How Long Does Propane Last? Why You Need This Information

There is nothing as bad as running out of gas when you are in the middle of your camping adventure, and you are in the middle of nowhere away from civilization. The disappointment can even get worst if you decided to go camping during the rainy season when there is hardly any firewood to salvage you out of the situation. This is because you will need to cook and keep your tent warm as well, but you won’t have a source of heat for all that.

If you want to avoid such frustrations, the main question you would be asking yourself is ‘what is the shelf life of propane?’ Most grills do not have fuel gauges you can rely on. If you want to answer this question perfectly, then you are reading the right piece with enough information about this issue. To get you started, you need to know some basic information about propane.

What you need to know about propane

Propane is one of the gases that result after refining crude oil. At room temperature, the gas is odorless and colorless. It is ideal for use in stoves and gas barbeques. Propane is also popular with campers since they use it to power certain appliances and also act as sources of heat to keep their tents warm.

There are also households which rely on propane to act as a power source for water heaters and furnaces. For easier transportation and commercial storage, some odorants are added to enhance safety and also to liquify the propane.

Determining How Long Propane Lasts when used for Grilling Purposes

There are propane tanks with varying capacities. The first step to help you determine how long your propane will serve you is identifying the size of your propane tank. An average propane tank weighs 20 pounds and holds 20 pounds of propane when full.

It ensures you of a supply of 22,000 BTU’s for every pound. After doing some simple calculation, you will realize that a 20-pound propane tank has 440,000 BTU’s when full. This propane tank will last up to 20 hours on most grills.

If you are a prolific camper, having a portable propane tank is a wise decision. If you want to know how long propane lasts when you are using the small portable tank, know that it will serve you for approximately 1.5 hours up to 2 hours when used continuously.

How long Does Propane Last when Used to Heat up an RV

As you await the coming of the winter season, it is only right that you get the right measures that will help you heat up your RV once the season sets in. If you intend to use propane for that purpose, it is only right that you have a proper estimate of the burn rates. Here is a simple procedure you can use to determine how long propane lasts.

If you are going on a dry camping expedition using an RV, how long your propane will last will depend on the temperatures inside the RV. A 20 lb propane tank will serve you for a whole week if it is stored in a refrigerator.

• Check the ratings of the BTUH of your furnace.

• One full gallon of propane has 95,000 BTU. Divide this value by the BTUH rating you find on your furnace. This way, you can comfortably tell for how long a gallon of propane will serve you to full capacity.
• Look up the capacity of your propane tank. A 40-pound portable propane tank stores up to 9.5 gallons of propane. Multiply the propane burning rate by the capacity of the propane tank to determine how long a single propane tank will last.

Having this in mind, you can easily make plans to get your RV all warm and cozy throughout the winter camping season.

Determining How Long a Propane Tank should last

Have you ever asked yourself, “How long does a propane tank last?” There are households which have enough propane to last them a whole year. This would make you wonder how comes their propane tanks can hold propane gas for all that time.

So long as you store your propane tank in the right conditions, it will serve you for an extended period of time. These right conditions are: storing it at a place where it is not directly affected by weather conditions such as rain, too much sun and eliminating any leakage.

Before going camping, ensure that your propane tank remains in good condition for a longer period of time by making sure that it gets regular and preventive maintenance. This is inclusive of leak testing, fuel quality monitoring and visual inspection.

For How Long Can Propane Be Stored?

Propane does not degrade. This is because once it is stored in a tightly sealed tank, it cannot react with anything else. The only issue will be how to retain the vessel in which you have stored the propane in good condition.

If you store your propane for too long in a tank, it corrodes the seals within the tank valve. Tightening the valve hastens the corrosion process which causes leakage in the long run. This is the reason why propane tanks need to be hydrostatically pressure tested to detect any leakage.

Propane gas knows no degradation. Just use the right procedure to store your propane, and it will serve you well.

Essential Tips and Recommendations

• When the propane in your tank is almost getting depleted, do not rely on the few pounds of propane which remain to produce enough heat to cook any meal on your grill.

• During the summer season, the propane tank will last for a longer period of time during summer, compared to the winter season. It could be either because you have to cook at higher temperatures or because of the propane tank contracting due to the extremely cold temperatures.
• Store your propane tank outside your house and away from any fire source. This will minimize the probability of fire accidents occurring.
• Always have an extra propane tank at hand just in case the fire goes off just as you are in the middle of cooking or keeping warm in the wilderness.

Wrapping up

We hope that after going through this article, you can now answer the question “how long does propane store.” This way, you can know how much propane you need for your camping needs as well as heating up your tent during winter. You can avoid the humiliating incidents of having to switch to using wet firewood just to ensure that you get to eat properly cooked food in the wilderness.

You can also prevent members of your camping group from suffering from some chronic diseases which are caused by exposure to extremely low temperatures. If you look out for them in this way, you will always be their favorite.

Be certain to take extra caution by storing the propane tank the right way, away from fire and away from exposure to direct and extreme climatic conditions and ensure that you get it to be certified by the relevant authority before using it as you camp.

Leave a comment on the article and let us know your opinion on how long propane should last as well as how long a propane tank last should last. If you have any experience with propane and the propane gas tank, let us know as well.

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