What to Know During Propane Safety Month in Greater Dallas
This June is Propane Safety Month! Energy consumption is quietly a cornerstone of our daily lives and ensuring its safe usage is important. The primary focus of June’s Propane Safety Month is education. Propane is a popular fuel choice among Greater Dallas residents and business owners for a few major reasons; it’s versatile, efficient, and affordable. Like any fuel though, propane requires careful handling and usage. Propane Safety Month offers propane consumers the chance to refresh their knowledge about propane safety practices.
Preventative Propane Safety
Care of Your Appliances
Schedule regular maintenance for your heating system and propane-powered appliances. This will promote safe, unobstructed operation and improve fuel efficiency. Keep an eye on the flame in your gas-range stove. If it burns yellow instead of blue, that can indicate an issue with your burner inlet.
Understand Your Tank
It is very important to familiarize yourself with the general functions of your propane tank. Know how to read your tank gauge and turn off your gas supply. Regularly monitoring your propane tank levels will help avoid the risk of running out of fuel, which can cause costly damage and serious safety hazards.
Educate Your Family
Make sure all members of your household understand propane safety precautions. This includes proper measures for storage, like keeping flammable items clear from your heating system, and proper handling of propane cylinders, like your grill tank. Never store propane cylinders inside any enclosed building. Establish a family evacuation plan with clear instructions and a meeting point to keep everyone safe in the event of a leak.
What to Do If You Smell Propane
A key aspect of being safe with propane is understanding how to detect leaks and what to do in the event there is a leak. Propane is naturally odorless, but all propane has a chemical odorant added to aid in detection. The odor smells like rotten eggs, a skunk’s spray, or a dead animal. If you believe you smell gas in your North Texas home, follow these steps right away:
- Extinguish any open flames. Do not turn any devices on or off. This includes light switches, phones, computers, flashlights, or appliances. Flames or sparks can trigger an explosion or fire.
- Leave immediately. Alert all inhabitants and inform them to leave the home or commercial building immediately.
- Shut off the gas. Turn off the main gas supply valve on your propane tank if it is safe to do so. To close the valve, turn it to the right.
- Report the leak. From a phone away from the gas leak, call us right away. If you can’t reach us, call 911.
- Wait to return. Do not return to the building until a qualified technician says it is safe to do so.
If you have any additional questions about propane safety or need to schedule a delivery, contact the pros at Cadenhead Servis Gas today!
