How Much Propane is in the Tank and How Long Will it Burn?

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4 ай бұрын

This is the second version of this video. One of my readers pointed out that I had an error in the method of calculation in the first version. To calculate how much gas is in any propane tank one must know the current weight of the tank, no matter how much propane is in the tank. The second thing one must know is the weight of the tank when it is empty, the Tare Weight (TW), which can be found on the collar of the tank. The current tank weight minus the Tare Weight of the tank gives the amount of propane in the tank. Using a propane burn time calculator (RollingFox.com), I have developed a graph for this video that allows one to calculate how long one pound of propane gas will burn in your gas BBQ grill depending on its particular burning characteristics (BTUs).

Пікірлер: 10

@ReaperDawg102 3 ай бұрын

Did not know. Thank you very much very informative!!

@jameslesterbaldwin9841 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for commenting. Happy BBQing. James

@jameslesterbaldwin9841 3 ай бұрын

One gal of propane weighs 4.24#. The TW (weight of empty tank) of my tanks is 18#. The WC (water capacity in gallons) of my tanks is 4.76 gallons. I have three tanks. Tank A is full from a Blue Rhino dealer. It weighs 33.6#. Subtracting the TW gives me 15.6# of gas. Dividing 15.6# by 4.24 (the wt of a gal of propane)=3.7gal of propane. 3.7gal divided by 4.76 gal= 0.77 or the Rhino tank is 77% full. Tank B was used and I had it filled at a local RV Park that fills propane tanks for its customers. After filling, Tank B weighs 36.6#. Using the same math Tank B filled by the RVP is 92% full. Tank C was also filled by the RVP and weighed 37.2#. Using the same math, Tank C is 95% full. Propane from the RVP is $3.50 a gallon (or $15.75 for 4.5 gal). An exchange Blue Rhino tank cost $22 (Reddit, 2years ago). This is $5.98 a gallon if it is 77% full. Three take aways:1. Exchange tank propane is twice as expensive 2. Local dispensers of Propane may put more gas in your tank. 3. Exchange tanks have the recommended volume (below 80%) and are therefore safer.

@richardl6751 3 ай бұрын

Yes, your math is spot on but you must keep in mind that 20 pounds is 80% of the maximum the tank can hold. Your take aways: #1. Yes, it does cost more but it can be more convenient. #2. Yes, but modern tanks have an Overfill Protection Device (OPD). When working properly it will cut off at 20 pounds, plus or minus a little. #3. Safer? That opinion can be subjective. A tank with only 1/2 pound in it can produce about 10,000 BTU which some might consider dangerous,

@georgepoore3840 3 ай бұрын

Pour a saucepan of fairly hot water over the tank, feel the tank . the cool part is the liquid amount.

@jameslesterbaldwin9841 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for pointing that out. I saw that trick on line but never tried it. Thanks for commenting. 👍😊

@richardl6751 3 ай бұрын

80% is actually 20 pounds. Exchange tanks are only 3/4 full. If take your tanks to some place that will refill them, they will put 4.5 gallons in the tank which is 20 pounds.

@jameslesterbaldwin9841 3 ай бұрын

I would love to see your math for a standard BBQ tank (TW=18;WC=47.6). Thanks again for commenting. 👍

@richardl6751 3 ай бұрын

@@jameslesterbaldwin9841 That's a 30 pound tank. 30 pounds divided by 4.44 pounds per gallon is 6.75 gallons.

@jameslesterbaldwin9841 3 ай бұрын

Please see the comment about the subject that I left today.. Very interesting. I would welcome your opinion and a math check.