Understanding how to check home propane tank levels is key to ensuring you don’t run out of propane ever again. If you’re unsure how to tell if your home propane tank is empty, here are some tips and helpful ways to check your tank’s level and keep your home up and running smoothly all year long.
Propane is an efficient and affordable form of energy that you can use to heat your home, power your appliances and cook your food. But running out of propane in your home’s tank is never ideal, and it can leave you scrambling to find same-day fuel delivery. The stress of running out of propane just as you’re getting ready to take a hot shower, cook a delicious steak on the grill or fire up the furnace in freezing cold temperatures is a mistake to avoid at all costs.
Fortunately, you can easily monitor your tank’s level yourself. Whether you have a 20 lb tank, a 100 lb tank or a large 400+ lb tank that fuels your home’s appliances and heating, there are several ways to check your home propane tank level on your own.
Using the scientific properties of propane to accurately gauge your propane tank’s level, it is easy to check the level of propane in your tank with warm water. Start by pouring warm water over your propane tank. Next, run your hand over the side of the tank, paying close attention to the temperature of the side of the tank. As you run your hand over your propane tank, it will begin to feel cool to the touch as your hand approaches the propane level in your tank. Once the tank is cool to the touch, that’s where your propane level is at in your tank.
For example, if you get halfway down the side of the tank before it becomes cool to the touch, that’s where your propane level sits. Is your tank cool to the touch near the top? Your tank is full. Your tank is cool near the bottom? Near the top? When your hand touches a spot on the tank that is cool to the touch, that’s where your propane level is at.
This works by warming your propane tank on the outside and allowing the warmth of the water to interact with the propane in your tank. Propane is a cold liquid that you can feel after introducing warmth to the outside of the tank.
Although this is not a precise method to check your home’s propane tank level, it does give you a good idea of how much propane is left in the tank so you can plan accordingly. This method also works better with smaller propane tanks rather than the large ones that allow you to heat and power your entire home.
You can use a gauge to check and monitor your propane tank level. Most of the gauges that come already equipped on a portable liquid propane gas (LPG) cylinder measure the level of propane in your tank using pressure from inside the tank. Gauges that measure your tank’s pressure to tell you how much propane is left in the tank, are expressed in percentages such as 100 percent, 30 percent and so on. If your tank does not come with a gauge, you can purchase a propane tank gauge that you connect near the nozzle of your tank to measure its pressure levels.
Gauges are an excellent option for large residential propane tanks designed to heat your whole home and fuel other household appliances.
This method is only helpful if you’re working with a small propane tank such as for your gas grill or other small outdoor appliances. You’ll essentially weigh your propane tank to measure the level. Propane is a liquid that can be measured in pounds. Using your household scale, disconnect your propane tank from your gas grill or other propane-fueled appliance and place it on the scale.
To get an accurate measure of the propane level, weigh your tank when it’s full and take note of how much it weighs. Most propane tanks come with a “tare weight” measurement somewhere on the side of the tank, where the logo and company information can be found on the label. The tare weight is the weight of your tank when it’s totally empty. Weigh your full tank to get an understanding of how much a full propane tank weighs and to give a starting point for checking your tank’s level in the future. As you use your propane tank, the weight decreases until you’re left with just an empty tank.
For example, if your full propane tank weighed 20 lbs and after using it for a while, it weighs in at 15 lbs, then you can safely deduce it’s three-quarters of the way full. Weigh your tank regularly to get an accurate measurement of how much propane is in the tank.
Again, this might not be feasible for your large 450 lb residential propane tanks, but it can work to check the levels of your smaller propane tanks used for gas grills and other appliances.
This method is another that is best suited for smaller tanks used with gas grills or other small camping appliances, but you can accurately check your propane tank level using a mathematical formula. Most propane tanks have a certain amount of cooking time that you can expect to get from them.
Most small propane tanks used for gas grills come with 20 lbs of propane in them. You’ll need to convert the weight to gallons by dividing the number of pounds by 4.2. Once you have the number of gallons of propane in your tank, you’ll need to know the number of BTUs per hour your gas grill consumes. Then you will want to determine the maximum number of BTUs per hour that your gas grill is capable of consuming on its highest setting, or with the flames turned all the way up.
