BTU or Btu is a short form for The British Thermal Unit. It is one unit of heat. The energy required to increase one degree Fahrenheit of one pound of water is termed one BTU.
If you want to know what number of BTUs your propane tank can generate, this article is just what you need.
How many BTUs are in the propane tank?
Different size propane tank contains a different number of BTUs. The number of BTUs a tank can contain depends on the propane tank’s length, diameter, height, and width. On average, a 20 lb propane tank contains about 430000 BTUs, and approximately 21,500 BTUs are generated from 1 lb propane.
There are propane tanks of various sizes that hold a different number of BTUs. The amount for different sizes is given below:
1 lb propane tank:
1 pound propane tank contains 21548 BTUs. Each gallon of the propane tank is 92000 BTUs, and the weight of the 1 gallon’s tank is 4.24 pounds.
20 lb propane tank:
20-pound propane tank contains 430000 BTUs. A 20-pound propane tank is equal to 4.6 gallons. A 20 pounds propane gas holding tank weighs 17 pounds
when empty, and it can hold 20 pounds of propane gas.
30 lb propane tank:
30-pound propane tank contains 649980 BTUs. A 30 pounds tank can hold about 7.5 gallons of propane gas. The weight of a full 30-pound propane tank is about 55 pounds with the gas.
40 lb propane tank:
40-pound propane tank contains 860542 BTUs. And the tank can hold about 9.4 gallons of propane gas. And the weight of the tank when it is packed with gas is 72 pounds.
100 lb propane tank:
100-pound propane tank contains 2160509 BTUs. One pounds equals 0.236 gallons, so 100 pounds holds 23.6 gallons.
5-gallon propane tank:
5-gallon propane tank contains 457510 BTUs. The weight of each gallon tank is 4.24 pounds. So, the weight of the 5-gallon tank is 21.2 pounds.
250-gallon propane tank:
250-gallon propane tank contains 22875500 BTUs, and one tank holds Two hundred and fifty gallons. Each tank is 7 feet 8 inches long with a diameter of 30 inches. The weight of 250 gallons is 1060 pounds.
500-gallon propane tank:
500-gallon propane tank contains 45751000 BTUs. Five hundred gallons of propane tanks include four hundred gallons of propane.
The weight of 400 gallons is 1696 pounds. The weight of an empty 500 gallons tank is 1180 pounds.
How many BTU in a standard propane tank?
A propane tank’s length, diameter, height, and width determine the number of BTUs it can obtain. Here are measurements for some standard propane tanks.
BTU per gallon of propane:
There are 91500 BTUs in one gallon of propane gas. And one gallon is equal to 4.24 pounds. On the other hand, 1 pound propane is 0.92 liter. So, 1 gallon of propane is 3.9 liter.
BTU in one pound of propane:
One pound of propane contains 21548 BTUs. One pound of propane is equal to 0.236 gallons of propane. It represents that one pound of propane has 21548 BTUs of energy.
BTU in a liter of propane:
One liter of propane contains 23700 BTUs. One liter of propane is equal to 0.256 gallons. So, we can say that there is 23700 BTUs energy in one-liter propane.
What are the most common propane tank sizes?
If you go to find the propane tank sizes, then you will get to find a lot of variations. But there are some common sizes that is used frequently. Let’s get to know them.
20-pound propane tank:
A 20-pound tank is 18 inches long, and the diameter is 12 inches. It can hold about 5 gallons of propane or 21.42 pounds of propane.
33-pound tank:
A 33-pound propane tank is 2 feet tall and1 foot in diameter. A full 33-pound tank can hold about 8 gallons of propane. It means the volume of the tank is 8 gallons.
100-pound tank:
A 100-pound tank is 4 feet tall and 18 inches in diameter. A full 100-pound tank can hold about 25 gallons of propane. The volume of the tank is 25 gallons.
420-pound tank:
A 420-pound tank’s length is 4 feet, and its diameter is about 3 feet. So the tank has about 100 gallons of volume. That means the tank can hold about 100 gallons of propane.
250 gallons tank:
A 250 gallons tank is 7 feet 8 inches long, and the diameter is 2 feet 6 inches. The volume of the tank is 200 gallons which means the tank can hold 250 gallons of propane.
500-gallon tank:
A 500-gallon tank is 5 feet tall and 10 feet long. The volume of the tank is 400 gallons so that the tank can hold 400 gallons of propane
1000-gallon tank:
A 100-gallon tank is 5 feet tall and 16 feet tall. The tank can hold 800 gallons of propane, and the tank’s volume is 800 gallons.
How Long Does a Propane Tank Last?
A 20-pound propane tank can last for about 18 to 20 hours if used in a medium-sized grill in high heat, and if the grill is large, it will last for 10 hours. And the same time amount goes for 5 gallons of the grill.
On the other hand, 500 gallons of propane tank can last from 50 days to 420 days. A 100-gallon propane tank lasts for 85 days.
250 gallons of propane tank can last for 212 days. A 1000 gallons propane tank can last for 800 days in 500 sq feet house. So different sizes of tanks have different lasting times.
How to calculate your burn rate?
To calculate the burn rate, you must first find out the consumption rate. First, we have to know the BTU of the propane furnace. 4.24 pounds of propane gives about 91500 BTUs.
We have to divide these 91500 BTUs by the BTUs of the furnace to get the consumption rate. Then to get the burn rate, we have to multiply the amount of propane in the tank with the consumption rate to calculate the burn rate.
The burn rate varies on the changes of BTUs of the propane tank.
How much propane will a 30000 BTU heater use?
We know 4.24 pounds of propane can generate 91500 BTUs. To get the value of how much propane a 30000 BTUs heater uses, we have to 4.24 by 91500.
Then we multiply the result by 30000, and you will get the answer in the pound, which is 1.39 pounds. So, a 30000 BTU heater will use 1.39 pounds of propane.
How many BTU for propane fire pit and fireplace?
For the fire pit and fireplaces, the BTU amount should be between 40000 to 150000. The BTUs of a fireplace or fire pit also depend on the places, environment, and weather.
For example, in windy weather, the BTUs of propane will be more than in the area where there is mild air. I also depend on the temperature of the places. But generally, the BTU for propane for the fire pit and fireplaces do not cross 150000.
How many BTU for propane grill?
Generally, a grill with a one-inch cooking surface will need 80 to 100 BTUs. The more the area, the more becomes the BTUs. The higher the BTU that means, the more fuel is used.
The grill with a higher BTU rate will consume more fuel. The BTU for an infrared grill is about 60 to 80 per square inch. If the area increases, the BTU also increases on proportionally. This BTU amount is the exact measure one needs while grilling.
When should you order more propane?
It is better to buy propane in the summer season. Most of the time, it is seen that the price of propane always falls in summer.
The price fall is the best time to have more propane because it will save your money, and during winter, you will have a good time when the price of the propane will increase.
So, it is always better to buy propane in summer as it will save money. And it is also required to check the fuel gauge to know how much propane is left for the next refill. It is better to check and refill before the winter starts.
Final thoughts
BTU is the energy measurement representing the energy contained in the different propane fuel or gas quantities. Different amount of propane tank has different sizes, and they are mainly measured in pounds, gallons, and sometimes liters. But generally, 20 lb propane tank contains about 430000 BTUs.