--- In DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com, Charlie Rettberg <charlie.rettberg@...> wrote:
>
> GOOD AFTERNOON, DIY'ers!!
>
> We are looking at purchasing some rural land and building on it. I have
> been told that natural gas is not available in the area, so I am
> considering LP.
>
> Ultimately, we would like to cook, heat water, and have a backup generator
> for the well pump driven by the LP. We live in coastal SC; Hugo had power
> off in this area for a couple of weeks.
>
> My questions to this group are:
>
> What questions should I be asking about LP in general, and what questions
> do I need to ask of potential suppliers?
>
> Do I need to buy a tank, or are those generally rented? Assuming they are
> generally rented, what does rent usually run for an LP tank, and what sizes
> should I be focusing on for a family of 8 and about 2000 sq ft?
>
> --------
> Charlie Rettberg
> charlie.rettberg@...
>
> Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on
> your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make
> your paths straight.
>
I don't know the regulations in SC. I live in New Mexico, so things may be different. I tend to be an 'owner' when it comes to tanks. Propane, oxygen, acetylene, CO2, etc. Over the years I've saved a ton of money by owning.
We have 3 125 gal propane tanks. Our house does run on natural gas, but last year there was a colder than usual week, and the natural gas was shut off to some towns. Ours was one of those towns. We have a wood burner, but much of the house was pretty cold. That won't happen to us again. I put in a propane tank, feeding a small wall heater in the kitchen. The living room has the wood burner. We will be able to get through another cold snap.
One other 125 gal tank is being plumbed into the green house for winter heat.
The third tank is out by the well house. If the electricity goes out for any period of time, this tank will supply fuel to my Miller Bobcat (LP model) that has more than enough watts to power the well pump. When we have water, I can move the Bobcat near the house and use extension cords to power certain things. I haven't gone so far to install a transfer switch for the whole house.
It may be overkill, but peace of mind has a value too.
Often, the bigger the tank you have, the cheaper propane is. Here it's about $3.40 / gal for BBQ tanks. It gets down to $2.90 / gal for a tank 500 gals and up.
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