Propane Tank Options
Whether you are remodeling a home or starting from scratch, making sure that you have the correct size of propane tank for your needs is a very important decision. Our team at Blue Ridge Propane can help guide you to the correct size to fit your needs. We look at several factors: the size of your home, the main heating source, the BTU of each appliance that uses propane, whether you are a permanent or seasonal resident, how far from the main road your home is located.
Propane tanks comes in a variety of sizes and can be above ground or below ground. Only tanks that are 120 gallons or more can be buried according to North Carolina LP Gas Code. Standard residential sizes for customers who utilize propane as their main source to heat the whole home (i.e. propane fueled furnace, or heat pump with propane backup) are a 330 gallon tank, 500 gallon tank or 1000 gallon tank. 99% of customers lease their tanks from their propane provider instead of purchasing the tank. In the state of North Carolina, if one company owns your tank this means it cannot be filled by another propane company. At Blue Ridge Propane, when you become a customer, part of your customer profile is to sign a lease agreement for the tank located on your property. It states the size of your tank, and also the minimum annual requirement for dollars of propane usage for your particular sized tank.
Other sizes of propane tanks that we service are 200# and 420# Cylinders, which hold 45 gallons and 100 gallons of propane, respectively. These smaller tanks are used for applications that do not utilize as much propane for appliances as the larger tanks. They are used for water heaters, gas logs and small heaters. These tanks also have an annual minimum usage that must be met each heating season, which runs from June 1st through the following May 31st.
As a full service propane company, we will deliver your tank and keep it full for you. We have equipment available to bury the tank, or keep it above ground depending on your unique situation. During the winter months, we deliver on a monthly rotation, then not as often in the summer. We prefer for our clients to be on a “keep full” basis, so that we can maintain our route schedule and service their tank as we are in the neighborhood. Alternatively, your account can be on “will call”, meaning you can call us when you feel like you are ready for a delivery, and your tank is below 20%. However, this is not our preferred mode of operation, because a customer may let themselves run out and additional fees are incurred. Also, we may not have a truck close-by, and an out of route delivery fee would be incurred.
Let us know how we can help you choose the correct size tank for your propane needs. We are always available to help, and look forward to hearing from you!