Saturday, May 10, 2014

Propane: Some Facts & Trivia

Propane: Some Facts & Trivia

By Cath Buhr


Millions of people in the United States use propane every day. Often it is used as a source of central heating in a home and for cooking in the home. Propane also is a common source of fuel for camping stoves and your barbecue grill. While you certainly already knew that propane was a source of fuel, here are a few facts that are not as widely known.

This fuel, which can be a liquid or a gas, is a by-product of two other fuel sources, natural gas and petroleum. Once the propane has been produced, it is actually stored in a salt cavern. From there it can be shipped by truck or ship or even carried by pipeline to various locations throughout the United States.

This fuel source was not discovered until 1910 when Walter Snelling, a Harvard-educated chemist, was experimenting with gasoline. He discovered two by-products of gasoline, which included propane as well as butane. Both are excellent sources of fuel and quickly became popular as a source of cooking fuel. By the 1920s, millions of American homeowners were using propane.

If you were wondering if propane could be used to power your automobile, the answer is yes, and as far back as 1913, propane has been used as vehicle fuel. In some countries, such as Poland and South Korea, about 50% of the vehicles use propane or "autogas" as their fuel source. Not only is the propane quite a bit cheaper than gasoline, the carbon dioxide emissions are much lower as well, so it is more environmentally friendly than gasoline.

It's not just an efficient and inexpensive fuel source for cars, trucks and buses; it also is a cheaper and cleaner source of fuel in the home. Coal, one of the most common fuel sources in the United States, is more expensive and more damaging to the environment. If it costs $2 to run your dryer using coal-produced electricity, it would only cost about $1 if you use propane. Coal also releases about double the amount of carbon over propane. If you want to live a greener life and also enjoy saving money, than using propane as your fuel source is a great way to go. It also is worth noting that propane has no negative effect on our water or soil, which certainly is not true of other fuel sources.

When you purchase propane for your home, it is important to note that consumers should look for a propane source that sells only HD5 propane, which is the highest quality propane. HD5 propane burns hotter and cleaner than other types of propane and is healthier for your family. Consider using Thrifty Propane as your home propane source. They offer the lowest prices for the highest quality HD5 propane.




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