Safety Tips   An odor has been added your propane gas so you can smell it if it escapes - if there's a leak in the system, for example, or if an appliance malfunctions. But your nose may not always work right. For example, research suggests that... Some people have a better sense of smell than others. Some elderly people are unable to detect the odorant in gas. On rare occasions, some people are unable to smell certain odors. Colds, allergies, and sinus congestion can all affect your sense of smell. Tobacco smoke or strong cooking odors can cover up other odors, too - and remember that the use of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs may affect your sense of smell. Under certain circumstances, propane gas may lose the distinctive odor that was added. This is sometimes called "odor fade,' and it can occur both in new steel containers when first placed into service and in used steel containers left open to the atmosphere for a long time. For example, air, water, or rust in a propane tank may weaken the gas odor through a chemical process called oxidation. This can occur in any size container but is most likely to occur in small containers, or cylinders, especially if the valves were left open to the atmosphere after the container was emptied. Therefore, you should keep the service valve closed when the cylinder is empty or not connected to use. Older-style containers without a quick connect or disconnect feature must be plugged with a POL. This will help prevent air and moisture from entering the cylinder. Here's what you can do: 1. Be sure you and all members of your household are familiar with the distinctive odor of propane gas. 2. If you think the odor of your propane gas is weak, or if your sense of smell is impaired, call us. 3. If you smell gas, do not attempt to light the pilot. Do not cause a spark by turning electrical switches on or off or by using the phone. Turn off the gas to the appliances and call us from another location. 4. If your new propane gas tank or cylinder contains gas but hasn't been filled for several months, ask us to check the odor. 5. Close the cylinder valve when the cylinder is empty. Here's some more safety information Be alert to the odor of propane gas whenever you're working around a gas appliance or whenever propane is stored or used. Before lighting a propane gasses appliance, such as a furnace, space heater, or water heater, sniff all around the area. Be sure to sniff at floor level. (Propane gas is heavier than air and may temporarily settle near the floor, although it immediately starts to diffuse when released to the atmosphere) Never tamper with the control knob, apply force to, or use tools on the gas control system. If the control know won't operate by hand, the control unit must be replaced. Repairs must be made only by a trained gas service technician. All new containers and used containers not kept closed may be infiltrated by water, air, or other contaminants. These contaminants must be removed, or purged, before the container is filled and put into service. The purging process should be done by your propane gas supplier. Propane gas leaking from buried gas lines may lose its odor as it passes through the ground, depending on the type of soil and the distance the gas travels. Whenever you suspect a leak--even if you don't smell the odor of gas--you should contact your propane gas supplier. Water can damage the internal safety mechanism in the gas control and create a hazardous condition. If your gas control has gotten wet--as a result of flooding, for example--it must be replaced immediately by a trained gas service technician.