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Does Cold Temperature Truly Affect the Level Gauge on a Propane Tank?
Similar to nearly all other types of materials, propane is affected by cold temperatures. As the temperature goes down, the propane gas contracts. That reduced level of gas inside the tank is reflected by the gauge which reflects the tank level. Normally, this comes into play whenever a homeowner checks the gauge in cold climate and sees the amount of the tank level before and after delivery. Depending on the climate, the level on the tank may not go up as much as anticipated.
The gauge on the propane tank would show what fraction of the gas tank is still full. Tanks are typically not filled more than 80% full because this would allow for the gas to expand during hotter temperatures. For example, a 500 gallon tank, at a reading of 80% at normal temperatures reflects around four hundred gallons of propane inside the tank. This is around the amount that can be stored.
The web site Propane 101, which is managed by the propane industry, considers an exterior temperature of 60 degrees to be the baseline or reference point. Like for example, if the gauge reads 50% of capacity on a day when the temperature is near sixty degrees, then a five hundred gallon tank would have around two hundred fifty gallons of propane. If the temperature that day is much lower than 60 degrees, the gauge would read lower. In the same way, if the temperature is much higher than 60 degrees, the gauge would actually read higher due to the expansion of the gas.
The energy contained or amount of energy contained in a tank will not change when the gas either contracts or expands, according to the propane industry website. The amount of propane itself has not changed, but only the density of the gas has changed.
If a homeowner orders one hundred gallons of propane to be delivered, they will receive four hundred twenty four pounds of propane. If the homeowner has a 1000 gallon propane tank, they could expect the gauge to go up by 10% with the delivery of 100 gallons. These numbers would be accurate if the temperatures were near sixty degrees at the time of delivery. If the delivery happened during colder weather, these chillier temperatures would result in a smaller increase reading on the propane gauge.
