If you are planning to buy a propane tank for your heating or fuel needs, you need to have a basic understanding of different propane tank sizes. So, in this guide, let us take a brief look at propane gas and why it is a very good alternative to other fuels (or power sources). After that, we will take a look at some common and popular sizes of propane tanks.
A Brief Note on Propane Gas
Propane Gas is a type of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG). There are other types of LPG but Propane and Butane are the two major types. The main source of Propane is crude oil. If you are familiar with crude oil refineries, then LPG is one of the last extracted fuels. Other than petroleum, you can also get propane as a byproduct while processing natural gas but crude oil contributes to a significant percentage of the entire propane production. Chemically, Propane is C3H8. It is a liquid that has no color or odor. We usually store propane liquid under high pressure in tanks. As we release the pressure, the propane liquid vaporizes and comes out as gas. Hence the name liquified petroleum gas. The reasons why propane is chosen as one of the important alternative fuels are it is clean, efficient, affordable, available, and reliable. Unlike other fossil fuels, burning propane doesn’t release huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), which is a greenhouse gas. It also doesn’t release other air pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Oxide (NO). Even if it does, the quantities are minuscule. Hence, propane is often considered a clean burning fuel. In the early days, petroleum was the main source of propane. But the extraction of propane from natural gas has increased tremendously over the past decade. Some countries such as the U.S. have abundant propane gas and they are exporting it to other countries. Propane has a high energy density and is relatively cheaper than other fuels. It is cheaper to use propane for room or space heating rather than electricity. Speaking of electricity or in the absence of it due to storms or other natural disasters, you can use propane for cooking, heating, generating power, and even running vehicles or tools/equipment.
Applications of Propane Gas
There are numerous applications of propane gas both indoors and outdoors. Let us take a quick look at some popular ones. Cooking is perhaps one of the main areas where we use propane quite often. If you have a propane stove, then cooking with propane gas is affordable and efficient. Small portable propane stoves are very popular for outdoor cooking (use them with RVs or camping). Speaking of outdoors, you can use propane with grills to cook fish, buns, etc. Heating water is one of the main energy-consuming tasks. When you compare heating with electricity, propane water heaters are much more efficient and cheaper to operate. Another “heating” application is space heating. You can get Propane Patio Heaters, Propane Furnaces, and even a full house heating system that runs with propane as fuel. Nowadays, you can get standby and portable generators that run on both gasoline as well as propane. Simply connect a propane tank to the generator, select the propane fuel option, and start the generator. You can use it with RVs, at home during blackouts, or even at work sites. Small to medium consumer and commercial trucks can run on propane. Previously, propane-powered forklifts were a thing but they have been replaced with electric or battery-powered ones.
Types of Propane Tanks
When we say types of propane tanks, we mean the place where you typically install them i.e., Above Ground or Under Ground. Above Ground Propane Tanks are often smaller in size and capacity when compared to Under Ground Propane Tanks. Above Ground Propane Tanks are available from 20 lbs. (about 5 gallons) to more than 1,000 gallons. While the smaller ones such as the 20 lb. Propane Tanks are portable, and larger tanks are stationary and are fixed permanently. Under Ground Propane Tanks are usually large with sizes starting at 250 gallons and going all the way to 1,500 gallons or even more. As they are Under Ground tanks, you have to excavate the ground. The construction of Under Ground propane tanks is much tougher than Above Ground propane tanks. The cost of installing Under Ground propane tank is significantly higher. Depending on your local laws, you need proper permissions to install Under Ground propane tanks. Apart from Above Ground and Under Ground, another important factor determining the type of propane tank is its orientation. You can have vertical propane tanks as well as horizontal propane tanks. Smaller Above Ground Propane Tanks and Portable Propane Tanks are mainly vertical but slightly larger ones are usually horizontal. Under Ground Propane Tanks are usually horizontal.
