Which Gauge to Read on Propane Tank
How To Read A Propane Tank Judge (With Examples)
Written on: February 7, 2018
Homeowners use propane for a vast number of tasks: habitation heating, h2o heating, clothes drying, fireplaces, cooking and back-up power. To ensure there is enough propane for all of your dwelling house free energy needs, it's important to check your propane tank fuel gauge on a regular ground.
Not only is it an easy way to make sure you always have plenty fuel, only it'southward critical to your safety.
If a propane tank runs out of gas completely, information technology may innovate air into the arrangement, which can cause impairment to the tank, or worse, may crusade your pilot lights to become out.
If not handled properly, this situation can exist dangerous. As a result, federal lawmaking requires y'all have a professional person inspect your unabridged propane organization earlier y'all can plow the gas back on.
To avoid these issues, learn how to read your propane tank fuel gauge so your family — and dwelling — are safety.
Reading a Propane Tank Gauge
One of the most of import things to sympathize nigh your propane tank is that the fuel approximate shows y'all the fuel level every bit a percentage of the capacity of your tank, not the full amount of gallons in the tank.
While non all propane tanks have the same gauges, their purpose remains the same: to bear witness yous how much propane is left in the tank. Most gauges are "bladder gauges," (like the fuel approximate in a vehicle), which reads the level of liquid propane in the tank via a floating arm. Every bit the level drops, and then does the bladder gauge.
Knowing how to read the approximate will help you lot know when it's time to request a refill.
Below are a couple examples of propane gauges plus some tips on how to read them.
A propane gas fuel judge showing a tank that is 75% full. (Photo/ Kaufmann Gas)
Equally a precaution, refill your gas once your fuel guess reads xx% (or beneath).
A propane tank that has run far below the recommended 20% level — this tank is less than 10% full. ( Photograph/ Ressler Propane)
Reading Propane Tank Numbers
If you take a propane tank for dwelling house free energy usage, and then you've probably noticed that later a propane delivery, the tank gauge reads eighty%.
Don't worry, y'all're not being scammed and there is nothing wrong with your tank or the gauge. Although you utilise propane in gas form, propane is stored as a liquid in your tank to allow it space to aggrandize and contract equally the ambient temperature rises and falls. The maximum fill pct is always going to be 80%.
You can perform some uncomplicated math to make up one's mind how much gas is in your propane tank. But multiply the tank's chapters by the reading on the tank gauge.
For example, if your 500-gallon tank is showing a gauge reading of threescore%, that means yous have 300 gallons of gas remaining in your tank (500 ten 0.6).
If you desire to skip the math, here'southward a handy nautical chart that will tell you 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 |
| 80% | 96 gallons | 200 gallons | 400 gallons | 800 gallons |
| 70% | 84 gallons | 175 gallons | 350 gallons | 700 gallons |
| 60% | 72 gallons | 150 gallons | 300 gallons | 600 gallons |
| fifty% | 60 gallons | 125 gallons | 250 gallons | 500 gallons |
| 40% | 48 gallons | 100 gallons | 200 gallons | 400 gallons |
| 30% | 36 gallons | 75 gallons | 150 gallons | 300 gallons |
| 20% | 24 gallons | 50 gallons | 100 gallons | 200 gallons |
| x% | 12 gallons | 25 gallons | l gallons | 100 gallons |
How long will your propane final?
At present that you understand how to read your propane tank gauge, information technology's helpful to know (or, at least have an approximate of) how long your propane will concluding.
To decide how long a tank of propane will last, we need to outset 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 i gallon of propane contains roughly 92,000 BTUs.
The BTU rating is also a manner to mensurate the efficiency of your appliances, which will all utilize propane at varying rates. This will play a office in how long your propane tank lasts.
For case, a furnace rated for 200,000 BTUs is capable of delivering twice the horsepower of a furnace rated for 100,000 BTUs. Notwithstanding, you wouldn't use a 200,000 BTU furnace to heat a space that just needs a 40,000 BTU infinite heater.
Here'southward how to determine how much burn fourth dimension y'all have left in your propane tank:
- Read your approximate to determine the number of gallons of propane gas remaining in your tank (run into chart above)
- Determine the BTU rating on your appliances. Here are a few standard appliances BTU ratings:
- Water heater: 40,000 BTU/hour
- Wearing apparel dryer: 35,000 BTU/hour
- Gas range stove: 65,000 BTU/hour
- Central furnace: 200,000 BTU/hour
Divide the BTUs of one gallon of propane (92,000 BTUs) past the BTU rating of your apparatus. This will give y'all the number of hours it volition take to use 1 gallon of propane.
Let'south use the gas range stove every bit an example:
92,000 BTUs / 65,000 BTU per hour = 1.41 hours
Therefore, using your gas stove continuously for 1.41 hours (or one hour and 25 minutes) volition burn one gallon of propane.
This adding should only exist used as a rough estimate. Of course, it'southward best to refill your tank well before it runs out
If calculating the fuel in your tank feels burdensome, consider an automatic fuel commitment choice. Many propane companies offer propane tank monitoring and propane gas delivery so that your gas shows upwardly right when you lot demand information technology.
Source: https://www.santaenergy.com/how-to-read-a-tank-gauge/
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