Safety & seasons
Fall 2026 propane checklist for foothill homes
Before the first cold nights of fall 2026, read your tank gauge and order if it is near 30%, consider Keep Full automatic delivery, and make sure the tank, the path to it and the ring of clearance around it are ready for a delivery truck. Then test your carbon monoxide alarms, have the heating appliances checked, and plan for power shutoffs, snow and the Thanksgiving week before they arrive.
Updated · American River Gas office, Newcastle
1. Read the gauge while the weather is still mild
Lift the dome on top of the tank 6 to 8 inches and let it drop to free the needle, then read the 0 to 100 dial. The number is a percentage of the tank, not gallons. A reading near 30% means it is time to call.
Fall is the easy season to fill. Roads are open, driveways are dry, and a tank topped off now goes into winter with a cushion. Our winter fills go to about 86% of the tank, leaving room for the propane to expand.
2. Choose how you want deliveries this winter
- Keep Full: we schedule fills from outdoor temperatures and your past use, so you do not have to watch the gauge. If a Keep Full tank runs completely out while the account is in good standing, the leak test and special trip are not charged, with some restrictions.
- Order your own deliveries: you watch the gauge and phone the office at about 30%. Deliveries are usually made within a week, on the day our truck serves your area.
- Not sure which suits you? Call (530) 888-7438 and we will tell you your area's delivery day and talk through the options.
3. Get the tank and the path ready for the truck
Walk from where the truck parks to the tank. Our hose reaches 120 feet, so anything new in the way since spring, a fence, a trailer, a woodpile, counts against it.
- Trim branches that hang low over the driveway or the tank.
- Tell the office about gate codes, locked gates or dogs.
- In snow country, set a tall, brightly colored stake by the tank and the regulator before the first storm, as the Propane Education & Research Council advises, and pick a snow-pile spot well away from both.
- Keep the ring around the tank clear. In State Responsibility Areas, that means 10 feet of bare soil and 10 more feet with no flammable plants. Fall leaves and pine needles pile up fast.
4. Safety checks inside the house
Test every carbon monoxide alarm and replace batteries that are low. California Health and Safety Code section 17926 requires homes with a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage to have a State Fire Marshal approved carbon monoxide device. Clear leaves and stored boxes away from outdoor vents and flues.
Have the furnace, fireplace and water heater looked at before you lean on them in December. A visit from a qualified technician now is easier to schedule than one during a cold snap. If you are adding a new propane appliance this fall, remember that a leak test is required when it is connected. If you ever smell gas, leave the building first, then call 911 and us from outside.
5. Plan for shutoffs and storms
The California Public Utilities Commission allows utilities to cut power as a last resort when high winds and dry fuel create a wildfire risk, and fall winds are part of that picture in the foothills. A propane fireplace or wall heater that runs without electricity can keep a room warm during a shutoff, so a fuller tank matters more when one is forecast.
Keep flashlights and batteries where you can find them in the dark, and never use a grill or range to heat the house. If the power goes out and you turn off your propane, a technician inspects the system before it goes back on.
6. Holidays and your account
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. If you plan to fry a turkey for guests, bring your cylinders to our Newcastle yard for a refill during business hours in the days before, Monday through Friday, 8 to 4:30, closed 12 to 1. Call ahead about holiday week hours.
On the account side, bills are due Net 10, and you can pay by card, cash, check, autopay or the online customer portal. Our Budget Plan spreads a year of propane into 11 equal monthly payments plus a clean-up month, running May through April. It needs a zero or credit balance to join, so fall is a good time to ask the office how to be ready for next May.
Questions
Straight answers
When should I order propane in the fall?
When the gauge reads about 30%, or earlier if a storm, a power shutoff or a holiday is coming.
Can I sign up for the Budget Plan in the fall?
The Budget Plan runs May through April and needs a zero or credit balance. Call the office to ask how to be ready for the next plan year.
Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm if I heat with propane?
Yes. California law requires a carbon monoxide device in homes with a fossil fuel burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage.
What date is Thanksgiving 2026?
Thursday, November 26, 2026. Refill cylinders and top off the tank in the days before the holiday week.
Related
Keep reading
Sources: California Health and Safety Code section 17926: carbon monoxide devices in dwellings (opens in a new tab) · Propane Education & Research Council: propane safety for high snowfall areas (brochure, PDF) (opens in a new tab) · California Public Utilities Commission: Public Safety Power Shutoffs (opens in a new tab) · California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 1299.03: defensible space around LPG tanks (opens in a new tab)
Newcastle yard · since 1966
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