Prepare Your Propane-powered Home For Winter

Be ready when the big chill hits!

You have a lot to do this month, what with holiday preparations, shopping, cooking, baking, traveling, etc.

5 steps toward winter-ready

We hate to add to your to-do list, but these five easy tasks to get your propane-powered home here in the Delmarva area ready for winter can help your holiday season, and the rest of your winter, go as smooth as possible:

1. Make your propane tank visible, and accessible. Mark the location of your propane tank. This serves more than one purpose. First, it allows Poore’s Propane delivery drivers to spot the location of your propane tank even if there’s been a heavy snowfall. Second, it shows where your tank is so it isn’t damaged by plows, shovels or snowblowers. Use a tall stake or pole with either a bright flag attached or the top several inches painted a bright color. It needs to be higher than your above-ground tank, and tall enough to be seen over snow drifts if your tank is underground. Always make sure to keep a clear and safe path to your propane tank and have your driveway plowed wide enough so our bulk delivery trucks can safely get down it as well!
2. Monitor your propane supply. You’re going to be using more propane now than you were in the summer or fall, we can assure you that! Colder weather means you’ll be firing up your propane furnace for the season-long stretch. You’ll be using your propane stove more with all the extra holiday cooking and baking. If you have company staying with you, your propane water heater will be used more. So check your propane tank gauge levels every week and schedule a propane delivery before you go under 30 percent. In fact, you could avoid this task entirely by signing up for automatic propane delivery from Poore’s Propane! We do the monitoring for you, and will schedule a delivery before you run low.
3. Give your heating system its annual tune-up. Make sure that your propane boiler or furnace is serviced so that it can run at peak efficiency. Annual maintenance also allows Poore’s Propane trained and professional service technicians to spot and fix any problems before they become bigger, and more expensive, problems. Give yourself the gift of peace of mind with a Poore’s Propane service plan that helps you save money on service and repairs*
4. Practice propane safety. Keep your outdoor propane equipment like BBQ grills or portable generators as well as propane cylinders outside, not in garages, sheds, three-season porches or carports. With winter weather comes a risk of power outages, which may tempt some to use grills or portable generators indoors. DON’T DO IT. This equipment can generate dangerous and possibly lethal levels of carbon monoxide in your home. Clear all vents, flues and chimneys of snow and ice both on and around them to ensure safe ventilation out of your home. Clear snow off your propane tank to protect parts and keep it from shifting. Use a broom when clearing ventilation and propane tanks to prevent damage. Know what to do if you detect the rotten-egg smell of propane in your home or around your propane tank.
5. Make your home more energy-efficient. Drafts make your furnace or boiler work harder to keep your home warm, driving up your energy costs by as much as 15 percent. Use caulk, weatherstripping and door draft blockers to keep the warm air in and the cold air out. A programmable thermostat helps you by keeping your home warm when you’re here, and using less heat when you’re not. Insulate your conventional tank propane water heater and the hot water pipes (which also protects them from freezing in extreme cold).

Count on Poore’s Propane for the propane delivery and propane appliances you need for your Delmarva home all season long. Become a customer today and experience the difference!

*Available to customers within our Delaware HVAC service area only.