Propane Tank

[Sir Henry]

I’m renting a 500 gallon propane tank. It rents for free if I buy enough propane which I didn’t this year. Plus they charge more for the propane. Last year I called around and few were available and the ones that were cost not only an arm and a leg but also a kidney.

I’ve found a 1,000 gallon tank for $2,800 and think I’ll get it. With it filled to 800 gallons I should be able to go all winter. Or at least late enough that I don’t have to worry able the truck not being able to make it up my driveway.

I may get another 1,000 gallon tank for my new garage/barn and maybe a 500 gallon tank for my three car garage which will become a workshop and one car.

[markiver54]

Wow! the price one has to pay for creature comforts!

[dave77]

Yes, very expensive to buy and to fill! We get fairly cold Winters here although not nearly as cold and as long as Wisconsin. My electric bill for my small all electric home, a heated shed and a couple of 250 watt heat lamps that are on full time for the chickens is only around $170 a month. Drops to around $80 a month in the Summer and that's with Central AC and my friends 5th wheel's AC. My friend is living in her 30 ft 5th wheel and even with a 1500 watt radiant heater (which along with her water heater and lights are on my power bill) she probably spends close to $300 on propane for a very cold month. Our propane prices here are quite a bit higher than the national average, cost last Winter was around $3.89 a gallon, around a $100 to fill 4 nearly empty 30# tanks.

[Sir Henry]

bought my tank 25 years ago and had it put in ground. checked around and no one is selling them . they would rather rent them to you and jack up propane price. Another rip off. If it goes I will probably switch to oil. more expensive than propane, but much more btu's /gallon .Propane has about
60% of the btu's in oil per gallon. Oil tanks are readily available.

Heating oil may have more BTUs but more of them go up the chimney. Plus a gallon of heating oil runs $3.89 a gallon compared to $2.19 for propane. All said and done propane is about 20% cheaper here.

Propane also lasts forever and so do the tanks. New regulators might be needed every 20 years but the tank’s themselves last a long time. Many of the tanks here are from the 50’s.

[Mags]

Propane is also non polluting. With a properly tuned flame - heat, carbon dioxide and water.

[dave77]

Don't understand why the wide price range for propane, under $2 a gallon in N. Dakota and $4.60 in Florida. I guess transportation costs will vary, but over double the cost?

Same with gas prices, average cost in Texas $3.10, WA 4.59 and we have a refinery around 200 miles away. our state gas is more but only by 30¢.

[Sir Henry]

Don't understand why the wide price range for propane, under $2 a gallon in N. Dakota and $4.60 in Florida. I guess transportation costs will vary, but over double the cost?

Same with gas prices, average cost in Texas $3.10, WA 4.59 and we have a refinery around 200 miles away. our state gas is more but only by 30¢.

Home delivery of 400 gallons here is $2.19 but go into town and fill up a five gallon barbecue tank and it’s $4.65 a gallon. And a one pound disposable bottle is $9.95.

[Mags]

No idea what the cost of propane is here. Have a 100 gal tank to fuel the kitchen stove and deck BBQ. Refill the tank about every 5 years.

[dave77]

Don't understand why the wide price range for propane, under $2 a gallon in N. Dakota and $4.60 in Florida. I guess transportation costs will vary, but over double the cost?

Same with gas prices, average cost in Texas $3.10, WA 4.59 and we have a refinery around 200 miles away. our state gas is more but only by 30¢.

Home delivery of 400 gallons here is $2.19 but go into town and fill up a five gallon barbecue tank and it’s $4.65 a gallon. And a one pound disposable bottle is $9.95.

400 gallons is way more than we need, a 150 gallon tank would be more than enough. Haven't checked for the delivery per gallon cost but one of the local places charges a $100 delivery fee which would add almost a dollar per gallon to the cost. Would have to rent the tank as this is not a permanent situation. I will check it out before Winter, not fun loading up 4-30# tanks in the pickup every month, 120 gallons would be more than enough to get through the Winter, her propane stove uses hardly any propane compared to furnace.

[GeoBoy]

Propane is also non polluting. With a properly tuned flame - heat, carbon dioxide and water.

