Make Sure You’re Always Ready to Grill Grilling season is approaching. Days are noticeably longer and the days are mostly milder—perfect for getting the grill fired up. Whether you’re planning to host a crowd or you’re just throwing something together for the family, you don’t want to run out of propane—but who can remember back to last fall: When was the last time you got your propane grill tank filled up? Grill tanks don’t have a gauge—so it’s hard to know when they’re running low. Portable tanks tend to be described in pounds, rather than gallons—but much should a full propane tank weigh ..read more

How to Recognize a Gas Leak and More Propane Safety Tips Propane leaks are rare, but they can happen. Knowing what to do if you smell gas can help ensure the situation is resolved safely and quickly. Since propane is naturally odorless, propane and natural gas distributors use an additive called mercaptan to give it a distinctive smell that makes it easier to detect leaking gas. Most people describe the smell as like rotten eggs, skunk or dead animal. Mercaptan is a natural gas that is produced by decaying plants, animals and humans (fun fact—it’s one of the compounds responsible for bad brea ..read more

Thomas Bros Has Your Back There’s a reason professional cooks prefer cooking with gas. Actually, there are a lot of reasons, but the main benefit of cooking with gas is the high heat combined with precision control that you just can’t get with any other cooking method. It’s true whether you’re a grill cook turning out big quantities of burgers for a lunch crowd or a five-star gourmet chef. You need that control to deliver consistent quality for your guests. So why would you sacrifice that just because you’re cooking out of a truck? Food trucks today are turning out all kinds of fantastic food ..read more

Why You Should Leave Some Jobs for the Pros We get it: Home improvement projects can be fun and satisfying—and can save you some money, too. But gas appliance installation is not a DIY project. While propane is extremely safe when installed correctly, even a small leak can create an explosion hazard. When you need a propane appliance installation , even if you are just replacing an old piece of equipment, you need to hire a pro. And the service team at Thomas Brothers have the training and experience to make sure the job gets done correctly. There are several reasons why attempting to install ..read more

What You Need to Know About Winter Weather and Propane If you’re used to heating your home with oil, you know that very occasionally, it can get cold enough here in northern North Carolina for your heating oil to gel, which leads to problems keeping your home warm. If you have an above-ground propane tank, you might be wondering if your propane supply can freeze or gel when temperatures plummet. The good news is that the freezing point for propane is -44°F—which is well below our average low here in North Carolina, which rarely gets much below 25°F in January. Suffice it to say, you don’t nee ..read more

Add Value, Improve Efficiency, and Save Money with Propane There’s so much to consider when building or buying a new home. Some things are subjective and personal, such as architectural style, but others are more practical—and can affect your bottom line as well as your day-to-day comfort. Choosing appliances is one of those. Of course, appearance and features are part of the decision, but so is efficiency—and that means making a choice between electric and propane appliances. People are often surprised at the benefits that propane offers. In fact, propane is one of the cleanest, most versati ..read more

Let Thomas Brothers Help You Streamline Your Operations From manufacturing, construction and warehousing to agriculture, landscaping, hospitality and a broad range of other industries, commercial propane offers great benefits in terms of savings as well as convenience for heating, cooking and fueling. But when you have a business to run, you need to keep a lot of balls in the air. Monitoring your commercial propane supply is one ball you never want drop. Without the right tools or support, it can be time-consuming. That’s why businesses that use propane across North Carolina and southern Virg ..read more

Fun Fact: It’s Both! Learn More About this Versatile Fuel Lots of customers ask us why, when we deliver propane, their bill lists a price per gallon. Isn’t propane a gas? A lot of people might be surprised to know that when we fill your tank, the propane we deliver is in a liquid form! Propane is a byproduct of natural gas. As natural gas is processed, the liquid components are recovered, producing propane gas (as well as methane, butane and ethane). To make propane easier to store and transport, it is compressed, which converts the gas to a liquid state. As it is released into the gas lines ..read more

Maximizing the Value of Propane for Your Home Whether you are refurbishing your existing home, shopping for a new place, or just looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint, propane provides great value when it comes to powering many of the appliances around your home. If you’ve never lived in a propane-fueled home before, you might be surprised to know how versatile it is and how many ways it can be used in your home. Not only can propane provide steady, reliable heat energy at an affordable price, but it also offers exceptional performance and efficiency in a wide range of home applian ..read more

When It Comes to Outdoor Cooking, Size Matters With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, grilling season is officially in full swing. And maybe you’re thinking your old grill is just not cutting it any more. Whether you’re ready for an upgrade to a grill with more features, or your old grill is just, well, old, we have a great selection of propane grills from Phoenix to help you make the most of summer. How To Decide On The Right Grill Many people come by the showroom and want to know what size grill they should buy. But to answer that question, you need to answer a few others. Here’s what to ..read more