Safety

Propane safety

Propane is a safe fuel when it is handled right. It has been our whole business in Azle since 1946.

This page is for the day something is not right. Read it now, so you are not reading it then.

The UN1075 propane placard and hose reel on the back of a Rural Gas Supply delivery truck.
Every truck carries the placard. That is the tank's contents, in writing, for anyone who needs to know.

Five things worth knowing before you need them

Emergency numbers

911 — from outside, first.
(817) 444-4613 — Rural Gas Supply Co., second.

What propane smells like

Propane has no smell of its own. A smell is added on purpose so a leak gets your attention. Most people call it rotten eggs. Some call it skunk, or a dead animal under the porch. It is not subtle, and it is not a smell you will mistake for anything else in the house.

Sometimes that smell is weaker than it should be. Rust inside an old steel tank can soak up the odor. Fresh concrete and masonry can soak it up in a new install. A nose gets used to a smell it lives with, and some people cannot smell it at all — from age, illness, or medicine. This is called odor fade, and it is real.

A weak smell of gas means the same thing a strong one does. Get out and call.

Appliances, venting, and who works on them

Propane appliances and equipment must be installed, serviced, and repaired only by qualified propane professionals. Do not install, modify, or repair valves, regulators, connectors, controls, or gas lines yourself. Keep vents, flues, and chimneys clear. Never use a range, oven, or outdoor grill to heat the house.

Carbon monoxide and appliance venting · Duty to warn

Your tank and regulator

Leave the valves, the regulator, and the fittings to us. Do not move or paint the tank or the regulator. Keep the area around the tank clear, and keep it protected from vehicles, livestock, and equipment. Call 811 before you dig anywhere on the property.

Your tank and your bottles · Storms, power outages, high water

Where this comes from

The steps on these pages follow the propane industry’s own consumer safety guidance, published by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) and the National Propane Gas Association. We link to both so you can read the original. We are a propane dealer in Azle, not a training body, and we do not claim to speak for either group.

The safety notice we owe you every year

Once a year, propane dealers send customers a written safety notice. It covers the smell of gas, what to do about a leak, and how to keep the system safe. Ours is on the duty to warn page so you can read it any time, not just the week it lands in the mail.

Ask us for the safety booklet — call (817) 444-4613.

Ask us anything on this page

If something on your system does not look right, call before it becomes a bad night.

Call (817) 444-4613. During office hours a person picks up. Not a phone tree.

This page is general safety information, not a substitute for a technician. If you think you have a leak, get out and call 911 first.