Propane heat

[ranger101ran]

Make damned sure you are insured!

It is a life changing event if it happens and you are not!

I definitely know what I'm insured for.

 

[jar944]

However, those who had large enough propane tanks to only fill once per year when prices were lowest, didn’t care or worry about the winter prices.

If I only had a 2000 gallon tank...

 

[toyotadriver]

If I only had a 2000 gallon tank…

Easy….get two 1000 gallon tanks. Gives you redundancy as well in case you have a regulator fail.

 

[toyotadriver]

Not everyone has that option. there is lot more than residences running LPG.

Farmers running grain driers for example. They already have one or two 1,000 gallon tanks and burn through it pretty fast.

I remember walking through a huge church. They were trying to deal with $6 a gallon LPG and running through about 800 gallons a month! Can you imagine buying LPG for $1 one winter, then $6 the next and burning somewhere around 4,000 gallons a heating season? $4,000 one year for heat, $24,000 the next.

I also had a couple customers that brought in LPG by the train car! Imagine 33,000 gallons at a time? And several of them? Now I would guess they contract it out at that usage, but is not certianly less per gallon that the homeowner price, but wow, that is a chunk of money!

Except in this thread we aren’t talking about commercial use of propane. We are talking about residential use of propane. I know plenty of people who have two 500 gallon or two 1000 gallon tanks to give them enough capacity to get through an entire year without refilling. If the winter price spikes scare you, the best solution is to increase storage capacity.

 

[jmdirk]

Using imperial, (USA) units of measure LPG per gallon is 26.76 times a KWH of electricity, so if you pay 10 cents per KWH, LPG would be $2.67 per gallon to equal out, but don't forget the efficiency of the equipment. 80% efficiency drops the number down to $2.13, 90% about $2.40 a gallon.

Good to know my math appears to hold. I'm paying ~10 USD/kWh for electricity, but would be paying roughly $3.42/gallon USD for LPG

 

[Adk Mike]

I’ve sold propane for a living for years.
2 things. Contract the gas every year. May or June. Lock in the price. Use a 500 gallon or larger. Nobody will say it but I will. A Propane Company is a trucking company. Minimize the deliveries.
Some say own your own tank. That’s fine. With inflation the price of tanks is too high at the present time. But owning your own is fine. I suggest a contract and stay with that vender thru the heating season.

 

[durk_2007]

with a 1200sf 1920 house running Rheem HP and propane backup and water heater I've burnt thru 350 gal since July and contracted at $1.75

 

[gmcgeo]

with a 1200sf 1920 house running Rheem HP and propane backup and water heater I've burnt thru 350 gal since July and contracted at $1.75

Thats a real good price, wonder what it will be to refill the tank

 

[38Chevy454]

I'm out of the city where my only good option is elec heat pump with propane backup. Fortunately SW Ohio is not too bad for extreme cold so my propane doesn't kick in too much. My detached garage used to be just propane, but this past fall I installed a mini-split that has heat pump as well as (the real reason) A/C for cooling. It saves using propane for the garage. I have a 500 gal buried tank that I own, which feeds to house and garage. It does save a little if you get a full fill at end of summer/early fall then just a top-off or whatever during winter when prices naturally are increased. I don't do pre-pay, but do have contracted delivery from a good local supplier.

 

[kelpaso1]

I'm out of the city where my only good option is elec heat pump with propane backup. Fortunately SW Ohio is not too bad for extreme cold so my propane doesn't kick in too much. My detached garage used to be just propane, but this past fall I installed a mini-split that has heat pump as well as (the real reason) A/C for cooling. It saves using propane for the garage. I have a 500 gal buried tank that I own, which feeds to house and garage. It does save a little if you get a full fill at end of summer/early fall then just a top-off or whatever during winter when prices naturally are increased. I don't do pre-pay, but do have contracted delivery from a good local supplier.

A mini-split is a type of heat pump.

 

[PoorUB]

A mini-split is a type of heat pump.

But not all mini splits are heat pumps. You can buy cooling only units, although manufactures are moving away from straight cooling units.

The wholesaler I worked for sold a couple different brands of mini splits. We had contractors come in looking for cooling only units and both the manufacturers we sold stopped building or importing them. Homeowners, for what ever reason wanted an AC only unit. Perhaps they thought they were less money. There was setup in the remote where you could lock out the HP side. We would show that to the contractor, and they would just lock out the HP on the install and the homeowners were happy! A couple button clicks and they could have heating too.

 

[kelpaso1]

But not all mini splits are heat pumps. You can buy cooling only units, although manufactures are moving away from straight cooling units.

Technically AC units are defined as a type of heat pump. Doesn't matter if your are cooling the air or heating it.

 

[PoorUB]

I was in HVAC for twenty years and the only time anyone ever used the term heat pump is when it was used to bring heat to the inside of a building.
If you were in the trades and called straight AC units heat pumps guys would wonder about you!

 

[gmcgeo]

I was in HVAC for twenty years and the only time anyone ever used the term heat pump is when it was used to bring heat to the inside of a building.
If you were in the trades and called straight AC units heat pumps guys would wonder about you!

Technically AC units are defined as a type of heat pump. Doesn't matter if your are cooling the air or heating it.

A heat pump is a device that takes heat from one source and moves it to another location through electric or mechanical means. This means you put the heat out side "ac inside" or heat inside "ac outside" in reality its called a heat pump not matter what. I am in the trades of HVAC and i always ask if they want complete heat or bot heat and AC. its on unit.... a heat pump unit.... difference is the switch that sends the flow one way or the other......

I know you both know this and how they work, the point is i don't care how someone looks at me. if its correct then its correct. I would look more of a fool to say its not a heat pump and just AC.

 

[PoorUB]

A heat pump is a device that takes heat from one source and moves it to another location through electric or mechanical means. This means you put the heat out side "ac inside" or heat inside "ac outside" in reality its called a heat pump not matter what. I am in the trades of HVAC and i always ask if they want complete heat or bot heat and AC. its on unit.... a heat pump unit.... difference is the switch that sends the flow one way or the other......

I know you both know this and how they work, the point is i don't care how someone looks at me. if its correct then its correct. I would look more of a fool to say its not a heat pump and just AC.

Well, just call it an air conditioner then, because a heat pump conditions the air.

Call it what you like, in most parts ot the country a HP refers to the ability to add heat to the space.

Call a wholesaler and ask for a heat pump for a residential split system. What are they gong to sell you? Ask them for an air conditioner. What are they going to sell you?

 

[gmcgeo]

Well, just call it an air conditioner then, because a heat pump conditions the air.

Call it what you like, in most parts ot the country a HP refers to the ability to add heat to the space.

Call a wholesaler and ask for a heat pump for a residential split system. What are they gong to sell you? Ask them for an air conditioner. What are they going to sell you?

I definitely understand what you are saying, but you are moving heat from one spot to another. moving from inside or moving from outside. either way its what the unit is. anyone can call it whatever they want. The mechanics of it is a heat pump. if you are going just an air conditioner then you are to move heat to the outside..... still heat pump just reversed

 

[durk_2007]

Thats a real good price, wonder what it will be to refill the tank

I'm going to squeeze in as much as I can got the contract till may.