“I sent a photo of the gauge from the dock and they picked a day when the road was dry. The tank was full and the furnace checked before I got up there.”
Hank R.Cabin owner, Crosslake
Propane and heating around the Brainerd lakes
A full tank by October. A checked furnace by November.
We fill your propane tank and check your furnace in the same visit, so a cabin or a farmhouse goes into winter with one stop on the calendar, not two.
- Call the office(218) 555-0100
- Text a photo of your gauge(218) 555-0100
- Office hoursMon – Fri 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. – noon
Winter-ready
The cabin checklist, month by month
Eight stops from August to July. Do your part, and we'll do ours in the same month.
- 01
August
Book the visit while the roads are dry
Find out whose tank it is: yours or ours
Read the gauge and text us a photo
Trim brush back from the tank, the regulator and the vent
- 02
September
One visit: fill and service
The tank is filled and the gauge is logged
Regulator and lines get a leak check
Furnace burner, flue and filter are checked, and the CO alarm is tested
- 03
October
Fill before the ground freezes
The tank holds enough to start the cold
Thermostat set for the season
Leaks found now get fixed before the first hard frost
- 04
November
Mark the path and the lid
A staked path from the drive to the tank
Vent and flue terminations clear
A plow-proof place to drive the truck
- 05
December to February
Watch the gauge, keep it running
Gauge read every week or two
Call when it shows about a third
Snow brushed off the regulator and vent by hand
- 06
March
Thaw and mud season
Call earlier: spring road limits can keep a heavy truck off gravel
Meltwater kept away from the tank base
A look at the regulator and lines after the freeze
- 07
April and May
Open the place up, or close it
Cabin opened with the furnace lit and checked
Or closed: valve shut, noted on your card
Next year's fill and service date picked
- 08
June and July
The quiet months: fix and replace
Best time to replace a tired furnace
Move or add a tank before the ground is hard
Book next fall's fill while the list is short
One visit
Fill and service, in one stop
Most places in the lakes country buy a fill from one company and a furnace check from another, and pay for two trips down the same gravel road.
Our truck carries a technician's tools. Here's what happens, in this order.
On every fill-and-service visit
We walk the path to the tank and read the gauge
The tank is filled to the safe level, and we write the reading down
The regulator and the lines get a leak check
The furnace gets a burner, flue and filter check
The carbon monoxide alarm is tested
You get a card with what we found, in writing
What we do
Propane, heat and the place in between
Four jobs, one phone number.
Propane delivery and tanks
Fills, gauge readings, regulators and lines for house, cabin, shop and barn.
Propane deliveryFurnace and boiler service
Checks, repairs and replacements on propane heat, in the house or the shop.
Furnace and boilerCabin open-up and shut-down
We open the place in spring, close it in fall and watch the tank between.
Cabin careNo-heat calls
Dead pilot, tripped control or a cold house: call in office hours and we book the earliest slot.
No-heat checklist
Why we say call early
A third of a tank, or an empty one
Nobody wants to run dry in January. Calling early isn't us being fussy; it's the difference between a planned stop and an emergency one.
| Wait for empty | Call at about a third | |
|---|---|---|
| The route | Wait for emptyA rush stop the driver didn't plan | Call at about a thirdWe fit you into a normal route day |
| The weather | Wait for emptyWhatever the weather is that day | Call at about a thirdWe pick a window that suits the roads |
| The furnace | Wait for emptyRelight and a full leak test after an empty tank | Call at about a thirdNever runs dry, so no relight and no extra leak test |
| You | Wait for emptyA cold house and a long wait | Call at about a thirdA phone call and a gauge photo |
Sample reviews
What people write after a winter
“They told me I owned the tank, so I could shop around, and still said they'd fill it. No pressure.”
Cheri B.Year-round resident, Pine River
“The shop heater quit on a Saturday. They said what to check, and a tech was out Monday morning.”
Chuck W.Farm shop, near Aitkin
Sample reviews.
Where we go
The lakes country, route by route
Brainerd and the towns around the lakes. If your road isn't listed, send the address and we'll say whether we can get there.
Crow Wing County
- Brainerd
- Baxter
- Nisswa
- Pequot Lakes
- Breezy Point
- Crosslake
- Fifty Lakes
- Emily
- Crosby
- Ironton
Cass County
- Pine River
- Backus
- Remer
- Longville
Aitkin County
- Aitkin
- Palisade
- Hill City
Morrison County
- Pierz
We don't go north of Hill City, or into the Twin Cities.
Questions
Before you call
I smell gas, or my carbon monoxide alarm is sounding. What do I do?
Get everyone out, leave the door open behind you and call 911 from outside. Don't switch anything on or off and don't use a phone inside. Call us after the fire department says it's safe, and we'll check the system before it's lit again.
How full will you fill my tank?
To about 80 percent. A propane tank is never filled to the top, because the liquid needs room to expand when it warms. A tank at 80 percent is full.
When should I call for a fill?
In winter, call when the gauge reads about a third. That leaves time for the weather, the road and the route. In summer you can wait longer.
Whose tank is it, and does that matter?
It matters. A tank belongs to whoever owns it, and the owner decides who may fill it. Tell us what's written on the tank or in your papers and we'll say what we can do.
Can you fill the tank and check the furnace in one visit?
Yes. The fill and the service are one stop: the truck brings a technician's tools, so the gauge, the regulator, the lines and the furnace are all looked at before we leave.
What if my road isn't plowed or the path is buried?
Tell us when you call. A driver can't set a hose through a drift or park on soft gravel, and we'd rather reschedule than leave a hose across a path.
Book
Tell us about the tank and the place
A person reads this and calls you back in office hours. A photo of the gauge saves a trip.
Phone(218) 555-0100
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 8 a.m. – noon
- SundayToday
- Closed