FORT COLLINS, Colorado (AP) – With coronavirus restrictions forcing bars and restaurants to accommodate customers outside in the dead of winter, many are struggling to get erratic propane supplies that supply space heaters they depend on more than ever before to keep people comfortable in the cold.
It is one of the many new – but crucial – headaches that comes with installing tables and tents on sidewalks, streets and patios to comply with public health restrictions.
“You are in the middle of the job and you have a team running around and saying, ‘We’re out of propane!'” Said Melinda Maddox, manager of a whiskey tasting room in Colorado.
Propane has long been a lifeline for people living in very remote places so that natural gas is channeled into their homes for heat, hot water and cooking. This winter, 5-gallon (18-liter) propane tanks have proven to be a new need for urban businesses as well, especially in places like the Rockies, where the sun often takes the chill out of the cold and people still like to gather. in patios when the heaters are roaring.
Standard-sized tanks, which contain pressurized liquid propane that turns into gas when released, are usually available at gas stations, supermarkets or building supply stores. But this is not always the case lately, as high demand leads to sometimes erratic supplies.
“I spent a day driving an hour through the city. It literally went north, south, east, west – I just went around Fort Collins because all the gas stations I went to were out of service. That was frustrating, ”said Maddox, who manages the Reserve By Old Elk Distillery tasting room in downtown Fort Collins, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Denver.
Almost all states allow at least some indoor meals, but national rules are a hodgepodge of local regulations. In Fort Collins, indoor seating in bars and restaurants is limited to 25% of normal capacity, so there is a strong incentive to seat customers outside, despite the hassle and expense.
The local shortage of propane tanks results not only from greater demand, but from the accumulation of families similar to the pandemic of toilet paper and other products. A national tank supplier reported a 38% increase in sales this winter, said Tom Clark, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Propane Association.
But Clark says the supply is there, it could mean doing a little more research than usual. If there are 10 suppliers in a neighborhood, “maybe 1 in 10 is out of stock. You can certainly find propane swap tanks if you look around, ”said Clark.
Tank maker Manchester Tank, based in Franklin, Tennessee, has been paying workers overtime and increasing production in India to meet demand, company president Nancy Chamblee said by email.
So far, the increase in demand for propane for small tanks has not affected supply, demand and overall propane prices, which are occurring similarly to recent winters, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
But trying to find a stable supply of propane can cost companies, already stressed, the time and money they lack in the pandemic.
Gas stations are better than reform stores for operating propane tanks because you can park closer, Maddox said, but stores that refuel tanks are better because it is cheaper and not as complicated as trying to get all tanks dry.
“The problem is that it takes more time,” said Maddox. “You just need to include this in your day and say OK, it will take 40 minutes instead of 25 minutes.”
Across the street, the owners of the Pour Brothers Community Tavern, Kristy and Dave Wygmans, have been refilling the tanks of their 18 or more heaters and furnaces at a supplier on the outskirts of the city after a nearby store stopped offering recharge service.
They found that propane tanks carry a date stamp. Propane workshops do not refill tanks older than 12 years old, unless they have been recertified in five-year increments.
“We are learning more and more about propane,” said Dave Wygmans.
They also had an insight into the space heater market, which more than doubled in price last fall due to increased demand, and outdoor furniture for the street parking area that turned into an outdoor patio that can accommodate up to 44 people , Kristy Wygmans said.
His employees also had to quickly learn how to connect propane tanks and light heaters, needed in a place where temperatures can drop well below zero (minus 18 Celsius) in winter.
Keeping customers comfortable took on a new dimension outdoors, said Dave Wygmans.
“Before, it was just drink and food, right? And now, we think that the priority is drinks and food, but perhaps the customer thinks that the priority is heat. And now we have to balance one more priority that some customers may be concerned about, ”he said.
“It is almost as if another service we are providing is external heating,” said Wygmans.
___
Follow Mead Gruver on https://twitter.com/meadgruver.