Propane Tank

[Mags]

...The Tesla Power Walls are the best but very expensive. I have projects already started that I need to finish before biting something else.

Meant that to be an example. There are other power wall solutions, less expensive. Certainly finish up before biting more.

[Sir Henry]

My tank is sitting at about 67% by volume. If I adjust it from 8F to 60F the pounds would be the same but the volume would be about 72%.

It’s been fairly warm except for the last week. Temperatures will be single digits at night and maybe teens in the day. Since I can’t have heat if I loose electricity I bump the heat from 68 to 70. With the radiant heat in the floor concrete it will retain heat for several days.

I built a fire in the shop yesterday and it cost about $10 to bring the shop from 22F to 68 for three hours. The house is every economical and the shop is just the opposite.

[Sir Henry]

I’m a day early reading my propane tank. At 24F it reads 57% and I calculated it would be 62% at 60F. That means I’ve used 180 gallons since summer. At this rate I should be able to go a full year on one tank.

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At $1.14 a gallon that’s an average of about $41 a month since the last fill in late July. Looking back I didn’t burn that much in the summer so it’s not a fair average.

[Sir Henry]

I ordered a 420 pound propane tank today and it should arrive in about two months. It will be for a gas range/oven for the shop. It has the volume of 100 gallons and will hold 80 gallons. It will only feed the cooking stove so 80 gallons should last me about five years. For a few dollars more I could have bought a 250 gallon tank but that tank needs to be ten feet from the building. I can put the 420 pound tank right up to the building so chose it.

[markiver54]

Sounds great Gene! I can't remember if you planned for a sink/slop sink out there or not. Seems that's all that's left short of a bed.

[Sir Henry]

Sounds great Gene! I can't remember if you planned for a sink/slop sink out there or not. Seems that's all that's left short of a bed.

I have a bed in my teardrop and it also has a sink which is good for rinsing out a coffee cup and more important washing your hands. It’s not good enough to drink but water jugs are good for coffee. Surprisingly the most asked for thing is a toilet. That’s when I point to the berm. Men think it’s funny and the women don’t.

[Sir Henry]

I made my monthly reading today. It’s right at 45% at 21F. I’m going to adjust it to 48% for 60F. January was a very cold month with a low of -32F. I’m surprised I didn’t use more propane keeping the house at 70F. Of course it’s a small house and I only heat the downstairs.

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So I’ve used 320 gallons since summer. Two of the tanks are still at 80%. I’m using the tank on the left. Next year I’ll use the tank on the right because it’s easier to read.

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Let’s see 320 times $1.14 is approximately $365 divided by six is less than $61 a month.

[Sir Henry]

It’s only the half of the month but I wanted to read my two tanks. I opened the second tank soon after the last post and wanted to know how they were emptying.

This is the tank that has been open all year.

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And this tank was just opened.

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I’m hoping they will even out by the end of the month.

They are 73 and 42% full for an average of 57.5%. Add 4% for temperature and that’s about 60%. So I’ve used 80 gallons in two weeks. That is a big increase. It was colder in January for a short time then warmer for most of the time. These last two weeks has been sub zero almost all of the time

[Sir Henry]

Here are my gauge readings at 2F.

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It’s been warmer like today so I didn’t use much in the last two weeks. Matter of fact I can barely read any change. The top tank is 40% and the other tank remains unchanged. I’m going to say I’ve used 37% of one tank minus 4% because of the temperature. That means I’ve used about 400 gallons since summer. Hey isn’t that what I said two weeks ago?

[Sir Henry]

I ordered a 420 pound propane tank today and it should arrive in about two months. It will be for a gas range/oven for the shop. It has the volume of 100 gallons and will hold 80 gallons. It will only feed the cooking stove so 80 gallons should last me about five years. For a few dollars more I could have bought a 250 gallon tank but that tank needs to be ten feet from the building. I can put the 420 pound tank right up to the building so chose it.

I ended up buying the 250 gallon tank with a two-stage regulator. That means I can fill 5 gallon tanks from it and also fuel the range/oven. I’ll be posting about it Tuesday in my garage and road thread.

https://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic. ... &start=240

[Mags]

I’m a day early reading my propane tank. At 24F it reads 57% and I calculated it would be 62% at 60F. That means I’ve used 180 gallons since summer. At this rate I should be able to go a full year on one tank.
At $1.14 a gallon that’s an average of about $41 a month since the last fill in late July. Looking back I didn’t burn that much in the summer so it’s not a fair average.

Propane guy was running around the area on his rounds. Since we were sitting at about 25% I had him top us off. Filled to 85%. $2.57/gal + $9 hazmat fee.
At closest gas station I think propane is just under $4 per gal.

[Sir Henry]

I’m a day early reading my propane tank. At 24F it reads 57% and I calculated it would be 62% at 60F. That means I’ve used 180 gallons since summer. At this rate I should be able to go a full year on one tank.
At $1.14 a gallon that’s an average of about $41 a month since the last fill in late July. Looking back I didn’t burn that much in the summer so it’s not a fair average.

