Propane Safety
General Propane Safety
Safety is one of our top priorities. Customer education on the use of propane is very important to us. Some safety measures to remember are as follows:
- Propane is heavier than air; therefore, it will gather in the low spots of your home, or outside, if there is a leak present.
- If you smell gas (there is an additive put in Propane so you can smell it–a rotten egg smell), or you think you may have a leak, get everyone out of the house immediately.
- Do not turn on or off any electrical switches, appliances, lights, make a phone call, etc. These can all be sources of ignition. Leave the door open and go shut off the propane tank.
- Call for service from a neighbor’s house or from a safe distance with a cell phone.
- If the leak is outside, the gas could be lingering in a low spot, DO NOT START YOUR VEHICLE since this could be a source of ignition.
- Liquid propane burns, causes frostbite, and causes blisters.
Propane Cylinder Safety
- Cylinder Recertification is required 12 years after the date of manufacturing, then every 5 years after that.
- Watch out for dents, dings, or gouges; damage to valves, missing handles, leaks, loose collars or footing rings; corrosion, especially on the bottom of tank. All of these items compromise the safety of your propane cylinder.
- OPD valves (Overfill Prevention Device) are required on 4lb to 40lb tanks (except 20# lay down cylinders made before 1998).
More Propane Cylinder Facts & Safety Information:
Stop!
Do you smell gas? If you suspect a gas leak, do not do anything that could cause a spark or flame.
- IMMEDIATELY extinguish all smoking materials and any other open flames.
- Do NOT turn lights on or off.
- Do NOT use any type of phone.
- Do NOT use any type of equipment or appliance.
- Vacate the building, vehicle or area.
- If possible, close the gas shutoff valve on the propane tank or cylinder.
- Call your your local fire department and North Idaho Propane from a cell phone from a safe distance or a neighbor’s phone.
Emergency:
208-772-6719
Propane Facts
- Propane, or liquefied petroleum gas (LP-gas), is one of the nation’s most versatile sources of energy.
- Propane is produced from both natural gas processing and crude oil refining, in roughly equal amounts.
- Propane supplies 3 to 4 percent of our total energy.
- Propane is an approved, alternative clean fuel that is listed in the 1990 Clean Air Act and the National Energy Policy Act of 1992.
- Propane can be either a liquid or a gas.
- Propane is a non-toxic, colorless and odorless gas at normal atmospheric pressure and temperature.
- Similar to natural gas, an identifying odor is added to Propane so it can be readily detected.
- Under moderate pressure, propane becomes a liquid that vaporizes into a clean-burning gas when released from its storage container.
- Propane is 270 times more compact as a liquid than a gas, making it efficient to store and transport as a liquid.
How is Propane measured?
- The gauge on the Propane tank reads in a percent value. For instance, if you have a 250 gallon tank and the gauge reads 80%, there is 200 gallons of propane in the tank (at 60° F). 80% is accepted industry practice for maximum filling level. This is to allow the fuel to expand and contract with the outside air temperatures.
More Propane Facts & Safety Information
- Facts: https://propane.com/about-propane/
- Safety: https://propane.com/safety/