Propane Tank Installation: A Live Blog

Filling the Propane Tank

11:28am  Quick & efficient – tank has been filled!

11:20am Filling up the tank!

11:16am Just looked out the window and saw an AmeriGas bobtail pull up! Heading outside to grab some pictures – thankfully we’re not having rain at the moment!

The AmeriGas Propane Tank Installation:

10:45am Joe left and let me know that my tank would be filled later today – check back for pictures! He also reminded me that I’m a will-call customer, so I need to call my local AmeriGas office when my tank reaches 35% for a refill.

10:34am The sign of a successful install – we have a working propane fireplace!

Joe testing the fireplace

10:30am Time to test the fireplace.

10:17am All set! Joe did a great job installing, going over safety protocol and explaining every step of the install process. I now know how to check my gauge, turn off the propane tank, recognize a leak and know where to call with questions or concerns.  Time to go inside & do some paperwork. Then it’s time to test out the fireplace!

10:12am The propane tank gauge is in increments of 10 in percentages.

10:10am We’re going through safety protocol – how to shut off the tank, how to read the gauge, who to call in case of emergency, how to detect a leak, etc (watch for future blogs on all of these topics!)
NOTE: Propane leaks are an EMERGENCY – if you suspect a leak, immediately call your local AmeriGas or 1-800-GAS-4YOU (1-800-427-4968), where you can reach someone 24/7.

10:04am We passed the pressure check! Joe made me smell propane so I could recognize the smell. Rotten eggs – YUCK!

9:59am Time for a leak check! Joe is putting a gauge on the tank and will pressurize the system. He’s also soaping up connections to make sure everything is tight. He’s going to bleed the gauge down to 10 lbs below tank pressure and make sure that it holds the pressure for 3 minutes. After that he’ll do a safety check.

9:48am Meet my propane tank’s very new twin stage regulator, which will take pressure to half a pound.  (In case you were wondering, the rain has finally stopped!)

9:46am “This line has a couple dings in it, so I’m going to cut a bit out to make it straighter & shorter” ~ Joe. Usually an install like this takes an hour, but since he’s blowing out the lines & testing to make sure everything is working OK, it will be a bit longer. I like how thorough he is!

9:43am Since there hasn’t been a propane tank hooked up in 4+ years here, Joe had to blow out the line to make sure there wasn’t anything (spider webs, water, etc) that would block the propane. “That was awesome – nothing came out of there!” Joe says.

9:35am My appliance can only  handle half a pound of pressure, so Joe is going to be installing a regulator.

9:15am Joe set the tank. He explained that the tank currently is about 20% full – if it was a full tank, it would weigh over 800 pounds!  Torrential rains – so we’re both hiding inside for a few minutes until it slows down!

9:10am Joe set up the bricks where the tank will sit. It will be a ‎420 pound tank which holds 124 gallons.

9:05am First off, it started POURING – complete downpour – as soon as Joe and I went around back to look at the line. We came inside (he even took his shoes off, how nice!) to check out the fireplace. There might be a problem with the lines since they haven’t been used in 4+ years and the shut off valve was left open (thanks previous homeowners) but he’s going to take a look at them. Out into the rain Joe went to start setting the tank and checking the lines!

8:56am AmeriGas service tech Joe arrives a few minutes ahead of schedule, even though it is raining. Neither sleet, nor snow, nor pouring rain will keep Joe away!

Background

I live in a home that is 100% run by electric. Did you just cringe as you read that? I don’t blame you; it’s an expensive way to run a home right now! When I moved into my home 4 years ago, there was a fireplace insert that wasn’t hooked up to anything. The home inspector mentioned that it was propane and would need to be hooked up to a tank – a tank that we didn’t have since we were on electric. With the increasing costs of electric, my husband and I have decided to save some energy costs by having a propane tank installed to run our fireplace.

Here’s our useless insert that by the end of today will provide heat!

Today is the day of my propane tank installation. And I’ve decided to do a live blog of the installation process. Stay tuned and check back often today for updates!