Have You Heard These Interesting Propane Facts?

Propane is quite an interesting subject!

As you drive around eastern North Carolina, you have likely seen more and more homes with propane tanks.

Those people know the benefits that propane brings to a home. If you want to learn more about propane and what it can do for your home, here are 10 facts that will help you understand this versatile, efficient energy source.

1. The chemical formula for propane is C3H8.
2. In 1910, Walter O. Snelling discovered propane as a volatile component in gasoline. He subsequently patented it and later sold the patent for $50,000 to Frank Phillips, the founder of Phillips Petroleum, in 1913. That’s $1.3 million in today’s money.
3. Propane has no odor in its natural state. For safety reasons, propane is fed with an odorant, most commonly ethyl mercaptan, that adds a rotten-egg smell. That odor makes it easier to detect propane leaks.
4. About 90% of the propane supply in the United States is domestically produced.
5. The majority of our domestically manufactured propane is the result of natural gas processing. Our abundant supply allows the United States to be a net exporter of propane.
6. More than 50 million residences in the United States use propane for home heating, water heating, cooking, space heating, whole-house backup generators, clothes drying fireplaces, and more.
7. Propane is a smart financial decision for your home. Recent high-efficiency propane heating systems and other propane appliances have efficiency ratings of 95% or higher.
8. The propane industry employs more than 75,000 people in the U.S. and contributes close to $40 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product.
9. Propane is a very safe fuel. Propane will not burn unless the surrounding air reaches 940˚ Fahrenheit. Furthermore, propane containers are constructed of carbon steel. They’re 20 times more puncture-resistant than ethanol, methanol, or gasoline tanks.
10. Propane is a clean-burning fossil fuel. Propane was acknowledged as an alternative energy in the 1990 Clean Air Act and the National Energy Policy of 1992, becoming one of the most environmentally friendly fuels. Do you know what propane isn’t designated as? A greenhouse gas. Natural gas is a greenhouse gas because it contains methane.

Get all the benefits of efficient, clean-burning propane in your home with Parker Gas. Contact us to get started on converting your home to run on propane!