How long will your propane last?

Pick your tanks. Choose what you’ll run each day.

1 Your tanks

Tank size Number of tanks How full? (average)

Use tanks of the same size. One full + one empty = ½ full.

2 What will you run?

Select appliances, then set daily use.

Your propane could last

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Choose your tanks and appliances.

Estimate only. Weather, settings and appliance ratings change actual use. Plan to refill before you run out.

Ratings & calculation

Daily use = input BTU/hour × burner hours. We use about 21,600 BTU per pound and 4.24 pounds per US gallon.

A full 20 lb cylinder contains 20 lb of propane. Built-in tanks use 80% of their water capacity. No extra 80% reduction is applied to portable cylinders.

Furnace and fridge defaults assume the burner runs half the selected time. Change “Burner runs” to match your use. For other appliances, enter time with the flame on. Ratings are examples; use your appliance’s input rating for a closer estimate.

This estimates fuel supply, not battery life or cold-weather gas delivery. A furnace also needs 12V power.

References: propane properties, water heater ratings, cooktop ratings.