Now that August is here, I’d like to welcome the employees and patrons of Farmers Union Cooperative to Premier Cooperative. We’re looking forward to working with you and providing you with safe, reliable, and high-quality fuels and lubricants.
Now that the merger is complete, I’m enthusiastic on a personal level because my newsletter article will reach more people. Currently my readership is around 15 (including my mom) and I’m hoping to hit 20 this month.
At the risk of my personal safety, I’d like to remind everyone that snowmobile season in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan opens in 4 months. Until I mentioned that, cold weather was the last thing on your mind. I’m not anticipating any changes in prices, but there is a lot of volatility in the energy markets. The sooner we receive your propane contract, the less risk you’re exposing yourself to. My advice is to lock your propane price every year. In the long run, you’ll be money ahead of those that don’t.
When you get some time this summer, be sure to check the age of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The manufacture date should be on the back of the unit or inside the battery compartment (if it is not hooked to your electrical service). Recommended replacement is 7-10 years but consult your manufacturer and state statutes to see if they need to be replaced sooner. The statutes will also tell you where the alarms need to be placed in your home.
On another safety note, did you know that propane regulators should be replaced every 25 years? Like anything with moving parts, regulators eventually wear out. Most propane systems for buildings have a regulator on the tank and another one on the building.
Regulators are simple machines. There is a flexible diaphragm that flexes when the pressure on the downstream side drops below the setting on the regulator when an appliance ignites. That flexing opens a tiny pin valve to allow gas into the downstream line and closes when the proper pressure is attained. Diaphragms get brittle as they age. If they break, it will release propane out of the regulator vent, which could potentially cause a fire.
If the pin valve sticks in the closed position because of age, it won’t allow propane to go to your appliances. If it sticks in the open position, it will allow too much pressure downstream, which may harm appliance gas valves.
To keep this from happening, we are contacting folks whose regulators are over 25 years old. Replacing an old regulator before it fails will give you peace of mind and will save you a service charge fee in the middle of the winter. If we contact you, get them replaced while the weather is warm and our technicians have the time to replace them. I can tell you from experience that I’d rather replace a regulator in the spring, summer or fall than when it is 10 below zero.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and thank you for your business. Propane season will be here before we know it!
