What Household Appliances Use Propane?

If you've been investigating the clean efficiency of propane, you're probably wondering what household appliances you can power with it. Other than propane burners and campsite propane stoves, what else can this gas do?

The short answer is almost anything natural gas and electricity does. Because America produces the vast majority of the propane it uses, efficient propane-powered products can be found anywhere. Still need some inspiration? Here are five household appliances propane can power indoors and outdoors.

 

1. Fireplaces

Many propane fireplaces come with thermostats and remotes that let you adjust the heat from your couch. During winter power outages, you'll have a heat source for everyone to gather around. Fueled by a refillable propane tank, these fireplaces are cleaner than traditional ones, as well. Wood-burning fireplaces can leave your living room smelling of stale smoke and covered in soot.

2. Fire Pits

The only thing better than huddling around the hearth on a cold night is relaxing by a fire in your own backyard. Because they're powered by compact tanks, propane fire pits require less preparation. When you're ready, turn on the gas and ignition source. Afterwards, just turn it off and head inside.

3. Freezers and Refrigerators

With no moving parts, propane freezers and refrigerators require a lot less maintenance than electric versions. Due to these simplified mechanics, they are also a lot quieter than their electric cousins. Like other household propane appliances, they can help you stay prepared in case of an emergency or power outage.

4. Water Heaters

According to the EPA, water heaters account for 15% of the average American household's energy use. Because propane heats water twice as fast as electricity, you can get more hot water from a smaller tank, saving you more on your monthly energy bill. In the event that your propane water heater is damaged or punctured, the gas dissipates and vaporizes instead of gathering into a hazardous, flammable pool.

5. Pools and Hot Tubs

Much like your indoor water supply, propane heaters for pools and hot tubs work quicker than electric ones. Compared to natural gas, propane is more energy-rich, resulting in needing less fuel. Even on cold days, propane heaters maintain more even temperatures. 

The Well-Rounded Power of Propane

These are only five household appliances that use propane, but the list goes on and on. As the number of propane-using Americans reaches over 60 million, more products powered by the gas are entering the market including clothes dryers, lawn equipment and outdoor lighting. Whether you want to start small or move closer to energy independence with propane generators and larger power supplies, there is an efficient, reliable solution for you. What you need to make it happen is a trustworthy specialty gas supplier or propane provider near you.

Everyday Uses of Propane You May Not have Known

 Liquefied petroleum gas, more commonly known as propane, is an adaptable fuel source that has hundreds of different applications. It’s praised for its domestic abundance which makes it readily available and for its clean-burning qualities. It is also a relatively inexpensive energy source.

Under the US Energy Policy Act of 1992, propane is considered an alternative energy source. It’s produced as a by-product of natural gas processing and crude oil refining. Globally, it’s one of the most commonly used transportation fuels.

It’s safe to say that the best known everyday use for propane is the propane grill. However, this fuel has an array of other uses you may not be aware of. Read on to find out what they are.

1. Keeping the Lights On

If you are a camping enthusiast, there is every chance you’ve come across propane in some capacity before. This is because it is often used to fuel items such as a propane burner camping stove, an outdoor gas light, and even a propane generator. The next time you have a blackout in your home, you might find yourself reaching for the propane tank to help fuel your backup generator.

2. Powering Our Vehicles

Propane is a lightweight energy source that emits fewer greenhouse gases than alternatives such as regular gasoline. Because of this, it’s often used for large commercial vehicles. Did you know that many fleets of yellow school buses in America are often powered by propane?

3. Heating Your Home

Propane is also used as the main heating source in many homes. This can be done through a propane fireplace, a portable propane heater, or a whole heating system built into the home. In some cases, propane is used to heat the water coming through pipes in the ground to heat radiators and underfloor heating systems.

4. Firing Up Hot Air Balloons

To say a hot air balloon is an “everyday” use might be a bit of a stretch, but to say that hot air balloons are often fueled via propane tank certainly isn’t. Hot air balloons will often have up to four propane burners onboard to fuel sky-high rides. You’ll find these powerful tanks housed inside the basket of the balloon.

5. Fuelling Large Lawn Mowers

Propane is a great fuel source for lawnmowers of all types. Especially commercial lawnmowers. Oftentimes, the lawnmowers used to cut the grass of large areas such as golf courses or football fields will be fuelled in this way.

