how long will it last?

[sierradmax]

100 lb. (23 gallon) propane tank connected to my HD 75,000 BTU. Probably only run it 2-3 hours a night. And can I use a tank like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Worthington-282155-100-Lb-Propane-Tank-New_W0QQitemZ7579310610QQcategoryZ56998QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Goobzilla]

About 91,000 BTU's per gallon of propane.

91,000/75,000 is about an hour and 10 min for each gallon used. So you'd have to get that bottle refilled every 7-10 days if you used it every night. Those bottles are heavy, especially when full. I'm just getting a 125 gallon tank setup on Wednesday, the lease is cheap (only $55 a year).

[sierradmax]

woah.. Maybe I'll have to think about running it an hour a night to at least get 2-3 weeks out of it...

[ponjohn]

Hey guys-

Haven't been around in a while. I also have the Mr heater 75k heater. I thought I was going to use a 100lb tank but after reading the above post I need somthing bigger.

I got a quote from several propane companies and it is nearly 2k$ for an above ground tank install. Materials, labor, permits, inspections etc.

I would like to get propane maybe twice a month at most. Heater will most lilkely be run on weekends or kept low at like <50.

What size are the tanks you see on the side of houses? Certanly larger than 100lbs.

Thanks-
JOhn

[HoosierBuddy]

What size are the tanks you see on the side of houses? Certanly larger than 100lbs.

Thanks-
JOhn

Typically 500 gallons.

Phil

[ponjohn]

Phil-

Ohhhhhhh OK makes sense. I am trying to buy one that someone no longer needs. @k to install a tank is out of the question.

I remeber what I was quoted and it was a 100 GALLON tank app 55" tall x 30" dia.

John

[HoosierBuddy]

Phil-

Ohhhhhhh OK makes sense. I am trying to buy one that someone no longer needs. @k to install a tank is out of the question.

I remeber what I was quoted and it was a 100 GALLON tank app 55" tall x 30" dia.

John


Propane weighs 4.24 pounds per gallon and most tanks are normally filled to 80 to 90% full. So, a 20 pound cylinder is filled to about 3 gallons. A 100 pound cylinder would be filled to 20 gallons, etc. The big tanks are rated in gallons. They are still not filled all the way up to allow for propane vaporization/expansion. Propane left in a sealed tank will vaporize on top and create about 100 psi of vapor pressure. The vapor leaves the tank and is fed through a regulator to drop it to about 14 inches of water column pressure before entering a houseline. In some appliances a secondary regulator built into the gas valve cuts the pressure further before entering the burner. Propane has 89,000 btu's per gallon energy content while it's oft confused cousin LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) has a higher BTU content, typically about 95,000 BTU's per gallon. Typical costs for propane in my area right now are $1.65 per gallon, which is very high from a historical perspective, but slightly lower than last year. Propane and LPG are derived from crude oil and are effected by the base cost of crude.

Hope some of that is helpful.

Phil

[ponjohn]

Phil--

Thanks it is very helpful

John