Posted: November 20, 2014

Propane is a remarkably safe fuel! But when times get tough — either because of tight supply, cold weather or high prices — many people tend to cut corners, often failing to follow proper safety guidelines. To help prevent some common mistakes, we’ve included important safety reminders on these pages.

Leave any repairs to us

It’s always tempting to save a few bucks by doing as many home repairs as possible. However, your home repair list should never include doing work on any gas appliance. That’s true whether it’s a stove, a dryer, a water heater or a furnace. Those are jobs that should always be left to a professional!

Every year, a few explosions occur because nonprofessionals tried to make repairs on gas appliances in their homes.

Please! Do not under any circumstances try to modify or repair valves, regulators, connectors, controls or other appliance and cylinder/tank parts. An improperly connected tank or appliance can cause a gas leak. If you want to move your tank, leave that to us.

As you can guess, gas appliances are complicated. That’s why we invest a great deal of time and money on training our technicians—to be sure they are prepared to diagnose and fix virtually any type of propane appliance in your home.

So if your gas appliance needs a repair, the only “tool” you should pick up is the phone. One of our certified and highly trained technicians will come to your home, size up the situation and get your appliance safely repaired.

And if you plan to add more propane appliances to your home, please call us so our experts can ensure that your new equipment is installed properly.

IF you smell propane…

If you smell gas, don’t take any chances. After only the quickest glance at the on/off knobs on your stove (to see if that’s the source of the problem), open a window or two as you quickly exit the house with your family. Do not smoke or operate lights, appliances, telephones or cell phones. Go to a safe location where you can report the problem to us. You should also call 911 to report the leak.

5 ways we look after you

1. Always there for you.
   Our staff is ready to respond with fast service whenever you need us. We always have enough drivers and trucks, and our vehicles are maintained properly, so we can get to you no matter what the weather conditions are.
2. Training and more training.
   We invest in ongoing and extensive training for our employees. This ensures that when we do work for you, we get the job done right the first time. Our training program also means you will get accurate information and a courteous response from our office staff.
3. Honest and fair pricing.
   Some companies will quote you one price on the phone, but as soon as they install a tank, they suprise you by tacking big fees on to their delivery bill. We never play that type of game!
4. Convenient payment options.
   We understand that heating bills can be a big burden, so we offer flexible payment options for qualified customers to lighten the load for you during winter.
5. Secure fuel supply.
   We have never been without fuel, so we are always able to take care of our customers.

Be on guard against carbon monoxide leaks

Most cases of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning occur during the flu season, which typically begins in the fall. Because many CO poisoning symptoms mimic the flu—fatigue, dizziness, nausea—most people initially don’t recognize the danger of the situation.

That’s why it’s important to have carbon monoxide detectors in your home—especially in your bedrooms. If the detector sounds an alarm, ventilate the home with fresh air right away. If you feel dizzy or drowsy, leave the house immediately.
Identifying carbon monoxide leaks can sometimes be complex because there are various causes, including:

• operating unvented appliances for long periods of time
• a heating system that’s out of adjustment or damaged
• backdrafts caused by pressure imbalances near the heating appliance
• leaving a vehicle idling in an attached garage
• running a gasoline-powered generator in a basement or attached garage
• a blocked flue

All of these situations could set off a CO detector, but conditions can change by the time a technician arrives, which makes a diagnosis difficult. Help us by sharing as much information as possible so the source of the problem can be identified correctly.