Now that fall is here, it’s time to think about what you can do to get your home and propane appliances ready for colder weather. While number one on our minds and yours is making sure your propane tank is checked and filled – there is often more to it than simply refilling your propane tank. Franger Gas is here to give you some great tips on how to prep your propane home for fall and winter.
Below are just a few suggestions to get your home and appliances winter-ready.
1. Check Your Tank Levels Regularly
You’ll use your propane appliances more often as the weather gets colder. This means that you’ll need to keep a close eye on your propane tank level, so you don’t run out of fuel. Be sure to check the gauge regularly and call for a delivery when the level gets low (30% is a great target). This is our busiest season – so stay ahead of schedule and call around that 30% level! We never want our customers in a situation where you are panicking that you may run out of propane to heat your home.
To help, Franger Gas offers Tank Monitoring and Automatic Fill services for our customers to take the worry out of scheduling a tank refill. With remote tank monitoring (available for a small charge) we can deliver fuel when you need it while also keeping a careful eye out for leaks or unusual changes in volume. You can even track your level on your smartphone! Remote propane tank monitoring ensures Franger Gas customers always have an ample propane supply. Learn more about those programs here.
2. Clean Your Gutters and Drain Spouts
One of the best ways to prepare your home for winter is to clean your gutters and drain spouts. This will help ensure that melting snow and ice can drain properly, which can prevent water damage to your home. In addition, it’s a good idea to trim any trees or shrubs near your gutters so that they don’t impede the flow of melting snow and ice – especially if this will impact the path leading to or area surrounding your propane tank. This could make it more difficult for Franger Gas employees to access your tank during delivery.
3. Schedule Your Appliance Maintenance
Once you’ve taken care of the exterior of your home, it’s time to focus on the inside. Start by checking all of your propane appliances—including your furnace, water heater, stove, and fireplace—to make sure they are in good working order. All propane appliances require routine maintenance to function properly and efficiently. Before the cold weather hits, schedule a time for a technician to come out and perform any necessary maintenance on your appliances. This will help prevent any issues from arising when you need them most.
4. Keep Your Vents Clear
All propane appliances have vents that allow carbon monoxide and other gases to escape. It’s important that these vents are not obstructed by snow, leaves, or other debris so that the appliance can work properly. Be sure to remove any obstructions from the vents before using the appliance. Clearing out vents in early fall means you start the season where debris can become a problem with clear vents, which will help you keep an eye on them and make clean-up easier in the messier months ahead.
5. Educate Yourself on Carbon Monoxide Safety
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can be produced anytime fuel is burned in an enclosed space. Because of this, educating yourself and your family on the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and what to do if someone is exposed is important.
6. Weatherize Your Home
Another way to prepare your home and propane appliances for colder weather is by weatherizing your home. This means sealing up any cracks or gaps around windows and doors where heat can escape. You should also insulate any exposed pipes or ductwork in your home. These simple steps can help improve the efficiency of your appliances and reduce energy costs.
Following these simple tips can help prep your home and propane appliances for fall and winter weather conditions. Contact Franger Gas today if you have any questions about maintaining your propane appliances or modifying your home for colder weather! One of our friendly representatives would be happy to assist you with all of your propane needs this fall season!
Why Early Fall is the Best Time to Fill Your Propane Tank
There are several reasons why early fall is the best time to fill your propane tank. Here are a few of the most important ones:
1. Propane Prices are Relatively Stable – Early fall is a “shoulder” season between periods of peak demand – which means it is often the best time to save money on your propane deliveries. Pre-buy, auto-fill and tank monitoring options can bring extra savings during this time – contact one of our helpful representatives today to learn more about potential savings opportunities.
2. Weather is More Predictable – Sudden cold snaps are common during late autumn and early winter, but they happen less often in the early fall. Fill your propane tank now and you’ll be read for any sudden weather shifts. Plus, you won’t have to worry about freezing temperatures affecting your propane delivery.
3. You’ll Need it to Keep Enjoying the Comforts of Home – Whether you have a propane gas grill for the big game, a propane fireplace or log set for a cozy evening at home, or a propane spa for a luxurious soak, you rely on clean, green propane to deliver comfort throughout the cold weather months. So make sure your tank is full now and you can relax all season long knowing you have plenty of propane to keep your family comfortable.
