6 ways propane tank monitors increase safety and efficiency

If you’ve ever run out of propane, you know how much it can derail your day. An empty tank can stop your grain drying right in its tracks, can cause a pipe to freeze and burst, or can even create leaks in or damage to your propane system.

Propane tank monitors can help eliminate the likelihood of an empty tank. Plus, tank monitors create efficiencies and increase the safety of propane systems, whether it’s for your home or your entire operation.

What are propane tank monitors?

Tank monitors are devices secured to the outside of fuel tanks that track the fuel level inside. Both property owners and propane distributors have access to the frequently updated readings to ensure tanks have enough fuel to keep a home or operation running smoothly.

LEARN MORE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF PROPANE

Where tank monitors really shine is their notifications. After the alert feature is activated, the device will send a refill alert to both the tank owner and their propane distributor.

What are the benefits of propane tank monitors?

That refill alert creates many opportunities for safety precautions and efficiencies. Here are six ways tank monitors support your home or operation.

1. Spend less time and energy monitoring tank levels. With a tank monitor, there’s no need to constantly walk out to your propane tank to check your supply. Instead, you can quickly and easily check the monitor’s dashboard app to see how much fuel is left. This is an especially nice feature when the tank you need to monitor is remote, like at a cabin, an elderly parent’s home or an agricultural animal confinement building.
2. Track fuel usage. In addition to tracking fuel levels, tank monitors can also help you track your fuel usage. This impacts both efficiency and safety — if fuel is leaving the tank faster than expected, it could signal a problem in the system.
3. Decrease your chances of running out of fuel. Running out of fuel can be serious. An empty tank can quickly bring your operation to a halt. And emergency deliveries, after-hours calls and empty-tank safety checks can be costly.
4. Mitigate potential safety risks. Running out of propane isn’t just inconvenient — it could interrupt the heating of your home or barns, putting your family and livestock in harm’s way.
5. Reduce empty-tank consequences. When you run out of propane, water lines can freeze and burst, problems can arise with the tank and fuel system, and more. If you never run out of gas, your chances of these issues occurring decrease drastically and you avoid a potentially costly out-of-gas service call.
6. Increase efficiency with scheduled deliveries. Planning your propane deliveries in advance saves you time and headaches. Plus, scheduled deliveries help your propane distributor by helping them take the most efficient routes.

LEARN MORE: 7 ESSENTIALS TO KNOW ABOUT PROPANE

Tank monitors take the guesswork out of propane supply levels while increasing the safety of your home or operation and increasing all-around efficiency.

Each year more and more propane tanks in the Cenex® network are equipped with propane tank monitors. If you’re interested in optimizing your propane supply with a tank monitor, reach out to your local Cenex propane retailer to learn more.