Propane Tanks - How Full are they?

[cameront120]

Is there a simple way of determining how much propane is left in the tank? Are there any sorts of guages or such available, or some simple trick to give one an idea of how much propane is left?

[overlander63]

That's an easy one. Pour some warm water down the outside of the tank. You will see a condensation line form where the propane level is.

[cameront120]

Is it that easy? Cool! Thank you! I wonder if I can train one of my dogs to do that so I don't have to leave my warm, cozy, dry trailer!

[willyd]

In this forum, you learn something new every day. Would you had ever guessed about pouring warm water on the tank?

[HowieE]

The next time you get them filled pour the warm water on them before you use them. The liquid level in a full tank is not all the way to the top so get a point of reference to work from.

A more accurate way is to weight the tank and compare the weight to those on the neck.

As a general rule if you can find a Flying J or other filling station that will sell by the gallon not the weight you will pay quite a bit less per fill up. Another point is you can fill a partially full tank and only pay for what you need not a complete fill up.

[cammur]

I don't know how reliable or costly it is but I see Costco has a gauge you can insert in the line out from the tank.

[cameront120]

I found out that once you warm the tank with water, you can feel where the propane is because it is cold. The metal of the cylinder where there is no LP behind it will be warm.

[Pick]

Those $20 pressure gauges are about worthless. The vapor pressure of propane is the same no matter how much liquid is in the tank. The pressure only changes with temperature. They might give you a minute or two of warning right before the gas runs out.

You need a tank with a float type device to measure the liquid level in a propane tank.

[eubank]

Originally Posted by HowieE

The next time you get them filled pour the warm water on them before you use them. The liquid level in a full tank is not all the way to the top so get a point of reference to work from.

A more accurate way is to weight the tank and compare the weight to those on the neck.

As a general rule if you can find a Flying J or other filling station that will sell by the gallon not the weight you will pay quite a bit less per fill up. Another point is you can fill a partially full tank and only pay for what you need not a complete fill up.

Pricing (that is, charging for) propane is quite a bit different from the safety considerations on filling, which is covered by various state laws, which, in turn, generally come from the regulations in the National Fire Protection Association propane book (see NFPA 58 at www.nfpa.org).

Safety considerations, again, coverered by state law and inspections in most areas, require that one fill either by weight (using a state-inspected scale) or by volume (using a bleed valve). The preferred method in many locations is by weight because filling by volume inevitably requires one to vent some propane into the atmosphere. (A few states around have sophisticated recapture devices fitted to the cylinder.)

Now, charging is pretty much anybody's story: Some outfits charge by the gallon; other outfits charge by the pound; others still have a flat rate for a given size of cylinder. In most places, it's pretty much whatever the dealer can get away with in a given competitive market; about the only level at which the state gets involved is with measurement devices (scale or gallon counter) to make sure that the dealer isn't cheating people. You'll see the same thing at gas stations: The little tag on the pump.

THE most accurate way to access the fill state of a cylinder for the vast majority of purposes is by weight.

Hum. I got carried away again!


Lynn

[yakman]

Originally Posted by HowieE

The next time you get them filled pour the warm water on them before you use them. The liquid level in a full tank is not all the way to the top so get a point of reference to work from.

A more accurate way is to weight the tank and compare the weight to those on the neck.

As a general rule if you can find a Flying J or other filling station that will sell by the gallon not the weight you will pay quite a bit less per fill up. Another point is you can fill a partially full tank and only pay for what you need not a complete fill up.

I don't understand. Aren't you always getting what you pay for regardless of paying by the pound, gallon etc? My local RV place charges by the pound and we can do top offs.

Thanks,

yakman

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by yakman

I don't understand. Aren't you always getting what you pay for regardless of paying by the pound, gallon etc? My local RV place charges by the pound and we can do top offs.

Thanks,

yakman

Many places charge a flat rate for a size cylinder. In that case, it's important to know if the cylinder really gets filled as much as you are paying for.

[Wayne&Sam]

Originally Posted by cameront120

Is it that easy? Cool! Thank you! I wonder if I can train one of my dogs to do that so I don't have to leave my warm, cozy, dry trailer!

Sorry, no. You have Labs not Border Collies.

[eubank]

Originally Posted by yakman

I don't understand. Aren't you always getting what you pay for regardless of paying by the pound, gallon etc? My local RV place charges by the pound and we can do top offs.
Thanks,
yakman

Generally speaking, if an outfit charges by the (tenth of a) gallon or pound, you're probably getting a better deal.

