I hope you get the chance to get outside in November. By the time I write the next newsletter, we could see below zero temperatures. Or it could be 70 degrees outside. You just never know. You gotta love Wisconsin. If you don’t like the weather, wait a day.
With cooler weather on the horizon, now is the time to button up your house. I live in a drafty old farm house so I’ve got weather stripping to put in and window plastic to put up. I probably should have done it already as I now have quite a collection of multicolored Asian lady beetles in my house. I don’t know why they call them lady beetles. There’s nothing ladylike about those biting, smelly little monsters. If you need bug spray or window plastic to keep the critters out and to keep the heat in, we sell both at our hardware stores in Mt. Horeb and Westby.
While you’re sealing up your house, be sure to check your furnace exhaust to make sure it’s clear of obstructions. If you heat with propane, now is the time to mark underground tanks with a flag or stick that will be above the snow line so the delivery personnel can find them. And if you have an aboveground tank that is in an area prone to a lot of drifting, marking it above the highest snow level that you’ve seen would be helpful as well. Pick up any debris that are a fall, trip or shin cracking hazard between the driveway and the tank. Sheets of tin on the ground are one of the worst hazards out there. 2 inches of snow and a sheet of tin lying on the ground is a recipe for disaster. That’s a trip none of us would like to take, pun intended.
Your propane regulators on your house or other building should also be clear of debris. A pile of leaves under the regulator could cause the vent to freeze, most likely at 9 pm on Christmas Eve. The regulator vent (on the bottom of the regulator) should be a minimum of 12 inches above the ground. If it’s not, give your local Premier Propane location a call so that we can install it at the proper height.
If you are a will call customer, be sure to contact us when your propane reaches 30% so that we can work your delivery in with our route deliveries. Did you know that you can now order your propane online? Simply go to premiercooperative.com, click on ‘member login’, enter your password and then click the ‘submit’ button. Click on ‘energy order’ and then ‘place order’ on the tank you choose. We’ll ask you for your email address, phone number, your percent full, whether you want the tank filled (please click yes), any comments you may have and then hit ‘submit delivery request’. You’ll get an email confirmation that we’ve received your order and we’ll take it from there. If you call in for your propane, please consider being a route customer. It’s better for all of us.
If you are going to or have recently installed a propane water heater, there is a $200 incentive available from the Wisconsin Propane Education and Research Council. Contact your local Premier Propane office for more information on how to apply. You know how good you feel when you find a dollar in your clothes dryer? Multiply that feeling by 200.
Happy Veterans Day to all of my fellow veterans out there. No matter what service you were in or where you served, it was important. Remember the good times and give that old buddy you haven’t heard from in a while a call. Thank you for your service.
If you’re a deer hunter, good luck with your hunt and try not to shoot your eye out. I hope all of our customers have a happy Thanksgiving and thank you for your business.
