As a propane service technician with the second largest propane company in the USA, I am really impressed by the amount of research You put into this You did a good job with this
This is a dream come true video for me. I've been looking for this kind of information for a few years. No one else has explicitly detailed what was involved in this specific situation. I even understood about half of what you stated. You engineers are awesome! :)
Yes, thank goodness for engineers!!! He is basically speaking Greek to me!!! Lol! I would have to watch it a couple of times and take notes to fully understand his presentation!!! I appreciate the through coverage of the topic though, so thanks to him for posting the video!!!
I did this exact project to supply gas to a gas range using all the same items in your parts list. For the home, I ran black iron pipe through the walls to the range with a shutoff valve at the point of entry and another at the termination point at the range. It worked out well. Now, I’m cooking with gas! Thanks for the video!
I'm not an "Engineer" but I play one on TV. Its about time I got this information! Thank you so much for doing the work, organizing it and making the video. Very helpful. So much better than the countless time wasted on countless other folks who don't know anything, can't tell you what information they used to make their decision... or really anything. Learned a ton - Cheers! Oh and I also had the same experience with my local propane companies (N.E. Arkansas). Forget them!
This is what I have been looking for for weeks and weeks! I have been dealing with so much frustration with my local companies. This information is so sorely what I needed. THANK YOU. Seriously THANK YOU.
Found this video about 8 months ago. Copied this exactly as he did ,ordering exactly the same components. Just finally finished my kitchen remodel and couldn’t be happier. It’s works perfectly! Thanks for this video is was so helpful and informative and I’m thrilled to be free of the propane truck.
Remember, use PROPANE-rated hoses, not natural gas. NG is far lower pressure. Also, and this is a big one, do not use standard Teflon tape in threads. Use yellow tape, which is for gas. You can use pipe dope (if gas-rated) on threads that are NP (National Pipe) but NOT flared fittings, which do not use either tape or dope. Be careful out there…
You should publish the names of the companies who don’t want business and don’t care about their customers. Give them bad press because they’ve earned it.
WOW! Great informative presentation. I'm also an engineer and have gone through a similar path. Your resources are great pluses I didn't think of. Thanks. Love the professional looking install!
Excellent! Just bought a home with all electric. We are foodie so really wanted gas and this is the solution. Propane folks aren't interested for 1-2 appliances, and natural charges $100 per linear foot(!) for new service. Thanks for the level of detail on specs, and the "why" of it. Great video.
This video was incredibly helpful and very well done. I copied this design fairly closely for my GE gas range (JGS760SELSS) that we added to the kitchen replacing our electric range. I used 15" Marshall-Excelsior pigtails as the 24" were not available. I also used the JR Products 07-30365 regulator (1/4" NPT in, 3/8" NPT out). I ran about 75" of 1/2" black pipe from the regulator to the stove. If anyone has a vaporization chart for a 40 LB tank, that would be useful information to collect here. I find lots of 100lb tank vaporization capacity charts, nothing for the smaller 20/30/40LB tanks (which are smaller in diameter than the 100lb tanks). The stove seems to run great. I plan to keep a second set of tanks in reserve so no rush trips to the store would be needed when the 'operational' two run out.
AWESOME VIDEO. I'm looking to do the same thing to get around the exorbitant prices for a large tank and for getting gas service extended to my location. I had been told a 100LB tank was the way to go, but it sounds like having multiple 40LB tanks actually has a number of advantages from an operational standpoint as well as lugging them in to be refilled. I didn't realize how complicated the gas vapor pressure BTU/hr stuff is to figure out so you have a safe an effective install that is just as good as a natural gas source. MANY THANKS!!
I did a similar set-up, but used an RV-type two stage regulator that has an auto-switchover to feed your appliance from the second, full tank, while still allowing for removal of the original tank from the hook-up in order to take it away and have it refilled when convenient. There may be others, but I chose a Flame King ACR6a 2-Stage Auto Changeover LP Propane Gas Regulator. It comes with a rain cover too.
This guy had the exact same experience I did, and am still having! His setup is exactly what I need to do. That setup is what was described to me by a company who told me I wasn't going to use enough for their service..
This is the route I’m going now. I did buy a small outdoor storage cabinet that the tanks fit in perfectly. Thanks for this video, very informative and helpful.
Excellent presentation and content. Thorough explanation by an engineer but in a language that's understandable and make sense. Thanks for taking the time to produce this instructional video.
