U.S. Natural Gas Supplies

[Servicetech571]

4 tons is most likely overkill, sized by the old "500sqft per ton" rule thats been around since the 60's. Hopefully your house is better insulated than a 1960's model!! You bill is $130/mo which would be closer to a 2.5-3 ton load.

[Zuplar]

Well there is a natural gas line that runs through my neighborhood, as people that live towards the back of my development have NG. I called ONG today to see what it would cost to run a line and they said they'd have to go measure. Maybe that is a better alternative than switching my whole unit over.

[Servicetech571]

Well there is a natural gas line that runs through my neighborhood, as people that live towards the back of my development have NG. I called ONG today to see what it would cost to run a line and they said they'd have to go measure. Maybe that is a better alternative than switching my whole unit over.

The furnace and stove most likely can be converted. The water heater will need to be replaced. ONG will give you $400 towards a gas dryer.

[Zuplar]

The furnace and stove most likely can be converted. The water heater will need to be replaced. ONG will give you $400 towards a gas dryer.

Why couldn't the hot water tank be converted? I think that thing is brand new. I thought everything came NG and then could be converted to propane.

[ctchandler]

Zuplar and Servicetech571k,
My water heater was converted. It's a simple orifice change.
C. T.

Why couldn't the hot water tank be converted? I think that thing is brand new. I thought everything came NG and then could be converted to propane.

[Zuplar]

Zuplar and Servicetech571k,
My water heater was converted. It's a simple orifice change.
C. T.

What brand is yours? I would think it would be easy but things nowadays seem not to be. If it couldn't be converted that could be a deal breaker. That is assuming to run the line is cheap.

[Servicetech571]

Zuplar and Servicetech571k,
My water heater was converted. It's a simple orifice change.
C. T.

Did you convert from Propane to NG or the other way around?

Most water heaters are not rated for conversion, but that doesn't mean it can't be done...

[stick47]

Power outages would still require that you have a generator to run your gas furnace. BTDT, 2002, 40 hours w/o power right in Mustang. I see no advantage to gas. I have a fireplace connected to a small propane tank that will run me for several days if the heat pump is off line. Also have a transfer switch and generator.

[Zuplar]

Just talked with someone at OLG, $3.98 a gallon.

[Servicetech571]

I'd love to see the labeling on a water heater under 20 years old that is rated for conversion, I didn't know they still made them.

[Zuplar]

I just went and looked and don't see anywhere that it says Propane only. It actually only says LP in one place. Other than that it's similar warnings about hot water and gas smell. It's a bradford white. I googled the model number and it is a propane model, but looks like it also comes in a NG model. So makes me wonder if you could buy the NG parts to install.

[Servicetech571]

I just went and looked and don't see anywhere that it says Propane only. It actually only says LP in one place. Other than that it's similar warnings about hot water and gas smell. It's a bradford white. I googled the model number and it is a propane model, but looks like it also comes in a NG model. So makes me wonder if you could buy the NG parts to install.

Mine only says NG on the gas valve itself, appearently the valve cannot be converted. To convert you would have to replace the gas valve and the burner orfice. AGA rating would be lost in the process. A conventional NG water heater is $350, and yours is probably the same 7yrs the house is. Water heaters are typically good for 10-15 years. Not worth the the effort to convert, just buy a new WH.

[Zuplar]

Mine only says NG on the gas valve itself, appearently the valve cannot be converted. To convert you would have to replace the gas valve and the burner orfice. AGA rating would be lost in the process. A conventional NG water heater is $350, and yours is probably the same 7yrs the house is. Water heaters are typically good for 10-15 years. Not worth the the effort to convert, just buy a new WH.

Probably a good point, might even be an opportunity to upgrade. I'm hoping to hear back from ONG today or tomorrow at the latest, but with the weather that could be delayed. I'm hoping the line is close enough they are going to do it for next to nothing. I'm just wondering how they tie it into my existing lines.

[PennyQuilts]

Glad I saw this thread - I came on to specifically talk about propane costs and the shortages. DANG.

We also have a 1000 gallon tank and I added 500 gallons last August at $1.80 a gallon. That put us right at 700 gallons and I'd expected that to get us through mid March or later when, I hoped, prices would be reasonable. Then this winter and the shortages struck. Yikes.

