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Last Updated: February 14, 2024
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The only accurate way to measure the propane left in a propane tank is to weigh it. The following are the steps needed to find the amount of propane left in a propane tank and to approximate the length of time it will take to burn the propane in a given appliance.
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1
Engraved on the side of the tank should be the letters TW then a number. This number is the empty tank weight. For example, the typical 5 gallon (18.9L) propane tank might say TW 17.2. The weight of the empty tank in the example is 17.2 lbs.
2
Weigh the tank on a bathroom scale to find the total current weight. Let's say that the current weight of the tank is 24.2 lbs.[1]
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3
Subtract the tank weight from the total weight to find the weight of the propane. 24.2 lbs - 17.2 lbs = 7 lbs.[2]
4
Each pound of propane contains 21,600 BTUs.[3] Multiply the number of pounds by the number of BTUs contained in each to get the total number of BTUs remaining in the tank. 7 × 21,600 ≈ 151,000 BTUs.
5
Find the BTU output of the appliance in question. These can often be found on manufacturers web sites. For example a propane grill may burn 12,000 BTUs an hour. To find the remaining running time for the grill divide 151,000 by 12,000. 151,000 ÷ 12,000 ≈ 12.6 hours of run time.
6
For easy future reference. divide 12.6 hours by the aforementioned 7 lbs to get 1.8 hours of grill run time per pound of bathroom scale measured propane.
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Question
How much does a full canister of propane gas weigh?
Community Answer
Most canisters contain 20 pounds and weigh 17 pounds when completely empty. A full canister would contain 37 pounds.
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I have a propane cylinder that has written on it in large letters "11kg", but I have weighed the cylinder and it's 20 kg. Is there 9 kg of propane left?
Community Answer
If the "11kg" appears after "TW" (for tare weight), then you are correct. The tare weight is the weight of the tank when empty.
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How many pounds does it take to make a gallon?
Community Answer
You cannot convert pounds to gallons unless you know the density of the liquid. Let's assume you have a pound's worth of a solution, and this solution weighs one fourth of a pound for every quart. Convert the pounds to quarts and convert the quarts to gallons.
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One should always be careful when dealing with contents under pressure and or flammable substances.
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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 13 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 237,817 times.
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Co-authors: 13
Updated: February 14, 2024
Views:237,817
Categories: Barbecue Equipment
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