Does an App Order Change the Leak Check After a Propane Run-Out?

No. An app order does not waive a required leak check. Alabama rule 530-X-2-.08, for example, calls for a check right after gas service is restored. Send an empty-tank order to your service lead before you promise a routine fill. Read the Alabama rule.

What does the rule actually say?

The Alabama LP-Gas Board changes NFPA 54 section 8.2.3 in its rule. Check the whole gas piping system and all connected appliances or equipment right after gas is turned on in a new system. The same check applies when gas is first restored after a service break. If the check shows a leak, shut off supply until repairs are made. See the full text. This example is for Alabama. Check the code and local changes where you work.

What should the office do with the order?

Ask whether the customer reports a low tank or a loss of gas service. Put a service break in front of the person who runs your run-out process. Tell the customer what happens next. An order receipt means the office got the request. It does not mean the gas system is ready to use.

What belongs in the service record?

Have your service lead set the record your local rules require. For the office file, we suggest the account, tank location, reported problem, assigned staff, work done and service decision. Keep it where dispatch can find it. Ask to see the actual record before you rely on any app to hold it.

What should we check before launch?

Use these checks to get the order to the right person:

1. Identify the delivery address. Ask whether the customer reports a low tank or a loss of gas service before assigning the request.
2. Route a reported service interruption to the trained person responsible for your established run-out procedure. Have your service lead define the separate path for a low-tank report.
3. Have that person check the applicable rule, adopted edition and local requirements.
4. Arrange the qualified service work and document it in your approved record system.
5. Confirm the service decision before giving the customer a revised delivery or restoration message.

Questions owners ask

Does payment clear the system for service?

No. A paid bill does not clear the gas system for use. Keep the payment review and service review as separate steps. Have the trained person make the service decision. Dispatch should not skip the run-out process just because a card payment went through.

Is a low tank the same as interrupted service?

Do not decide from a percent on a screen alone. Ask your service lead what staff should ask when someone says the tank is low. A low reading and a loss of service need separate review. Put the customer’s report in the account file for the trained person to assess.

Can the customer perform the check?

Arrange the check through qualified staff under the rules that apply to your work. This page gives the office a way to route a request. It does not teach a test. Do not ask a customer to test piping, relight equipment or judge the system ready for use.

Does this page establish the rule in every state?

No. The source is one Alabama rule. Before you use it elsewhere, ask the service lead to check that state’s code and local changes. Find out which records the rule calls for. Keep the local process with the dispatch guide so staff use the right one for each stop.

What if the customer reports a gas smell?

Treat a reported gas smell as an emergency. Do not leave it in the app queue or wait for an in-app reply. Have a trained person follow your company’s emergency process. Use PERC’s gas-leak guidance for what you tell the customer. This page does not tell staff how to test or clear a leak. Read PERC’s gas-leak guidance.

Primary sources

• Alabama LP-Gas Board: rule 530-X-2-.08, including modified leak-check text
• PERC: what to do if you smell gas

Bring your run-out process to a Custom Fuel App demo. Related reading: Existing run-out overview, Propane ordering. Find more on the answer hub.

Planning guidance for the office. Check the rules for your work with the agency, your lawyer or a qualified reviewer. A product setting does not prove compliance.

Last updated: 2026-10-17
Author: The Custom Fuel App team