If you’ve ever tried barbecues while camping, you understand the awesome feeling you get after tasting your favorite, perfectly grilled meal. If you haven’t, this is your time to try it out. However, cooking great meals requires a reliable grill, propane tank, and proper planning for your fuel.
We’ve researched everything there is to know about propane tanks and fuel usage. We’re ready to provide you with this information. We hope it’ll help you plan better for fuel usage for your propane tank to help you create lots of lovely camping memories.
Types of Propane Tanks
There are various types of portable propane cylinders that range from 1 pound up to 100 lbs. Smaller tanks, though, are what you’ll typically use for camping and grilling. Typical sizes include:
- 20-pound propane tank
- 11-pound propane tank
- 5-pound propane tank
- 1-pound propane tank
The size of the tank indicates approximately how many pounds of fuel it holds.
How much fuel is in a tank of propane?
Amount of Propane Fuel in a Full Propane Tank
| Size | Amount of Propane |
|---|---|
| 20-pound tank | 4.7 gallons |
| 11-pound tank | 2.6 gallons |
| 5-pound tank | 1.2 gallons |
| 1-pound tank | 0.236 gallons |
How to tell how full a tank is
Using the propane tank gauge (For a big propane tank)
Reading the propane tank gauge, or fuel gauge, you can tell how full your propane tank is. Please remember that the fuel gauge shows you how much propane you have left as a percentage of your tank’s capacity. It doesn’t inform you how many gallons of propane you have left.
The gauge works similarly to a car’s fuel gauge. It reads the propane level using a floating arm that drops as the level of propane drops. This works better for bigger propane tanks and most gauges are for 20 lb tanks or larger. Reading smaller propane tanks requires a different strategy.
Tare weight (For a small propane tank)
Tare weight (or unladen weight) is how heavy an empty container is. This method can measure how much propane you have in your tank in pounds. For instance, you can do this by weighing your propane tank to get the total weight.
The total weight includes the tank’s weight plus the weight of propane left in the tank. Next, you should subtract the total weight from the tank’s tare weight (labeled as TW on the tank’s collar). That’ll give you an approximate amount of propane left in the tank in pounds. However, you can also use the warm water + cool hand method if you don’t have a weight machine.
Approximate Weight of an Empty Tank vs a Full Tank
| Size | Weight When Empty | Weight When Full |
|---|---|---|
| 20 pound tank | 17 lbs | 37 lbs |
| 11 pound tank | 13 lbs | 24 lbs |
| 5 pound tank | 9 lbs | 14 lbs |
| 1 pound tank | 1 lb | 2 lbs |
Warm water + cool hand
You can also measure the fuel level in your propane tank by pouring warm water over it. Next, you’ll need to run your palm down the tank and feel for a temperature shift.
Propane absorbs heat so wherever your tank feels cool is where the level of propane is in the tank.
Expiration of propane and its tank
How quickly does propane need to be used?
Once you open a tank, you should use the fuel within 1-2 years. You can refill the fuel in your tanks but you still need to use the fuel within this time frame.
Shelf life of the tank
The expiration date of propane tanks is labeled on the tank’s collar in a month-year format. Some tanks can be re-qualified after inspection if the expiration date has passed. Re-qualified tanks often have the letter H or E after the date. Most propane tanks last for 12 years from date of manufacture.
Refilling a tank
You can refill a propane tank even when it’s not empty. However, you should check whether the tank has a triangular valve and is printed with the letters OPD. If it does, then it’s safe to refill. You can refill the tank using a bigger tank after weighing and determining the amount of propane left.
Connect the two tanks with a connector hose and open the smaller tank’s valve. Next, open the larger tank’s valve allowing the propane to flow through. Cool the smaller tank with cold water will allow the propane to transfer more easily.
Lastly, you should close the valves when the tank is 80% full and open the bleeder valve to check whether you overfilled the tank. You can measure if your tank’s full by attaching a fuel gauge or placing it on a weighing machine.
How long will propane last in a 1lb tank?
A 1lb propane tank, on average, will give you 1-2 hours of burn time when at full capacity but there are different factors that will determine exactly how long it will last.
Type of flame
The type of flame used when cooking does affect how long a propane tank lasts. For instance, cooking with a high flame uses more propane than smaller flames. You can use medium heat to balance your usage.
Heat
Exposing propane tanks to high temperatures affects how long they last. Heat increases the propane’s volume causing more propane to be expelled and combusted. Lower temperatures reduce the amount of propane used.
Type of Device
The type of grill, camping stove, or any other gadget you use while camping will consume the propane at different rates.
You can use our chart to get an idea of how long it’ll approximately last or you can calculate it yourself using the BTU rating.
To do this you simply locate the BTU consumption of your device and the BTU rating of your propane bottle. Then you divide the BTU rating by the BTU consumption of your device. The BTU count of a standard 1-lb propane tank is 21,600.
For example, if you’re using a grill with a 9,500 BTU burner, a full 1-pound propane tank should fuel it for at least 2.27 hours (21,600 / 9,500) if used on high.
Average time propane will last by the device
| Device | Time |
|---|---|
| Small grill | 2 1/2 to 3 hours |
| Medium grill | 2 hours |
| Large grill | 1½ hours |
| Fire pit | 13.5 minutes |
| BTU stove or Camp Stove | 2 hours |
| Heater | 4.5 hours |
How to help propane last longer
You can help propane last longer by:
Using smaller flames for cooking
Using smaller flames with lower BTUs, you can make your propane tank last longer. You should note that smaller flames may not be ideal if you don’t have a grill that uses heat effectively. Thus, the first step should be purchasing an effective grill that doesn’t waste any heat, allowing you to grill your barbecue easily on low heat.
Need to purchase a new grill? Check out our article on 20 Best 2 Burner Gas Grills to help you find the right grill for you!
Limit Cooking Time
The more you do your food preparations ahead of time, the more you can limit the amount of cooking time you need over an open flame. To maximize fuel usage, you can even use your fuel to simply reheat already prepared and cooked food.
You should also avoid boiling pots of water (even if it’s for coffee or hot cocoa) using propane as your fuel source as it uses a great amount of energy, and fuel, to heat it up.
Store your propane tank in a cool place
We mentioned earlier that heat does affect how much propane is used. Heat can be problematic when camping out in the summer. Therefore, you should place appropriate measures, ensuring you store the tank in a cool place throughout your camping adventure for safety and efficient usage.