Thank you for all this info. Trying to find a propane company that is willing to actually sell us propane has been quite the challenge. Just like your experience, most companies either wouldn't return our phone calls or refused to do business with us for only 1 appliance. So we were stuck with only portable tank options that could be transported easily to and from the store ourselves. And then we have to DIY hook it up ourselves. There seems to be a massive market hole in the propane industry for homeowners who want propane for only 1 appliance like a range or gas logs. The propane industry seems to have no interest whatsoever in filling that need.
You are just scratching the surface of the problems/issues. I've went thru everything you went thru as well trying to connect propane. Why aren't we using Natural Gas? It's the old "well who's going to pay to run the distribution lines up the streets, or even out in the rural areas? Well one way is how the country got rural electric grid to the farms in the early nineteen thirties. REA's and such. But what I don't understand is the way the government backed huge loans to build massive pipelines from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico just export LNG to Europe and the Asian countries. This is big fast (easy) money for the big oil company's, while the tax paying citizens are freezing our asses off. Because NO ONE cares. Our electric grids are overloaded and in disrepair. We NEED energy diversification. We need Natural Gas Distribution lines. It was only a few years ago propane spiked to $5 a gallon with no regulation controls like Natural Gas has. (Rant Over).
I used the knowledge I learned from this video to connect an old residential furnace converted to propane to a pair of 30lb propane tanks , heats my garage perfectly until I can run natural gas out to the garage :)
So, 4 years later, are you still using this setup? We're 5.5 years into a new house we built and I had a 250 gallon tank set and we aren't big users with just a gas oven and gas insert fireplace. I had 100 gallons put in back in Oct 2021 and still have a decent amount left unless the gauge isn't working right. They charge $150/year rent since I'm a low volume user so, when this tank lowers more, I'm going to change over to the twin 40 pounders like you have done. What brand tanks did you go with? Did you ever get your usage figured out? Thanks in advance for any info and a great video.
Looking to add an outside tank to supply LP to a new range and was wondering if after conversion kit installed on range (orifices) and a built in regulator on the range is an external regulator actually necessary at the tank? I haven't hooked anything up yet would like some feedback. I don't believe I will need the capacity you have here as we will not be running all burners ever. Any help. Thanks. M
The temp in winter where I live goes into the single digits and fluctuates into the 20s. I have a five burner stove purchased at Lowes that runs on one propane tank. I normally use one 40lb tank and have never experienced any issues you describe.
Thank you for all that hard work. You answered every question I had. Now I’m more confident telling the gas co to come and get their tank. Our house use to use a lot more propane (heat was gas, but now electric), but now only have a gas range. We only use about 100gal a year with just the range, so the propane co charges us a $100 minimum use charge because we aren’t using enough.
Incredibly helpful and informative. I opted for an induction cooktop since it would have been the only gas appliance in the home and local suppliers are gouging homeowners buying or renting underground tanks in my development where they are required to be buried. I hadn't even thought of being denied service because of low volume. This video is great, however, because I do plan on an outdoor gas cooktop and gas firepit and would rather not use standard 20 lb. tanks. Thanks!
I am preparing to do the same thing you’ve got going only I’ll be using two 100# tanks. I’m intending to use only one at a time, the other is backup. My end goal is to replace my stove first, then water heater, then furnace, possibly a dryer (that’s optional). I’ll be calling those folks you mentioned for some advisory input. Good video, I’m glad I came across it.
I understand you completely, been there done that, i tried to go the propane way with my stove for sometime now, but it`s a uphill battle with the county regulations, gas companies not wanting to deliver small amounts of gas and plumbers who ask for a kidney for installing it. I do have a motor home too, and it have a 30-40 propane gallon tank build in it, i didn`t think about it, but seeing your video now, it make a lot of sense to go the RV way, it`s simple and straighforward, also having two small tanks, make it more easy for somebody like me in the 60`s to go pick them up from anywhere. Just have to find a place to exchange or refill them. Thank you very much for your video.
Great video, I too found the same answers for trying to setup propane in our little barn apartment I am building. This answered all my questions, quite helpful.
Fyi you can buy a 100lb tank with a multi fill/multi use valve on top right from a big box store for under $200. This allows your tank to be filled right from the truck and use any supplier you want.
Thank you for the informative video. I'm ready to give up my 100 lb propane tank. I have a couple of 30 lb and one 40 lb. What are your thoughts on using two different sizes together. Thank you.
I really found this video helpful. Nice clear information and attractive, clean setup. Sometimes I'm just looking for a video just like this to get me started. Essentially, yes this is possible and you can do it too. The links to the parts are helpful. Thank for taking the time to post this.
