Why Choose Propane Over Natural Gas?
Written on: January 18, 2021
There’s a lot of information (and misinformation) circulating about natural gas and propane—two clean-burning, cost-effective, gas-based home energy alternatives.
While marketing often tells a story of natural gas as the clear winner in a black and white contest of benefits, the truth is much grayer: In fact, propane offers several advantages over natural gas that could tip the scale in its favor, depending on your priorities.
Here are five key reasons to consider choosing (or sticking with) propane rather than switching to natural gas for your North Carolina home.
- Propane delivery is safer—Propane can easily be compressed for safe transport, where it is handled by trained technicians using equipment and methods that are heavily regulated by federal, state, and local laws. Natural gas, on the other hand, is difficult to compress, which means it must be delivered via pipeline—and not all pipelines are maintained with equal attention to detail. If there are no pipelines near your home, you can’t use natural gas; if there are pipelines near your home, you run the risk of a potentially disastrous pipeline failure.
- Propane is more flexible to use—In most cases, a propane line can enter the home wherever you want it to, as long as there’s a tank nearby (while there are some requirements for distance from the home for a propane tank, they are not overly restrictive). This may not be true with a natural gas line.
- Propane produces more energy—Propane contains double the amount of usable energy content per cubic foot as natural gas: about 2,490 BTUs versus 1,030.
- Propane produces almost no greenhouse gas when burned—While both fuels are considered to be “clean,” natural gas is a fossil fuel that releases methane: a gas that is far more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.
- As a fuel, propane is also safer—Propane has a much narrower range of flammability (minimum and maximum burn temperatures) than natural gas; propane will not ignite when combined with air unless the ignition source reaches at least 920 degrees F.
When it comes down to it, you will probably pay a little more for propane than you will for natural gas, but it could still be the right choice for you. If you’re trying to decide between these two options, give us a call today!
Expert propane installations—just one more way Pico Propane puts customers like you first. To learn more about our professional propane appliance installations in Siler City, NC and surrounding areas, contact us today.