A Propane Grill and Many More Uses for This Versatile Energy Source

From a propane grill to a school bus to a hot air balloon, propane is a versatile energy source that can be used in a myriad of different ways. If you’re considering making the switch to propane for some of your everyday energy needs, contact AGP Gas to discuss your options regarding purchasing propane today.

Recycling Demolition Waste Materials

It’s exciting to demolish old buildings and construct new ones. It signifies progress and allows us to enjoy environments that new technology offers. However, a by-product of demolition is construction debris, which includes metal, wood, brick, concrete, asphalt, stone, and more. These cannot simply be mixed with ordinary garbage for trash disposal in Framingham. Why? The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has implemented waste disposal bans on many construction and demolition waste materials including: Asphalt pavement, Brick and Concrete (ABC), metal, wood, clean gypsum wallboard and other debris.

To be environmentally friendly, we should recycle, reuse and repurpose as much of these construction materials as possible. How do you do that? You can hire a waste management company such as Zoom Disposal Services of Framingham, MA. Waste management companies provide roll-off dumpsters for rent on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The dumpsters are placed on premises and you can discard all your construction waste into them. When you are done, the company will haul your debris, separate the recyclable materials and dispose of them according to state and town requirements. Construction dumpster rental prices range from $400–800 per week depending on dumpster size and other factors. It is important to let the company know in advance that your trash contains construction debris that requires additional processing. There may be extra costs involved.

How are demolition waste materials recycled or reused? Bricks, for example, often end up as construction waste when fireplaces and chimneys, old walkways, or old foundations are replaced. They can actually be reused intact if handled carefully, or they can be crushed and reprocessed to make a subbase material similar to quarried stone. Reusing bricks reduces the need to mine shale and other virgin quarry materials to make them. Less mining is good for the environment, as is less demolition waste.

Concrete can be crushed for use as aggregate. Recycled concrete can be recycled over and over and used in very much the same way as virgin concrete.

Asphalt shingles and asphalt pavement are crushed and used to mix new asphalt or used as a road base.

Processed wood can be chipped and used to make particleboard, landscape mulch, fuel at biomass plants, intermediate landfill cover, and more.

Clean gypsum wallboard with no nails, paint, or wood can be reprocessed into new wallboard. Or it can be used as a landscaping additive similar to lime.

As you can see, much of common demolition waste materials can be recycled, reused or repurposed for many different construction applications. It goes without saying that recycling offers many benefits for the planet and local communities. It helps conserve valuable resources, reduces pollution from production of new materials and creates new jobs. Businesses also save money on waste disposal costs when they recycle.

Your town’s Community Recycling Center may not be designed to accept large quantities of demolition waste. They may not recycle the materials they receive and disposed of them instead. If you have construction waste that you need to get rid of, contact a waste disposal company nearby. They can provide the right dumpsters and disposal or recycling service to ensure your debris is safely and appropriately removed.

About Zoom Disposal
Zoom Disposal is a family owned dumpster rental company based in Framingham, MA. We offer full service open-top, walk-in, roll-off dumpster rental services in Wellesley, Framingham, Natick, Marlborough, Sudbury, Southborough, Newton, Weston, Wayland, Ashland, Hopkinton, Waltham and nearby areas. With a large inventory and multiple dumpster sizes ranging from 10, 15, 20 to 30 cubic yards, we are well-equipped to service your residential, construction, commercial and industrial dumpster rental needs. Our services are professional, reliable and at competitive rates. Give us a call today at (508) 740–8053.

This post was originally published in https://medium.com/@dumpsterrentalframingham/recycling-demolition-waste-materials-6300d1c42f98

Do Parade Balloons Use Helium to Float?

From Ronald MacDonald to Olaf, and Snoopy to Baby Yoda, there’s no more iconic way to celebrate Thanksgiving than watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon lineup.

If you want a peek behind the scenes, you can even watch as the balloons are inflated on Thanksgiving Day eve!

But have you ever wondered what makes those gigantic balloons float?

There is more science behind helium for balloons than you might think. Keep reading to learn about the types of balloon gas and more so you can understand how your favorite parade balloons stay aloft.

