When Is Propane tank Empty?

[Ray D]

I am doing rather well on propane usage, but coming up on an issue. When should I draw the line, and go fill it up, again? (For whatever reason, propane dealers will not deliver, here in Boise.)

I have never ran it dry, so I don't know what the meter reads, at that point. 

I have the control panel display, inside, and a meter on the tank in the propane bay. The tank holds 22 galons, acording to the manual. The meter is a round dial, with hash marks around the circumference. It is marked 1/4 - 1/2 - 3/4 at appropriate intervals.

I don't have the guts to run it down too close to 0, as I am allergic to cold!  :

Am I safe to go down to 1/4? Lower than that?

Thank you.

Ray D 

 

[carson]

Here is my opinion:  Sounds like you have the same system that I have. A tank gauge and also the internal LED indicator. I would trust the external gauge more than the inside indicator. Both are operated by a magnetic control system inside the tank. The tank gauge is quite reliable because it is all mechanical.

  The inside indicator uses the same mechanism but relies on a rheostat to feed the right resistance value to that indicator. The rheostat (variable resistor) could be marginal/defective/dirty to give a false indication. Fixing that problem will take another post.

  My suggestion is that if you are nearing the 1/4 full mark on the external gauge, get the tank refilled, just to be sure.

  carson FL

 

[Jeff]

Ray:

Better safe than sorry so I would recommend following Carson's suggestion.

Next summer when it warms up you can experiment with the gauges. Ours reads empty on the external gauge while the internal reads 1/4 full. I have run the internal one down to empty without running out of propane.

 

[Ray D]

Thanks, Carson. I'm still above 1/2 tank on the gage, so I have a few days to go. Thinking about the 1/4 mark makes me nervous. No particular reason.

My inside panel lights do not have the problems we hear so  much about. They work. Problem is they are imprecise. I have lights for "Full," "2/3," and "1/3." It's not really a lot of help. Well, the "1/3" light is red, which might be advisory.  ;D

Thanks, Jeff. That helps. Maybe it's more like the old gages on automobile gas tanks. Those you could run  on empty for quite a while.  ;D

Ray D  ;D

 

[maddog348]

Make note of what outside gauge says when you get it filled. Compute difference #s/gals when full/filled. Next time you will know how much is still in the tank when the gauge (not monitor panel) reads XXX.

Old Ford truck still had 40miles in it when 'needle' hit the 'E' line.  Really hated to push it that far tho'.  K

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

I agree with Carson and Jeff. I wouldn't let it get below 1/4. If something happens (weather or you get sick) that you can't go and get it filled, then you have a few days buffer to get you through.

Maybe next year you can winterize it by driving south.  ;D  ;D

 

[PancakeBill]

Maddog has the key.  Mark the point and fill.  Compute.  Now you know, without worrying about whether youu are going below 1/2 or to 1/4. 

 

[John From Detroit]

There is a common belief that the worst guages, accuracy wise, are fuel guages, and the propane guage is a fuel guage

now... You have two propane level guages.. One is  the electronic panel inside the rig, the other is mounted on the tank, near the valve. This one is somewhat better (Accurate it may, or may not be, CONSISTANT, it is, since it consists of a float on the end of a wire, and the other end of the same wire is the needle on the guage.

The only way to be sure where empty really is.. Is to go there.

Now.. I'll try to make that less "Scary"

I find that a 5 pound bottle will last me 2 nights in normal use (At least) so here is what you do

Get a 20 or 25 pound luggable (The kind of tank you'd use with a back yard grill)  and install a Marshall Brass "Extend-a-stay" adapter on your MH (or its equal)

Now, hook up the portable bottle but leave the valve CLOSED

When the bit tank hits DRY... Open the valve on the portable and you are good...  I'd guess for about a week, but you can get 'er to a propane station the next day if you like.

NOTE: the Marshall Brass Extend-a-stay is many things in one brass chunk

1: It is a "Propane tap" with a "Quick Disconnect" (Looks, and works, EXACTLY like the top of a throw away bottle) so you can hook up an extension hose or two (One comes with it, I suggest getting another) to run a propane grill or other device outside the rig.. It has an Inlet (And it comes with a hose for that) so you can use the luggable bottle to supply Propane, the stuff that keeps you warm.

It has an excess flow feature.. If you don't already have an excess flow valve (Catastrophy valve) what this does is monitor the flow of gas, and if it feels it's passing too much gas.. IT slams shut and stops the flow.. Normally this would only happen under two conditions.

1: When you first open the valve on an empty line (And then not always), To overcome this you open the valve SLOWLY

2: If you blow a propane line


It includes a mess of check valves (well 2) so that you can't pass gas from one tank to another, only from the tank to the lines.

This also means if you disconnect the tank from the extension hose.. it won't blow back (or remove the hose with the main tank valve open)

I assume the knock off brands include these features too.. but since I"ve not investigated.. Don't know.

I do know I"m very happy with my M.B. Extend-a-stay

 

[Jammer]

It is my experience that propane tank float gauges are extremely accurate.

 

[LindaH]

Instead of having to pack up everything in your motorhome and unhook to drive it down to fill up the propane tank, why not have an Extend-A-Stay installed and use an external propane tank?  That way, when it's empty, you can throw it in your toad and take it down to be filled.

 

[scottydl]

I learned the hard way that my propane tank gauges are not very accurate.  Mine ran dry when my external gauge still showed about 40% full... I tapped the gauge when troubleshooting and the needle suddenly dropped to 'empty'.  :  My inside digital gauge at that point had gone up to full, after seeming to be accurate up to that point.  ???  I got it filled up to the recommended 80% level, and even then my gauge only registers at the 60-70% level.  "Your gauge is a little off" said the guy who filled it up. 

Anyway, I'd say why take the chance?  Get it topped off when convenient, if you are around 1/4 or 1/3 remaining.  Right now especially, propane is considerably cheaper than gasoline (I paid $1.79/gallon about 6 weeks ago) so there's really no major expense in topping off a 20-25 gallon tank. 

I don't hardly use propane and this was the first time I needed a fill-up in over 2 years, so for me buying extra equipment to attach portable tanks would be overkill.  Plus, I was told that many propane suppliers charge for the entire volume of a portable tank/bottle regardless of whether it actually needs that much to fill it (no thanks!), compared to the mounted tanks that are charged the per gallon price.