Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to start ditching those 1-pound propane tanks and saving money and resources. We’ll go over each item in detail so you’ll know precisely what you’ll need and whether you already have it.
- a 20-pound propane tank
- A regulator for gas pressure (We explain this further on)
- An adapter and a high-pressure hose long enough to connect your camp stove to the propane tank (The hose often will come with one. To learn more, scroll down.)
- Matches or a lighter (unless your stove self-ignites)
Choosing a Big Propane Tank/Bottle
a propane tank with a capacity of 20 lbs
The regulator of gas pressure (We explain this further on)
An adapter, as well as a high-pressure hose long enough to connect your camp stove to your propane tank. (Often, a hose is included.) (For more information, see below.)
matches or a lighter (unless your stove self-ignites)
Choosing a Camp Stove to Use with a Big Propane Tank
If you’re looking for a camp stove to use with a large propane tank, or if you already have one and aren’t sure if it’ll work, look no further. The following is a list of requirements for your camp stove to work with a large propane tank:
- Make sure your camp stove is propane-fueled. Although this may seem self-evident, many camp stoves use different gases like butane or isobutane. Check out our in-depth post on camping stove fuels if you want to learn more about all the many types of fuel for camp stoves.
- A high pressure to low pressure adaptor hose is required if the stove burns at low gas pressure.
- If the stove burns at high gas pressures, a hose with a high pressure regulator is required. Many high-pressure gas stoves already include a hose and pressure regulator.
Because the gas pressure is higher, a high gas pressure stove is designed to burn more gas in a given amount of time. When compared to a low-pressure gas stove, more pressure implies you may burn more at any one period.
A camp stove designed to work with 1-pound propane tanks does not require high pressure.
Larger stoves with more burners require more gas, while small camp stoves with two burners can operate with low pressure.
What Is a Gas Pressure Regulator?
A gas pressure regulator ensures that the gas appliance receives the proper amount of gas. Consider drinking from a fire hose as an example. You won’t be able to drink the water quickly enough, and you’ll most likely be plowed over. It’s critical to keep gas pressure under control.
In fact, if you give too much gas to a gadget that can’t handle it, you risk damaging the equipment as well as yourself!
Use the correct gas pressure for your equipment at all times.
Although a high-pressure stove can function at low pressure, performance may be compromised.
A low-pressure high-pressure stove will not be able to cook as hot as it is supposed to.
Low pressure is defined as 11 inches of pressure or 6 ounces of pressure. (half-psi) Low-pressure burners can support a maximum of roughly 50,000 BTUs.
Anything greater than 6 oz per square inch (1/2 psi) is called high pressure.
High-pressure stoves produce more than 50,000 BTUs of heat.
Many Coleman Camp Stoves are high-pressure stoves that require gas pressures of 15-20 PSI.
This indicates that the Coleman camp stove’s regulator reduces the pressure from the bottle to 15-20 PSI.
If your camp stove is huge, with numerous burners and maybe its own stand, you may be utilizing a high-pressure gas camp stove.
The type of regulator that comes with your stove is the most important indication to determining what kind of stove you have.
A regulator is included with most stoves.
Some regulators are built-in, while others are internal to the stove.
Traditional Coleman 2-burner camp stoves, for example, include a hose that links the camp stove to a 1-pound propane tank.
The pressure is raised to 15-20 PSI with this Coleman regulator.
The high or low pressure regulator that comes with the stove sets the pressure to the level that the stove is designed to function at.
If your camp stove has a regulator (which looks like a pipe that connects to the side of the Coleman units), you should be ready to go and only need a high-pressure hose with the necessary adapter as indicated below.
High-Pressure Hose With an Adapter
A high-pressure hose and an adapter from a “A Type 1 or ACME fitting to a male disposable cylinder port, often known as a throwaway fitting” are required to connect a high-pressure 20-pound propane tank to a low-pressure camping stove.
In other words, you’ll need an adapter to convert a conventional propane tank hose (not the Coleman 1-lb disposable type) to the fitting found on a disposable propane tank.
Coleman manufactures a hose that doubles as an adaptor designed expressly for this application.
You may find it at Dick’s Sporting Goods, or on Amazon, at this link.
A high-pressure hose is required in addition to the adaptor.
Hoses designed for higher gas pressures are known as high-pressure hoses.
Bad things can happen if you utilize a hose that isn’t designed for the job! Because it includes both the high-pressure hose and the adaptor, the Coleman high-pressure hose is a two-in-one product.
Can a propane tank be used with a camp stove?
Someone eventually recognized that with the right equipment, you could combine a larger propane tank with a camp stove. For camp stove users, switching from small, inefficient propane tanks to larger, environmentally friendly propane tanks opened up a whole new world.