I appreciate all the detail and explanation! It's great understanding how it actually works. Makes it less worrisome. I was wondering could I run three 40 lb tanks together? Just use some slightly different fitting combos into the regulator? I'm not worried about BTU delivery just more not having to go fill up maybe once a year. Also, I see other SS hose types on Amazon that have a 1/4" male NPT. Any reason not to just ditch the flare type and I go NPT all throughout?
I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use three, though it would be more parts and more connections. Another option would be to have a couple spare in reserve and just swap them when the time comes. Then you could get the others filled when you got the chance and not take anything offline. when I built mine I wanted a name brand hose that was highly regarded to not degrade outdoors or have any flow problems. They were easiest to purchase in the flared style and so using adapters gave me additional options in the future. Using direct NPT ends does provide one less connection so that is an upside.
can this setup be done or copy with a 100lb tanks? dual setup? meaning will there be more pressure on this model regulator and will it be overpresurized if we use all these materials you showed on this video! can I instead use the smaller tanks you have in the video and replace them with two 100lb tanks? the hundred lbs tanks have roughly 23 gallons of propane when filled up!
Are you sure you need to be 10 feet away from any building? It depends on the tank size. The 20 pound and 30 pound tanks are small enough that they can legally be right next to your house as long as they’re 10’ away from any opening. Meaning 10’ away from any doors or windows.
Short answer: No. long answer still probably not but heavily dependent on direction of flow, distance and how on the line you are as far as pressure and temperature. Going 1/2 to 3/8 can restrict a bit and would not be as good as going 1/2 the whole way. Going 3/8 to 1/2 is less restrictive but technically an expansion chamber and would cause a minor temperature decrease at the expansion point (acting as an orifice) and would be the most likely place to cause a freeze-up if you were flowing enough volume at a low enough temperature. But… no… shouldn’t be an issue going from 3/8 to 1/2 for a normal person in a normal use case.
In the list of parts, for connecting the tank hoses to the regulator, he lists two choices of inverted flare to NPT adapters. One has a back check, and the other doesn't. Any suggestions as to which style I should use? Thanks.
Any leaking issues on the black pipe? I could see leaking as one of the issues with having a multiple pieces of black pipe connected together vs. one longer piece of LPG rated copper pipe (properly labeled).
No issues as long as it’s installed properly. Black iron pipe has been the standard for gas for a very long time, even the natural gas company goes from the poly underground pipe to painted black at the meter usually. Copper is very common from large propane tanks away from the house to the regulator on the side of the house and then frequently black thereafter. Copper gas line in the home has really only become more standard in the us after our unfortunate decade or two of the awful corrugated line. Before that most gas installs were black pipe throughout. I really like the copper line where possible because the fewer connections the better IMHO however as was mentioned, it doesn’t have the same physical abuse capability as the black since this run was exposed.
I've been looking to do something similar to my cabin in northern WI for supplemental heat with a 14,000 BTU heater. Also an engineering, my concerns are the same. This winter temps have been down to -26 Deg F. This is climate zone 7 which is the coldest it gets in the lower 48. That alone is a 96 Deg swing to bring the cabin up to 70.
I just looked and could not find it either, I pulled up the spec sheets for them and it looks like the MEGR-291 (non L ) is still available and is identical with just a slightly higher throughput but is recommended for stoves, fireplaces, etc. I don’t see an issue with using this model and have added a link in the description. Thank you!
I always try and keep things on the Easy side. I built my wife a summer kitchen in a shed, I put a LP stove in the shed with two 20 lb tanks, I went with the 20 lb tanks because they are easy to carry and almost every place sells them, and when the 20 lb tank runs dry I just connect to the other tank.
