Fireplace insert

[RCW]

Amerigas bought the local welding supply company I did business with. Knew owner and couple employees.

Besides welding supply they sold tools (Milwaukee cordless), generators, filled propane tanks, etc.

First interaction was closed Saturday when attempting to fill propane.

Second interaction was “we don’t fill propane, just exchange….”

I seldom see customer vehicles there anymore.

Former owner was a sizable company for gases for commercial customers. Had a decent walk-in business for locals for gases, propane, tools and stuff.

The acquisition likely has ceased my association. My 75/25 mig tank is mine (I think?) but labeled the welding supply company. Not sure how that’s going to work out.

 

[biketopia]

Allegedly during the Covid the local place stopped with walk-in sales and service. They had a showroom, would do bottle exchanges and fill,s etc. Now you can't get ahold of anyone, the local line loops you to a call center in India, and if you mention their name on the local FB pages the torches and pitchforks come out.

 

[Workerbee]

Every fall we get advertising postcards in the mail from propane dealers advertising to fill at what appears to be a fair savings. I put those in the circular file. There’s always a catch or two. Its best to start with a locally owned company and stay with them in anything that requires ongoing service.

 

[jyoutz]

Around here a company wont fill a tank for a new customer without first doing a pressure test. Amerigas and Ferrell are both on my DO NOT CALL list.

Dan

That was my experience as well.

 

[D2Cat]

We have a masonry fireplace (with a word burning insert in it) that displayed a chimney fire on super Bowl Sunday about 1985. I tried to get bids on an insert but only two companies were found and they wanted couple hundred to "give a quote", and they'd deduct that if a purchase was made.

When I discussed the fire with my neighbor he decided he be interested in a liner also and had been looking for information. He had a Popular Mechanics magazine that described what to do, how, and why. We decided to make our own insert.

Bought sheets of SS, figured out a method to roll the metal, riveted the overlap to form the tubes with a slight taper so they would connect easily. We put the insert down the chimney, attached flex SS at the bottom and onto the inserts. Removed the damper (of course) and packed any space there with insulation. Left the metal sticking out the top of the fireplaces about 2" inches.

We then mixed cement with vermiculite to form a slurry which we poured on the outside of the liners, and filled the cavity between the liners and the masonry tile.

Been using this liner all these years and never a problem. Insert draws fine. Only creosote ever built up is in the top foot or so.

Been using the insert to heat the house 100% until three years ago. Installed a propane furnace to replace the elec which we never used, but need a new AC so replaced everything.

Propane companies are easier to work with around here then some report. Has a 20 KW generator installed two years ago and the propane service team did the gas line installation a no additional cost, including inspection all the way to the furnace. Got summer fill a couple of months ago cost $1.29 a gal. Winter contract price is $1.65 and they monitor fill level.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

My cottage's primary heating source is propane, with a "wood stove" as a back up/supplemental.

This is the first place I have ever owned that wasn't natural gas, so I am/was kind of a "noob"

Suburban is their name, and they wouldn't fill it until they tested it the first time. I don't recall if they charged me or not, but if they did, it was not significant enough to make a lasting impression on me.

So now every June'ish they ask me if I want to "pre buy" my fuel and pay a fixed monthly rate, which I agreed to.

Supposedly I get a better price.

I think they base the amount you can "pre-buy" on your past "average usage", and if memory serves me correctly, I bought 500'ish gallons this year. So it comes out to about ~85 bucks per month.

So 2'ish bucks a gallon?

(we keep the place at 50 when we are not there)