Converting your home to propane gas can help reduce the cost of heating the home and running the water heater, and can also reduce your carbon footprint significantly. Working with your local propane company to install the gas lines and tank for the system is generally easy, and once in place, you can begin saving energy costs in your home.
Installing Propane
When you are ready to add propane to your home, the propane company will help you determine where you need gas lines and what appliances you want to run with propane. An installer from the company or a plumber that is certified to install propane gas lines will then run the lines to the spots where you will use gas.
The lines can be made up of steel lines with threaded fittings, or flexible copper lines rated for gas, that do not use fittings but are carefully bent along the path to get to the appliances inside the home. Both systems have some advantages and disadvantages, so go over the options with the propane company or the plumber that is installing the lines for you.
The propane company will supply a tank outside your home to hold the propane, and several sizes and configurations are available. Common residential tanks are one-hundred-gallon tanks that are located near the outside of the home to allow easy access to the tank when you need the propane company to fill it.
Larger tanks are available for large homes or multi-unit structures, but they can be costly to fill and are not necessary for most residential systems.
Propane Appliances
If you are building a new home, you can opt for gas appliances during the design process, and purchase a range, water heater, furnace, and dryer to fit your needs. These appliances are readily available, and there are many models to choose from that will fit your needs.
For existing homes, moving to propane heating and appliances means upgrading before the propane company installs the system. The cost of upgrading can be significant, but the long-term savings will offset these costs over time.
Clean And Efficient
Propane appliances are often more efficient than electric, and the emissions from burning propane are much cleaner than alternative fuels, so you can feel good about reducing your carbon footprint while reducing your energy costs in the long run. Heating your home with propane also produces a warmer home because the furnace produces air temperatures around one hundred thirty degrees, but an electric heat pump produces air temperatures far lower.
Cooking is faster and water heater costs are lower because it runs less often. Even drying your clothes can be more efficient because the propane dryer produces a more constant heat than its electrical counterpart. If you are interested in converting your home, talk to your local propane company about what is involved, and they can help guide you.
