OK, I'm starting to think about cold weather. I hate it!!

I just bought a AC unit with a natural gas furnace that I will change over to bottled gas. Unfortunately I cannot set up with a 500 gallon or larger tank because of state laws and regulations unless I install an in ground tank, which will not happen because I'm basically sitting on a boulder, and distance..lol

So, the plan is to daisy chain 4 100 lb bottles, which will give me roughly 100 gallon of gas.
If I cannot get a company to deliver because I plan on doing the install myself my question becomes one of hauling the bottles myself.
When I refill my argon bottles I always lay the bottle down in my truck.

Can I do the same with a propane bottle? If so I will build a cradle to strap them down horizontally. It just seems safer to me.

Any advice on how to daisy chain them?

Tanks
Dave

quote:

Originally posted by David Covey:
OK, I'm starting to think about cold weather. I hate it!!

I just bought a AC unit with a natural gas furnace that I will change over to bottled gas. Unfortunately I cannot set up with a 500 gallon or larger tank because of state laws and regulations unless I install an in ground tank, which will not happen because I'm basically sitting on a boulder, and distance..lol

So, the plan is to daisy chain 4 100 lb bottles, which will give me roughly 100 gallon of gas.
If I cannot get a company to deliver because I plan on doing the install myself my question becomes one of hauling the bottles myself.
When I refill my argon bottles I always lay the bottle down in my truck.

Can I do the same with a propane bottle? If so I will build a cradle to strap them down horizontally. It just seems safer to me.

Any advice on how to daisy chain them?

Tanks
Dave

When I lived out in the country and had propane heat I hated it. Very expensive and would always run out at the worse time and have no heat, ice/snow storm etc when they could not get to me. If I was you get the largest above ground tank they will allow and set up a "keep full" contract with your local supplier, that way they stop by once a month and top it off. If you run out its on them. JMO of course

I can't answer your question, but I've got a friend with a propane water heater and heat pump. He's got a 120 gallon tank, and an automatic refill agreement with the gas company. He pays a few dollars a year to lease the tank. Have you checked with local gas companies about leasing a tank? We've got a 120 gallon tank (we own) but all we have is gas logs. We have it filled once a year. I'm pretty sure no propane tanks can be filled "full". If this is the case a 100 pound tank would hold less than 20 gallons. Filled completely full a 100 pound tank would hold less than 25 gallons.

Can you set a 250 gal. tank? This daisy chain thing scares the shyt out of me. Not to mention the inconvenience of hauling/filling on the coldest day of the year. Guess you didnt want total electric heat pump? Also the conversion of nat gas to propane is not the easiest plus it'll hog that propane like you won't believe. Not sure but I think the BTU's on propane are lower than gas? Lot's of questions in my mind..... JB

technicaly speaking ,i believe by law all bottles must be hauled standing,capped and tied down

At my old house I thought I was SOL on getting a decent sized tank set due to code and the space I had to work with.

I went ahead and called the propane supplier to come out and take a look anyway. He was nice enough to show me that I must have been reading my tape measure incorrectly and he could set whatever tank I wanted.

Due to the location at the top of the tank for the popoff valve propane must be transported standing up. Also with propane, liquid propane is stored in the tank but the liquid vaporizes which is what the furnace runs on. You would need to make sure the volume of the tanks would allow enough vaporizing to take place (propane boils at 43° below zero. Too little surface area will ice up under heavy usage.

Nat gas to propane is a 1-2.5 ratio

So for every 1000 SCFH of Nat gas burned you get 1 million BTUs of heat release and for 1000 SCFH of propane you get 2.5 million BTUs of heat.

I don't work on residential heating, I work on industrial combustion equipment for a living.

Pretty sure that they only fill the cylinders to 60-70% and leave head room for expansion. So you're talking 240-280 gallons of Propane. And even though they use a dip tube, they must be transported vertically. You might want to check and see if you're even allowed to transport that many cylinders at the same time.

Honestly, this sounds like a PIA. How is this going to be in the middle of winter? Or if you get an injury.....or older and messing with these bottles isn't practical? I would get the local propane supplier(s) involved with coming up with a better solution. Maybe in cases where you can't bury, you can get an exemption to have one above ground? Or build a fence around it or something?

I have a 300 gal tank and they will only fill it to 80%. If it’s a cold winter I usually have to refill from 50% 3 times. I never let it get any lower in case there is a delay getting it filled.

Curtis

WOW.. I get more help asking about stuff other than racing than I do about racing...lol Great, thanks guy's..

All of you have valid answers about the expense, and running out at the most inopportune times.
I didn't want a heat pump because of the expense of electricity and since I do not plan to leave the heat on 24/7 gas should warm the place up quicker. That will make my supply last a bit longer, and in the past I have been using a 125,000 btu propane heater with 20 lb bottles. I have 6.

Wasn't aware of a pressure relief valve in the tank (I haven't actually looked that hard at one yet). So if they must be hauled standing up that would make it more top heavy. Which scares me..

Pivotdoc, what gave me the idea of daisy chaining them is seeing travel trailers haveing 2 bottles connected and I also remembered some of my family years ago gad gas cook stoves and had 2 100lb bottles connected together. None have any issues.

Also, according to Texas Railroad commission which regulates this, rules are 10 feet from building and property lines with anything 125 gallons or more.

Woody, according to my info 100lb tank hold just over 23 gallon.

Big Steve, Propane supplier will not deliver to a 100lb bottle. They are filled by weight so they have to be taken in.

Bucky, It's a pain in the azz now. I haul in a half dozen at a time to get filled and have to stand in front of the heater to notice any heat. Shop hasn't been insulated since I built it.


I just had insulation blown in the ceiling a couple of weeks ago, and will have the walls insulated before cold weather. So this winter I should be toasty even if I have to haul gas. Next summer I will also have AC so I'll be set.

Thanks again...

Dave

Just got this from TRICO Propane..

The 100 lb cylinders.cannot be filled off of our trucks.
There us a 120 gallon tank that can be placed up against your building with some restrictions.
1. From our truc,we must be able to reach the tank with a 100 ft hose.
2. The tank kust be 10 feet from any source of ignition. Anything that can cause a spark. Electric motor, AC, external tankless water heater , electrical panel etc.. that 10 ft includes around the corner.
3. The tank must ne 5 ft from ANY opening into the house. Vents, operable windows ,doors :any opening
Again those distances include around the corner.
Please feel free to call me uf you habe any more questions.
Ill be glad to help you .
John
254-718-9490


I'll call them Monday and have them out to survey my building to see where and what I can get.

Thanks Again Guy's.

Dave