Heat Pump Plus Propane Backup: What Your Tank Needs in a Mountain Winter

By the team at Asheville Oil Company

With a heat pump and a propane furnace, the tank does more of the work once the outdoor temperature drops to roughly 35 to 40 degrees. The heat pump needs help there, and the furnace carries the house. In a cold stretch, the tank can drop faster, so reorder when the gauge reads 20 to 30 percent.

Why Does a Heat Pump Need Propane Backup in a Mountain Winter?

A heat pump handles mild weather well. Colder than that 35 to 40-degree line, it loses efficiency and needs a second source of heat. In our mountain climate, that backup is either electric strip heat or a furnace. Electric strip heat can run up a power bill quickly. Smoky Mountain Heating & Air, our sister brand, describes a dual-fuel setup with a propane furnace as typically the most efficient and comfortable choice here.

That same team looks after the heat pump, the furnace, and their maintenance in Asheville and Buncombe County. We look after the propane that feeds the furnace, and that fuel side is what this post covers. If your backup is electric strip heat, there is no tank to watch. If a propane furnace sits behind your heat pump, keep reading.

How Does a Heat Pump Change the Way a Propane Tank Gets Used?

In fall and spring, the heat pump can handle most of the heating, and the furnace may run very little. A tank level can hold steady through October as a result. Then a cold week arrives. Overnight lows sit near that line, the furnace runs for longer stretches, and the reading can fall faster than it did a month earlier.

As a propane supplier in Asheville, we know how a cold stretch can change a tank reading. A level that looked comfortable in the fall can look different after a week of cold nights. One reading in October may tell you little about how January will go, so a few readings across the season give you a better picture.

When Should I Reorder Propane, and What Does 80 Percent Mean?

The gauge on your tank reads in percent. We recommend calling or texting us when it shows between 20 and 30 percent. Check it whenever the forecast turns cold, since that is when the furnace starts carrying the house.

When we deliver, we fill the tank to 80 percent. Propane expands as it warms, and the space above the 80 percent mark gives that expansion room to happen safely. A delivery brings you from your reorder level back up to 80.

How Do Cold Snaps Affect Delivery Timing?

Residential propane delivery in Asheville follows the weather. When a cold snap fills our schedule, call-in deliveries can run a week or two out or more.

That timing is the reason behind the 20 to 30 percent guidance. A tank reordered at that level is more likely to still hold fuel while your delivery works its way through the schedule. A tank reordered much lower has less to draw on during the wait.

What Should I Do Before the First Cold Stretch?

A few small habits make the season easier.

●     Read the gauge now and write down the reading with the date. A second reading a week later can show how fast your tank moves once the furnace starts working, and it gives you your own numbers to plan around.

●     Look at the path to your tank. Delivery needs safe access to your fill pipe, and in winter that can mean clearing snow or ice from the way in.

●     Confirm that your payment information is on file with us. With payment on file and safe access to the fill pipe, you do not need to be home for a delivery.

If you ever smell propane inside or suspect a gas leak: leave the building and call 911 and then us from a safe distance outside. Free leak checks are available to our customers.

I Recently Added a Heat Pump. What Should I Tell You?

Tell us when you call or text. A new or replaced heating system can shift your propane use, and that is useful for us to know, especially if you are on Automatic Delivery or thinking about it. The same goes for a change in how much of the season you spend at the house. Your first winter on a new setup is also a chance to learn its pattern, and the readings you wrote down can show you where your home lands.

Is There a Hands-Off Way to Keep the Tank Filled?

Automatic Delivery is the hands-off option, and it covers propane and heating oil. It is open to residential customers who own their home and have an approved payment method on file. Automatic Delivery customers receive priority service when the schedule fills up, plus a per-gallon discount on propane.

The first Automatic Delivery fills the tank, which gives us a clean starting point for tracking how your household uses propane. That history can help us plan around the weeks your furnace works hardest. Some customers call in a smaller order or two first to get close to full before the program starts. Call-in ordering stays open to customers who prefer to order as they go, and the habits above apply to them too.

We explain the program in full in our earlier post, "What Is Automatic Delivery? How Automatic Fuel Delivery Works in Western North Carolina.”

Who Do I Call for What?

Propane delivery questions, from gauge readings to reorders and Automatic Delivery, come to us. Questions about the equipment go to our sister brand, and a call to the number below can reach either team.

Four generations of our family have delivered fuel in these mountains since 1922. If your gauge reading leaves you unsure, we are happy to walk you through it.

Call or Text 828-274-7978

You can also email orders@ashevilleoil.com.

Frequently Asked Questions About Propane Backup for a Heat Pump

Does 20 to 30 percent mean the same number of gallons on every tank?

No. The gauge shows a share of the tank, so the gallons depend on the tank's size. Tanks come in sizes from 120 to 1,000 gallons. On a 500-gallon tank, 20 to 30 percent is 100 to 150 gallons, and a fill to 80 percent is 400 gallons. A larger tank holds more fuel at the same reading, which may give you more time between orders.

Does anything else on my tank change how fast it goes down?

Yes. Other propane appliances on the same tank draw from it too, so a water heater or a range adds to what the furnace uses. Mention what runs on your tank when you call, and we can help you read the gauge with that in mind.

Will a heat pump mean I use less propane?

It may. Heat the heat pump supplies in mild weather is heat the furnace does not have to make. Past the cold line, the furnace takes over, so your total depends on how many cold days your winter brings, the size of the house, and your thermostat setting. We do not publish a gallon figure because it varies from home to home.

What if my backup furnace burns heating oil instead of propane?

Heat pumps can be paired with an oil furnace too, and we deliver heating oil as well as propane. The furnace likely takes over at about the same point, so the gauge habit carries over, and Automatic Delivery is open to oil customers on the same terms. Call or text, and we can talk through your tank.

About the Author

This article was written by the team at Asheville Oil Company, a four-generation, family-owned petroleum distributor serving Western North Carolina since 1922 and the Authorized Mobil Distributor for the region since 1984. Based at 22 Tribology Drive in Asheville, the company delivers home heating oil, propane, kerosene, gasoline, diesel, and DEF to homes and businesses across Buncombe County and the wider WNC region, and remains the only locally-owned propane company still operating in Asheville. Learn more about the team at ashevilleoil.com/about.