THOMASVILLE- With an unprecedented cold front expected to hit late this week, Southern Quality Propane is preparing for an influx of calls for tank refills and pilot lightings.

Southern Quality Propane recently merged with Morris Propane in Monticello, to better serve the Northwest Florida and South Georgia area.

“We are now much more equipped to provide service in more delivery areas than before,” said Southern Quality Propane President Brent Hinson.

Although Southern Quality Propane is equipped to deal with the multiple deliveries, Hinson also realizes it is human nature to wait until the last minute, especially when it comes to weather.

“It is a busy time of year, and not many people think ahead to check their tanks,” Hinson explained.

Luckily, Southern Quality Propane has most customers covered.

“We have over 5,000 monitors on tanks, especially the larger tanks in constant use,” he said. “We have been checking those regularly to make sure no one runs out of propane. We also have customers on certain routes we run that we refill every time we are in the service area.”

Hinson went on to say they have even made courtesy calls to customers lately who usually request a refill, but have not done so yet this season.

One of the main things Hinson requests customers to do is go ahead and turn on their fireplaces, prior to the cold front.

“We provide a service to the logs to make sure they’re working,” he said. “A lot of ash builds up in the offseason and can cause the vent to become clogged up.”

Hinson reminded customers that the first time they turn on their fireplace, the smell of propane will be present. However, the time to be concerned is when customers turn off their fireplace and the smell continues long after the fireplace has died down, as it may be an indication of a leak.

Knowing this, Hinson said everybody at the company is prepared to work overtime, especially in the coming days.

“This is what we prep for,” he said. “This is our busiest time of year and every employee knows that.”

He also said that they will always have employees on call for emergencies, such as leaks.

To schedule a log service or a tank refill, contact Southern Quality Propane at (229) 228-4427.