Propane Cost???

[dragoneggs]

yeah, what I don't want is extra hassle/charge from the gas supplier if I run out. Lighting pilots no big deal.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just paid $3.53 gallon plus $17.24 in hazmat/fuel fees.

California

Still going round and round with supplier over pressure test...

Supplier also requires all pilots to be lit and stay lit after pressure test.

 

[Gunny]

My old supplier said they were required to do a leak test when filling empty tanks to make sure it wasn't a leak that drained the tank. He said there was too much of a chance they'd get sued if someone did have a leak, their house blew up or burned down because they didn't check.

 

[k0ua]

My old supplier said they were required to do a leak test when filling empty tanks to make sure it wasn't a leak that drained the tank. He said there was too much of a chance they'd get sued if someone did have a leak, their house blew up or burned down because they didn't check.

I guess that makes some sense from a litigation standpoint, but when you were just running the furnace, and just ran out of fuel, and now here comes the truck, and now they want to charge you for a leak test, when all you want is some dang fuel before the pipes start to freeze.. It seems kind of like a waste of everyone's time and the customers money.

 

[dragoneggs]

I guess that makes some sense from a litigation standpoint, but when you were just running the furnace, and just ran out of fuel, and now here comes the truck, and now they want to charge you for a leak test, when all you want is some dang fuel before the pipes start to freeze.. It seems kind of like a waste of everyone's time and the customers money.

This illustrates the problem with over regulation. Costs money for everyone and for extremely little benefit. There are far better ways to protect us from our own stupidity. Running out of gas... come on, man.

 

[Gunny]

I agree with the two above posts, maybe they have to do it, but the time it had to do it on my tank, he hooked up a pressure gauge off the test port, turned the valve on and watched it for 5-6 minutes. When the pressure held, he unhooked everything and added $50 to the bill.

Pretty good money for less than 10 minutes of time!

 

[k0ua]

I agree with the two above posts, maybe they have to do it, but the time it had to do it on my tank, he hooked up a pressure gauge off the test port, turned the valve on and watched it for 5-6 minutes. When the pressure held, he unhooked everything and added $50 to the bill.

Pretty good money for less than 10 minutes of time!

That is the exact procedure I saw when I put in the Propane piping to the house. Of course I leak tested it with air and soap bubbles multiple times and when I was convinced I had no leaks, I called the propane company. I expected them to go over all of my joints, but they did the above procedure as outlined above, and were done. They did not charge the first time for the leak test when setting the tank. There might have been a tank setting charge, I cannot remember.

 

[ultrarunner]

In my case he said there would be no charge... it's just I'm 4 hours each way away in summer and who knows how long in winter.

Said they have to have it for their records.

 

[k0ua]

In my case he said there would be no charge... it's just I'm 4 hours each way away in summer and who knows how long in winter.

Said they have to have it for their records.

I guess there is no "trusted neighbor" up there that could act as your agent, and you send along a key? It wouldn't be a big deal if you had someone up there to help you..I wonder if a real estate agent that did not have much to do would do it for $50 bucks. It would be cheaper than driving for 8 hours.

 

[ultrarunner]

We had a great neighbor year round... over 30 years. This is the first winter he is spending away from the mountains.

Propane company said I could send them the key and they would send it back.

My fear is what if it doesn't pass and now they turn it off in the Dead of Winter?

Same thing happened with the previous company... same place, new propane supply owners.

Neighbor let them in and the company said they "Found" copper supply line to the stove and to the furnace... well of course, this was acceptable in 1964... stove probably weighs 400+ pounds and we don't move it.

Anyway, it cost $125 ea to put in flex lines which probably cost $15 ea. No gas service without changing it and the tech just happened to have the lines in the truck or it would have cost more.