What to do if you run out of propane

Running out of propane means calling your supplier for a refill plus a safety check, because the system has to be leak tested and every pilot relit by someone qualified before the gas goes back on. Turn the tank’s service valve off if you can reach it safely, then call 4-T Propane.

Running out is not an emergency in the way a gas leak is, but it is not something to fix yourself either. Here is what happens, why it takes longer than a normal delivery, and how to make sure it does not happen twice. It sits under how propane delivery works.

How do you know you have run out

Everything that burns propane stops at roughly the same time. Heat, hot water and the cooktop all go at once, which is what separates a run-out from a broken appliance.

One appliance out is a different problem

If the furnace is dead but the stove lights, you have not run out of propane. That is an appliance or a thermostat, and it needs a heating contractor rather than a fuel delivery.

Check the gauge before you call

Lift the lid and read the dial. If it says zero or 5, that matches a run-out. If it says 40 and nothing is working, something else is wrong and it is worth saying so when you call, because we will bring different help.

What should you do right now

Three things, in this order, and none of them takes long.

1. Turn the service valve on the tank to off, clockwise, if you can reach it comfortably. If it is stiff or you are unsure, leave it and tell us.
2. Turn the control knobs on your propane appliances to off, so nothing tries to light when the gas comes back.
3. Call 4-T Propane and say the tank is empty, so we schedule the right kind of visit.

What not to do

Do not try to relight pilots yourself after a run-out, and do not get a neighbor to bring a cylinder and rig something up. The system has been open to air and it has to be tested before it carries gas again.

If you smell propane at any point

Propane has no smell of its own, so an odorant is added that most people describe as rotten eggs or a skunk. If you smell that, get everyone out, leave the doors open, do not touch light switches, and call us from outside.

Why can we not just fill it and go

Because an empty tank has had air in it, and air brings moisture. Before gas goes back into the lines the system gets a pressure test to prove it holds.

The leak test is a code requirement

The leak test is set out in NFPA 58, the national propane code, and it applies to any system taken out of service. It is not an upsell and there is no version of it we are allowed to skip.

Every pilot has to be relit

Each appliance gets opened up, checked and relit. On a house with a furnace, a water heater, a cooktop and a fireplace, that is the part that takes the time.

So it is a longer visit

A routine fill is a few minutes at the tank. A run-out restart is a fill plus a test plus the appliance work, so we schedule it as a different job. That is why it helps enormously to say the word empty when you call.

How do you stop it happening again

Almost every run-out we attend is a will call account where life got in the way. The fix is to stop relying on remembering.

Move to automatic delivery

We track your usage and come before you get low, so the job of noticing stops being yours. The comparison is in automatic delivery or will call.

Or put a monitor on the tank

A monitor reports the real level back to us rather than an estimate, which is the right answer for a place nobody is at in winter.

Frequently asked questions

Is running out of propane dangerous

The run-out itself is not. The risk is in what happens next, which is why a system that has emptied gets leak tested and relit by somebody qualified rather than switched back on.

How long does it take to get propane after running out

Timing depends on where you are and how busy the week is, and a hard freeze is the busiest it gets. Call as soon as you know, and say the tank is empty.

Can I turn the gas back on myself once the tank is filled

No. The system has to be pressure tested first and the pilots relit by someone trained to do it. That is a code requirement, not a company policy.

Will I be charged extra for running out

A run-out restart is more work than a fill, because of the test and the appliance relights. Call us and we will tell you what the visit involves.