Propane is one of the most energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and multi-purpose fuels your can use. Whether you’re powering a home heating system, water heater, cooking range, or grill, propane is an excellent choice. Just as propane has many uses around the home, it also has many names.
With that in mind, we want to provide a rundown of propane’s names, so you won’t be confused when shopping for it.
First, let’s provide a little primer on what propane is.
Propane is a co-product of crude oil and natural gas extraction. It’s extracted from the same wells as those products. Propane can be either a liquid or a gas. The propane in your grill’s cylinder or your home’s tank is under pressure as a liquid. When that pressure is relieved, the propane vaporizes, and the equipment in your home can burn it.
Therefore, propane is sometimes called liquefied petroleum gas. It’s also called LP Gas or LPG, for short. These are terms you’d more commonly hear when talking to a gas company or retailer.
In other countries, propane is sometimes mixed with butane, another co-product of natural gas and oil extraction. Butane has similar properties to propane but also a higher boiling point. So, outside the U.S., people sometimes use propane and butane interchangeably.
In Italy and France, you might hear the acronym GPL, meaning gas di petrolio liquefatto or gaz de petrole liquefied.
Here are some names you might hear from a home store, camping supplier or hardware store. Some people use the term “gas bottle” when referring to smaller propane containers that attach to portable grills or other small appliances. You might also hear BBQ gas referring to the traditional 20lb. propane cylinder you attach to a grill to cook.
Autogas is propane that’s burned in a vehicle instead of diesel. The use of autogas is expanding in the U.S., which is excellent news. Autogas releases significantly less nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide than diesel. This helps reduce acid rain and lessen respiratory illnesses.
By any name, propane is a fantastic fuel to heat your home and power your appliances. At Superior Propane Inc., we want to supply propane to your Arizona home. Become a customer today and let us show you all the ways we can help.
