How Often Should I Expect to Refill My Propane Tank?

If you recently bought a home that is powered with propane – or if you don’t yet have a full year’s worth of experience running household propane equipment under your belt – you may wonder how often you can expect to refill your propane tank.

To make a reasonable estimate, you first need to know how big your tank is (most aboveground tanks range from about 250 to 1000 gallons; underground tanks can be even larger). To get a sense of how long that tank will last between fill-ups, however, you’ll need more info – including the types of appliances you have and how much fuel each consumes as it is used (more on that in a minute).

A second fact you will need to know is how much energy is produced by propane as it is burned. Every hour, propane yields about 91,500 BTUs (British Thermal Units) of heat; to put that into perspective, one wooden kitchen match outputs about one BTU.

How much propane do common appliances use?

The amount of propane your appliances will use depends on many factors – the size of each unit, its efficiency, how well it has been maintained, how well matched it is to the size of your living space, and whether or not it was properly installed, to name a few. But the following numbers should give you some idea of how much each appliance uses to do its job:

• Pool Heater: 425,000 BTU (~ 4 gallons) / hour
• HVAC Furnace: 100,000 to 200,000 BTU (~1 to 2 gallons) / hour
• Fireplace with ceramic logs: 26,000 BTU/hour (1 gallon / 3 hours)
• Gas cooktop/range: 65,000 BTU/hour (5 to 10 gallons / month)
• Tankless water heater: 40,000 BTU/hour (~1.5 gallons / day)
• Gas clothes dryer: 35,000 BTU/hr (< 1 gallon / day)

If you want a better idea of how much propane you should expect to use – or to learn whether or not your propane tank is right-sized for your Massachusetts home – contact us. We’ll take a look at your tank and appliances, then set you up with a propane delivery plan to make sure you’ll always have hot showers, hot meals, and a warm and cozy home.

Of course if you don’t want to think at all about managing your propane, simply sign up for FREE automatic propane delivery from Pioneer. We will estimate your delivery time based on your past usage and the current weather, so you’ll never have to look propane levels or call for a propane delivery again.

Want even more peace of mind? Sign up for our NEW Tank Utility remote monitoring system and we’ll know EXACTLY when your home needs a propane delivery. Contact us today for details.

Looking for reliable propane deliveries in our service area? Join the Pioneer Oil and Propane family of customers for the best propane gas and propane gas services in Massachusetts!