With winter tightening its grip on Southern Maryland, you may be wondering about the security of your propane supply in very cold weather. Specifically, wondering if the propane in your tank can freeze.
The freezing point for propane is -44˚ Fahrenheit. The record low for St. Mary’s County is -3˚. That makes it highly unlikely that the propane inside your propane tank will freeze.
However, extremely chilly weather has the potential to cause problems in other ways.
Propane, like other liquids, shrinks in the cold. When it is extremely chilly, the volume of propane in an aboveground propane tank may shrink. When the volume of your propane tank decreases, so does the pressure. If your propane tank’s pressure drops too low, the gas will not be able to reach your gas burner. Your propane appliances, such as your heating system and water heater, will be unable to function.
In the winter, it’s not difficult to keep your propane supply and appliances safe. Here are three things to do.
Keep your propane tank at least 30% full. When your propane tank is more than 30% full, there will be a positive pressure in the tank. This makes enrolling in Automatic Delivery and FREE wireless propane tank monitoring even more appealing because we’ll make sure you get a propane delivery before your tank runs low.
Turn down the thermostat. You don’t have to keep your home chilly but lowering the thermostat by a few degrees ensures that your heating system doesn’t come on as frequently. This protects the pressure in your propane tank from getting too low. A smart or programmable thermostat helps with this.
Keep your tank free of snow. You should also sweep the snow off your propane tank in addition to clearing ice and snow from your driveway and sidewalks. Sunlight can’t get inside a snow-covered propane tank to warm the gas, which may cause it to lose pressure. Avoid using a shovel to remove snow from your tank since it may damage the tank and its components. A broom is the ideal instrument for this purpose. To ensure ample ventilation, clear snow and ice from vents and flues.
Make sure we can access your propane tank. If our propane delivery drivers can’t safely get to your propane tank, we won’t be able to deliver your propane. Clear a wide enough space so that our delivery trucks may safely navigate your driveway. Create a path to your propane tank that’s at least a foot wide. Place a tall pole topped with a bright-colored fabric or flag so we can find the tank after heavy snowfalls.
With Automatic Delivery and FREE wireless propane tank monitoring from Taylor, you can be sure that you’ll always have enough propane for your appliances. Become a customer today!