FAQ

Choosing the right propane tank size is a matter of balancing your fuel and delivery costs against the initial cost of a tank and its installation. The best tank size for your needs depends on the size of your home, the number of systems or appliances that need power, and whether you have a backup generator.

You'll find the various tank sizes that suit most home applications on our propane tank sizes page.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to figure it out yourself—we’ll send a technician to properly size a propane tank for your home. We offer both above-ground and underground tanks, and we stock a wide variety of tanks for permanent and temporary installations.

People usually ask this when one or more appliances aren’t working. If one appliance isn’t working but others are, it may be an issue with just the one appliance. If nothing’s working, get a percentage reading from your propane tank gauge. If the tank is empty, the gauge will be pointing at zero. Plus, there’s usually a sulfur odor coming from the tank when it’s running low.

In general, you want to fill your tank before it gets below 20%. Once the level drops below 20%, the tank could lose pressure, which might cause some appliances to stop working. That’s why we recommend taking advantage of our auto-fill service, so you never have to worry about running out of gas.

Typically, we monitor our customers' propane use over time, along with putting customers on a hassle-free automatic delivery schedule.

Remote monitoring: This service is available to any heating customer upon request. Currently, we monitor all heating accounts in Rhode Island’s Kent County, Providence County, and South County. We’re working to provide the same service for 100% of our customers in southeastern Massachusetts by 2025. It’s a costly endeavor, but it’s worth it to us to invest back in the business and provide you with the highest possible service.

Automatic schedule: For customers with regular year-round use, such as gas cooking, clothes dryers, or water heaters, we use a Julian schedule based on calendar days. Typically, a 500-gallon tank for an all-gas home will get deliveries 4 times per year, while a 1,000-gallon tank might get deliveries 3 times per year.

For customers with primary heating appliances, we use a degree day method, which factors in your usage rate and seasonal temperature changes. If temperatures drop in a given period, more degree days occur and your heating fuel needs increase, so your fuel delivery takes place sooner. If temperatures rise, resulting in fewer degree days, you won't need a new fuel delivery as quickly.

Will-call delivery: You call us when you need a delivery. We don't recommend will-call if you use propane for your primary heating, because you’re at greater risk of running out of fuel. That can cause a serious safety hazard and requires that a service technician check your system before we refill your tank. Will-call delivery can also be more expensive than the other methods, as additional fees may apply if we don't have enough advanced notice.

One of the easiest ways to identify a propane leak is with a sniff test. Because propane is naturally odorless, propane manufacturers add a solution that smells like rotten eggs (or a skunk, or a dead animal...you get the idea).

If you’re not sure about the smell, you can test for a leak with a simple solution of dish soap and water. Use a sponge, a dishrag, or a spray bottle with a sharp stream to apply the soapy water where the propane tank’s cylinder valve and regulator outlet connect. If there’s a leak, bubbles will form.

Propane vaporizes when released into the air, so it won’t leave a mess—but it’s still flammable. DO NOT use a match or lighter to check for leaks.

If you suspect there’s a leak, let us know and we’ll send a technician to assist you.