Print

[Chestertucky]

I'm purchasing a ridgewood soon and I currently have have my 500 gallon propane tank almost empty.   What does everything one use for backup propane?  I'm thinking about just keeping a 100# tank tied into the system in case the boiler runs out of wood or needs maintenance.  If I do this I have a few questions.

1 - Can I just connect this to the regulator attached to my house without a secondary regulator like the one on my pig tank now or do I need a secondary regulator to connect directly to the 100# tank?

2 - Can I store the tank right by my house now because it's much smaller than my 500 gallon tank or is this dangerous?

3 - Is there anything else I need to know about setting up this 100# backup tank?  I'm think about just strapping it to side of the garage to keep it from tipping over.   I have nothing running besides my forced air furnace here and hopefully I will hardly ever need it for gas through the winter.   

any suggestions or setup recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[merrellroofing]

I called the propane co. And had them pick up my big tank.(they own it). I had them bring me the smallest tank they have and put it right next to the house. Only gas use is for furnace which hasn't fired in 3 years.

[Sprinter]

I would check with local code about the location of the tank. Around here 100 pound tanks are right next to the house and a single diaphram. These are old installs nothing new. It would be a good idea to run two PRD's if the diaphram freezes.  The one at the house is set at 10-12" WC and the one on the big pigs is a higher volume flow at 14-22" if I remember right. It should say on the PRD.

[juddspaintballs]

Something to consider is how much propane your furnace uses when it's firing.  When the tank is "full" (usually 85% volume), is there enough vapor volume to run the furnace?  When it's really cold out, the liquid won't evaporate into vapor as quickly as when it's warm and using the gas complicates the matter because it's cooling the tank as you use it.  That's a long way of saying that depending on your gas draw, you might have to go with a larger tank or multiple tanks all open at once to achieve the proper vapor volume to run your equipment.  I would buy a 120 gallon tank (fat upright tanks) and keep that for backup.  I plan on doing that at this house because we also use propane for the stove/oven and soon the dryer and water heater. 

[mlappin]

I've seen the amish have several 100lb tanks hooked in series, most likely for the very reasons mentioned by juddspaintballs.

[legg28]

I sent back the 1000 gallon tank to amerigas and bought a used 120 gallon tank. Amerigas was charging me 160 dollars a year to rent the pig. Now I can call around and get the cheapest price since I own the 120. I was able to put it right next to the house . Only used 10 gallons this year because we had some could nights in October and  didn't have the owb fired up yet .

[Chestertucky]

Thanks for the good advice.  I would like to find a 120 gallon tank but they are not cheap. I'll need to keep an eye out on Craigslist. 

Good idea to run 2 100# tanks together too.  Any advice on a good regulator to get online if I go with the  tandem 100# tanks?

[automan77]

I have a 250 gal tank. My propane company doesn't charge me tank rental.. I use it for my dryer and furnace backup.  I'm gonna switch that dryer over to electric soon.

[slimjim]

WOW, you guys must live in the land of LIBERTY, up here in the socialist states of the northeast unless you are licensed in Gas installation you are not allowed to touch the tank or its piping, all piping must be checked for leaks by a licensed installer for each company that delivers to the tank, there are good reasons for those rules as much as I hate to admit it though, setting pressures and pipe sizing is something that should certainly be done by a pro so you don't BLOW yourself up. Please at least get a real pro to come and check out what you have done, it would not be a bad idea to have them come out and make suggestions before hand so you don't waste time and money, Propane is one of those fuels that can be very dangerous guys if it is not handled correctly, done right it is the safest thing that I ever hauled back in my trucking days

[juddspaintballs]

FWIW, I believe the 100# tanks hold 35 gallons by volume.  To achieve the same volume of propane as a 120 gallon tank, you'd need four 100# tanks.  Around here, I can get a new 120 gallon tank for $400 or a new 100# tank for $130.  The upside of a 100# tank is that I can transport it to a refill site as opposed to relying on a delivery man, but a 120 gallon tank winds up being cheaper to buy, install, and maintain. 

slimjim makes a good point to get your system inspected by a gas fitter.  installation is pretty easy for residential systems, but a leak could be disastrous.  propane is heavier than air and accumulates in low spots. 

[lindnova]

I bought my 500 gallon.  I have a gas range and oven, dryer and hot water in the summer.  I usually need a fill about every 18 months, but that should be less now since I got my exchanger to work 100% on the hot water.  It is nice to top off in early fall or summer whenever I try to catch a better price and not have to get caught with a price spike.  If I didn't have other uses, the 120 gallon tanks would work good.  I wouldn't use anything smaller though for reasons stated in previous posts.

[dumbodog00]

I have a 120 gallon that sits against the house.  Here in Ohio, at least where I am, anything larger that 120 has to sit off the house.  I just got it filled this past fall after almost four years.  I think I paid $300 for the tank in 2005.  The only problem I have is that some companies won't fill for smaller amounts. 
I only have it for backup or early/late season when the wood isn't burning yet.  No stove or dryer use with propane.

[Chestertucky]

dumbodog - That would probably be ideal for me.  Do you know how heavy a full and empty 120 gallon tank weighs?  Just curious if it would be an option to take it up to a fill station to get if filled every 2 or 3 years and unload it with a loader.  That's the nice thing about the 100# tanks is that you can haul them and fill them at will.

[willieG]

dumbodog - That would probably be ideal for me.  Do you know how heavy a full and empty 120 gallon tank weighs?  Just curious if it would be an option to take it up to a fill station to get if filled every 2 or 3 years and unload it with a loader.  That's the nice thing about the 100# tanks is that you can haul them and fill them at will.

a 100 gal tank measures about 14.5 inches wide and 48.5 icnhes high and will hold 23 gal of propane at (i think at 50 degrees) and weighs 4.11 pounds per american gallon

a 100 gal tank empty weighs 68 pounds according to an internet site i visited

[juddspaintballs]

The 420# tanks are listed to be 30" round by 52" tall and hold 100 GALLONS of propane.  They're also 300# empty.  It is not safe to load and unload it from a truck full of propane.  Those tanks are also usually not DOT rated so it would be illegal to transport full on the road.  If you're planning on getting the tanks filled yourself, just buy four or more 100# tanks and hook them all up in parallel and turn them on together.  They should have the vapor space enough to run your furnace.  Build a rack to safely hold them upright in your truck for transport and enjoy. 

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/manchester-tank--equipment-steel-dot-vertical-liquid-propane-cylinder-equipped-with-pol-valve-100-lb