Author: andrew@agency15.com

Winter is officially upon us, which means you’ll be turning to your propane heating system more than ever in the coming weeks to keep your family safe and warm in your Buffalo or Rochester home.

That makes now the perfect time for some important reminders about using propane safely. Here are six of the most important ones to keep in mind in the heating season ahead.

1. Teach all adults in your home how to shut off the flow of gas from your main propane storage tank. If you are not sure how to do that, contact us.
2. Remind everyone in your family how to detect a propane leak, and what to do if they encounter one.
3. Never store propane cylinders indoors or in an enclosed area such as a basement, garage, shed, or tent.
4. Never use outdoor propane equipment (grills, portable generators, etc.) indoors: they emit carbon monoxide (CO) as exhaust, which can become a dangerous or even deadly hazard.
5. Check batteries in all carbon monoxide detectors in your home every winter, following the manufacturer’s instructions regarding maintenance. Know how to spot the symptoms of CO poisoning, and what to do if someone is experiencing them. We urge you to also install propane leak detectors, which will warn you of a leak in the event of propane odor loss.
6. If severe weather is forecast:
   • Check your propane levels – Make sure you have enough propane to last for at least a week after the storm ends in case there are road blockages or closures. If you have a propane backup generator, be sure to include it in your propane use calculations.
   • Flag your propane tank – Install a flag near your propane tank’s fill valve so you can find it after a significant snowstorm.
   • Listen to authorities – Monitor local media, websites, and apps for instructions on the appropriate actions to take.
   • Clear your property after the storm – Keep at least a one-foot wide path to your propane tank clear for propane delivery teams and repair crews. Use a broom to clear all vents, chimneys, and flues to reduce the risk of CO poisoning.
   • Keep an eye on your equipment – If you believe that any of your propane equipment has been damaged, contact us immediately for an inspection. Remember, if you shut down your propane gas supply, you are required to have a pressure test performed by a licensed propane contractor before you can use your propane equipment again.

At Irish Propane, your safety is always priority #1! If you have any questions about propane safety in your Buffalo or Rochester, NY home, please let us know.

Winter is just a few weeks away here in Buffalo and Rochester, and with it will inevitably come higher heating bills.

Want to keep those bills as low as possible? Here are 10 of the best ways to do it:

1. Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows to keep warm air in and cold air out.
2. When you’re home, aim for a thermostat temperature of 68° for the best balance of efficiency and comfort; when you’re asleep or away from home, turn thermostat back eight to ten degrees* for eight hours to save about 10 percent a year on your heating (and cooling) bills.
3. Consider installing a programmable thermostat – or better yet, install a smart thermostat that you control from your cellphone.
4. Turn down the temperature of your water heater thermostat. Many are factory set for 130° degrees or more; 120° degrees is plenty.
5. Have your propane-fired heating system professionally inspected and serviced.
6. Check your furnace filters every month during the height of the heating season, changing them when necessary.
7. Keep your fireplace flue damper closed unless a fire is burning.
8. Check that vents, baseboard heaters, and radiators are not blocked by furniture, curtains, or other obstructions.
9. Open curtains and shades to let in warmth from the sun, then close them at night to retain that heat.
10. Reverse your ceiling fans so they push warm air back into the room rather than drawing it up and away from your living space.

Bonus Tip #11: Buy your propane from Irish! You’ll always get fair and honest pricing, along with the most reliable propane delivery service in our Rochester and Buffalo service areas. Contact us today to become an Irish Propane customer!

*Avoid dropping temperatures this much on extremely cold nights, as it can put you at risk for frozen pipes.

If you’re using electric-powered appliances in your Buffalo- or Rochester-area home, you’re missing out on the many benefits that clean, green propane-powered home comfort equipment can give you!

Compare propane to electricity as a home energy source and you’ll quickly discover that propane is more:

• Reliable: Power outages are more than twice as common as they were just a decade ago. With propane appliances backed up by a propane whole house generator, you’ll be free from the limitations of an unreliable grid.
• Versatile:  Propane can run all your appliances – including your furnace or boiler, space heaters, water heater, clothes dryer, backup power generators, and more – all from a single, easily refillable propane storage tank.
• Efficient: Propane provides far more BTUs per dollar than electricity – a very important factor to consider when considering how to heat a home here in Upstate New York.
• Eco-friendly: About 40 percent of the electricity produced in New York is generated by burning natural gas, which is mostly methane – a gas that is more than 80 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Burning propane releases virtually no greenhouse gases.
• Safe: Propane will not ignite until the air reaches 940° F, and there must be a very specific combination of propane and oxygen for propane to burn. Fires cause by electricity, on the other hand, are common – in fact, electrical problems are the second-leading cause of home fires.

Best of all, converting from electric to propane is easy – and more affordable than you think. To learn more about propane conversions in Buffalo or Rochester, contact our propane experts today.

Contact Irish Propane today to learn more about converting your home to propane, or to become an Irish Propane customer and get the most reliable propane deliveries in our Buffalo and Rochester service areas!

Residential propane tanks are sturdy pieces of gear, made from rugged alloy and carbon steel and built to the exacting standards of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

But that doesn’t mean they can’t have problems.

In fact, propane tanks are subject to wear and tear just like any other mechanical device – and considering what they’re built to contain, it’s extremely important to have them periodically checked by a professional to make sure they’re working right.