Propane Tank Sizes
If you are planning to buy a propane tank for cooking, heating, power generation, or any other purposes, then you have to know some important specifications of propane tanks such as their physical dimensions, dry weight (weight without propane), etc. Understanding different propane tank sizes allow you to properly choose the right tank for your needs. It will also determine the portability of the tank, the location of installation, and also the type of application you need the propane gas for. The following table lists some popular Propane Tank Sizes.
Additional Information on Propane Tank Sizes
If you notice the above table, we took the capacity of a propane tank as 80% of its maximum size. What’s the logic behind this? This is known as the 80% rule in the propane industry where we fill a propane tank only to 80% of its capacity. Dry Weight: 6.7 lbs. Dry Weight: 13.5 lbs. Patio Heaters Dry Weight: 13.5 lbs. Space Heaters Camping Generators Dry Weight: 27.4 lbs. Space Heaters Camping Generators Dry Weight: 31.8 lbs. Barbeques Heating Dry Weight: 37.3 lbs. Barbeques Heating Dry Weight: 67 lbs. Dryers Barbeques Heating Dry Weight: 156 lbs. Dry Weight: 212 lbs. Dryer Fireplaces Generators Dry Weight: 260 lbs. Dryer Fireplaces Generators Dry Weight: 483 lbs. Generators Dry Weight: 600 lbs. Generators Full House Heating (small houses) Diameter: 3 feet 2 inches Dry Weight: 950 lbs. Generators Dry Cleaning Large Pool Heating Diameter: 3 feet 5 inches Dry Weight: 1700 lbs. Dry Cleaning Heating Propane Filling Stations Diameter: 3 feet 10 inches Dry Weight: 3400 lbs. Dry Weight: 51,000 lbs. Propane Filling Stations The reason behind this is to leave some room for thermal expansion of the propane gas in the tank. This is a safety measure that everyone must follow. If you fill the propane tank to the brim, the gas doesn’t have anywhere to go when there is an increase in the temperatures. The consequences can be catastrophic. Next is the weight of propane. 1-gallon propane has an approximate weight of 4.25 lbs. You can use this for converting between gallons and pounds when refilling the propane tank or if you want to know the capacity of a propane tank. Another important specification is the heat that a 1 gallon of propane can generate. We measure this in BTU (British Thermal Unit). The reason why the BTU of propane is important is that the price of propane is usually determined by the amount of propane required to generate 1 million BTUs. 1-gallon propane can generate 91,500 BTUs of heat. Using these parameters, you can make a rough calculation on the amount of propane you need to run heaters, cooking, etc.
How to Choose the Right Propane Tank Size?
This is a tricky question and the answer is not straightforward. The simplest answer is “it depends”. But you can make approximate calculations on the amount of propane you use and the type of applications you are running. You can rent a propane tank, say a 20 lbs. Propane Tank and run some numbers. See how long this tank lasts for your needs and how often you need to go to the filling station. Do this test for a week or two. Depending on the numbers, you can approximately estimate the proper propane tank size you need for your heating, cooking, power generation, or any other purposes.
Conclusion
Propane is one cleanest and most efficient fuels we have. We use propane gas for cooking (residential, barbeques, grills, as well as camping), heating (water, space, or pool), power generation (dual fuel generators), dryers, running vehicles (small vehicles as well as agricultural vehicles), and many other applications. We often store propane in tough tanks and refill them when needed. But what are different propane tank sizes available? If this question is bothering you, then this article covers all the essential details on the same. In this guide, we saw the basics of propane, the reasons behind its popularity as well as some popular areas of applications. After that, we saw a list of some popular individual and commercial propane tank sizes. In this list, we have important parameters such as the physical properties of the propane tank, how much propane it can hold, and also typical applications/areas where we use that particular tank. We hope that guide could help you in understanding the common and popular propane tank sizes we have. If you feel we missed something or want us to add anything, do let us know in the comments section. It will not only help us but even other readers. Comment * Name * Email * Website
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