I think your vid is very close to what I plan on doing with 2 @ 30#s. I Just purchased a Duel Fuel 7500w generator. Do you think I need to be concerned with the surface area for vapor boil to which I should design a two tank system like yours? I want to keep these tanks behind my shed out of direct sun and will run a 25 foot hose to the gen. I live in central VA and temps only get into the low 20s on the few coldest nights. this past Jan.2022 we were without power for 4 days. We survived on regular gasoline gen. thank you SAB
Could you have somebody post the lp consumption of your 7500 watt generator. I'm told the average house hold generator will go through 500 gallons in 2 weeks. I'm assuming that's 24-hour run time
good one diy me too if you ever had a leak you would smell it hope fully the dish soap spray bottle no worries we used copper pipe with compression fittings no leaks after ajusting nut tension with thread lpg tape
This is a great video and it is exactly what we are trying to do to set up a gas stove at a weekend house. We have had similar issues with LP companies and wonder where did you get all of the information on components to purchase? Such as the regulator and all. The black pipe is no issue but my concerns are running 45 to 50 foot of black pipe before the connection how do I determine what regulator and if 2- 40!gallon LP tanks will be sufficient
Sorry for the late reply. Originally I ran the calculations for the vaporization of propane at a given temperature and used the surface area for a given tank size etc… my suggestion is to use a predone table for the tank size you want to use, so look for vaporization rate of xxlb tank. For most small cylinders it is fairly close to the rate of a 100lb tank given the surface area of the liquid propane is the same but there will be differences. As far as the pipe length and size, you calculate that based on loss in the pipe for a given flow. So you will need to know what your appliance consumes in BTU/hr and then what your starting pressure would be at the regulator. Add up your overall length of pipe and your equivalent length of fittings and you can tell your pressure loss for a length of pipe. For the regulator, you will want to look at tank pressures for your cylinder at few different temperatures and the pressure required by your appliance. Most good regulator companies have the information in their literature for each regulator as to what the input pressure vs output pressure will be for a given BTU load. Size the regulator to flow more than you need for the appliance but don’t go super big, a regulator that is close to your load will regulate the flow better than a massively over sized one. You can dive into it as much or as little as you want. Much of this is done frequently with RVs and food trucks so there is some info in that community as well. For more information on the calculations for line loss and tank size I would look at bergquistinc.com/sites/default/files/academy_guides/Handbook.pdf as well as engineeringtoolbox.com/amp/propane-gas-pipe-sizing-d_827.html
Great video. Started thinking about vaporization capacity and thought to myself why don’t they make your 40 gallon tank in a horizontal option? Your surface area for the vast majority of the time would be huge especially with two in parallel. Hmmm
Actually, there is at least one 40 gallon propane tank with a horizontal option, and it also has an integrated dolly so it can be moved around when full without too much hassle. It is the Flame King YSN100HOGb 100 LB Pound Horizontal & Vertical Propane Cylinder, which is sold by big box stores and by Amazon too. Pricey, though.
I have been using 20 pound barbecue tanks for years to power our range. You do NOT need a fancy setup like this, and a tank will last for months unless you're using the oven all the time. We always have a full one at the ready.
Honestly there isn’t really anything here that’s fancy. It’s two tanks connected to a regulator. And most of the time you wouldn’t run into an issue as you noted. However if a single tank gets low and you are using the oven and all burners at the same time, especially if it’s cold, you can use more gas than can vaporize inside the tank. This can cause the tank to freeze up, cause the regulator to freeze up, or lead to swings in temperature and consistency in cooking. A lot of things shown here are for reliability and safety, and like many things, stuff doesn’t go wrong until it does. The regulator is very necessary as you can’t connect the tank to the range without one, the one we chose was chosen such that we could limit our potential problems. Poor quality lines can degrade and leak etc. Now people can say that one small tank in the snow will run their high performance range perfectly and it never freezes or has inconsistent baking, but thermodynamic laws don’t agree. Now if it’s warm where you are and your range burners are not very powerful you would probably be fine as you noted.
@@DemonicAnimatronic I get what you are saying. We just have a standard range manufactured by Whirlpool, not a Wolf commercial range that requires more fuel. Sometimes I have to go brush the snow off our tank/regulator if our flame is yellow - I'm learning here....
Is there another regulator you could recommend? The one you recommended is sold out everywhere for a while now. I'm just trying to find one that is comparable and would work with the set up you have since that's one I'm doing.
It looks like it is available through zoro.com and I found it through amazon for a slightly higher price as well, but I do see the place I purchased it is showing OOS. As far as an alternative, most any lower capacity BTU 2-stage integrated regulator should work. Something with a capacity between about 100,000BTU and 225,000 would be about the same. I can’t speak to the reliability of other brands though. Marshal excelsior is good, as is Emerson fisher, albeit a bit more expensive. Many of the ones I see on the small side are Chinese mass production ones that I’m not confident in. Not to say these would not be perfectly adequate, I just can’t say whether the quality is there or not. I would suspect most of the alternatives are not certified either like the Marshal but that may or may not be important for you.
