What happens on tank set day

On tank set day a crane truck brings your propane tank, places it on its prepared base, and a gas line is run from the tank to the house. The system is then pressure tested, and only once it holds does any propane go into it. Most of the decisions were made before the truck arrived.

Here is the order it happens in and what we need from you. It is the last step in our complete guide to propane tanks.

What has to happen before the day

Two things, and if either is missing the day does not go ahead.

The location is agreed

A site assessment settles where the tank can legally and practically sit. What that visit covers is in where can a propane tank go.

The base is ready

A tank needs a stable, level base appropriate to its size. Soft ground that settles after the first wet season will put the tank out of level and that is a problem worth avoiding at the start.

Access is clear

A crane truck is larger than a delivery truck. Low branches, narrow gates and soft caliche are all worth mentioning when you book, rather than discovering them together on the morning.

What happens on the day

Setting the tank is the quick part. Connecting and testing it is the work.

1. The truck arrives and the crew confirms the agreed position before anything is lifted.
2. The crane lifts the tank off the bed and sets it onto the base.
3. The tank is leveled and secured in position.
4. A gas line is run from the tank to the house and connected.
5. The whole system is pressure tested and has to hold before it goes further.
6. Propane is put in, the regulator is set, and appliances are lit and checked.
7. You get shown the shut off valve and how to read the gauge.

The pressure test is the part that matters

Nothing is put into service until the line proves it holds pressure. That is required under NFPA 58 and it is not a step anybody skips to finish early.

Appliances get lit by us

Every propane appliance is checked and lit by the crew, not left for you. If something is not working right, the day to find out is the day somebody qualified is standing in your house.

What do you need to do

Very little, but three things genuinely help.

• Be there, or have somebody there who can make a decision about position.
• Keep pets inside and the access route clear.
• Have your propane appliances accessible, because each one gets checked.

Clear the route, not just the spot

People tidy the place the tank is going and forget the path to it. A crane truck needs headroom as well as width, so a low limb over the gate matters as much as the gate itself. On the older lake properties around Kingsland that overhanging live oak is usually the thing that stops the job.

Say if anything has changed

If you have added an appliance since the assessment, or changed your mind about where the tank goes, tell the crew before the lift rather than after.

What happens after

You are a propane customer, and the main thing to settle is how you get your next fill.

Choose how you get refilled

Automatic delivery or will call. For a new tank with no usage history behind it, automatic delivery with a close eye on the first winter is the sensible start. The options are in how propane delivery works.

Learn the gauge

Even on automatic delivery it is worth knowing how to read it, and the crew will show you on the day. There is a refresher in how to read your propane tank gauge.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a propane tank installation take

The lift is quick. The connection, the pressure test and lighting the appliances are what fill the visit, and the number of propane appliances in the house is the biggest variable.

Do I need to be home for a tank set

Somebody should be, with the authority to confirm the position. Appliances also need to be accessible so they can be checked and lit.

Does the ground need preparing before a tank is set

Yes, a stable and level base suited to the tank size. We cover what is needed at the site assessment.

Will the tank be full when you leave

The tank will hold propane and the system will be commissioned. How much goes in on the day is worth asking when you book.