One way to tell if you’re having issues with a propane tank is if you hear noises coming from either the tank line or the gas line feeding it. If your propane tank is making unusual noises, contact us immediately!

Here are three sounds you might hear, and the possible explanations for each:

Gurgling or humming – If you hear a gurgling or humming noise coming from your propane tank, it means that it has been overfilled – a problem that can over-pressure your tank, strain the regulator and decrease propane distribution (this is one of several reasons why our crews use an overfill limiting device on our trucks during propane deliveries). Other signs of an overfilled tank include low heat, yellow pilot lights (see below) and weak flames. NEVER try to drain your tank on your own – contact us and our techs will take care of the problem.

Knocking – A knocking sound coming from your tank could indicate an uneven mix of gas and air. Another sign of this problem is a discolored flame: a normal flame is blue with a yellow tip; if your flame is something other than these colors, contact us.

Hissing – If your propane is hissing, this could mean that there is a leak. Immediately turn off your propane tank and contact us.

As you can see, each of these issues represents a serious issue that needs to be handled by a professional as quickly as possible! If you notice any of these problems, or want to learn more about propane safety for your Buffalo- or Rochester area home, please contact us any time.

Summer is in full swing, which means it’s prime outdoor entertainment season!

Want to make sure your meat cooking is up to snuff with the best of the rest on the Buffalo and Rochester circuit? Follow these seven tips for perfect propane grilling of your favorite meats this summer.

1. Keep your grill clean. A clean grill will reduce the risk of flare-ups, which can burn your food (not to mention you). A simple way to solve the problem is to turn the grill on high for 15 minutes before you cook; this will burn off most of the grease. To get it the rest, scrape the grates with a wire grill brush – and be sure to do a deep cleaning (grates and burner covers off) at least a couple of times a year.
2. Lower heat for sugar-coated meat. Many delicious rubs and BBQ sauces are full of sugar, which chars easily. If you’re cooking with a sugary glaze, limit your temperature to about 265 F or so to prevent charring. Cooking will take longer, so plan accordingly.
3. Once you start grilling, don’t stop or walk away. Meats can cook surprisingly quickly on a hot fire. Don’t walk away from your grill – once you start, stick with it until it’s done (this is also for your safety).
4. Practice food safety. Always cook your meat to safe temperatures using a thermometer (see this guide to safe food temperatures from the U.S. Department for Agriculture). Keep your utensils clean and always keep cooked and raw foods separated (use different plates for each).
5. Cook according to the cut and type of meat. Cook thin cuts of lamb, pork, or beef (including burgers) hot and fast; cook fish, veggies, and chicken for moderate times at moderate temperatures. For larger cuts of meat – roasts, etc. –cook at lower temperatures for longer.
6. Use direct and indirect heat. Use direct grilling for hot, fast cooking and indirect cooking for long, slow cooking (see #6 above). If you have a four burner stove and want to cook with indirect heat, turn two burners off. Meats can be seared first by direct heat, and then moved to indirect heat to slowly roast.
7. Always have plenty of propane on hand. Don’t be “that guy” – you know, the one who runs out of gas half way through cooking the perfect roast while his hungry guests look on helplessly. Stop in for a propane BBQ cylinder refill before your next big grill-a-thon – or make sure you schedule a propane delivery if you’re running low on gas for the built-in propane grill in your outdoor kitchen.

Need a propane cylinder refill or a propane delivery before your next big BBQ bash? Irish Propane has you covered. Stop by one of our convenient locations with your tank, or contact us today to schedule a propane delivery for your home propane tank.

If you need propane gas for your Rochester- or Buffalo-area home, it could be tempting to buy it from a big-name national chain – after all, they tend to be the easiest, most visible option available (mostly because they spend their money on advertising rather than improving your experience as a customer…if you’ve gotten propane from one of the big-name chains, you probably know what we mean).

But remember, when you buy from a national propane supplier, you’re not just buying propane – more than likely, you’re also buying is a new yacht for some executive who lives nowhere near you.

When you choose a local propane supplier like Irish Propane, on the other hand, you get much more than a good product at a fair and honest price. Consider these 10 benefits of shopping locally:

1. You’ll keep money local. When you buy from an independent, locally-owned business rather than a nationally chain, your money is much more likely to stay close to home and spent with other local businesses.
2. You’ll reduce strain on the environment. By supporting local businesses, you reduce the need or transportation and the emissions that come from it, along with sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.
3. You’ll be supporting local non-profits. Non-profit organizations receive an average 250 percent more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.
4. You’ll keep the community unique. One-of-a-kind local businesses are an integral part of the community’s unique character.
5. You’ll help create more jobs. Considered as a group, small local businesses typically provide more total jobs to community residents.
6. You’ll get better service. Local businesses tend to take more time to get to know you as a customer, which means you’ll get better service.
7. You’ll be investing in your community. Business owners who live locally tend to be more invested in the community’s future than national chains.
8. You’ll be putting your taxes to good use. Local businesses are usually more willing to contribute to the local tax base and less demanding of tax incentives than national chains.
9. You’ll encourage future investment. Entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to settle in communities that have a distinctive character.
10. You’ll create more competition. A range of small, hungry businesses is more likely to generate the kind of healthy competition that benefits a community.

As you can see, there are many reasons to shop locally – and just as many to choose Irish Propane for your local propane deliveries. To learn more reasons to become an Irish Propane customer, contact us today!