This is why I am NOT an engineer. Not really – there are a million reasons why I’m not an engineer so this is only one reason!
We have a 500 gallon propane tank. They will only fill it 80% full so basically, we have a 400 gallon propane tank. There’s a minimum of 200 gallons to buy to get the lowest price. Our take was at 50% so, I calculated it all in my head and that was 200 gallons. They came yesterday to put propane in the tank. Vince came in and said “How did you figure we needed 200 gallons? We only needed 150 gallons.” Lucky for me, they still gave us the lowest price.
It seems that the correct way to calculate this, though I think my way was better <G>, is that when the tank is half full, it needs 250 gallons to fill it . . if they filled it to the top but since they only fill it to 400 gallons, 400 – 250 is 150 so . . I was wrong!
It’s really all Vince’s fault because he should know by now to never trust my math and never trust my directions. 🙂
I had heard propane was going up and it is . . next week, so I’m glad we got it, even if I was wrong and I’m glad they gave us the lowest price. Our propane was $2.05 I think and I’m not sure what it’s going up to next week. In Texas, as of last week, it was already over $3.
At least after having filled the tank, I know that in the 10 months since we’ve had the gas stove near the end of September, 2021, I’ve used 150 gallons of propane. Heck, I don’t even know if they call it gallons but whatever measurement they use .. I used 150 of them. I’m guessing that I’ll always use about the same amount that I’ve used in the past 10 months. I’m going to count on using 15 gallons per month so, in theory, I should be able to go two years without having to get it filled. That would mean using 360 gallons and leaving 40 gallons. I doubt I’d get that close. The one thing I never want to do is need to have the tank filled during the winter when propane is, or at least has always been before now, the highest.
I could have it filled in May, 2024 and that would be 22 months from now so, in the next 22 months, I should have used 330 and that should leave 70 gallons in the tank. I just don’t want to get near empty but I suppose as long as propane isn’t in short supply, it doesn’t matter. At least for now, they come within a day or two of us calling them.
Cheryl B says
Did you take into consideration your new canning stove? Or is that on a separate LP tank?
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Same tank but I’m canning either downstairs or upstairs – not both places so I won’t be using more gas. In fact, the downstairs stove has less BTUs so it may use just a tad less gas. Once the new electric wall oven arrives, assuming that some day it will . . I’ll use it for most of my baking so that should reduce the propane a bit. Even now, I use the old electric wall oven for everything except bread so that really isn’t going to make much difference.
Nelle Coursey says
I think they may use BTUs?? Not sure. It has been too long since I was near a propane tank!!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
BTUs are British Thermal Units and that’s the measurement of energy measurement. Probably not a good example but in my mind, it’s kinda like a kwh in electricity. BTUs have nothing to do with the amount of gas that goes into the tank. Supposedly the gauge on a tank measures the percentage of total capacity – kinda like your gas gauge does I suppose. On all the tanks we’ve ever had, they will only fill to 75 or 80% full so on a 500 gallon tank, the most you can hope to get in it is 400 gallons. The gas expands when hot so filling more than 80% could cause a leak or an explosion.
For tanks that are underground and not affected by the heat, they can be filled more than 80% but I’m not sure how much – never had an underground tank.
Teri says
Your lucky our propane tank was just filled. It was 3.59 a gallon. We are in California…the new green deal plan wants us to not have propane at all, not have any gas cars only electric, no wood burning stoves…..they want everything electric…won’t that be wonderful if they pass that law….in some towns they want you to only charge your car after 9:00…the biggest problem is they can’t even keep our electricity on 24/7 now….they have rolling blackouts….
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I won’t even say what I think about the stupidity being perpetrated on the American people. In my opinion, it’s all about being able to control the people and I have to work hard not to be angry and those who are falling for and pushing this agenda.
Joan in Alaska says
I have my 250 gallon tank once per year as I only use it for the stove, dryer, and fireplace. My latest fill was 156 gallons at $7.34 per gallon! Ouch!!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I used 150 gallons for just the stove! 🙂 In Texas we had gas heat, gas dryer, gas stove and gas water heater but I can’t remember how often we filled the tanks. We had a 500 gallon and a 250 gallon for the house (because there was a 250 gallon there when we got there and we added the 500 gallon). Then we added a 250 gallon tank for the greenhouse. I definitely will not complain about paying $2.05 for propane! Ouch – that’s a lot!
Joan in Alaska says
*fill, not have. Hate autocorrect.