JT Lee has been a long-time, trusted family owned small business for several decades and I'd guess is the oldest LP and Propane Supply, Delivery, Service, Tank Rental, Gas Piping Contractor and Repair Service Company in town, having serviced New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties much longer than I have been alive. To date, it is STILL owned and run by the same immediate Wilmington family! Their GM and NC Fuel Piping Contractor David is an LP Propane Genius as well having an engineering and mechanical knowledge and skill-set which is more than impressive. They also make very truthful and factual recommendations to anyone when they call and I can tell you from experience ..If they reccomend you buy or lease a 120 gallon tank for your gas longs and tell you its cheaper in the long ruin; or they tell you that you will save money by getting a second/bigger tank or getting on a schedule; that means you will save money... Still I hear of people acting a fool, thinking that by going to Lowes and getting two dinky 100 pound cylinders (Which ONLY hold about 23 gallons of propane, and which have hydro-static test / re-certification mandated by DOT every several years or they cannot be filled until tested and stamped) and only calling only when they want or need propane will save money. No gas company can afford to do that, no gas company can cover their cost on that..
LISTEN TO THEIR SUGGESTIONS!
I CAN SAY FROM EXPERIENCE THAT JT LEE STAFF WILL ALWAYS TELL YOU THE TRUTH AND RECOMMENDING THE LOWEST COST OPTION IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ASKED FOR!!!
An example of their knowledge and skill which is unsurpassed and sets them apart from everyone else: My parents had a Lennox Whisper Heat furnace and while in the city limits, there was not natural gas run to the house. As the house is more than 20 years old, and has the original wood framed windows and insulation, a heat pump, regardless of what a heat pump salesman TRIES tot tell you, is NOT efficient and even with Aux heat strips, will never let the house as warm as a gas run furnace in the winter.
To make a long story short, there were so many technical issues with the furnace than in the first 10 years, Lennox flew and sent an engineer from its Texas headquarters to my parents home twice. When Lennox stopped making and carrying parts and we needed a model-specific orifice and spring set, Lenox advised us to purchase a new unit which at only 11 years-old, we would not do. Initially we hadn't thought to call JT Lee and we had four local HVAC companies come out, some sending their owners for a 2nd trip, and one working with their competitor to try an find a fix and solution. This left my parents with only one burner out of four and no ability to convert to natural Gas if it ever was run down their road. One day while getting my grill tank filled at JT Lee, I walked in and saw David. I told him what was going on when he asked how my parents were and has asked me to step in his office. He reached for a huge, thick book and flipped to a page, looked at it for all of 2 seconds, pulled out a slide rule, punched some numbers of an engineering calculator, stood up and said hang on a second. He walked to hos work bench, I heard some buzzes, zings and grinds and he came back, handed me a few small items and said there you go.... Before I knew what I was holding, Politely asked how much do I owe you and he smiled and said, don't' worry about it.. We're just glad to have you and your folks as customers.
Iasked how much do I owe you and hesmiled and said, don't' worry about it.. We're just glad to have you and your folks as customers.
I asked what it was as I realized what it was... In less than five minutes, from the time I walked into their store on Carolina Beach Road, I was holding part I was holding ALL the parts my parent needed now and in the future for their furnace.
The same parts Lennox Engineers could not get or make, the same parts every major HVAC company we spoke with could not figure out... were in my hand, at no cost.
I think about that, and I think about the time my parents ran our of propane after midnight and at 3:00am seeing a propane truck filling their gas tanks on a sub-freezing night, after I forgot to call and schedule a delivery.
I think about the smiles form Mr. Lee (may he rest in peace; he was such a nice, nice, friendly and good man who was admired in, and gave back so, so much to the community and liked by all) and his daughter Kathy who is at the helm as well as all the staff. I even thing about that quirky guy I believe I heard someone call him Mr. Fraggle or Fraggle Rock or maybe his name started with a K.. I can't remember but while super strange (A Sort of Kind of Good Weird) he too always friendly and professional and delivers gas like a man on a mission in a race, albeit perhaps a one rabbit race.
JT Lee customers are their family and receive the best service in town for LP and Propane from the best professional company you can find! read more