Propane Tips for the First Time Homeowner – PT 10

Preparing to purchase your first home can be one of the most exciting times of your life. Perhaps you’ve considered many options, patiently searched for the right home, and also consulted numerous friends and professionals. After all, smart decisions made at the time of purchasing your first home will pay off dividends for many years.

You owe it to yourself to know the right questions to ask. Here are some items for you to consider and why propane is the best energy source for your new home.

First of all, you’ll be pleased to learn propane powered furnaces last longer with experts estimating a life span of 15 to 20 years. Compared to electric heat pumps, that’s approximately 5 to 10 years longer.

Propane will also save you money every month in the laundry room of your new home. According to the U.S. Dept of Energy, propane dryers are cost effective with an average saving of 50% per month over an electric dryer. Most first time homeowners are surprised to learn that propane’s humid or moist heat is actually better for their clothes over time. Fashion experts cite that electric heat can actually discolor or even burn clothes due to the dry harshness of the heat.

Over time, the saving add up however there are many other excellent reasons for choosing propane.

In planning for the future, should you ever decide to sell your home, the green energy benefits of propane will ensure your home retains its value in the marketplace. Propane is the energy of the future and will retain equity in your home. In addition, there are rebates and tax credits to reward you for making the intelligent decision and selecting propane appliances.

Question: We’re planning to purchase our first home in the Texas Hill Country and I’m setting up an artist studio.  Given the nature that I’m going to have a number of kilns running for pottery, I am going to be using a lot of propane to power these; can I hook up multiple tanks in a series?

Terry Garnett: You can connect multiple tanks in a series, however many times I prefer to calculate the total number of gallons required, and provide one tank that will fit those needs.

Question: We currently have an above ground tank on a property we just purchased from a developer. Although its a brand new home, we would like to have an underground tank as we understand that this will be out of sight.  Can we use the current tank and just put it underground?

Terry Garnett: That’s a great question and we get asked that a lot.  No, you cannot.  We talked about this earlier. Under the lid are many of the service valves utilized for the propane tank, however, one very important valve -the relief valve- is not located under the lid.  It is actually located on the body of the tank on an above ground tank.

So if you bury an above ground tank, you bury the relief valve.

On an underground tank, extensions are put on all valves to bring them above ground level.  So, you cannot use an above ground taken for an underground tank.  They are two different tanks.

Question: My husband and I are building our first home and we are planning to use propane.  We are trying to schedule all the jobs and all the contractors, how much time do we need to schedule to have a propane tank built in underground?

Terry Garnett: When you begin the process of construction, find your propane provider and then start scheduling the project with them. A reputable and experienced firm will walk you through it.

Terry Garnett’s Propane has been serving Central Texas communities for over 30 years. Call Terry Garnett’s Propane at 512-484-4480 (or toll free 1-800-950-8289) for professional installation and expert guidance to help you make the most of your new water heater.