Switching gas range from 100lb tank to 40lb?

A

Arthur Dent

Well-known member
Our house was "all electric", but when we moved in we had the electric range removed and a new gas range installed. The local propane service dealer did the installation nearly 11 years ago, they aren't as friendly now as they were back then. We run the range on a 100lb propane tank, it usually lasts about a year, sometimes a little longer, depending on how much baking we do and how much cast iron I season. Seems like that 100lb bottle is getting heavier and heavier, I'm thinking about switching to 40lb bottles, is there anything to do with the valves or pressure that would necessitate changing anything? I have used 20lb bbq tanks as temporary backup, the fittings are the same and I have had no issues at all doing that.
I don't see that there should be any problem, but thought I would ask you folks.
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I'm no expert on this topic. But I think propane is propane. The stove can't tell the size or shape of the bottle it was in.
 
The stuff you're thinking about won't be an issue. Rate of gas delivery, particularly with a low tank on cold days, can be an issue.

Most of the LP in a tank is a liquid (the L in LP). To exit the tank it needs to boil into a gas. When there is less liquid there is less surface area to absorb heat. Add in a cold day and it could result in low gas pressure.

You need to find out the BTU/hour rating of the range and then check tables (available on line) to see if a 40lb tank will produce the volume you need when it gets low on a cold day.

On our (summer use only) mobile home we have a demand water heater that can use up to 150,000 BTU/hour. You cannot get that much gas from a part full 100lb tank on a cool day. To deal with that we have 2 tanks on a manifold into the regulator.

You can go to 40lb tanks, but you may find you need a pair of them.
 
Thanks for the comments, good info in there.
I called the propane company asking if they would set me up with a "pig tank" (250lb), he said he would be glad to but he doesn't have one at the moment, said to call back in a month or so. I asked him about using a 40lb tank in the meantime, he said for just cooking it should work fine. I might just end up taking the 100lb to town and filling it one more time, then try and catch him with a pig tank, that would be easiest in the long run I guess. But I will have to borrow a truck to haul it.
Dang it.
 
Not sure what the rules are, or what standard practice is. We run a stove, and used to heat the fam house with propane, and it had a 250# tank. Previous owners lived there full time, we have used it as a weekend place the last 12 years. But now the wife and I are moving in full time. We just this year installed heat pumps, but will leave the propane heating as a backup, since we lose power easily, often, and are the last to get it back. Anyway, the tank belongs to the propane company, and they come fill it on their schedule, Our contract states they will never let it go empty. It has on occasion, and when it does, we don't get charged a special charge for weekend or after hours delivery. I would see if the propane company would supply a tank, and service it.
 
Yes, we have had that type of tank arrangement in the past at other places we lived. I didn't see the need for a big tank to just run the cook stove, the 100lb tank has worked out just fine other than having to haul it to town for filling. When he gets a 250lb tank I'll have him put it in and that will be the end of hauling tanks to town. In the meantime I think I'll go ahead with the 40lb tank, it should last us until spring. Then after we get the pig tank installed I can still use the 40lb in the barn for heat or lighting.
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Just switch the tanks I did that a lot for cooking gas when I was a renter 30 years ago , couldn't afford to fill the big tank so I went to the local deli and bought a barbecue tank and all was fine :D
 
So I bought a 40lb tank on Amazon for a little cheaper that I could have at Tractor supply, and took it to get purged and filled today.
Hooked up and stove running fine.
 
i have a 150 lb. " sausage " tank . i bought it 2nd hand for a rent trailer . the LP company comes out and fills it when called . i had to get the lines in/to the trailer tested by a licensed plumber before they would fill . the tanks sell used for about a dollar a gallon around here . Story : by law in our state , i was told a tank that big is supposed to be transported by a licensed LP carrier truck . the couple i bought it from said " it only has about 4 gallons of propane in it , whats the difference between it and a 20 lb. tank with 4 gallons in it ? hmmmm. it was only one and a half miles of backroads from my property , so i put it on my trailer strapped it down good and threw a tarp over it . maybe a momentary lapse in judgement but all turned out well :oops: . coppersmythe.......................
 
coppersmythe":2zao0430 said:
. . . whats the difference between it and a 20 lb. tank with 4 gallons in it ? hmmmm. . . .
Click to expand...
The roughly 30 gallons of explosive gas that is above the 4 gallons of liquid.
 
We use 500 and 1,000 gallon tanks here. the guy across the river here has a 10,000 gallon one at his place!
 
You might get an opportunity to stress test it for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Between the cold temps and running the oven plus a couple of burners should get the outside of that tank nice and frosty.
 
Jim Becker":ydqnukx5 said:
coppersmythe":ydqnukx5 said:
. . . whats the difference between it and a 20 lb. tank with 4 gallons in it ? hmmmm. . . .
Click to expand...
The roughly 30 gallons of explosive gas that is above the 4 gallons of liquid.
Click to expand...
thanks jim , i see what u mean , im thinking the liquid , but its the larger volume of gas ( vapors off gasoline too? ) in the larger tank that would be the concern . good to know , coppersmythe............................................
 
Update:
The 40lb tank worked fine over the winter. The only hitch was that the oven was hard to light when the outside temps got down into the teens, as some here predicted. Otherwise no issues.
So earlier this week I took one of the empty 100lb cylinders over to the next house down the road and set it by their big house tank (with permission) with a sign asking the propane guy to fill it if possible. Came home today to find that it had been filled. Don't know yet how much they charged to fill it, but whatever it is its got to be better than the hassle of lugging it to town and back. Next time their tank is due for filling I'll set the other empty 100lb cylinder out and get it filled, we'll be set for quite a while.
 
I have a 1000 gal pig, I had two but sold one. I transported it here myself, but it was sorta hidden in a load of other things. owning your own tanks means you can shop around and get the best price. I found a place that had some 60lb tanks, I rather like tossing those around better than the 100lbs. I bought an early 70s 4 cyl. inline Onan propane genset. air cooled and puts out 15kw 3 phase. I can pull 12.4 kw single phase off it. I plan to trailer mount it with a pair of 60s and a single 100 backup fuel supply.

something to consider, bulk tanks will have to be the legal distance from the house, also a trench to bury the line will be needed.
 
The 100lb will work better but when it gets down below 40lb you'll have the same difficulty you had with the 40lb tank. What matters is the surface area of liquid against the tank wall rather than the tank capacity.

You might want to put a new cylinder on for winter and get the one you pulled out topped off for the following winter. Rotate them around that way. The guy filling your neighbor's tank is likely charging by the gallon so you shouldn't be paying for 100lbs when you top off the cylinders.
 
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