4. This is a busy season for Propane – calling early means you won’t have to wait in line! At Franger Gas, this is one of our busiest seasons for new customers and existing customers. We are here and ready to take your call, and schedule your tank setting or propane delivery – but planning ahead and calling to get on our schedule early is a great idea. You can rely on Franger Gas to keep you powered without interruptions or complications. Rest easy knowing your propane needs are managed by Franger Gas.
As you can see, there are many benefits to filling your propane tank in early fall. So don’t wait – contact Franger Gas today and schedule your propane delivery. We’ll make sure you have plenty of propane to keep your home warm and cozy all season long!
Customers are often asking the propane industry “How can you make my life easier?” We would like to spotlight one solution that answers that question – as we have seen in two separate situations. The solution we will be talking about is remote monitoring of propane tanks.
Remote propane tank monitoring helps take the unknown out of gas delivery. It is a technology that allows a company to track of the amount of propane left in a propane tank without having to travel to the tank’s location. This provides peace of mind for both customer and supplier – and helps the propane supplier deliver propane more efficiently. The efficiencies gained with this remote propane tank monitoring technology help us provide better service and grow to serve even more customers. More efficiency means more customers getting a needed delivery each day.
Let’s look at how this technology has helped in two real world situations:
A customer with a large, but sporadic consumption pattern asked Franger Gas to provide service after multiple run-ins with another supplier. They would receive large material shipments at once and would then run out of forklift gas from their refueling station with trucks still waiting to be unloaded. Their previous supplier was not always able to respond in time, which resulted in unsatisfactory levels of service. Franger Gas offered the solution of the use a refueling station tank with a remote monitor on it. Instead of the old model of either estimating when they needed a delivery or only receiving a delivery on a specific day of the week, they were assured that as soon as they required a refill, one would be scheduled. Their supply was monitored in real time, and any dramatic swings in consumption were accounted for seamlessly.
Our auto-fill residential customers are already taking advantage of our tank monitoring technology – but we have customers who have, or will, invest in a second home. Often a lake property, a second home comes with additional, frequently unconsidered challenges. How do you maintain a home that is not your primary residence? Hire a management company for thousands of dollars per year? Rely on a neighbor to check your tank when you are not there? As a propane supplier that ensures homes have heat, we have utilized the remote monitoring technology to make life easier and help the customer sleep with a peaceful mind for a fraction of the cost of a manager. Now, customers can be on our automatic fill program with a monitor, which means they do not have to keep an eye on their tank level or worry when they are away from their property. In addition, our latest monitor provider offers a smart phone app that allows the customer to monitor the level from their own device.
Franger Gas Company values the service nature of the propane business. We continue to reinvest in new ways to meet our customers’ needs while always retaining the home-town feel we have established over the last 75 years. We’re looking ahead to many more years together! Contact Franger Gas today to learn more about remote propane tank monitoring.
How does a propane company continue to grow in strength and reliability? By sourcing supplies of fuel, and understanding the importance of consistent propane supply.
That’s what we do every day at Franger Gas Company. We saw a potential propane supply problem following the winter of 2013-2014. As a result, we partnered with a supplier to build the Mentone Propane Rail Terminal.
Today, the Mentone terminal gives us access to a reliable propane supply. Customers in northern Indiana, southern Michigan, western Ohio and neighboring regions receive propane through the Mentone terminal. Additionally, the terminal helps stabilize propane prices by reducing transportation costs to service agricultural and other rural customers.
We continue to invest in the future, and focus on propane supply with our storage tank farm under construction in northern Indiana. The first phase of the site will expand storage capacity by 700,000 gallons. That security of extra propane supply simply means plenty of fuel to heat homes and businesses, even when demand increases in cold weather.
At Franger Gas, we live by our company motto – large enough to serve, small enough to care. It reminds us that your community is OUR community too. That’s why we continue to look for better ways to source, supply and service your energy needs, whether it’s in your home, on a work site or at a wholesale storage facility.
We are honored by the trust you place in us. We look forward to the delivering excellent service you have come to expect from us for another 75 years.
Does your construction project timeline include work during cold weather? Temporary propane-powered heat keeps your project on schedule, even during the coldest months of the year.
8 reasons to choose propane for temporary heat
Why propane? It’s a clean-burning, green fuel that’s portable and readily available.
Here are more reasons to choose propane to temporarily heat your construction site.
Keep projects on schedule even when temperatures dip below the freeze point. A little heat on your job site can make a big difference for your work crew and schedule.
