The cost of purchasing your own propane tank, as well as the amount of propane consumed over the year, should be considered while deciding whether to exchange or replenish.
Is It Cheaper to Refill Propane or Exchange?
Refilling a propane tank is around $1.76 per gallon less expensive than exchanging. It costs roughly $3-$4 per gallon to refill your own propane tank, while swapping costs about $5-6 per gallon. Many propane exchange schemes, on the other hand, only fill their 20-pound tanks with 15 pounds of propane.
This means you’re paying for a full tank but only getting 20 pounds of propane. This also implies you’ll have to change your tanks more frequently. In the end, this could mean that the expense is a wash. It’s up to you whether you want convenience or more control over how much gas you have in your tank.
Exchanging Too Soon Can Be Costly
The majority of people replace their tanks before they are entirely empty. You’re essentially putting money on fire if you replace your tank before it’s completely empty. So, if you utilize the exchange scheme frequently, you could be squandering a significant amount of money.
Is Propane Cheaper if You Own Your Own Tank?
If you buy propane on a regular basis, investing in your own tank makes a lot of sense. If you have propane remaining in your tank when you go to refill it, you will spend less per gallon and will pay less to refill it.
It might not be worth it to buy your own propane tank if you only use it once in a while. You’ll spend a little more if you use the exchange scheme, but you won’t have to pay for a tank up front.
How Much Does a 20 LB Propane Tank Cost?
Depending on the brand, features, and quality, an empty propane tank might cost anywhere from $35 to $60. Having a built-in gas meter gauge adds roughly $20 to the price, but it can save you a lot of bother in the long run because overfilling is a typical problem.
You can get one from a big box retailer such as Lowes, Home Depot, or Walmart. Alternatively, you may order it from Amazon and have it sent to you. If you’re going to buy rather than exchange, I recommend getting one with a built-in gauge, like the one shown below.
What is the price of a 5 pound propane tank?
There’s good news! The 5 pound propane tanks are a more cost-effective option to take propane camping! How is that possible? Isn’t it necessary to purchase an expensive tank, adaptor, and get them filled? Isn’t that going to be more expensive?
Not in the least. A 5 pound propane tank can pay for itself fast for most people, and will actually lower your propane costs over time.
Price Comparison: 1 lb Tanks Versus 5 lb Tanks
In the United States, the cheapest 1 pound propane tank costs roughly $4. 5 kg of propane costs $20 at that pricing ($4 x 5 tanks = $20). And this is pretty much the cheapest you can get them; I’ve seen them go for about $8 each in popular camping areas!
Meanwhile, a 5 pound propane tank normally costs less than $4 to fill. Or almost the same as a single 1 pound tank.
If you have a 5 lb gas tank, $4 will purchase you one 1 lb single-use propane tank or one 1 lb single-use propane tank. Which of the two sounds better?
Every time you fill up the 5 pound propane tank, you save at least $16! And that’s assuming you get the 1 pound tanks for the cheapest price.
Yes, you will need to purchase a refillable tank as well as an adapter. If you camp frequently, you will likely break even after one or two camping seasons if you save $16 per fill. Furthermore, you still have a valuable propane tank that you may sell if you no longer need it.
How to Score Free Propane
Because many establishments charge by the gallon, they may not charge you to fill up a 5 pound tank! That’s right, you read that correctly. I’ve gone to a lot of places where people don’t bother charging for propane that is less than a gallon. And I’ve talked to a lot of other people who have had similar experiences.
Energy for free! What are the chances of getting something like that? Unless you’re talking about solar panels for camping (which are awesome too).
If money is your primary issue, a 5 pound tank is still the best option in the long term.
Grilling
As previously stated, 20-pound propane tanks are used for small chores such as cooking single meals. If you’re grilling on a medium-sized barbecue, one tank of propane will normally last between 18 and 20 hours. Larger barbecues, on the other hand, can consume 20 pounds of propane in as little as 10 hours.
If you use a medium-sized grill on high heat, you’ll need one or two pounds of fuel per meal on average. That works out to about 8 grilling sessions per tank.
Furnaces
The industry standard for measuring the heating efficiency of domestic equipment is the British Thermal Unit, or BTUs. One gallon of propane equals 92,000 BTUs, and the average house furnace uses 100,000 BTUs. The average house furnace consumes about one gallon of propane each hour.
Depending on how often you turn on your furnace, a house furnace might burn anywhere from 500 to 1,200 gallons of propane every year.
Hot Water Heaters
The amount of hot water you use depends on how many bathrooms you have and how many people are in and out of your home. The average residence uses approximately 1.5 gallons of propane per day for conventional hot water heating.
For hot water, the average homeowner will use between 200 and 300 gallons of propane each year.
The average homeowner will consume about 2.5, 500-gallon propane tanks for house heating and cooking each year.
How long can a 16 oz gas tank keep you warm?
A disposable propane tank of 14 or 16 ounces will last 1.5 to 2 hours. On most grills, a regular 20-pound propane tank should last about 18-20 hours. You should always have an additional tank on available because you don’t want to run out in the middle of a barbecue!
Is it possible to replenish Coleman 16-ounce propane tanks?
Camping with Coleman propane gas canisters is a great idea. They’re used to power portable propane camping lamps and outdoor cooktops. While these canisters are typically thrown away once they’ve been emptied, they can be refilled with a 20-pound propane tank.
How long can a 1 pound gas tank keep you going?
How long does a 16.4 ounce propane cylinder last? When used with a 7,500 BTU stove on full flame, a typical 16.4 oz or 1 lb propane cylinder will last two hours.