Empty propane tank

[chrismoore701]

How do you guys measure your propane? Woke up this morning 40 outside and pretty cold inside. I had to go flip to the other tank. How do I avoid this? I know I don't want to run both tanks for this very reason. But how do I monitor the tank levels

Thanks

[chrismoore701]

I have a 29bhs with two larger tanks

[nbhybrid]

2 tanks should last a long long time.

If I think I might need gas I take one off and go top it it up.

I have never run out in many years of doing this. They don't need to be empty to refill

[wwsmith111]

Originally Posted by chrismoore701

How do you guys measure your propane? Woke up this morning 40 outside and pretty cold inside. I had to go flip to the other tank. How do I avoid this? I know I don't want to run both tanks for this very reason. But how do I monitor the tank levels

Thanks

No good way. I leave one full tank off so I know when the tank I'm using is empty. Then I turn on the full tank and go and get the empty one filled and use it as the full tank that is off. That way I always have a full tank in reserve. I think this a a very common way of doing it.

[robkelly]

I thought my regulator was supposed to automatically switch to the second tank (assuming it's on) when the first ran out, but that didn't happen so not sure if my regulator is bad or it was a misunderstanding on my part - I haven't gone through the manual yet to confirm. If it is supposed to switch, there's a red/green indicator on the regulator that indicates when the "primary" tank is empty and has switched to the "secondary".

As nbhybrid said, two tanks should last a long long time. Mine ran out our first ever trip out, but I've attributed that to the tank not being purged properly before it was filled as since having it refilled I've used it all summer.

[brianca2]

I have seen when the tanks are brand new or completely empty, people install a float gauge or you can buy a 20 or 30lbs tank with a float gauge already installed. My Self I know I can get about 12 to 15 days on 25 pounds. I then need a to fill the 30 lbs tank I upgraded to a bigger tanks that what the swift came with.

[clubhouse]

I simply open one and leave the other close. When i runs empty I switch to the other and fill the previous. I know of no other way to do manager LP with out totally running out.

As for the comments that a tank should last a long time is very relative. For us, in the summer months, when the furnace never runs we can get ~20-25 nights out of a single 30# bottle running the fridge and water heater on LP plus a little bit of cooking.

In the fall, with cool days and cold nights and the furnace running, I get about 6 day/nights out of a single 30# bottle.

At deer camp, when it is cold often with snow, I get a week out of two 30# bottles.

furnace use has a lot to with LP consumption.

[clubhouse]

By the way, the only way I have found to gauge the amount of LP left is to pour hot water on the bottle and then feel where the steel changes temp from warm to cool…that is the approx level of the LP.

[chrismoore701]

A friend of mine has a pressure gauge on his bottle. I'm just looking to find when the bottle is low. You it will never run out during the day. Has to run out at night. Not fun. So don't want to wait to run out. Just when it is low

[nbhybrid]

I just take one every 10 days or so. Switch over unhook it and top it off. It only takes a few moments and I always have propane.

[SmokerBill]

Next time you have an empty tank, weigh it (also, the empty weight should be stamped on the handle somewhere). Then, when it's convenient, remove and weigh the tank you've been using, and when it's down to a few pounds left, switch to the full one, and get the light one refilled.

It's not easy, but at least you won't wake up cold in the middle of the night.

[stroza99]

I had this same question, just got a new Jayflight and have been us ring LP for refer and water heater, thanks for the input everyone!! One other question I have is after you do run out of the one tank, when you switch over to the other, is there anything you have to do other then switch tanks? Will everything start automatically? Thanks!!!

[RVhiker]

My experience with Marshall automatic changeover propane controls has been very positive for the last 13 years; in that time, I've had two different trailers each with the same type Marshall automatic changeover controls. I always leave both tanks on and simply check frequently the green/red indicator. So far, it has switched over without fail.

It looks like Marshall is no longer making them, someone else is according to this ad:

[RVhiker]

The controls will automatically switch over without an interruption of gas supply, but the "spare" tank does not have quite the same BTU output available as the "main" tank; just flip the switch when you can.

[RVer-Bill]

Originally Posted by RVhiker

My experience with Marshall automatic changeover propane controls has been very positive for the last 13 years; in that time, I've had two different trailers each with the same type Marshall automatic changeover controls. I always leave both tanks on and simply check frequently the green/red indicator. So far, it has switched over without fail.

It looks like Marshall is no longer making them, someone else is according to this ad:

I've never had any problem with the Marshall ones either. I have always done the same as you do and then switch the regulator over to the full one when I notice the primary one empty and get the empty one filled unless I'll be coming home in a day or 2. The regulator the new Jayco's come with is this one. It also seems to work fine so far.

http://www.rvwholesalers.com/catalog...LAEaApC98P8HAQ

Originally Posted by RVhiker

The controls will automatically switch over without an interruption of gas supply, but the "spare" tank does not have quite the same BTU output available as the "main" tank; just flip the switch when you can.

I've never seen that. I've been able to run the furnace, water heater and stove on the spare tank with the switch still on the empty primary one.

[RVhiker]

That business about the reduced propane flow on the reserve cylinder was a surprise to me, too, when I read it; I've never had an issue with the supply when using the reserve cylinder, either. I can't find a PDF to link to show what I'm talking about, but I do have a copy of the printed version. It says that the "service" cylinder can supply 210,000 BTU per hour, and the "reserve" can supply 130,000 BTU per hour; all of which actually makes no difference to most folks in using the product. And when one cylinder runs empty, all you have to do to make the "reserve" cylinder the "service" cylinder is to flip the switch.

[RVer-Bill]

The new regulators in the Jayco's are rated at 160,000 BTU/hr. It doesn't give 2 ratings. Even at 130,000 BTU/hr, it would be unlikely to get near this. The biggest furnaces are normally 40,000 BTU/hr. I had a motorhome with 2 furnaces - 30K and 15K. Water heaters are normally 10,000 BTU/hr and all 3 stove burners about 21,000 BTU/hr. So 2 furnaces + water heater + 3 burners = 76,000 BTU/hr. Even with a 50K demand water heater the total would only be 116,000 BTU/hr. I guess that's why we never noticed the reduced output.

[chrismoore701]

I filled the empty tank at the CG today and put it back on and noticed the lines leaking in two different places. So that tank is shut off until I get the lines replaced.

[chrismoore701]

Another question. Do both tanks draw down at the same rate? So if I use one tank until near empty then open both tanks it should drain the one empty and then just work off the other. Does this make sense?

[DKRITTER]

Some of y'all are making this more complicated than needed.

The system is designed to switch between two open tanks. There is a gauge that reads whichever tank it is pointed to. When that one empties the regulator switches to the other unit automatically and shows empty on the gauge.

Turn that tank off, turn the switch to the other tank. Take the empty tank and have it filled. Hook the now full tank up and turn it on. When the other tank gets empty it will switch to the now full tank do it all over again. I check the tanks once or so a week, I’ve never run out.

We shut both tanks off when we get home, turn them on when we get ready to head out.