Posted: November 6, 2023

Propane Tank Sizes: Which is Right For You?

How to Choose a Tank Size That Works For Your Home or Business

So you have made the switch to using propane to power and fuel the majority of equipment and appliances throughout your home or commercial business. Or maybe you suddenly have more appliances around your home or business that are using propane on a regular basis. Either way, you may be at a point where you are wondering if the propane tank you currently have is big enough for all the jobs it has and you may be asking yourself which propane tank size is right for you and your specific needs.

Deciding on the Right Propane Tank

There are a few factors that influence what size propane tank you need. These include:

Propane tanks come in a range of sizes. Below are some common sizes and a brief outline of what they can power.

• 150-gallon tanks: These smaller propane tanks can be used to fuel a couple of gas appliances (think about one or two) such as water heaters, cooking ranges, clothes dryers and gas-operated fireplaces.
• 250-gallon tanks: These propane tanks are ideal to use for supplemental heat sources, generators and pool heaters.
• 500-gallon tanks: If you use propane to heat your house and if most of the appliances throughout your home rely on propane, a 500-gallon propane tank is what’s recommended.
• 1,000-gallon tanks: Most of the time, propane tanks of this size are found in very large homes and commercial businesses.

How Much Propane is in a Propane Tank?

It is important to note that a 150-gallon propane tank will never have 150 gallons of propane in it at a time (and the same goes for a 250-gallon tank, a 500-gallon tank and so forth). Propane tanks should never be completely full. In fact, a completely full propane tank is dangerous. There needs to be extra room in a propane tank to account for expansion (propane is a liquid and liquids expand when heated).

Propane tanks that are above ground can typically be about 80% full. Underground tanks can safely be filled a little more than 80% since they are protected from high temperatures by the ground’s insulation.

Star Tex Propane’s Tank Monitoring
If all of this sounds confusing and if worrying about how much propane is in your tank isn’t something you want to think about, you are in luck! Star Tex Propane can do the worrying for you with wireless tank monitoring.

A wireless tank monitor is a device that goes directly on your propane tank and sends up to the minute reads of your fuel levels directly to Star Tex Propane. This allows us to know exactly when you’ll be in need of your next propane delivery.

Star Tex Propane’s Tank Services
Wireless tank monitoring isn’t the only propane tank service Star Tex Propane offers. You can count on us for:

• Propane tank installation and maintenance
• Safety-leak testing
• Propane cylinder refills at our Waco and Burnet locations
• Complimentary safety inspections for propane cylinders
• Tank painting

If you are in the Central Texas area, contact Star Tex Propane today to join our long list of happy propane customers!