Welcome to the forum.

I don't have one for the house but use 100# for the shop heaters. Works fine for me. To fill, I just put them in the truck and go get them filled.

Not sure if it's a code thing or just considered a PITA to use 100# for a house in that you'll have to fill more often.

If you're going to use the 100, consider using 2 with an automatic transfer switch. The switch will give a red indicator when it switched to the 2nd tank letting you know it's time to get the first re-filled.

 

Thanks. I've been mooching for a long time and finally decided to sign up. Lots of good info here.

I haven't decided the final setup, but I'm leaning to having just the stove on propane. I contacted several suppliers that cover where I will build my house, but not a single one will answer me. I want to have most stuff running on solar power.

 

I keep a 1000 pound tank full at all times . That holds 800 pounds of Propane .

That amount will heat my home for an entire winter and allow us to cook for an entire year.

I would recommend two 500 gallon tanks hooked to your line in parallel.

You can keep one tank shut off and when your first tank runs out , you shut it off and open the full tank and reorder propane . That way you will never have less than 400 lb of propane.

 

I have 3 of them, one for the stove the other for the water heater and the spared one alone with 4 -20 pounders, so far I`m able to take them to get refill and the main reason for not having a 250 tank is no lines yet , but I will always keep the others you see the 100 pounders are galvanize steel , hard to find around this parts because some idiots turn them into BBQ`s. You have to consider fill-ups between how many month to control your service fees between fill-ups, think of a pressure gauge to monitor your tank that way you have an idea for the fill-up time. When I can`t find something I go here
http://gashosesandregulators.com/brassfittings.html
Hope this could help you.

 

One of my first jobs I ever had was delivering those 100# cylinders. Many, many people used to use them. When full their weight approaches 200# so you have to think how you can handle that weight. Supposed to be hauled upright and chained solid with the screw-on metal cover over the valve. They last quite awhile on a kitchen range or water heater. They are fine but I my opinion, you should buy a larger permanent tank if you are thinking "prep item".

 

Thanks for the info. While I do want to keep plenty of stuff available, I am looking at building my house. Maybe down the road I can add stuff. This house is for now and I hope to be able to build a bigger one in a few years and give this one to my sister.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/build-your-own-house

I would love to have enough to sit at home content with a few years supply. I looked at 500lb tanks, but getting one and getting a good idea of price seems hard to get, other than rather expensive. What I've found for 100lb tanks is they aren't that much and I can take them to get filled and not worry about a company filling them. Everything I've read on propane companies is they are hard to work with. I emailed a few to say I'm moving to the area and was looking for some service and pricing info and didn't get a single response. So I have little faith.

Will a moving dolly work to move those? Though I might need a heavy duty version.

I'm thinking just the kitchen stove will be propane and wood for heat. My wife is a good cook, so she still might burn through a 100lb tank fast.

I like the transfer switch idea. I had to google it since I hadn't seen those before. Thanks for the tip.

 

The advantages of those bottles is that they are "portable" and you don't need the propane company guys coming to the location where they will be used, this may be a positive for many reasons. If used for just a stove they will last a LONG time, other things like a water heater will take significantly more although I know someone who ran a full size refrigerator on them for years.
For storage of larger quantities the cost will be lower with a large tank.

 

Growing up in Mexico, that is all we used. Always had two on hand so one was always full. We ran our stove and water heaters (no central heat) off of them. If we did need a heater we used a bbq tank and a ceramic heater.

 

Will a moving dolly work to move those?

Yes, that is what I use (with the nylon strap and built-in winch). I think any two wheel dolly would work fine, but a ratchet strap (in some form) is a necessity! You can't afford to have the tank fall off the dolly while moving it.

I'm thinking just the kitchen stove will be propane and wood for heat. My wife is a good cook, so she still might burn through a 100lb tank fast.

That's what we do - wood for heat, range top is gas. The oven is a wall unit and is electric, but isn't used unless large meals are being prepared. Microwave for all small meals. The gas range cook top last a very long time on 100lbs.

Check Craigslist for larger tanks; always buy - never rent.

 

I know a few people who live in revs all year long in PA. They use the 100lb tanks. Some bought them from a store, others from other campers. But they take them to truck stops to get filled. Only one has a company that actually will come and fill them.

 

Definitely shop around for prices. Big stores like U-Haiul and TSC have the highest prices. A local feed supply and RV park are the cheapest around here.

I have a small bulk tank at my house, and I make sure the propane guy is filling someone else nearby first (usually the big tank at the RV park) - that way the delivery fees are less. Some places will work with you, but you need to be ready to deal a bit first.

 

Like has been mentioned, many people use a couple of them to run household stuff. A large bulk tank is better for a permanent structure. You can lock in the ever fluctuating LP prices for a set amount of time but your paying a big chunk at one time. 100# tanks aren't that bad to move around. A dolly helps but they aren't horrible.

I would suggest storing them out of the rain to guard against rusting. I know folks who just set them in beside their house in the rain and then complain when I have to bead blast and paint there cylinder before I let my guy fill it cause its so rusty.

Around here you can pick up new 100# cylinders at Lowes for $126 but talk to your local propane company or welding supply. They can usually cut you a better deal on used tanks.