Types of Balloon Gas

Helium isn’t the only gas that you can use to fill balloons. Hydrogen also works in some cases.

Both helium and hydrogen are lighter than air. That means that when you fill a container with them (like a balloon), they rise. That’s why they are used in balloons as well as other applications.

Does Hydrogen Work for Parade Balloons?

Hydrogen is lighter than air, so it could hold up a parade balloon. However, it’s highly flammable. It can combust when exposed to high temperatures.

This makes it useful for industrial applications and some hot air balloons. However, hydrogen isn’t a good choice for parade balloons — nobody wants to see their favorite cartoon character explode on Thanksgiving Day!

Does Helium Work for Parade Balloons?

Helium gas is one of the noble gases. This means it’s stable, or nonreactive. It won’t react to extremes in temperature, and it doesn’t burn when exposed to fire.

This makes it the perfect gas for parade balloons. No matter what happens to the balloon, helium gas won’t cause a dangerous reaction like catching fire or exploding. This makes it safe enough for commercial uses like parades.

That’s why parade balloons use helium to stay aloft. It’s not just lighter than air, but safe enough to use.

Balloon Helium Science

Keeping parade balloons filled with helium is no easy feat. Each Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloon is the size of a building.

Helium is lighter than air, but it can also lift additional weight. One cubic foot of helium can lift about one-third of a pound, and each parade balloon can weigh up to 400 pounds. Fortunately, each parade balloon contains about 12,000 cubic feet of helium, keeping the balloons afloat.

Gas expands when exposed to heat and contracts in the cold. The cold air of Thanksgiving Day mornings usually causes the balloon gas to contract slightly, giving the balloons a deflated look. To fix this, parade organizers make sure the balloons stay on the sunny side of the street, letting the warmth from the sun plump up the balloons.

Where to Get the Helium for Parade Balloons

There’s more science behind the spectacular balloons you see at parades than you might have expected. With this article, you can understand how helium parade balloons work!

It’s not always easy to find the best balloon helium, especially when helium resources are scarce. An industrial gas supplier with their own wells and fill plants might be the way to go to ensure your helium supply.

5 Ways the Pandemic Has Impacted Jobs

Jobs have changed from how they were pre-pandemic and these changes may be here to stay depending on the lasting effects of COVID-19. As a result, both employees and employers need to find ways to adjust to the new normal. To start, let's take a look at some of the impacts:

1. Labor Shortage

The most pressing problem for most industries is finding employees. Owners struggle to hire back staff they recently let go of when they were forced to shut down at the beginning of the pandemic. This is especially true for low-paying, customer facing jobs such as restaurants, retail as well as services such as day care and senior care.

There are many reasons former employees aren't jumping to get back to their old jobs. Unemployment benefits are often similar to the amount they'd make if they went back to work. Some are still concerned about COVID variants popping up and don't think working is worth the risk. Others need to take care of children at home. Still others have grown to love the work from home lifestyle and decide to change jobs or even careers.

2. Remote Work

During the pandemic, many companies found a way to convert office employees into remote employees. This trend is likely to continue after the pandemic.

Many prefer working from the comfort of their home to a daily commute. Workers also save money on travel expense, lunches and even dry cleaning.

Most white collar professionals transition easily into remote work, especially digital work such as programming, graphic design, and research. Even senior executives are considering remote C-level executive job opportunities more seriously and getting remote executive job offers they would not have before.

3. Caregiver Shortage

In-home caregivers have to travel to their client's home to provide service. In the early days of the pandemic, some clients may have cancelled services, or reduce hours for fear of catching the disease from the caregiver. But now the demand for home care services has increased substantially, but home care agencies struggle to find people willing to step in to fill the number of available CNA and HHA jobs.

4. School Closings and Child Care

During the pandemic, schools and even colleges have been ordered to shut down. As a result, many parents, who are working from home, have to teach and manage their children at home as well. This is challenging and as a result, some people opt to resign from their jobs to care for their kids. On the other hand, teachers have moved to teaching online, while some day care workers may have lost their jobs due to the reduced need for day care. Although most schools and colleges have reopened, there is still a good chance that new COVID variants may cause even havoc for schools to close again.

