Propane Tank Maintenance
Professional Propane Tank Service
Maintaining your propane tanks, cylinders, and appliances is essential to your safety and the quality of your propane systems. Let our certified technicians help you stay safe with your propane use by providing safety checks on your systems whenever you need them.
As a regular route customer with our propane delivery service, you can expect our full-service monitoring of your tank, but if you notice anything unusual about your tank or appliances, call us for a thorough inspection.
Propane System Maintenance
Keeping your propane system and appliances running efficiently is important to keeping your home safe. Long Beach Steal Corp experts will set you up properly and are here to support you for long run. Our service team will ensure that the you have the maintenance you need to keep your system running smoothly.
Getting a quick online quote in minutes is a great way start the process. When the time comes for installation-an Long Beach Steal Corp installation professional will guide you through safe, reliable, tank installation and maintenance for your home.
How to Best Care for Your Residential or Commercial Propane Tank
Whether you’ve just installed a new propane tank or you’ve been using the same one for years, keeping you, your family, and your property safe is our top priority. Plus, you deserve to have your propane tanks and appliances running efficiently for as long as possible.
That’s why our complete safety checks include the following!
For any problems we find, our propane professionals can make the tank and line repairs to help you maintain your power and lifestyle.
Know When Your Propane Tank Needs Servicing
When a propane tank tips over, you know you need immediate service, but there are other important ways to tell when your tank needs maintenance. Let us know if you notice any of these signs!
Rotten Egg Smell
Bad smells coming from your tank, lines, or appliances indicate a leak. Leave the area and call us immediately if you smell rotten eggs or skunk-like odors.
Soot on Appliances
Since propane burns cleanly, soot should not appear on your appliances. If it does, it might mean there’s a problem with how your propane is burning.
Irregular Flames
Extra large or small flames when you’re expecting a normal size flame suggests your appliance isn’t processing propane correctly.
Schedule a Safety Check for Your Propane Tank
Keep your family and property safe with our full-service propane tank maintenance. We’ll come to you for all your propane needs or stop by our conveniently located filling stations for cylinder refills and recertification.
How to Best Care for Your Residential or Commercial Propane Tank
If you’ve had a propane tank installed in your home or business, you know that it’s not a cheap endeavor. In fact, the average cost for the tank itself averages $560 to $2,480 depending on the size. A 1,000-gallon tank can even run you as much as $4,500 or more!
While this is a pretty big initial investment, the benefits of propane are well worth it! However, when you’re making an investment like this, you’ll definitely want to make sure you’re caring for it properly. This will help ensure that it lasts a long time and continues to work properly.
Not sure how to best care for your residential or commercial propane tank? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
How Long Does a Propane Tank Last?
Before we jump into propane tank maintenance tips, let’s take a quick look at how long the average tank lasts.
With proper maintenance, you can expect a freestanding tank to last at least 12 years after the manufacture date. After that, it needs to be recertified every five years. This recertification must be done before you’ll be allowed to refill the tank.
An underground tank, on the other hand, will last anywhere from 20 to 30 years. The actual lifespan will depend on a variety of factors, including whether it was properly installed in the first place and the type of soil you have.
5 Steps for Caring for Your Propane Tank
If you’ve never had a propane tank before, caring for it can feel a bit intimidating. However, it’s not that hard once you understand the basics. Here are five simple steps for properly maintaining your tank.
1. Schedule Regular Propane Deliveries
It’s extremely important not to let your gas tank run dry. When checking your levels, remember that delivery companies will only fill your tanks to a maximum of 80% of its capacity. This is a safety measure to accommodate for the change of volume that occurs at different temperatures (more on that in a minute).
After you’ve had your tank for a while, you’ll start to notice that propane prices fluctuate by season. Keep track of these changes and you’ll know when it’s a good time to stock up and when you should try to avoid getting large fill-ups. For example, when the weather gets cold, propane costs usually start to go up.
If this is too much hassle for you (and a lot of people feel this way!) then it’s a good idea to just schedule regular automatic deliveries. This way, you don’t have to worry about trying to monitor your fuel levels and order at the right time.
Automatic delivery usually calculates what’s known as a “k-factor.” It factors in the average high and low temperatures and uses this information to ensure that you receive a delivery at the appropriate intervals.
2. Understand the Impact of Temperatures
Propane expands when it’s heated, so your tank levels will read lower when the temperatures go down. If it’s below 60 degrees, you’ll want to take this into account. When the delivery company comes to fill your tank, they’ll use a volume correction device to ensure that your tank is topped off appropriately.
To check your levels for an above-ground tank, pour a glass of hot (but not boiling) water on the side of the tank and observe the condensation. The highest level where condensation appears is the level of propane in your tank.
3. Check for Leaks
You should inspect your propane tanks regularly, and part of the inspection process should be checking for leaks. You can do this by pouring a mix of warm, soapy water over both your tanks and the gas lines. Bubbles will appear if you have a leak.
4. Make Sure the Ground Stays Level
It’s always important for above-ground tanks to sit on level ground or else they can tip over. When you’re doing your inspection, check the dirt under the tank for moisture. You’ll also want to check and confirm that the concrete platform the tank sits on is still in good condition and doesn’t show any signs of deterioration.
If the tank is sitting on a wood platform, make sure it’s not rotting or molding. Otherwise, it could eventually collapse, leading to serious problems.
5. Check for Other Problems
Lastly, you’ll want to inspect your tank thoroughly, looking for any other problems. This includes:
- Damaged or missing valves, controls, dials, or indicators
- Kinks in your gas line
- Corrosion on any of your equipment
- Accumulation of soot on the tank or any parts
Note that underground tanks have an anti-corrosion component that must be inspected and tested on a regular basis. You’ll need to schedule these to ensure your tank continues functioning correctly. If a problem with the component is found, you’ll need to replace it.
You’ll also need to make sure that any portable tanks are anchored down properly so they don’t tip over. If you notice any of your canisters are weathered or worn, you’ll want to replace them as well. Finally, as an extra safety measure, shut off the valves when you’re not using your propane tanks.
Long Beach Offcoast Port Is Here for All Your Propane Needs!
With just a little bit of care, you can expect your propane tank to last for many years.
Whether you’re new to propane and need installation, or you need help with fuel delivery or tank maintenance, we’re here to help! Contact us today to get started!