 

In rural Australia we use a x2 100lb tank system. Most places have a fuel depot that will come out and change them for you and you rent the tank (last time I had one it was about $20.00 per year). I've only ever used them for cooking and 100lb lasts a long time even with the amount of cooking I do. Now we take ours to get refilled.
I use a wood stove in the kitchen for most of my cooking but have two rings for stuff like canning days and for the hottest weeks of summer. We also use it to heat the pig scudding bath, hubbies lead smelting, hot smoker and BBQing. We probably refill every ten months.

 

Yes, that is what I use (with the nylon strap and built-in winch). I think any two wheel dolly would work fine, but a ratchet strap (in some form) is a necessity! You can't afford to have the tank fall off the dolly while moving it.

That's what we do - wood for heat, range top is gas. The oven is a wall unit and is electric, but isn't used unless large meals are being prepared. Microwave for all small meals. The gas range cook top last a very long time on 100lbs.

Check Craigslist for larger tanks; always buy - never rent.

Excellent advice here. Also from 8DS - We bought our last two at the propane dealer. We have four, 100 lb. tanks. They last 6 months on average. It is hooked to the cook stove only. My wife does a lot of canning. During the busy season we've been known to use the kitchen range and a two burner outfitter's stove (we have five pressure canners now).

One thing we do to make the propane last longer is shut of the pilot lights to the top burners. We use those long barbecue butane lighters to start the burners. When the butane runs dry we continue to use the lighter. The spark is at the end of the shaft so just hold it next to the burner and pull the trigger. We've used one for over three years now.

Another thing to think about: Our son is a firefighter and they responded to one blaze where a sheet of snow slid off a roof and on the tank and broke the hose at the point it entered the house. The house filled with propane then went "BOOM." The residents escaped unharmed (talk about miracles!) but it literally blew the roof up into the air and it settled back down (intact but not centered) on the walls. It also blew the fire out. We immediately moved our tank to a place where the roof overhang would prevent that happening at our house.

 

I have a 100lb tank myself. My home is on natural gas, but we grill outdoors year round on LP. It fit under the deck. It works great for us. In my opinion, it's better tha refilling 20lb tanks all the time. The only issue I've had is that I need to shut it off at the tank each time because it can be hard to find a good line for those tanks.

Also, I was looking at a standby generator. While I would buy a natural gas model, I did see that some of the LP ones require a 250lb tank or larger for some reason.

Best of luck to you.

 

Also, I was looking at a standby generator. While I would buy a natural gas model, I did see that some of the LP ones require a 250lb tank or larger for some reason.

That's because as the liquid boils off to supply vapor, it gets colder and colder. If you have a large enough generator you can ice up a 20 lb bottle in just minutes! I see some guys use dual 30-40 lb bottles, but even those will get too cold really fast on a cold day. In Texas summer sun, no problem - but in the the winter it would be a problem. In northern climates, even a 250 lb tank would be too small in the winter, unless you could direct some of the heat from the generator towards the tank in some fashion (and still be safe).

 

Around here, the cheapest "street price" for refilling 100lb cylinders is about $67-$69 (~$2.90 gallon). I can get them filled a fair bit cheaper if they are also filling the bulk tank at the same time (or $2.45 gallon if I drive them 30 miles!!). What are y'all paying?

 

I think I paid $74 for 100#'ers last time I filled up (last fall I think).

 

We charge $84 over the counter. If someone does a decent amount of business with us or is a friend it's cheaper. My personal price is cost plus 10% but I can't think of the last time they actually made me pay for something.

 

If you plan to move one about and take it in for refill you are going to need a "Drum Dolly". that is a dolly built to handle 55 gallon drums that weigh in at over 500 pounds. You also will need a couple of folks to lift it in and out of your truck bed. I really prefer the 500 size. You need to work with your local propane dealers to get hooked up. They have the tanks and send out the trucks to fill them. They also know how to inspect them and do upgrades and repairs. GB

 

A regular dolly will work. Two people loading it in the truck is a good idea but one person can do it. I do it all the time. If your moving it on flat hard ground you don't even need a dolly. Just grab the cap and lean it over til it's balanced and push with your foot. Takes a little practice but its not hard. A barrel cart is overkill.

 

I have a couple of drum dollies (example pictures below) and with mine, I don't see how it could work on a propane tank. It only has 2 little tabs for grabbing the drum. On a 100# tank, they're too far apart. For a 500# tank, being as the tank is rounded with a steel ring as its foot, I still don't know if the drum dolly could grab it.

For 100#, like 8thDay said, a regular dolly works fine. I position the empty tank near the tailgate of the truck. Lean the top onto the tailgate then lift from the bottom of the tank and slide it in the truck. When unloading, pull the tank slowly off the tailgate and then ease back onto the ground.

 

Yeah the only way to move 500# tanks is with a fork lift or some kind of a boom. If that's what you plan on using you're going to need an on site fill service or have it mounted to a trailer.

Some barrel carts have a lip all the way across the bottom but still that much cart is unnecessary for a little 170# cylinder.

 

Look around for used 250 gallon tanks...with everyone's push to go all electric these days you can find a used tank for little of nothing

 

We have three 500 gallon tanks as our primary fuel source. Many smaller 5,10, 20 gallon tanks but I can see a 100 gallon tank being useful say as a shop tank or to run the water pump. Get a refill nozzle for your larger tanks to fill the smaller tanks and vehicle tanks from. About $450. bucks well worth it