Propane guy was running around the area on his rounds. Since we were sitting at about 25% I had him top us off. Filled to 85%. $2.57/gal + $9 hazmat fee.
At closest gas station I think propane is just under $4 per gal.

You are more than twice my rate and I don’t have a hazmat fee. With my new 250 gallon tank I can fill my own barbecue tanks.

This was my end of month reading. Temperature compensated I’m at 34% and 76% so I’ve used right at 500 gallons sine summer. At $1.14 that’s $570 or $71 a month.

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[Mags]

I’m a day early reading my propane tank. At 24F it reads 57% and I calculated it would be 62% at 60F. That means I’ve used 180 gallons since summer. At this rate I should be able to go a full year on one tank.
At $1.14 a gallon that’s an average of about $41 a month since the last fill in late July. Looking back I didn’t burn that much in the summer so it’s not a fair average.

Propane guy was running around the area on his rounds. Since we were sitting at about 25% I had him top us off. Filled to 85%. $2.57/gal + $9 hazmat fee.
At closest gas station I think propane is just under $4 per gal.

You are more than twice my rate and I don’t have a hazmat fee. ...

The fee is required by US DOT. It's a flat fee regardless of the gallons purchased per delivery. If you don't see it as a line item on your bill, it's probably hidden in the per/gal cost. For me the hazmat fee broken down per gallon was 13c. If I'd waited til the tank was more empty and/or had a larger tank the fee on a per gallon basis would have been less. For example a 500gal purchase, with the fee spread out across the 500gal, comes out about 1.8c.

[Hatchdog]

I wonder if our states charge a high tax on propane like gasoline. That could cause a big disparity in prices from state to state like gas. I can drive over to Idaho and buy gas .50 to .60 per gallon cheaper. The gas tax here in Washington is very high and the folks at the capitol are pushing for more increases to help offset the huge deficit we have. I could explain why we have such a deficit but that would be crossing the line of the site rules so I’ll leave it at that.

[Mags]

I wonder if our states charge a high tax on propane like gasoline. That could cause a big disparity in prices from state to state like gas....

Oregon doesn't tax propane unless it's used in a motor vehicle. Propane in our area of Oregon comes from refineries in Washington state via truck and railroad to distribution terminals. I think in Wisconsin it's mostly shipped via pipeline to terminals. That might explain the disparity.

[Sir Henry]

I wonder if our states charge a high tax on propane like gasoline. That could cause a big disparity in prices from state to state like gas....

Oregon doesn't tax propane unless it's used in a motor vehicle. Propane in our area of Oregon comes from refineries in Washington state via truck and railroad to distribution terminals. I think in Wisconsin it's mostly shipped via pipeline to terminals. That might explain the disparity.

If natural gas is available propane prices remains high. Here in rural Wisconsin propane prices are low because of competition among propane companies. Three years ago local companies raised prices far beyond increased production costs and a new company moved in to bring prices down again.

Keep in mind I own my own tanks. I would say 80% of tanks are rented and renting locks you in to one provider. I’m able to shop around and get it cheaper. I paid $1.14 in the summer. Those without my storage capacity fill in the winter at much higher prices. If I rented and ordered 350 gallons I would be paying close to $2.00 or more.

I see commercial 30,000 gallon tanks everywhere here. It’s hard to go 10 miles without seeing a huge tank. In areas of natural gas they are farther between.

[Mags]

The tank I have was provided by the propane company. I neither own or pay rent for it. I'm under no obligation to buy propane from them. Seems generous compared to other part of the country.

Most of the metro areas, urban and suburban have natural gas plumbing. Older rural areas still use heating oil (Diesel#2), newer rural building tends to be all electric and solar. There is some propane heating, but to heat that way is expensive. Our heat is primarily wood stove along with a ground source heat pump. Our propane use is for stove stop cooking and the BBQ. Separate ovens are electric.

[Sir Henry]

The tank I have was provided by the propane company. I neither own or pay rent for it. I'm under no obligation to buy propane from them. Seems generous compared to other part of the country.

Most of the metro areas, urban and suburban have natural gas plumbing. Older rural areas still use heating oil (Diesel#2), newer rural building tends to be all electric and solar. There is some propane heating, but to heat that way is expensive. Our heat is primarily wood stove along with a ground source heat pump. Our propane use is for stove stop cooking and the BBQ. Separate ovens are electric.

Most people heat with wood around here. Some have furnace rooms separated from the main house. I have a propane fired on demand water heater that also heats the house with hot water in the floors downstairs and wall radiators upstairs. It’s quiet without having air being blown around.

[Sir Henry]

I didn’t do a reading in April. These are my two 1,000 gallon tanks which feeds the house. Looks like I used a tad more than 600 gallons for the year

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The motor home didn’t get used much. This is a 500 gallon tank.

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[Sir Henry]

I had my tanks filled today. The house took 619 gallons compared to 497 last year. I didn’t have the RV topped off because it was already at 75%. The 250 gallon tank took 178 and the 420 pounder took 49.2 gallons. Last year it was $1.15 a gallon and this year it was $1.25.

Basically it cost me $65 a month for heat and hot water. I take long showers and kept the house at 70F compared to 68F the year before.