I have a 3000 square foot house with all propane appliances except the microwave. I've used right at 380 gallons since August 29, including the past two bitterly cold months, and that is nowhere near the amount that Zuplar apparently uses. That's craziness!! We have two AC/heater units and maybe this house is better insulated but it is always super comfortable. (btw, we replaced two hot water tanks, last year, and got rebates on both of them for propane - the propane vendor was super nice about helping us fill out the paperwork). When this house was built they didn't have the NG option but we do now. We haven't switched over because we replaced most of the propane appliances three years ago. If we were building new, we'd definitely go with geothermal. If this propane thing starts getting chronic we may have to reconsider but I always liked the idea of having my fuel already paid for and where I could get to it.

Anywho, being a stewer and a fretter, I've been irritating husband for the past couple of days over concerns that we are going to run out of fuel and it is going to be sky high to replace it. I saw the reports of $5.00 a gallon propane and that some vendors aren't even letting residential customers buy on credit because they simply can't afford to pay. Terrible. We still have over 300 gallons in the tank but longterm weather reports suggest February isn't going to give us much of a break. I am skeptical that prices will come down all that much by mid March and by that time, I'd be starting to lose sleep over that dang empty tank.

I called our propane vendor and they have it at $3.40 but said it was going way up, starting tomorrow. We locked in another 300 gallons at that price so I will be able to sleep easy. I just wish I'd completely filled the blasted thing last August and saved myself several hundred dollars.

[Zuplar]

Glad I saw this thread - I came on to specifically talk about propane costs and the shortages. DANG.

We also have a 1000 gallon tank and I added 500 gallons last August at $1.80 a gallon. That put us right at 700 gallons and I'd expected that to get us through mid March or later when, I hoped, prices would be reasonable. Then this winter and the shortages struck. Yikes.

I have a 3000 square foot house with all propane appliances except the microwave. I've used right at 380 gallons since August 29, including the past two bitterly cold months, and that is nowhere near the amount that Zuplar apparently uses. That's craziness!! We have two AC/heater units and maybe this house is better insulated but it is always super comfortable. (btw, we replaced two hot water tanks, last year, and got rebates on both of them for propane - the propane vendor was super nice about helping us fill out the paperwork). When this house was built they didn't have the NG option but we do now. We haven't switched over because we replaced most of the propane appliances three years ago. If we were building new, we'd definitely go with geothermal. If this propane thing starts getting chronic we may have to reconsider but I always liked the idea of having my fuel already paid for and where I could get to it.

Anywho, being a stewer and a fretter, I've been irritating husband for the past couple of days over concerns that we are going to run out of fuel and it is going to be sky high to replace it. I saw the reports of $5.00 a gallon propane and that some vendors aren't even letting residential customers buy on credit because they simply can't afford to pay. Terrible. We still have over 300 gallons in the tank but longterm weather reports suggest February isn't going to give us much of a break. I am skeptical that prices will come down all that much by mid March and by that time, I'd be starting to lose sleep over that dang empty tank.

I called our propane vendor and they have it at $3.40 but said it was going way up, starting tomorrow. We locked in another 300 gallons at that price so I will be able to sleep easy. I just wish I'd completely filled the blasted thing last August and saved myself several hundred dollars.

Yeah I'm not sure why I use so much, doesn't make any sense. My house is newer and I checked the insulation and a lot of areas I show a depth of 11 inches. Sure there are some lower spots, but nothing to be overly concerned with. Since the end of September till Monday, 1/27/14 I've used 470 gallons. Normally I keep it cooler during the day, but my wife had been at home because she was layed off so I expected to use more than the previous year, plus with the addition of the colder weather.

I'd sure like someone who knew all of about this stuff to give it all a once over to see where I could maybe save some money and use less gas. I've had someone check the furnace out at the beginning of the year and they said it looked fine and everything worked, but still I'd like it to be working as efficiently as possible.

Anyways just not sure who could do that. PennyQuilts I know you live by me, so if you don't mind me asking, who do you normally use for propane?

[PennyQuilts]

Yeah I'm not sure why I use so much, doesn't make any sense. My house is newer and I checked the insulation and a lot of areas I show a depth of 11 inches. Sure there are some lower spots, but nothing to be overly concerned with. Since the end of September till Monday, 1/27/14 I've used 470 gallons. Normally I keep it cooler during the day, but my wife had been at home because she was layed off so I expected to use more than the previous year, plus with the addition of the colder weather.

I'd sure like someone who knew all of about this stuff to give it all a once over to see where I could maybe save some money and use less gas. I've had someone check the furnace out at the beginning of the year and they said it looked fine and everything worked, but still I'd like it to be working as efficiently as possible.

