There are pros and cons for both the rental and purchase of propane tanks that should be taken into consideration when deciding between buying a tank or leasing one.
Leasing:
Company owned tanks are maintained by the propane company so any repairs to the tank will generally be taken care of by the company. All propane must be purchased from the company that owns the tank. Tank contracts often give the company the legal right to enter property to inspect the tank. Many providers require a minimum annual propane usage or a certain number of propane appliances in the propane system. Moving to a new home will require you to notify your propane company of your relocation.
Purchasing:
The initial cost of purchasing a tank can be expensive as opposed to yearly rental fees for tank leases. Warranty on tank, parts, and labor should be considered prior to purchase (typically warranties are short term). Customers can purchase propane from which ever gas company they choose. Here at Mountain View Propane we require a minimum yearly consumption of propane to rent a propane tank. The following conditions apply for tank rentals:
120 Gallon Tanks - Minimum yearly consumption of 250 Gallons
250 Gallon Tanks - Minimum yearly consumption of 450 Gallons.
325 gallon Tanks- Minimum yearly consumption of 600 Gallons.
500 Gallon Tanks - Minimum yearly consumption of 1,000 Gallons.
1000 Gallon Tanks - Minimum yearly consumption of 1,700 Gallons.
Propane tanks will sometimes give an indication of a leak by sound or by smell. People will describe this noise as a "hissing" noise coming from the tank getting louder as they get closer. In addition, a rotten egg smell will often accompany the "hissing" noise. In many instances, the tank may be operating normally even though it appears to be leaking. When the amount of gas in a tank is low, the rotten egg smell will be noted inside the home as well.
Leak tests are required any time there is an interruption of service meaning the flow of gas was stopped for any reason. NFPA 54 (2006), 8.2.3 states that "Immediately after the gas is turned on into a new system or into a system that has been initially restored after an interruption of service, the piping system shall be tested for leakage. If leakage is indicated, the gas supply shall be shut off until the necessary repairs have been made".
The leak test will indicate any leaks within the propane piping system. The leakage test is simply testing the integrity of the system plumbing joints and the seal of the pipe joint compound. This is the safety reasoning behind leak testing. To reiterate, the pressure test is performed in order to ensure the safety of the home owner/business owner.
All propane piping, connections, and fittings are threaded so that they may easily connect together during installation or modification. These propane connections are coated with a pipe joint compound that lubricates the fittings during the joining process and will dry after a short while. During normal usage, a propane plumbing system is at a constant pressure. This means that as long as the tank has gas and is supplying the system with propane, a constant pressure is exerted on the piping and joint compound. The pipe joint compound will expand during normal pressurized usage and will retract if the system loses pressure. The loss of gas pressure may cause leaks to form because of the expansion and retraction of the piping compound within the propane plumbing system.
This question has been asked of many propane dealers and is also a topic discussed by people that are unfamiliar with propane. Although Propane tanks can explode or rupture, it is extremely rare that an explosion would occur. In fact, for a propane tank to reach the point of explosion, there must be a tremendous amount of heat for an extended period of time. Many people believe that a propane tank "explosion" can occur with the slightest of ease. However, this is simply not true and people should understand that a propane tank, when operating under normal circumstances will not explode or rupture. Safety devices and mechanisms are in place to prevent explosions, accidents, and propane tank ruptures or breaches. Just like any other hazardous material or activity, human error is a primary factor in preventing or contributing to any type of accident, however serious in nature.
Propane tanks need periodic replacement of parts. Regulators, depending on the manufacturer, have to be changed out every 20 or 25 years as per code. Tank relief valves should be replaced 35 years after the date of manufacture. The remainder of tank parts are changed out as needed, with no specific change out dates.
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CONTACT US
10902 Highway 4
Jemez Pueblo, NM 87024
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 221
Jemez Pueblo, NM 87024
