If you’ve ever attached a portable propane cylinder to your grill, then connecting fuel to your gas-powered devices might seem incredibly simple. But there’s a big difference between tightening a pressure regulator onto a cylinder valve and connecting all your home’s systems and appliances to a stationary propane tank.
Whether you’re switching propane providers, replacing an aging fuel tank or adding propane to your home for the first time, you may wonder if you can install your own tank. Installing a fuel tank is a complex process, particularly if you need to excavate land, and connecting it can pose many safety concerns. That’s why so many households in New Mexico’s Cibola, Catron and Socorro counties and Arizona’s Navajo and Apache counties trust Sierra Propane with their tank installations.
We understand the inclination to tackle home projects yourself. But there are important reasons that the overwhelming majority of homeowners turn to trained, certified propane technicians for tank installation. These include the following:
When you choose Sierra Propane as your home fuel partner, you receive the benefit of decades spent serving homes in Arizona and New Mexico. Our team will identify the best tank for your needs and can install it for you.
Most Sierra customers choose to lease a propane tank from us. As long as you receive fuel from Sierra Propane, we will handle all the upkeep and logistics associated with your tank. This includes installation, routine maintenance and repairs. If your propane needs increase, we can also switch out your tank for a larger size.
And you don’t even need to worry about the cost of installation. New customers receive a free tank setup, leak check and gas system safety check. Plus, we give you a discount on your first propane fill!
Reach out to Sierra Propane now to become a customer.
If you manage a warehouse, construction site, manufacturing facility or another business with forklifts, you know that keeping these vehicles moving is essential to your productivity — and profitability.
But what is the best power source for your forklifts? Today you can choose an electric model or something with a combustion engine running on gasoline, diesel or propane. Propane has powered forklifts since the 1950s, and there are many good reasons businesses return to this fuel again and again.
Here are six significant advantages that propane forklifts have over other options.
Propane typically provides better fuel efficiency than other energy sources. A 33-pound cylinder of forklift propane can generally offer eight hours of uninterrupted power. That’s enough for an entire shift!
If your forklifts are powered by diesel or gasoline, you can’t run them indoors because of air quality issues. Propane forklifts don’t have that problem. Propane produces very few nitrogen or sulfur oxides, and its carbon monoxide generation is far below that of diesel or gas. These forklifts also generate virtually no particulate matter.
Most electric forklifts become essentially useless for outside work when it’s raining. But propane-powered forklifts can handle rainfall without damaging their equipment.
Electric forklifts slow down as their batteries run low on power. They also struggle to go up inclines carrying large loads as their power gets low. Not so with propane forklifts. They run at optimal power and speed, regardless of how much fuel is left in the cylinder.
When a propane forklift runs out of fuel, getting it refueled is as simple as detaching the spent cylinder and attaching a full one. Electric forklifts need to be recharged, which can lead to hours of downtime and lost work.
With prices on so many energy sources rising — including grid electricity — we know that our commercial customers are always looking for some stability. Propane provides that. Pretty much all the propane that Americans use is produced domestically. So, while it isn’t completely insulated from global energy markets, propane’s price is typically more stable than gasoline, diesel and electricity.
From Snowflake, AZ, to Magdalena, NM — and plenty of other communities in between — Sierra Propane is the most trusted provider of forklift propane. We have two convenient programs to get you the fuel your forklift fleet needs:
With Sierra Propane, your forklifts don’t need to stop for a second. Get in touch with us to arrange forklift propane service.
There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about home electrification. To hear some policymakers tell it, the only responsible way to heat your home and power your appliances is with grid electricity. This argument is flawed.
When it comes to home comfort and appliances, propane is typically more affordable, dependable and even eco-friendlier than electricity.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration studied power outages recently and found that American homeowners were enduring the highest number of hours without electricity since they started tracking data! There’s more demand for grid electricity than ever, and the infrastructure the grid uses is not well-maintained.
On the other hand, propane is an energy source that you control. Your fuel tank is dedicated to your home, and with a reliable propane delivery partner like us, you’ll never be without the fuel you need. Want total freedom from the grid? Consider installing our off-grid propane appliances.
Just because electric appliances don’t emit greenhouse gases from your home, that doesn’t mean they are green. Right now, roughly 56 percent of Arizona’s electricity comes from fossil fuels. And about 63 percent of New Mexico’s total in-state generation comes from fossil fuels (35 percent from coal).* This is far from clean.
We lose 60 percent of all energy used in electricity generation during conversion; it takes 3.03 units of electricity to deliver one unit of energy to an American home! Conversely, you only need 1.01 units of propane for one unit of home energy.
How do you compare propane and electricity when propane is measured in gallons, and electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh)? One gallon of propane generates about the same amount of energy as 27 kWh of electricity.
If you check the price per kWh on your next electric bill and multiply it by 27, you can compare that to the per-gallon cost of propane in your area. But you also need to consider the relative efficiency of propane and electric equipment.
Propane furnaces are much more effective at heating spaces than electric heat pumps. Propane furnaces boast efficiencies of up to 98 percent and can reliably heat air to 140 degrees, regardless of the temperature outside. Because heat pumps rely on warmth from outside to heat your home, they struggle on frigid winter nights.
Propane water heaters have a hot water recovery rate that’s roughly twice as fast as an electric unit. They are also significantly less expensive to power since they use up to 30 percent less energy than their electric counterparts. In fact, a Propane Education & Research Council study found that a household using a propane water heater can save over $350 annually compared with a house using an electric water heater.
While electricity and propane both power many of the same appliances, propane options generally have the edge. For example, propane clothes dryers work 25 percent faster than electric dryers, producing less static cling and fewer wrinkles. And propane stoves offer far superior temperature control.
