About 600 propane-related explosions occur each year in America.
If you don’t want to be one of them, you have to take propane tank safety seriously.
You can’t just pop a tank anywhere next to your house, run a hose, and call it good and safe.
Propane may be the go-to fuel for summer burgers and hotdogs and a reliable head source for 6 million Americans in the winter, but it needs to be properly stored and taken care of.
It’s important not to take your residential propane tank for granted.
Keep reading and you’ll know exactly what to do to keep yourself, your family, and your property safe.
1. Keep Clutter Away
No matter how big your propane tank is or where you keep it, you should never surround it with clutter.
This is especially true of flammable items like paper and textiles that could ignite, however unlikely it may seem.
If your tank is outside, make sure to sweep up and bag all of the leaves in the fall and get rid of all the grass clippings in the spring and summer.
As far as your propane appliances go, it’s also a good idea to keep flammable items away from them.
2. CO and Smoke Detectors Are a Must
In-home propane tank safety starts with early detection.
If you don’t have functioning carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in your home, go out and get them ASAP.
In both Delaware and Pennsylvania, it’s a legal requirement to have a CO detector in your home within 15 feet of your fossil fuel-burning device.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, so you need an alarm to tell you when levels are too high. CO poisoning is extremely dangerous and even deadly.
3. Recognize the Smell
For safety reasons, propane tank manufacturers give the gas a particular smell to make it more noticeable.
Keep your nose peeled for a “rotten egg” smell.
As soon as you or anyone in your home notices this smell coming from an appliance or the tank itself, extinguish any open flame and turn off all electronic devices.
Leave your home immediately and contact the fire department as well as your propane company.
4. Keep an Eye On Your Pilot Light
When you have a propane heating system, your furnace will have a pilot light on it that lets you know everything is functioning properly.
If your pilot goes out repeatedly, there’s a good chance that something is wrong with your HVAC system.
Although it might seem like an easy thing to do, don’t try to reignite the pilot light on your own.
A trained professional should look at it because there could be a more serious issue at hand, so it could be dangerous to introduce a flame.
5. Maintain Your Appliances
Your propane tank, furnace, and any appliances that use the propane tank should be inspected and maintained on a regular basis.
With older appliances, in particular, connections can become faulty and result in propane leaks.
The vents on the appliances also need to be inspected to ensure that gases can flow easily to the outdoors.
Remove any debris from the vents, and clear the area around the vents so there’s no blockage whatsoever.
6. Inspect Your Tank After Storms
On the east coast, we get plenty of thunderstorms and winter storms all year round.
Those that have outdoor propane tanks should always have them inspected for damage after storms.
You never know what kind of branch and leaf buildup you might get after a thunderstorm.
When it comes to winter storms, piles of snow and ice could appear around the tank, causing blockages or damage to the tank and connections.
7. Get Propane Delivered Regularly
When you rely on propane to heat your home and use appliances, it’s crucial to prevent the tank from emptying out.
You can check your fuel gauge to see how much propane you’ve got left, but the best move is to set up a regular delivery schedule with a company like ours.
At Kauffman Gas, we’ve got a great pre-buy program that gives you propane in advance at a fixed rate. We’ll help you review your usage and come up with the right delivery amount, so you’ll never have to worry about running out of propane, especially as winter approaches.
8. Keep It Outside, In the Shade
You should always arrange to have your propane tank outside and away from your home, as well as any appliances.
The tank should have room to ventilate, and you should always try to keep it cool.
If the internal tank temperature exceeds a certain temperature, it could start to release gas.
Try to store it in the shade and keep it upright. If you’re storing it over the winter, it’ll be fine outside, but the moisture from fall and winter could result in rusting.
It’s important to keep an eye on the condition of the tank and contact a professional if you spot any damage.
9. Get It Serviced Professionally
Always contact a professional to have your propane tank serviced, which should be done on a regular basis.
A professional has the trained eye to see if anything needs to be repaired or replaced on the tank.
When it comes to propane, it’s never a good idea to try to fix something on your own..
Take Propane Tank Safety Seriously
These are the 9 most important propane tank safety tips we can give you.
If you’re a homeowner that relies on propane to heat your home and use appliances, then you need a reliable propane company to help you refill your tank and troubleshoot any problems that may arise.
For residents of Chester County, PA, and northern Delaware, Kauffman Gas is that company.
We’ve been serving happy customers for 75 years, so you can trust us with everything from installation and maintenance to refills.
Contact us today to discuss your propane tank needs.