One gallon of propane produces approximately 92,000 BTUs of energy. If your tank weighs 20 lbs, then that’s 4.76 gallons of propane, or 438,000 BTUs that your propane tank is capable of producing. Say your grill is rated at 30,000 BTUs per hour on the highest setting. You’ll simply divide 438,000 by 30,000 to get the amount of cooking time your propane tank is capable of producing.
Using the figures above (438,000/30,000), you can safely assume your propane tank is good for 14-15 hours of cooking time with your grill on its highest setting. From there, simply factor in which setting you’re cooking on to determine the amount of time your propane tank can fuel your gas grill. If you cook on half heat, then multiply that 14-15 hour approximation by two, and so on for other settings.
For the end-user, propane is a safe, easy to use heating source that can power barbecue grills, home heating systems, and even refrigerators. But along the way, from extraction in the field to storage at your local Ferrellgas office, propane undergoes a number of different processes to ready it for commercial and residential use.
The key to propane’s portability, and what packs so much energy into a relatively small volume of space, is pressure. In its natural state, propane is a vaporous gas. Under pressure, however, that vapor is converted to a form that is easier to transport and store. Liquified Petroleum Gas, or LPG, is the result of pressurizing propane gas, which causes it to drop below its boiling point of -44 degrees Fahrenheit.
At this temperature or below, propane remains in a liquid state, which condenses a large amount of energy into a small volume of fluid. When the propane’s temperature increases, it begins to “boil” off and this vapor is the usable form of propane that is converted to flame and heat your appliances. In this state, propane gas has a natural reaction to expand until it reaches equilibrium, or where it has normalized with atmospheric pressure.
There are four “Gas Laws” that explain the relationship between gases, pressure, temperature, and volume. Generally, propane pressure should be between 100 and 200 psi to ensure that the liquid propane gas remains in a liquid state.
> 100 psi Low 100 - 200 psi Normal Range < 200 psi HighNormally, the pressure inside a propane tank fluctuates slightly based on the outside temperature. For example, a standard 20-pound propane tank at 70 degrees will have 145 psi internal pressure. That same tank on a 100-degree day will have 172 psi of pressure.
Propane pressure levels exceeding 200 psi are likely to trigger a release from the safety relief valve commonly installed on propane storage tanks. This device allows propane gas to safely vent out of the tank if there’s excessive pressure.
If a propane tank is in contact with extreme heat, such as a garage fire, the external heat can cause the temperature inside the tank to increase, creating a BLEVE –or boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. As the heat raises the temperature of the propane, the vapor expands and increases the pressure inside the tank, which can lead to a rupture.
On the other extreme, propane itself is unlikely to freeze –that would require a temperature below -306 degrees Fahrenheit. However, trace amounts of water in supply lines can freeze inside fuel ports and fittings in extremely cold conditions.
To check the pressure on your tank:
On smaller systems, such as propane barbecue grills, it’s important to remember that exposure to direct sunlight can increase both the temperature and pressure inside your propane tank.
If your tank is painted black or another dark, heat-absorbing color, it could further increase the internal temperature and pressure of the tank.
The best practice is to store your grill and tank in a shaded and well-ventilated area. While your tank will be equipped with a pressure relief valve – also known as a “pop-off valve” – in case the pressure rises too high, there’s no need to tempt fate –or waste the propane you’ve purchased.
It’s important to make sure your tank is not damaged and is free from rust, which could likewise affect not only the tank’s performance, but its ability to maintain the proper pressure.
Ferrellgas locations offer tank painting and rust removal services, and qualified technicians can inspect your tank to ensure it’s in good working order. Ferrellgas also produces resources with valuable information about propane tank safety, and additional information that will help you get the most from your tank.
Knowing how much pressure is in a propane tank is important, but it’s only part of the information you need to know to get the most from your experience with propane.
Understanding how your tank – and propane gas – reacts to extreme temperatures, the safety devices available, and the importance of safety and maintenance, will help ensure you get the most from each tank of propane you use. And don’t forget that there’s a Ferrellgas location near you with experts who are ready to help you answer any question.
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