Anyways just not sure who could do that. PennyQuilts I know you live by me, so if you don't mind me asking, who do you normally use for propane?

We use Morrison Propane. They are out in Minco which seems further away but our realtor was from Union City and recommended them. They usually come right out and have always been nice. About three years ago, we seemed to be going through a lot of fuel and they soaped it for us to look for leaks but didn't find one. A few weeks later, husband messed with the fitting and after that it quit using so much fuel. We replaced both furnaces, last summer, and hopefully they are more cost efficient but I never really noticed much of a problem with the old one.

[Zuplar]

We use Morrison Propane. They are out in Minco which seems further away but our realtor was from Union City and recommended them. They usually come right out and have always been nice. About three years ago, we seemed to be going through a lot of fuel and they soaped it for us to look for leaks but didn't find one. A few weeks later, husband messed with the fitting and after that it quit using so much fuel. We replaced both furnaces, last summer, and hopefully they are more cost efficient but I never really noticed much of a problem with the old one.

Do you know what all he soaped? I've thought about doing the same just to doable check. I've heard of Morrison and seen the trucks. I use Rumley which is also out of Minco. I'd like to have a couple different options set up that way I can shop a little bit. I've heard that prices are expected to go down some in the next 2 weeks, so fingers crossed here.

[PennyQuilts]

Do you know what all he soaped? I've thought about doing the same just to doable check. I've heard of Morrison and seen the trucks. I use Rumley which is also out of Minco. I'd like to have a couple different options set up that way I can shop a little bit. I've heard that prices are expected to go down some in the next 2 weeks, so fingers crossed here.

I wasn't here but according to Husband, they soaped the whole thing. Obviously they were looking closely at the fittings but they soaped everything. If the prices drop substantially within two weeks, my husband is going to be aggravated with me. But I still hope they do.

[ou48A]

Have any of you looked into buying a wood burning stove.... ?

Once you get into Kansas on to the north you see a lot of them being used in small towns / rural settings..
Some of them have out side fresh air ducted to them. Some have blowers and have been hooked up to a central heat and air system.

I have a cousin who put one in his full basment. The heat radiates up though the floor of his entier house.

[Zuplar]

Have any of you looked into buying a wood burning stove.... ?

Once you get into Kansas on to the north you see a lot of them being used in small towns / rural settings..
Some of them have out side fresh air ducted to them. Some have blowers and have been hooked up to a central heat and air system.

I have a cousin who put one in his full basment. The heat radiates up though the floor of his entier house.

My grandparents have one that has a blower that puts out some decent heat. I wouldn't mind having something since I just have an open fireplace. Not sure how I could convert it to anything that wasn't as worthless as the fireplace is.

[kelroy55]

Have any of you looked into buying a wood burning stove.... ?

Once you get into Kansas on to the north you see a lot of them being used in small towns / rural settings..
Some of them have out side fresh air ducted to them. Some have blowers and have been hooked up to a central heat and air system.

I have a cousin who put one in his full basment. The heat radiates up though the floor of his entier house.

When I lived out in the country in Nebraska I had two of them. One was an insert into a fireplace with a blower and the other I had installed in the other part of the house. Kept the place pretty comfortable in those Nebraska winters.

[ctchandler]

OU48a,
A good friend has a Buck wood burner. The problem is, he can't use it unless it gets down into the 20's. It's actually too hot to use all of the time. He loves it at times, but it is not used much.
C. T.

Have any of you looked into buying a wood burning stove.... ?

Once you get into Kansas on to the north you see a lot of them being used in small towns / rural settings..
Some of them have out side fresh air ducted to them. Some have blowers and have been hooked up to a central heat and air system.

I have a cousin who put one in his full basment. The heat radiates up though the floor of his entier house.

[ou48A]

The Cochin propane pipeline from Canada, owned and operated by Kinder Morgan, is now operational.
It had been shut down for serious maintenance for several weeks.... This along with warmer weather should gradually bring down the high propane prices.

[Zuplar]

The Cochin propane pipeline from Canada, owned and operated by Kinder Morgan, is now operational.
It had been shut down for serious maintenance for several weeks.... This along with warmer weather should gradually bring down the high propane prices.

I've read a couple places that say once weather warms up and distribution picks up, the prices are going to fall just as fast as they rose. Sure hope this is true.