What Homeowners Are Told to Check Before a Propane Installation

The Situation

Your next new-account prospect may have read a consumer install guide before calling you. Propane101.com tells homeowners that people usually choose an installer on price and scheduling, and that the safety record and reputation of the installing company deserve more weight. It points them to the Better Business Bureau and to the state agency that oversees propane safety, and says many who took that approach found "the cheapest is not always the safest."

The Facts

What the guide tells customers to expect

On install day, propane101.com says, the crew sets and levels the tank, runs the yard line to the regulator and the gas stub-out, backfills the trench and tests the system for leaks. A driver fills the tank. After the safety inspection, installers light pilot lights and check the appliances.

The pre-install questions it raises

For the above-ground installation described by Propane101.com, the guide calls for a concrete pad or blocks before the tank arrives. Have your qualified installer determine the support design for that tank and site. Tell the prospect whether your crew provides that support or expects it to be in place before arrival. Some companies want the yard-line trench dug to code before the crew arrives; others dig it. For underground tanks in new construction, the septic company often digs the hole, and the guide warns against placing the tank where delivery trucks would cross a septic lid.

CSRs should route distance questions to your qualified installer; the answer depends on tank size, the site and the applicable adopted code.

Business Impact

Two questions from that guide can reach your office before the crew does: who digs the trench, and what the state agency's records show about your company.

If you smell gas, leave the area right away, then call your propane company. If you can't reach them, call 911.

Action Steps

1. 1.This week, have your office manager check your company's state-agency and Better Business Bureau records before a prospect asks about them.
2. 2.This week, have your service manager walk CSRs through the guide's installation sequence so they can explain what happens on install day and refer technical questions to the qualified installer.
3. 3.Before scheduling each installation, have your service coordinator explain who provides the trench and tank supports, using the qualified installer's requirements for that tank and site.