FORT COLLINS, Columbia (AP) – With coronavirus restrictions forcing bars and restaurants to put customers out in the winter, many are struggling to catch irregular supplies of propane that power space heaters they rely on more than ever to keep people comfortable the cold.
It is one of many new headaches – but a crucial one – that go with the installation of tables and tents on sidewalks, streets and terraces to comply with public health restrictions.
“You are in the middle of work and you have staff running and saying, ‘We don’t have propane anymore! Said Melinda Maddox, manager of a Colorado whiskey tasting room.
Propane has long been a lifeline for people living in places too far away to carry natural gas to their homes for heat, hot water and cooking. This winter, 5-liter (18-liter) propane tanks have proven to be a new necessity for urban businesses as well, especially in places like the Rocky Mountains, where the sun often gets cold and people still enjoy gathering. on the terraces when the heaters howl.
Standard-sized tanks, which contain liquid propane under pressure, which turns to gas as it is released, are usually available from gas stations, grocery stores or home improvement stores. But this is not always the case lately, as high demand leads to sometimes irregular supplies.
“I spent a day driving around town for an hour. Literally, we went north, south, east, west – we just made a loop around Fort Collins, because every gas station I went to was outside. It was frustrating, ”said Maddox, who runs the Reserve By Old Elk Distillery in downtown Fort Collins, about 105 miles north of Denver.
Almost all states allow at least some indoor dining, but national rules are a mixture of local regulations. In Fort Collins, indoor seats in bars and restaurants are limited to 25% of normal capacity, so there is a strong incentive to put customers outside, despite complications and expenses.
The local shortage of propane tanks results not only from higher demand, but also from household hoarding, similar to the pandemic of toilet paper and other goods. 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 offer is there, it may mean looking a little longer than normal. If there are 10 suppliers in a neighborhood, “maybe 1 in 10 can be from inventory. You can definitely find propane replacement tanks if you look around, ”said Clark.
Franklin, the tank maker in Tank, Tennessee, Manchester Tank paid workers overtime and increased production in India to meet demand, the company’s president, Nancy Chamblee, said in an email.
To date, rising demand for propane for small tanks has not affected US global propane supply, demand and prices, which are operating similarly to recent winters, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
But trying to find a constant source of propane can cost businesses already stressed the time and money they lack in a pandemic.
Gas stations are better than home improvement stores for propane tanks because you can park closer, Maddox said, but stores that fill tanks are best because it’s cheaper and not as complicated as trying to run. each tank dry.
“The problem is that it takes longer,” Maddox said. “You just have to incorporate this into your day and say OK, it will take 40 minutes instead of 25 minutes.”
Along the street, Pour Brothers Community Tavern owners Kristy and Dave Wygmans filled tanks for about 18 heaters and fire bowls at a city-based vendor after a nearby store stopped refilling. .
They found that the propane tanks bore a stamp on the date of manufacture. Propane stores will not fill tanks older than 12 years, unless they have been recertified in five-year increments.
“We’re learning more and more about propane,” said Dave Wygmans.
They also gained an outlook on the space heater market, which more than doubled in price last fall due to growing demand, and outdoor furniture for their outdoor, street-turned parking area, which can house up to to 44 people said.
Their employees also had to quickly learn to connect the propane tanks and light heaters needed in a place where temperatures can drop well below zero (minus 18 Celsius) in winter.
Keeping customers comfortable has taken on a new dimension in the outdoors, said Dave Wygmans.
“Before, it was just drinks and food, right?” And now, we think that the priority is drinks and food, but maybe the customer thinks that the priority is heat. So, now we have to balance another priority that some customers could take care of “, he said.
“It’s almost like another service we offer is outside heat,” Wygmans said.
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