5. Reduced Business Travel

Travel restrictions combined with people not wanting to travel contribute to the lack of business travel. There are great seasonal activities to do in Boston like viewing the beautiful fall foliage, but like many other cities, tourism has suffered during the pandemic. This negatively impacts local businesses and jobs. 

The world is adapting to Covid-19. There are many ways that jobs will change in the foreseeable future, and businesses need to prepare for them or get left behind.

Helium, Balloon Gas and Their Applications

During parties and celebrations, we love to float balloons or fly them into the sky. Although these balloons are often called Helium balloons, they may be filled with balloon gas, which is in fact Helium at a 99.99% or lower purity. Industrial-grade Helium is 99.995% pure or above and can be used for a variety of uses including cryogenic application, welding, medical applications and many others. Balloon gas, on the other hand, is often a by-product of the Helium production process. It is great for casual, academic, and scientific applications.

The Origin of Helium

Scientists discovered Helium in the sun’s core in 1868. Like Hydrogen, this odorless, colorless gas is lighter than air. Unlike Hydrogen, Helium is not flammable, so it is more suitable for casual uses like filling balloons.

Helium is abundant in the universe. We get most of our Helium from natural gas, which is mined from underground gas fields.

Where Can I Get Helium for Balloons?

Businesses can acquire balloon Helium from an industrial gas supplier. These suppliers typically provide other gases such as nitrogen, CO2, oxygen, hydrogen and other gases as well. Examples of large national Helium suppliers are American Gas Products and Zephyr Solutions. These large suppliers offer not only helium cylinders of various sizes, but also bulk helium at wholesale prices for large customers.

Uses of Balloon Gas & Helium

Marketing

Helium balloons are great for outdoor advertising campaigns because they always stand out from a distance. Branded helium balloons are even better since they’re more distinctive and recognizable. Some businesses use branded balloons that are shaped like products to attract bigger crowds.

Fundraising

Helium balloons can elevate a fundraiser in a fun and exciting way. They’re great for a big giveaway because it’s easy to hide prizes inside of big helium balloons.

Education

Higher purities of Helium gas helps researchers make new discoveries. For example, they put the gas in research balloons that are designed for such disciplines atmospheric research, military research, meteorology and astronomy.

Helium Tanks for Small Businesses

Small businesses can either rent or buy a Helium gas tank. Most helium suppliers have rental tanks available in the following sizes:

• 218 cubic feet
• 135 cubic feet
• 73 cubic feet
• 37 cubic feet

A very large helium cylinder will cost about $250. It has enough air for about 500 balloons, depending on their size.

In order to rent a helium tank, you may need a deposit. You might also need additional funds to rent a nozzle, valve, and pressure gauge if these parts aren’t included with the tank. A typical deposit will range from $100 to $200. You’ll get the deposit back if you return the canister in good condition.

If you don’t want to rent a Helium tank, you can buy a disposable tank from a hardware store.

Should I Buy Helium-filled or Air-filled balloons?

How do you choose which balloons to buy for your event? Both latex and foil balloons can be filled with either helium or air and both come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.  Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether to go with helium-filled or air-filled balloons.

Float Time
Helium is less dense than air so helium-filled balloons typically rise higher than air-filled balloons and float effortlessly.  That makes helium a good choice if you want dramatic party decorations like a bunch of balloons floating over each table. Float time for helium-filled latex balloons is about 8-10 hours (longer if treated with Hi-Float).  Float time for helium-filled foil or Mylar balloons is usually about three to four days.  Some balloon brands can stay inflated for up to three weeks.  Air-filled balloons don’t really float but they look great taped to the ceiling with ribbons and are excellent for building balloon arches.

Cost
Helium-filled balloons can be more expensive than those filled with air. However, they last much longer and are easily refillable, providing better value.  

Variety
Both types of balloons can be customized for your event with messages, graphics, and designs. Helium-filled foil (Mylar) balloons are available in a much wider range of shapes like cartoon characters, dinosaurs, and princesses than those available for latex balloons.

Refilling
Foil (Mylar) balloons filled with helium can easily be refilled with more helium once they start to deflate.  Once you fill a latex balloon with air and tie it off, the balloon cannot be refilled. If you need lots of balloons, renting a helium tank can cost less than buying pre-filled balloons.   If you rent or buy helium tanks, you can get cost-effective refills and keep your decorations looking great.