How do you size a propane tank?

[Faithful One]

Right now I got a electric range, and I want a propane range.

I vaguely remember my Great Grandma only had two 40#? tanks for the gas stove.

I would like to own my own tanks. Will the gas places drive out and fill up a small order, or will I have to haul the tanks in?

I DON'T want a leased tank. I don't want to deal with just one company.

[Alice In TX/MO]

If you have small tanks, you'll have to bring them in.

[Siryet]

a 250 gal tank should be plenty big enough as yo can fill it to 80%.
Smaller tanks, as already said, have to be taken in and the propane price
is higher if you do that.

Most places will give you the going price delivered for 100 Gals at a time.

[fantasymaker]

Like most things we talk about it depends on where you are at. Id say if you are refilling a 40 pound or 40 gallon tank you would have to bring it to them. 100 pound/20 gallon tanks are fairly common in this area and are usually taken in.
Why not call a couple of your local guys and see?

[Speckledpup]

You can also OWN your tank. We bought ours 10 years ago for the same reason, we didn't want to HAVE to buy from any 1 company. We bought a 500 gallon tank and have it topped off once a year, we bought a tank big enough so that when we have an ice storm and it knocks the power out we still have enough heat from propane wall heaters to keep every thing from freezing and not having to worry about running out for a several weeks.

We have:
propane water heater, only comes on in the summer when the outdoor wood furnace isn't in use. If I'm going to do alot of laundry DH will build a fire in the furnace in the summer to cut down on the propane use, since the hot water supply goes thru it before the water heater.

propane oven, I also have an electric convection microwave combo that I use alot in the Summer to cut down on the heat. I also do some canning and I love to bake cookies and cakes to take into the staff at work. So the stove does get used a good bit.

1 propane wall heater that is used during power outages. We put 2 of these is when we first got our doublewide, like to be prepared. Back then we had electric heat, and with the power outages we have around here you need a back up.

1 propane wall heater that is used to take the chill off the bathroom during showers in the winters.

My average propane usage is $200 per year, I've been tracking the $ amount probably need to track the gallons now, since the price has gone up so much.



edited to add: I found my usage (hope this lines up)

Year $ gallons $ per gallon
2002 167 210 .999
2003 189 180 1.299
2004 208 160 1.399
2005 255
2006 221 130 1.699
07

[Gary in ohio]

First I would look at fuel cost in your area. Do be so critical of leasing a tank, yea you might be able to go to someone else but your most likley only going to do that once a year with just the stove being on the tank. Get a year contract end it in the summer and then next year find the best deal, if it takes a different tank then let them bring it in.

hauling 40lb tanks around is not going to be fun.

[RVcook]

I would buy the largest tank I could afford.

The home we have now came with a 500 gal. tank. At our last place, we purchased a used 1000 gal. tank. We were able to purchase our propane at a reduced rate because we bought such a large quantity. To make our cash stretch even further, DH called all our neighbors and had a little "co-op" thing going on. We got an even BETTER price doing that. And...we only had to partially fill it two times per year.

Like everything else, the cost of propane will just be going up. The larger the tank, the cheaper it will be per gallon to fill.

RVcook

[dale]

the reason the smaller tanks have to taken in is because they have to be weighed while filling.
anyway in Missouri they do.
you may be able to get a 100 gal. tank and get it filled while they are on a route in your area.
With the price here you have to get 150 gal. at a time now. I live in town near them so i am able to purchase 100 gal.

Call you local propane dealer.
I know in misouri you have to haul the 100 pound tanks in an upright positions

[Carolyn]

We have a 500 gal tank also--- when we needed smaller tanks for temporary living, we were told that it could be used on an RV or a camper, but not for home use---the smaller tanks need to be upright and stable and a certain amount a distance from the home. Carolyn

[Traci Ann]

I will admit we have a 100lb tank for our kitchen cookstove. We have to take it in and I am sure it would be a NONO if it was seen by the wrong person as to just how close to our house it is.

[Ramblin Wreck]

In our area, 250 gallon tanks are available frequently, usually for $200-$300. It would be wise to have any tank you use checked out by the company you plan to use to supply the gas. A leaky unit will just waste your money and may place your family in danger. Good luck finding a solution that works for you.

[busybee870]

I HAVE A 100 LB, I BRING IT IN TO FILL IT, I ONLY HAVE A GAS STOVE AND GAS DRYERER. i CONVERTED MY GAS STOVE TO A "MATCH LIGHT", MEANING YOU HAVE TO LIGHT THE PILOTS EACH TIME, THEREBY NOT WASTING PROPANE WITH A STANDING PILOT LIGHT. mY 100 LB TANK LASTS ME FOR 2 MONTHS THIS WAY.

[Windy in Kansas]

Your great grandmother probably had bottles of the 100 pound size. They were the old Skellgas standards. That size would have been needed to be taken to the dealership for filling as they need weighed which has been stated.

Similar to these. http://www.mantank.com/products/stee...ane/50-100.htm

Bottles, as they are most frequently called because of their smaller size, are available from farm supply stores such as Tractor Supply. Beware of buying used ones as they used to be owned by the gas companies and another company will not refill. Also used ones might need to be tested before a dealer will fill an older bottle.

Often two are used side by side and are manifolded together with a regulator to lower the fuel pressure and will automatically switch from one bottle to the next when it runs out. This allows continual usage and a bottle to be taken in for refilling as needed.

Depending upon your situation such as distance, ability to load and convey an LP bottle standing up (DOT), and funds, you might instead consider purchasing a tank rather than a bottle. Standard tank sizes are 125 gallon, 250 gallon, 500 gallon, and 1,000 gallon.

With the range as your only LP need I would probably suggest the 125 or 250 with the 250 being more common in my area for those smaller than the 500s.

If you buy a used tank with zero pressure in it a dealer may demand the tank be tested before they will fill it.

Dealers often sell used tanks and will deliver and set them and plumb them with the proper regulators, etc. so that you don't have to. Probably won't be as cheap as you can buy and do it yourself, but it will be done safely and correctly.

With the high energy costs of today it might pay to have a tank rather than a bottle as there would be less likelihood of it being stolen. Portable tank, free propane to some thieves, or for use as an ammonia carrier for meth production.

If and when you buy, you may wish to mark the container of your choice in an inconspicuous location and keep the receipt so that you can always show ownership. A thread some time back told about some dealers picking up a tank after a death claiming it is theirs and was only rented. If the tank is stamped with your name and date of acquisition they would have a hard time proving it is theirs.

With steel costs having gone through the roof in the last few years those used $1 per gallon tanks may be few and very far between. New ones will also reflect current steel prices no doubt.

[hunter63]

This would depend on how much you use and whether or not you can do your own hauling .
Our Co-op, has just about any size you want.

When I first joined I didn't know how it worked, so as I was given a 100# tank, took it in and asked "How Much", she said $35 bucks. (was a while back, only use it for the kitchen stove now, so lasts a long time)

So I asked about buying another tank, and how much that would be, she said "$35 bucks".
I didn't matter if you owned them or not, I would just bring in a tank and they would give me a new filled tank, same price.
Haven't had one filled in a while, so would have to check with them on pricing now.
They will provide a 250# "pony" tank that they will come out and fill, so when the dryer gets hooked up, maybe I will go that route.