Cold Snap Coming? Know Your Number Before It Hits

Everybody around here has a January story. The wind comes up out of the northwest, the mercury falls through zero and keeps going, and suddenly the furnace that was cycling twice an hour is running most of the day.

That's the week people find out what's really in their tank. As your member-owned cooperative for over 75 years, we'd rather you found out now.

Why 20% Isn't the Same in January

A tank at 20% in October might carry you a month. That same 20% in a deep freeze can go in a matter of days, because your furnace is simply burning a lot more to hold the same temperature.

There's a second reason to stay well above the bottom of the gauge. Propane has to vaporize inside the tank to feed your appliances, and vaporization slows down when it's brutally cold outside and there's not much liquid left to work with. A tank that's running low in twenty-below weather can struggle to keep up.

Reading the Gauge Right

Lift the dome on your tank and you'll find a dial that reads in percent, not gallons. That trips people up, so do the math once and remember it:

• A 500-gallon tank fills to about 400 gallons — so 30% is roughly 150 gallons.
• A 1000-gallon tank fills to about 800 gallons — so 30% is roughly 300 gallons.
• Tanks fill to about 80% by design, leaving room for the propane to expand in warm weather.

Check it on a schedule you'll actually keep — Sunday mornings, the first of the month, whenever you haul the trash out. Write the number on the calendar and you'll see your burn rate take shape in a couple of weeks.

When to Pick Up the Phone

Call us when the gauge hits 30%, not when it hits 10%. A scheduled delivery in ordinary weather is a routine stop for our driver. An emergency run during a blizzard, at night, down a drifted-in approach, is a different animal entirely.

And if you're tired of watching the dial at all, ask about our Keep Full automatic delivery program. We track your usage against the weather and top you off before you get low — no phone call needed.

1. Check the gauge and note the percentage.
2. At 30% or below, call us at 701-734-6312.
3. Clear a path so the truck can reach the tank.
4. Ask about Keep Full so next winter takes care of itself.

Delivering Across the Area

Farmers Union Oil Company delivers propane from our Wilton and Wing locations across the Burleigh and McLean county area north of Bismarck and the surrounding communities.

Winter weather can affect delivery timing, so give us as much lead time as you can. We'll get to you.