tips:
More Safety Tips at PropaneComfort.com.
Check out the Propane Education & Research Council website for more information.
Because propane is a byproduct of natural gas processing and sometimes crude oil refining, the price of propane falls between those two commodities.
Millions of people at home and around the world use propane gas at home, work, on the go, on farms and anywhere they need clean, reliable power. It is also a great partner with other energy sources such as grid power and on-site solar power. That’s why we call it Propane: Energy for Everyone™. The US government forecasts that energy costs of all kinds could rise this winter. As temperatures drop, roads freeze, and demand for propane and other heating energies soars, prices tend to rise, leading to longer wait times. Propane offers a unique opportunity to buy in advance. Contact your propane supplier today to lock in the price and keep your family safe and warm during the winter months. Act now to avoid the additional costs and safety risks associated with running out of fuel.
Info Gathered From propane.com
Check out the Propane Education & Research Council website for more information.
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