All fossil fuels pollute.
Propane Emissions
Propane is a relatively clean-burning fuel, which is attributed to its lower carbon content. However, its combustion does produce wastes, such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, greenhouse gas, methane and non-methane overall organic carbon. Because propane is a low-carbon fuel, using it to replace conventional fuels could cause significant reductions in harmful emissions. For example, the Argonne National Laboratory has estimated that converting a vehicle from using conventional fuels to propane could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 10 percent.

[Ernie]

Producing electric with generators pollutes. Making solar panels pollutes. Making wind generators pollutes. Because we use fossil fuels to produce these things. Nuclear plants produce hazardous waste that will last hundreds or possibly thousands of years. Some fuels pollute less than others.

[Mags]

Propane is also non polluting. With a properly tuned flame - heat, carbon dioxide and water.

All fossil fuels pollute.

Nope. Propane does not pollute with a property tuned burn (air/fuel ratio). Look it up.

Don't confuse propane with natural gas. Natural gas does pollute.

[markiver54]

Propane is also non polluting. With a properly tuned flame - heat, carbon dioxide and water.

All fossil fuels pollute.

Nope. Propane does not pollute with a property tuned burn (air/fuel ratio). Look it up.

Don't confuse propane with natural gas. Natural gas does pollute.

It does emit a very low level of carbon dioxide, however, it is considered a good source of clean energy.

[Sir Henry]

All fossil fuels pollute.

Nope. Propane does not pollute with a property tuned burn (air/fuel ratio). Look it up.

Don't confuse propane with natural gas. Natural gas does pollute.

It does emit a very low level of carbon dioxide, however, it is considered a good source of clean energy.

Natural gas cookstoves are being phased out because they do emit unhealthy byproducts. As far as I know there is no push to eliminate propane cookstoves.

[Travlin]

II hope that you have a vent fan on your gas stove and use it when you are cooking. I was working at a customers house and was in the kitchen. The lady and her little girl were sitting there. I asked her if she ran the vent fan when cooking on the gas stove. I got the deer in the headlights look. I said would you want your little girl to smoke , I told her that an unvented stove was as bad or worse. She had an awakening.

[Sir Henry]

II hope that you have a vent fan on your gas stove and use it when you are cooking. I was working at a customers house and was in the kitchen. The lady and her little girl were sitting there. I asked her if she ran the vent fan when cooking on the gas stove. I got the deer in the headlights look. I said would you want your little girl to smoke , I told her that an unvented stove was as bad or worse. She had an awakening.

Natural Gas does need an exhaust and there is a big push to eliminate them for indoor cooktops. Propane needs a vent to allow oxygen into the room. The worst part of burning propane inside is it consumes oxygen. The biggest by-product is water.

Propane engines are used inside all the time with no ill effects.

[Travlin]

I beg to differ. Any combustion of any fuel creates an "exhaust" be it carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide or both. You would not run a gas heater in your living room unvented would you? How about a gas log fireplace with no chimney? I have a natural gas stove and also the same fuel for the clothes dryer. When I installed the dryer the building inspector told me to get the metal vent hose to connect to the outside wall. He said " that is handling products of combustion so the plastic hose is no good". I always run my exhaust hood fan whenever the stove burner is turned on. Not only that but it gets the heat out of the house and here in Florida that is a good thing about 90+% of the time.

[Travlin]

As an aside my stove and dryer used to be propane but I got tired of having to get the tank filled when they chose to get to me. I have seen forklifts etc. run on propane in big wharehouses etc. and they aren't bad but there is always a lot of air circulation and usually a big open door at one or both ends. When I was still and active contractor I went to a lot of those places and could always smell the machines presence.When I used to hunt in Arkansas they used a lot of Butane .

[markiver54]

I'm not disputing anything I'm reading here. It all makes me think about a 9 year residence I had about 10 years ago and previous to that. I was renting a small 2 BR house that had only a gas fireplace for heating. It was not vented. I guess I'm lucky I'm still here.

[Sir Henry]

I just ordered four 1,000 gallon tanks. One tank 80% full will last me 12 to 14 months. I hope to get two installed and filled during summer prices. Delivery is 3 to 5 weeks.