Of course, if you've got a dead-empty cylinder, then an outfit that charges by the size of cylinder won't necessarily charge you that much more. However, it's been my experience that most cylinders do have a little left in them even after they fail to run RV appliances.

By the way, I personally haven't seen any outfits that actually charge by the pound; it's always been by the gallon. That's how we do it here on the park, for example. On the other hand, I've heard folks tell of places that charge by the pound -- though, of course, those folks may be confusing filling by the pound (a safety concern) with charging practices.


Lynn

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by yakman

I don't understand. Aren't you always getting what you pay for regardless of paying by the pound, gallon etc? My local RV place charges by the pound and we can do top offs.

Thanks,

yakman

Propane by the gallon is generally cheaper than any shop that sells it by the pound. Around here a campground may charge as much as $32.00 for a 30 pounder. I left that campground and stopped at Flying J and filled a completely empty 30, a 3/4 empty 30 pounder and added 5 lbs to my 10 pounder for a total of $41.45.

You do the math.

Another advantage to those of us using diesel is the pumps at Flying J the truck islands pump about 4 times as fast as diesel pumps at many stations and much faster than the RV island.

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

Sorry, no. You have Labs not Border Collies.

[SilverCottage]

This chart will let you do the math to compare propane sold by the lb to the gallon:

Propane and propane generators

Propane weighs 4.2 pounds per gallon
Cylinders are rated by their weight capacity of propane

There is also a lot of other interesting info on power and consumption rates.

[eubank]

Originally Posted by SilverCottage

This chart will let you do the math to compare propane sold by the lb to the gallon:

Propane and propane generators

Propane weighs 4.2 pounds per gallon
Cylinders are rated by their weight capacity of propane

There is also a lot of other interesting info on power and consumption rates.

Pretty interesting site. One small problem: Cylinders are rated by their weight capacity for water, not propane. If you look at the collar of your cylinder, you'll see a number after the acronym WC, which stands for water capacity; there's no indication for capacity in pounds of propane. (If you multiply WC by .42, you'll get the weight capacity for propane.)

What I didn't see in the site was anything specific about how dealers charge for propane, gallon vs. pound. If there's any difference at all, I suspect it would be a fairly small one. However, the gallon counters commonly used to sell propane aren't very accurate because these simple counters do not compensate for temperature. (That's the reason why the NFPA does not condone filling propane cylinders -- the safety concern -- by means of a simple gallon counter.)


Lynn

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by eubank

By the way, I personally haven't seen any outfits that actually charge by the pound; it's always been by the gallon. That's how we do it here on the park, for example. On the other hand, I've heard folks tell of places that charge by the pound -- though, of course, those folks may be confusing filling by the pound (a safety concern) with charging practices.


Lynn

Lynn,
Last winter when I stopped in MN. I was charged by the pound. The local Propane dealer charges by the gallon. I have seen both. About $2.20/gal cost to fill around $20 and around $1.00/lb for my cylinder it comes to about $30.

[purman]

Any way back on topic.....

The gage on the regulator stays green till it just about goes empty and then turns red as it goes empty.....

Has anyone tried on of those gages that they sell at wally world, or other camping stores... Do any of those gages work, or is water down the side the most reliable test... And what if your tanks are in a cover, makes it hard to do...

Any thoughts...???????

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Jason, My regulator has the same gauge you described. It turns green when there is propane, then suddenly turns red when you are out. I gives no notice or capacity at all. I have been caught with my tank low and not know it. Running out while cooking breakfast for your family and your neighbors is rather embarrassing. I kind of wish I had bought the Worthington's with the gauges on them that Vintage Trailer Supply sells.
I prefer to have my tanks filled at my local rv center. It costs more (I do not know what it costs for all Airstream expenses are ignored as to not put a dollar figure on a priceless hobby) but when Freddie fills the tanks he opens the bleeder valve. When he fills it, it is full. The places selling by weight are always ripping me off in my opinion. The scale always has dirt on it and is so rusty that it could not be accurate. The place I found when I ran out, sold by weight. While the kid was getting his gloves, I took the weights off the scale and it didn't even move. He claimed it works fine. I made him open the bleeders and watched closely to make sure they were filled. When I asked how much he asked if I was paying cash. When I said yes he asked if I was in need of a receipt. I said no and he told me $30 would cover it. I am pretty sure the cash stayed in his pocket.