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Our team help energise businesses across WA – including Avon Valley ballooning | Local Matters

Local Matters demonstrates Kleenheat’s presence across both WA and the NT from the perspective of our Kleenheat people and our regional network of business customers.

These real-life meet and greets depict who our people are and how we service the local community through the provision of gas, typically in the form of LPG cylinders, bulk deliveries, and Kwik-Gas.

Sometimes, our business customers use gas for more unique business operations.

Catering to our customers in the Avon Valley.

Windward Balloon Adventures uses LPG in specifically designed cylinders, for their Avon Valley-based hot air ballooning operation, which operates out of Northam between April and November every year. Northam Hot Air Balloon Local Matters LPG hot air balloon in air with gas flame burners lit

Windward, is a WA-owned ballooning company that has been operating since 1982. It boasts some of the most experienced pilots in Australia and is a multi-award-winning tourism operator.

According to Windwards’ Director and Chief Pilot, Damien Hays, ballooning is a fairly simple operation.

The first step in flying a hot air balloon is inflation. Cold inflation is initially used while the ballooning basket is laid on its side, with the balloon spread across the ground evenly. Fans are used to blow cold air into the balloon, which inflates it sufficiently to create the space to then fill it with warmer air.

Heat from the gas burners is then blown into the balloon to expand it completely, and as heat rises, this then assists with lifting the balloon and basket to an upright position for take-off.

Fun fact: It takes between 20-30 minutes to inflate the balloon and around the same time to deflate and pack up a hot air balloon.

LPG (or propane) is used to inflate and maintain heat in the balloon to assist with its inflation, and in flight, to assist with lowering or lifting the balloon as it moves along.

Once fully inflated, the balloon can hold approximately 425, 000 cubic feet of hot air, which is enough to carry three and a half tonnes.

About two and a half litres of LPG are used per minute to fly the balloons. Most balloons have four or five gas cylinders on board, which is to fly for an hour, plus reserves in case the landing location changes mid-flight.Northam Hot Air Balloon Local Matters LPG

Fun fact: Balloons can typically carry up to 20 passengers in a five-metre long rectangular basket.

Each season (April to November) Windward sees between three and five thousand passengers cruising up to 2000 feet or over 600m above Northam and the surrounding Avon Valley.

Meet Tom – our LPG Business Representative.

Tom Branse, one of our Regional WA Business Representatives, is just one of the Kleenheat LPG team dedicated to providing the best possible service to his clients in the community and their businesses, particularly across the Midwest and northern Wheatbelt. Northam Hot Air Balloon Local Matters LPG

Tom grew up in Germany but moved to Australia in 2011 and now loves calling WA home. While the move to WA meant that Tom had to adjust to the length of Perth and the distance between windsurfing beaches both south and north of the river, the climate and active lifestyle of Perth won Tom over ultimately.

Tom’s role involves a lot of road trips to regional areas to visit Kleenheat customers. While based in Perth, he is often driving into the Central and Northern Wheatbelt and up into the Mid West and Gascoyne, where some of his favourite WA locations, are including Kalbarri and Shark Bay.

Servicing industry based on business needs across WA.

Tom’s regional coverage is expansive. Our Kleenheat LPG team split WA into regions that ensure we can always be available to our business customers. Tom’s region stretches from Mundaring to Merredin in the east, Bullsbrook to Meekatharra to the north, and Guilderton to Shark Bay along the coast.

The businesses relying on gas within the Wheatbelt, Mid West, and Gascoyne are predominantly accommodation businesses such as hotels, motels, caravan parks, country pubs and mining camps that use LPG for hot water and cooking requirements. Northam Hot Air Balloon Local Matters LPG

There are also a number of regional Kleenheat Agents and Dealers who cater to 45kg residential LPG customers and use forklifts powered by LPG.

Tom works closely with Kleenheat Dealers to ensure business customers have their gas requirements met, but also our regional residential customers using LPG in their homes.

Other members within our Kleenheat team members cover the Southern Wheatbelt and Great Southern and Pilbara and North West of WA and even Rottnest Island as well as the Northern Territory.

Kleenheat LPG – more places, more often, across WA and the NT

Kleenheat’s proud to be the local name in LPG across Western Australia and the Northern Territory, with success built on delivering reliable service and support, developing new relationships, and strengthening existing ones.

Our LPG network delivers more places more often thanks to our dedicated team of drivers, and a reliable local dealer network, committed to offering the best possible value, reliable service, and support, with an unwavering commitment to safety.