It is feasible to use a 20-pound propane tank, which is more effective than smaller tanks. You may use them with a camp stove or a full-size grill, and many locations have exchange programs, making it easy to return your empty canisters. The 20-pound canisters also last much longer.
One of the camping hacks that will make outdoor cooking a joy is adapting your camping stove to use a larger propane canister. You won’t have to worry about running out of propane in the middle of a meal, and a propane stove is also less expensive.
The only drawback to increasing the size of your propane tank is that you’ll need some extra parts to connect it. We’ve put up a detailed handbook to assist you on your journey.
What’s the best way to connect a propane tank to an outdoor stove?
What’s the best way to connect a huge propane tank to a camp stove?
– one-by-one
- The hose should be connected to the stove. Take the smaller end of the conversion kit and screw it into the threaded end of the stove to secure it.
- The hose should be connected to the tank.
- Carry out a soap bubble test.
What is the size of the fitting on a Coleman stove?
Hoses and regulators from Coleman. For some Coleman grills, an LP regulator with a QCC-1 connector. The female threads are 3/8 female NPT pipe threads with a 19/32 inner diameter. For several Coleman grills, 36 LP hose with 3/8 male pipe thread (MPT) on one end and 3/8 female flare fitting on the other.
Is it possible to utilize a 1 lb propane tank instead of a 20 lb propane tank?
Here are some helpful hints for choosing and using propane containers:
- You can utilize either 1 pound propane bottles or a 20 pound propane tank with the 8 adapter hose.
- When it’s freezing outdoors, keep your 1lb propane bottles indoors at room temperature to get the most out of your GrillGun.
- Purchase two or three extra propane bottles to ensure that you always have plenty on hand.
- If your GrillGun never leaves the house and is always used at the grill, use a 20 or 30 pound propane tank and the adapter hose.
- There are a variety of refillable 1 pound bottles on the market, as well as refill kits to refill your 1 pound bottle from a 20 pound tank, so you always have the option to save money while maintaining portability.
- When refilling bottles, follow the directions provided by the maker of the refilling equipment.
Is a regulator required for my propane stove?
The regulator on your propane tank regulates the flow of propane from the tank to the device that uses it.
The regulator, in its most basic form, decreases the high gas pressure from the propane cylinder to the much lower gas pressure required by the propane appliance. Some appliances will necessitate a higher propane flow, while others would necessitate a lower flow.
The regulator on a propane tank regulates the gas as it is consumed since propane becomes a lighter-than-air material when consumed. A propane regulator helps to guarantee that propane usage is safe by bottlenecking the propane down to a safe and usable pressure.
For a stove, how big of a propane tank do I need?
After you’ve completed all of your calculations, it’s time to figure out how big a propane tank you’ll need for your gas range.
Assume your gas range has two 5,000 BTU (5,275,279 J) burners that can run simultaneously for 9.15 hours on a gallon (3.8 L) of propane for the sake of simplicity. Let’s also imagine you spend approximately half an hour each day cooking: that’s about how much time the average American spends cooking on a daily basis.
One gallon (3.8 L) of propane will last you 18.3 days if you use these two burners concurrently to cook for roughly half an hour every day. This would most likely take longer because you don’t use those two burners at the same time every day. But, since it’s better to overestimate than underestimate your gas consumption, we’ll stick with 18 days.
When you buy a 100 pound (45.4 kg) propane tank, you’ll get roughly 23.6 gallons (89.3 L) of propane (remember, 0.236 gallons or 0.89 L = 1 pound or 0.45 kg of propane at 60F or 15.6C).
That means a 100 pound (45.4 kg) tank can keep your gas range running for 424.8 days (1823.6), or well over a year.
Even if your range has more than two burners with a greater BTU than 5,000 (the BTU we used in our calculations), you’ll be able to go roughly a year without having to refill. In the worst-case situation, a refill will be required once a year, which isn’t too horrible.
The size of your family and how much gas you use will determine your gas requirements. If your gas range serves a large family and has burners that are on the higher end of the BTU scale, a 420 lb. (190.5 kilogram) tank would be worth considering. This capacity is especially useful if you need propane for additional purposes, such as powering an interior fireplace.
However, if your household is average in size and you simply use your tank for a gas range, a 100-pound (45.4 kg) tank will enough.
Is it possible to use propane to power a gas stove?
- Because natural gas is the most often used fuel for indoor cooking, most stoves come pre-configured for it. However, if your stove is powered by electricity, you’ll need to convert it to a natural gas burner before using propane.
- The most significant change for a stovetop is to use burners with smaller orifices so that less gas escapes.
- Because propane provides higher heat energy, you’ll need to cook your meal less. We advise leaving this stage of the job to professionals due to the dangers of gas leaks.