From Springerville and Snowflake to Magdalena and Quemado, Sierra Propane is the most trusted home comfort partner around. Get in touch with us to discuss installing high-efficiency propane equipment in your home!
*Source: Energy Information Administration
At Sierra Propane, we are proud to count quite a few agricultural businesses among our commercial clients. From Cibola, Catron and Socorro counties in New Mexico to Navajo and Apache counties in Arizona, countless farms, ranches and growing facilities depend on our fuel and equipment services to stay productive.
Since 1983, the Sierra Propane team has supplied these agricultural customers with the resources they need. We’ve perfected storage and gas distribution systems of all sizes and levels of complexity. Here’s a rundown of all the ways that propane can keep your farm running.
For a start, farms love propane because it’s energy-efficient and, as a predominately U.S.-produced fuel, less vulnerable to the ups and downs of global energy markets.
It also serves a range of crucial functions in agricultural settings.
No two families are the same. Companies also have different needs. And when it comes to agricultural businesses, there is an unbelievable amount of customization. Just as you’ve literally built your business from the ground up, Sierra Propane will develop a from-scratch propane fueling solution. Using our decades of experience, we can arrange the following:
Sierra Propane is a family-owned local business. Our commercial customers are our neighbors, and we are genuinely invested in their continued success. If your farm needs a last-minute fuel delivery, we’re here for you. If you’re having an issue with malfunctioning heating in your hoop house, our technicians will get there fast.
Getting started is easy. We’ll begin by learning about your business’s unique needs and challenges. Our team will work with you to figure out logistical solutions and form a custom propane fueling plan. We’re confident that, like so many farms and other agricultural customers we service, you’ll be thrilled with your Sierra Propane partnership.
One of our commercial propane team members is ready to start working on your individualized fueling plan. Get in touch with Sierra Propane right away!
If you’ve never used propane for your residential or commercial equipment before, you could reasonably be in the dark about how large of a propane tank you need. That’s why it pays to have an experienced and responsive fuel supplier working with you to ensure adequate fuel storage for your needs.
Otherwise, you might be calling for a propane delivery way too often!
Sierra Propane leases, sells, installs and maintains propane tanks in a range of sizes. We’ve helped households, businesses, farms and other customers from Eagar, Arizona, to Quemado, New Mexico. Here’s a rundown of tank size considerations.
If you’re looking for a stationary propane tank, you need to consider what kind of equipment and space it will be supplying fuel for.
Some of the tank sizes we frequently install are:
| Tank Size | Applications |
|---|---|
| 120-gallon tank | Powers an RV, shop or garage with one or two propane appliances. |
| 250-gallon tank | Powers multiple propane appliances. |
| 320-gallon tank | Powers heating/appliances for 2,500–4,500 square-foot homes. |
| 500-gallon tank | Powers heating/appliances houses that are over 4,500 square feet or completely “off-grid.” |
| 1,000-gallon tank | Powers extremely large homes and commercial spaces. |
Our commercial propane customers often require even larger storage options. At Sierra Propane, we can handle the installation of large-scale tanks, gas lines and vaporizers — whatever your business needs!
One important thing to note when choosing a propane tank is that aboveground propane tanks are only filled up to 80 percent.
Propane expands and contracts as the temperature fluctuates, just like water. But compared to water, propane’s volume increases 17 times more! So propane delivery personnel always allow 20 percent empty space to account for this expansion. This is called the “80 percent fill rule.”
Whenever our team of propane technicians helps a customer choose a propane tank, we take several factors into consideration:
There are good reasons that most Sierra Propane customers lease tanks from us. We handle installation and maintenance for you, and we will happily swap out your tank if your fueling needs change. Also, we offer wireless propane tank monitoring so that you can track your fuel levels on your phone!
Let’s get started finding the right propane tank for your home or business. Contact Sierra Propane today!
Propane provides some of the most robust, efficient heat of any fuel. It’s also tremendously adaptable. You can power a whole house’s heating, hot water, cooking and other appliances from your on-site propane tank. Alternatively, you can power a single appliance with a small tank or cylinder.
The same is true of space heating. Propane space heaters provide effective warmth for difficult-to-reach spaces, including garages, guest houses and workshops. They come in various sizes and can be used for a range of personal and commercial needs. Since propane is a clean-burning fuel, with minimal carbon dioxide or particulate matter emissions, you can feel comfortable using it to heat your spaces.
Sierra Propane provides space heating and temp heating solutions to customers in Navajo, Apache, Catron, Cibola and Socorro counties. We can help you find a propane space heating solution that’s right for you.
When choosing a space heater for your home, you’ll first need to determine if you need a direct-vent or unvented model. Here’s a brief rundown of the differences between these two products:
Portable propane space heaters do not connect to your home’s stationary propane tank. Instead, they connect to a gas canister or portable propane cylinder. This makes them ideal for campsites or outbuildings like studios or workshops. These products come in a wide range of sizes and produce different heat levels. They also have safety features that automatically shut off if they detect unsafe heat or oxygen depletion.
So many commercial ventures require temporary space heating in our part of the country. Propane is an excellent option. Here are a few of the businesses that turn to Sierra Propane for space heating:
Whether you’re a homeowner with a frigid additional room or a business owner who needs dependable temp heat to facilitate operations, Sierra Propane can be your space heating partner. We offer space heaters for rental or sale, and our skilled, safety-conscious team takes care of propane storage and gas connections.
Plus, once your space heaters are in place, Sierra Propane can handle propane tank refills on your schedule.
Don’t let the winter chill lower your productivity or quality of life. Get in touch with our team right away.