Maintain the right conditions for materials, including drywall, paint, caulk and other finishes.
Get propane tanks placed exactly where you need them on the job site. Each project is different. That’s why we provide temporary heat services based on your project-specific construction plans.
Choose the tank that fits your work site. Whether it’s a simple garage renovation, an apartment building complex or a large-footprint warehouse, we have the resources to take care of the heat.
Generate the right amount of heat for your work site. We provide heaters, sized from low BTU salamanders up to million BTU units. When you use our propane service, we hook you up with all the hose and fittings you need to turn on the heat in all the right places.
Stay on budget with the most efficient, cost-effective choice for temporary heat. Propane gas costs less than diesel fuel or gasoline. Plus, propane is more powerful than electric heaters. That means your crew stays warm, and you stay on budget and on schedule.
Keep your work site safe and fume-free. Propane burns cleaner than any other fuel source.
Never worry about running out of fuel. Our remote monitoring service means we track your fuel level and schedule deliveries to make sure you always have an ample propane supply. We also check your tanks regularly for dents or damage and replace the tank, if needed.
When your job site demands temporary heat, contact Franger Gas
Our service options and pricing make it easy to keep the heat flowing at your job site this winter. Contact our customer service team about a delivery schedule that fits your construction plans.
We know you want to keep your family warm and safe no matter how cold it gets outside.
Here are simple tips to keep your propane tank in top condition and ready to fuel the heat this winter.
Demand more. Are you spending more time at home than usual this year? That means you may need more fuel to keep your at-home workspace, family space and play space warm when cold weather arrives. You could see your energy use go up by 30% or more, according to some experts.
Keep the pressure on. Make sure your propane gauge stays above 20%. It’s the best way to maintain the vapor pressure your system needs to work efficiently.
Fill ‘er up. Schedule LP delivery when your tank gauge reads 30%. That gives you enough fuel to keep your home running until your propane provider can fill your tank.
Sign up for our Automatic Fill Service. It takes the worry out of wondering if you will run out of gas. We’ll monitor your fill level and make sure you have plenty of propane to fuel your needs.
Stop the shrinkage. Liquid propane contracts in cold temperatures, which causes the volume to shrink. Less volume means loss of pressure. End result – fuel can’t reach your gas burner or heating system. Keep your propane tank clear of snow to let sunlight warm the surface
Look here. Mark the location of your tank with a pole, stake or other sign that is visible above snow banks and drifts. It’s a simple way to help you and your propane delivery driver find the tank in heavy snow.
Turn down your thermostat. A decrease of only a degree or two will lessen the time your propane heating system is on. That allows the pressure in the tank to build.
Save money. You can lower your heating bill 1 to 3% for every degree you set back your thermostat. That adds up over a long winter!
Save even more. When you sign up for regular delivery with our Automatic Fill Service, you get a 10 cents-per-gallon discount over standard call-In rates. More discounts are available if you pay your bill promptly.
NEVER use an open flame or electrical device near a propane tank. Accidents involving “heating” a tank to boost pressure are not uncommon.
NEVER cover your tank. It prevents the sun from reaching your propane tank and naturally warming it. That causes your system to work less efficiently – and costs you more over time.
Find out more about program options to keep you and your family safe and warm this winter. Call us today at (574) 264-2118.
Propane is a safe and widely used fuel. It is nontoxic and produces minimal emissions.
Propane is produced from both natural gas processing and crude oil refining, in roughly equal amounts.
Propane is a hydrocarbon and is sometimes referred to as liquefied petroleum gas, LP-gas or LPG.
In its natural form, propane is colorless and odorless. Manufacturers deliberately add a chemical compound to give it a strong unpleasant odor, like rotten eggs, a skunk’s spray, or a dead animal, in order to alert customers of a leak.
Propane is transported and stored in tanks as a very cold liquid fuel, and may cause a “freeze burn” or frostbite if it contacts the skin .
Although propane is stored as a liquid, it is changed into gas vapor before leaving the tank.
Propane will not ignite when combined with air unless the source of ignition reaches 920-degrees Fahrenheit.
Propane gas is not harmful to soil or ground water.
Over 95% of the propane use in the United States is produced in North America.
A customer with a large, but sporadic consumption pattern asked Franger Gas to provide service after multiple run-ins with another supplier. They would receive large material shipments at once and would then run out of forklift gas from their 
