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Monday, May 5, 2014

Propane: Some Facts & Trivia

By Cath Buhr


Propane is a fuel used by millions of Americans. For some, propane is the fuel that is used in their central heating system. Others use propane for their barbecue grill or perhaps their camping stove. While you might know a few basic facts about how propane is used, here are a few interesting facts that you might not know.

Propane is interesting because it can be both a gas and also a liquid. When you see those propane trucks on the road, they are full of propane in its liquid state. Propane is a natural by-product of the processing of natural gas and also the refining of petroleum. The propane that is produced is stored in huge salt mines, the largest of which is in Texas. It can be carried out of the mine in trucks or via a pipeline.

Propane was discovered in 1910 by a chemist named Walter Snelling who was studying the components of gasoline. He managed to separate gasoline into liquid and gas components and discovered both propane and butane in the process. It was quickly discovered that propane was an excellent source of fuel and within just a few years was used as a source of fuel for the home, mainly for cooking.

In addition to heating your home, running your clothes dryer and powering your range, propane also is an excellent source of vehicle fuel. In fact, propane has been used as a vehicle fuel source since 1913 and it is quite common in many countries around the world. For instance, if you were to visit South Korea, you would find that about half of the vehicles use propane. In the U.S., about 150,000 vehicles are powered by propane. Propane is a much cleaner fuel than gasoline or diesel fuel, producing about 50% less carbon emissions. It also doesn't hurt that propane is quite a bit cheaper than gasoline.

Not only is propane a less expensive fuel source for our vehicles, propane also is quite cost effective as a home fuel source. In general, the cost of electricity to power a household item, such as our clothes dryer, is about two times more expensive than the cost of powering the same appliance with propane. Many households in America run on electricity produced by coal. Using propane instead is much friendlier to the environment. Coal produces two times more carbon emissions than propane, so by using propane, consumers are reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. It's also a non-toxic fuel and will not harm soil or our water supply.

However, not all propane is equal and you need to make sure that the propane you buy for your home is only HD5 propane. This is the purest and highest quality propane; it is cleaner than other types of propane, so it is healthier for your family. It also burns hotter and longer than other types of propane, which saves your money and heats your home more efficiently. Thrifty Propane, for instance, sells only HD5 propane and for extremely competitive prices. In fact, they even offer a price beat guarantee and if you can find a lower unconditional price, Thrifty Propane will beat that price by 10 cents per gallon.




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