How Do I Tell How Much Gas Is In My Propane Tank? - Dixon Energy

How Do I Tell How Much Gas Is In My Propane Tank?

Do you use propane in your home? If so, knowing how much propane you have in your home’s tank or grill tank is essential to making sure that you always have enough.

Dixon Energy makes propane delivery easy with our Automatic Delivery option, where we use the latest software and a classic calculation to accurately forecast when you will need more propane. We come to your home and refill your propane tank.

For those who want absolute precision when it comes to their propane supply, we offer wireless propane tank monitoring. The TankUtility monitor uses the latest wireless and cellular technology, like what you have in your smartphone, to track your propane supply in real time, 24/7. As soon as your propane tank gauge hits a set level, we are sent a notification and we promptly schedule a delivery to your home. You can also track your supply with the TankUtility app.

How to know how much propane is in your tank

Reading your propane tank gauge is as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Go out to your propane tank and locate your gauge, a round dial that looks like the speedometer in your car.
2. The dial numbers show the propane tank’s fill level as a percentage. When the needle is at 40, it means the tank is 40% full.
3. If you choose Will-Call delivery for propane, please contact us before your tank level drops below 30% to schedule a delivery. This will ensure that we can deliver before you run low on propane.

Checking your propane tank gauge is simple, but it can be easy to forget due to a busy life. Not keeping track of your propane tank level can lead to multiple problems. You might end up running low on propane and require an emergency delivery, which comes with an added fee. In the worst-case scenario, you could completely deplete your propane supply. In this case, not only will you need to request an emergency propane delivery, but you will also need to get your propane tank pressure tested and have a service technician re-light all your propane appliance pilots. Those expenses are also your responsibility.

This is why so many of our customers prefer Automatic Delivery and wireless propane tank monitoring! It takes the work and worry out of managing your home’s propane supply.

Why isn’t my propane tank 100 percent full?

If you’re a keen observer, you might have noticed that your propane tank is never 100 percent full. Why? It’s a question of propane safety.

Much like water, propane expands when it’s heated. But propane expands to about 17 times the volume of water over the same temperature increase! The extra space in the tank allows for that expansion.

Above-ground propane tanks are typically filled to about 80 percent capacity; in-ground tanks can be filled slightly higher, because the ground insulates the tank from big temperature swings.

Our expert drivers use a fixed liquid level gauge to make sure we don’t overfill – a simple but important measure we take to make sure every delivery to your home is a safe one.

How to know how much propane is left in your grill tank

Gas grills are the most common grills in the United States, comprising 60% of all grills owned here. That’s because propane gas grills are easy to use and faster than charcoal grills. Making sure you have enough propane in your grill tank is essential. Here are some ways to do that.

To determine the amount of propane left in your cylinder, it is recommended to purchase an external propane cylinder gauge. These gauges are inexpensive and can be easily found at your nearby home improvement store or online.

There are three kinds of external gauges:

• Inline pressure gauges are installed between the gas line from the grill and the cut-off valve on the tank, measuring pressures to determine how full the tank is.
• Analog propane scales look like luggage scales and are pre-set to take your tank’s tare weight (TW), which is the weight of the tank when it is empty, into account.
• Digital propane tank scales provide a digital readout of remaining cook time and gas fill percentage. Some even come with smart phone apps.

An easy way to check how much propane is left in your grill tank if you don’t have an external gauge is to use water. To determine the fill level of the tank, follow these steps: Use warm to hot tap water to fill a small bucket. Pour the water down one side of the tank. Then run your hand along that side until you feel a cool spot. The top of the cool spot marks the fill level of the tank. This happens because the liquid propane in the cylinder absorbs heat from the water, causing that spot to become cooler.

For safe propane deliveries in NJ, trust the pros at Dixon Energy. Contact us to schedule a delivery or to install a propane tank monitor today.