You wake up in the middle of a Nebraska winter and immediately know something is wrong. The house feels colder than it should. You check the thermostat, then the furnace, and eventually make your way to the propane tank.
The gauge is sitting on empty.
Running out of propane isn't just inconvenient, especially when temperatures are low. It also isn't a situation where you should simply have the tank filled and immediately restart everything yourself. Here's what homeowners should know about an unexpected propane runout and how to reduce the chances of another one.
If your heat stops unexpectedly, don't automatically assume you've run out of propane. A furnace or other propane appliance can stop operating for several reasons.
Check your tank gauge first. The gauge is typically located beneath the hood on top of the tank and displays the percentage of propane remaining.
If the tank is empty or you believe you've run out of propane, contact your propane provider rather than attempting to restart the system yourself.
An empty propane tank involves more than scheduling another delivery.
Industry safety guidance recommends having your propane retailer or a qualified professional perform a leak check when a tank runs out of gas or service is interrupted. The professional can then safely restore service and relight pilot lights if necessary.
This is an important distinction. The goal isn't simply to get propane back into the tank. The system needs to be safely returned to operation.
Otte Oil & Propane offers propane equipment service and safety inspections in addition to fuel delivery.
A middle-of-the-night runout is exactly why emergency service matters when choosing a propane provider.
Otte Oil & Propane offers 24/7 emergency service for residential propane customers, with its service team available around the clock for heating emergencies.
If you discover an empty tank overnight, contact your provider and explain the situation. Don't try to modify the propane system or relight appliances until the system has been properly checked and service restored.
A propane odor changes the situation. Propane has an odorant added to help people detect a potential leak. Otte Oil advises treating the smell of propane as a serious safety concern and leaving the area immediately rather than trying to locate the source yourself.
Once you're safely away from the area, contact your propane provider or emergency services as appropriate. Avoid flames, sparks, electrical switches, or anything else that could create an ignition source.
Sometimes it's as simple as forgetting to check the gauge. Other times, usage changes faster than expected.
A stretch of particularly cold Nebraska weather can increase heating demand. Household propane consumption can also vary based on the size of the home, number of propane appliances, and seasonal usage patterns.
That's why relying solely on memory to check the tank can become risky during the heating season.
If you're repeatedly getting closer to empty than you'd like, the better question may be how to change the way your deliveries are managed.
Otte Oil's automatic delivery service tracks customer usage and local weather patterns to help determine when another delivery is needed. Instead of waiting for the homeowner to notice a low gauge and place an order, deliveries can be scheduled proactively.
Otte also offers propane tank monitoring. A wireless monitor tracks the tank's fuel level and can provide information that helps identify when a delivery may be needed.
For homeowners who don't want propane levels added to the mental pile of groceries, appointments, bills, and everything else, these services can remove much of the guesswork.
After an out-of-gas situation, propane safety guidance recommends having your propane retailer or another qualified professional perform a leak check and safely restore service.
Yes. Otte Oil & Propane offers 24/7 emergency service for residential propane customers in its Nebraska service area.
Regularly checking your tank level can help, but automatic delivery and tank monitoring can make propane management easier. Otte's automatic delivery program considers usage and weather patterns, while tank monitoring provides fuel-level information that can help identify when another delivery is needed.
A 2 a.m. propane runout is one of those problems that's much easier to prevent than deal with.
Otte Oil & Propane provides residential propane delivery, 24/7 emergency service, automatic delivery, tank monitoring, and equipment safety inspections for Nebraska homeowners.
