How to Read a Propane Tank Gauge

How To Read A Propane Tank Gauge (With Examples)

Written on: Feb 7, 2018

Homeowners use propane for a vast number of tasks: home heating, water heating, apparel drying, fireplaces, cooking and dorsum-up power. To ensure there is plenty propane for all of your habitation energy needs, it's important to cheque your propane tank fuel estimate on a regular basis.

Not only is information technology an easy mode to make sure you always have enough fuel, but it'southward critical to your safety.

If a propane tank runs out of gas completely, it may introduce air into the system, which can crusade harm to the tank, or worse, may crusade your pilot lights to become out.

If not handled properly, this situation tin be dangerous. Every bit a upshot, federal code requires you have a professional person inspect your entire propane system before yous can turn the gas dorsum on.

To avert these problems, learn how to read your propane tank fuel estimate then your family — and dwelling — are safe.

Reading a Propane Tank Gauge

Ane of the virtually of import things to understand near your propane tank is that the fuel approximate shows y'all the fuel level as a percentage of the chapters of your tank, not the total corporeality of gallons in the tank.

While not all propane tanks have the aforementioned gauges, their purpose remains the aforementioned: to show you how much propane is left in the tank. Most gauges are "float gauges," (similar the fuel guess in a vehicle), which reads the level of liquid propane in the tank via a floating arm. Equally the level drops, then does the float estimate.

Knowing how to read the gauge will help you know when it's fourth dimension to request a refill.

Below are a couple examples of propane gauges plus some tips on how to read them.

A propane gas fuel gauge showing a tank that is 75% full. (Photo/ Kaufmann Gas)

As a precaution, refill your gas once your fuel judge reads 20% (or below).

A propane tank that has run far below the recommended 20% level — this tank is less than 10% full. ( Photo/ Ressler Propane)

Reading Propane Tank Numbers

If you take a propane tank for abode free energy usage, then yous've probably noticed that after a propane delivery, the tank gauge reads lxxx%.

Don't worry, you're not beingness scammed and there is nothing wrong with your tank or the judge. Although you utilise propane in gas form, propane is stored as a liquid in your tank to allow information technology space to expand and contract every bit the ambient temperature rises and falls. The maximum make full percentage is always going to be 80%.

Yous tin perform some uncomplicated math to decide how much gas is in your propane tank. Just multiply the tank's capacity by the reading on the tank approximate.

For instance, if your 500-gallon tank is showing a judge reading of sixty%, that ways you lot have 300 gallons of gas remaining in your tank (500 10 0.6).

If you want to skip the math, here's a handy chart that volition tell you lot how much gas is left in your propane tank based on your tank size and your gauge reading:

Gauge Reads	120-Gallon Tank	250-Gallon Tank	500-Gallon Tank	1,000-Gallon Tank
fourscore%	96 gallons	200 gallons	400 gallons	800 gallons
70%	84 gallons	175 gallons	350 gallons	700 gallons
sixty%	72 gallons	150 gallons	300 gallons	600 gallons
50%	60 gallons	125 gallons	250 gallons	500 gallons
xl%	48 gallons	100 gallons	200 gallons	400 gallons
30%	36 gallons	75 gallons	150 gallons	300 gallons
twenty%	24 gallons	50 gallons	100 gallons	200 gallons
x%	12 gallons	25 gallons	l gallons	100 gallons

How long will your propane terminal?

Now that yous sympathise how to read your propane tank guess, it's helpful to know (or, at least have an estimate of) how long your propane will last.

To determine how long a tank of propane will last, we need to start with the British Thermal Unit of measurement (BTU). A BTU is a basic measurement used for rating how much energy it takes to produce oestrus. As a baseline, note that one gallon of propane contains roughly 92,000 BTUs.

The BTU rating is too a way to measure the efficiency of your appliances, which will all utilize propane at varying rates. This will play a part in how long your propane tank lasts.

For example, a furnace rated for 200,000 BTUs is capable of delivering twice the horsepower of a furnace rated for 100,000 BTUs. Withal, you wouldn't use a 200,000 BTU furnace to heat a space that just needs a 40,000 BTU space heater.

Hither's how to determine how much burn time you have left in your propane tank:

1. Read your estimate to determine the number of gallons of propane gas remaining in your tank (see chart higher up)
2. Decide the BTU rating on your appliances. Here are a few standard appliances BTU ratings:

• Water heater: 40,000 BTU/hour
• Clothes dryer: 35,000 BTU/60 minutes
• Gas range stove: 65,000 BTU/hour
• Central furnace: 200,000 BTU/hour

Separate the BTUs of i gallon of propane (92,000 BTUs) by the BTU rating of your apparatus. This will requite y'all the number of hours it will have to utilise one gallon of propane.

Let's use the gas range stove as an example:

92,000 BTUs / 65,000 BTU per 60 minutes = 1.41 hours

Therefore, using your gas stove continuously for ane.41 hours (or 1 hour and 25 minutes) will burn one gallon of propane.

This calculation should but exist used every bit a crude guess. Of form, it's all-time to refill your tank well before it runs out

If calculating the fuel in your tank feels burdensome, consider an automatic fuel delivery option. Many propane companies offering propane tank monitoring and propane gas delivery so that your gas shows up right when you lot need it.

cooneythujered1941.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.santaenergy.com/how-to-read-a-tank-gauge/

Share this post