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Home Propane Safety Tips

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Whether you use it only for your heating fuel, or whether it fuels the other appliances in your whole home, propane provides an energy and cost-efficient alternative to natural gas. If your home runs on propane, it's vital that you know the basic safety tips necessary for using propane as an energy source in your home. The following guide will help.

Opt for a permanent tank 

Portable tanks have their purpose when it comes to some devices, like an outdoor grill, but they are a safety threat when you use them inside. Have a permanent tank installed outside of your home and run the necessary lines so that the propane can be routed into the house from the storage tank. Storing large amounts of propane inside is both a fire and an explosion risk. A properly permitted tank will be installed and placed in an area that is far enough from the home to pose little risk in the event of a problem, yet close enough to conveniently route propane into the house as necessary.

Use a delivery service

Propane delivery ensures your tank gets filled safely. Transporting propane poses its own safety issues, even if it is just a few portable tanks. It also cuts down on the chances of even needing to use a portable tank for emergency energy, since you can have a regular delivery scheduled so that you never run low. Propane services are generally trained to perform a visual inspection of the tank each time they make a delivery, as well, which can further help ensure that any safety issues are caught promptly.

Use professional services

Although you can hook up an outdoor grill to a propane tank just fine, part of this is because the risks are lower since you are outside. Indoors, an improper hookup can result in a leak and trapped gas inside the home. Since the gas won't dissipate like it would outside, the chances of injury from either a gas explosion or breathing in the gas are greater. Use a professional service to hook up new appliances to the propane lines to ensure the connection is correct. You should also have the lines and tank fully inspected once a year to make sure there are no impending issues that could decrease safety.

Propane is an overall safe energy option, but like any option, it's important to be proactive so you can avoid what few risks are associated with this energy source.


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