Preventing Explosions
A few precautions can help protect propane users
By Brandy Nance
Friday, October 20, 2006
The nights are getting chilly and the leaves are falling. As the weather changes, more people are firing up their propane furnances and heaters. Like any heating fuel, propane, a liquified natural gas, has its own particular dangers.
There are several measures that can be taken to keep homes and people safe while using propane.
Jon Vopat, propane manager at Emporia’s S&S Propane Oil & Propane Co., said one of the first things people can do is install a gas detector in their home. The detectors, which are in stock at S&S, range in price from $35 to $150. The detectors should be mounted in the lowest point in the house. If a house has a basement, it should be mounted on the floor of the basement.
“Propane is heavier than air and sinks,” Vopat said.
Vopat also suggested installing carbon monoxide detectors.
“That’s the scariest (gas) of them all,” he said. “You can’t smell that.”
Vopat said if a homeowner smells propane or if it is detected in the home, they need to shut off the flow of fuel from the tank and call the propane supplier. The propane can be shut off by lifting the lid of the tank and turning off the on-off valve, which looks like a water tap. Like a water tap, it can be shut by turning the handle clockwise.
“The sooner you turn your gas off, if you’re smelling propane,” Vopat said “the safer you’ll be.”
Vopat said if an someone walks into a home and smells propane, the best thing to do is to get out immediately.
“Before you turn the light on, the best thing to do is walk out and shut off your propane,” he said.
After the propane has been shut off, the supplier should be called. Vopat said S&S and other propane suppliers put labels on their tanks with the name, address and emergency number of the supplier.
“We try to make sure that all our customers are safe,” Vopat said. “The best thing people can do is when they think they’ve got a smell, they need to make sure they call their propane supplier.”
Larry Mechtley, vice-president of S&S, said propane tanks should be inspected periodically. He said when the tanks are filled, they are inspected by propane drivers.
“Our drivers always check for leaks when they fill,” Mechtley said.
Tanks also should be inspected by homeowners, Mechtley said.
“It would be good advice to visually check their own tank and smell and look for leaks on a regular basis,” he said.