We bought a gas range a few weeks ago and it's been absolutely impossible to get a propane company to set a tank and install it for us. I'm not big on regulations, but propane companies are mostly unregulated, and they don't have to help you if they dont want too, unlike most other utility companies. It's pretty sad. Anyway, I too am an engineer, I've DIYed just about everything, but never gas. So, thanks for the confidence to duplicate this project. I'm still on the fence whether to buy a cheap pipe threader from HF for $40 to do it all the iron pipe under the house, or to essentially stub down from the kitchen and stub into the crawl space with iron and then connect them together with CSST avoiding all the pipe threading and precise distance measurements in my crawl space.
Having done a bit of pipe threading with the big machines, I can say I would stay away from the cheap threaders, the die tolerances are just not there and it’s asking for a leak or at least a ton of frustration and choice words, I generally prefer iron pipe or professionally done copper gas line, but I would choose most anything over self threaded black iron.
There's always the flexible gas pipe (yellow) that is commonly used for natural gas but if I remember correctly some local building codes have heartburn over them being run vertically and I'm not sure if they are proper for LP... but worth looking into. If acceptable, and used for just a single appliance, that would eliminate a bunch of pipe threading and assembly. Edit: Just looked it up. Good for propane too. This brand unlike CSST; gasflex.com/
@@DemonicAnimatronic is there any way you can give me the parts list to duplicate your set up I know you stated Marshall excelsior as the store to purchase everything any help would be appreciated ty
use csst where you can. and just get fittings to switch to pipe where needed. Its so much easer to install. Pressure rating is different though. Pipe can carry propane furthest, than i think its csst, than copper. May be wrong about that order tho....
CSST is what's under our house. Connects to a shut off then normal 36" LP hose to stove on one end then to the exterior wall through PVC protected hole to the connection at the exterior ( per my state codes)
I'm really looking to do this but instead of a stove it would be for a 30000 BTU heater. This would only be a heater for power outages, I would only use it of weather got so bad we lost power which has happened every year so far we have lived here in our new home. Do you believe a set up like this would work for a single 30k BTU heater? Or would I need a different connection. I'm in the same boat as propane companies will not come out to do a small tank refill and I don't meet the requirements for use because it's only going to be a Incase of emergency type of set up. Edit: Also the link to the valves for HD are no longer working at least for me.
In theory, a couple 40lb tanks should be good to support 30k btu down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit at 25% full and lower temps the more full the tanks are. That would be the limiting factor out of the stuff I have listed. So should work. I would test it before you need it for emergency also and you could technically add a third cylinder if needed just more piping or a manifold. Thank you for the valve link info, seems like every time I change it they switch what they sell, maybe just the times. I will try and find a replacement valve to link.
@@DemonicAnimatronic thank for the fast response and i appreciate the idea of a third tank. That might work, but I'm having trouble sourcing the tanks ATM with out paying an arm and leg. Cause two tanks right now are gonna be pretty expensive as all the local places are out of stock which is probably normal for this time of year
Excellent video, although I can't say I like the word "Demonic" in your video attributes. Our LPG service guy found a pressure leak in the system which consists of what may be a 100 pound LP gas tank and about 50 feet of rubber coated flex pipe to the cooktop. Like you, the only gas appliance we have is a cooktop. We just had a single quote for replacing the gas line, and it was a totally outrageous $2500 to $2800 for the job. Needless to say, we ARE going to get other quotes. Interestingly, whenever we have a contractor whose first comment is something like, "this is a nice place you have", the quotes that follow would bring tears to your eyes.
Your regulator should be mounted above the snow line. Vent of reg needs to be kept clear for safe operation. Seems a little low depending on this location.
Since these tanks are meant to be stored inside an RV, can I place a pair in my basement to power my kitchen range? I already have a 500 Gal propane tank that powers a hot water heater, a furnace and a propane fireplace. We wanted to also use it for our range but the gas guy we spoke with said that the connections couldn't service another appliance. He offered to run another line at a cost of $1500. That was too much for us.
I cannot recommend they be used inside. In an RV/camper they are either located on the trailer tongue or in a special vented locker designed for the tanks.
You mentioned weather covers but I didn't see one. If it snows or freezing rains at all where you are you may want to buy or modify some kind of cover for the tanks. From experience I can say that removing a coating of ice from the tank fittings is not fun and potentially dangerous. Nice setup, good luck.
Do you think a setup like this would work in -20F temperature? I'm asking because I'm in the process of switching to an LP stove and I live in the eastern part of Canada!
It looks like the vaporization for a 40lb cylinder at 25% full and -20F is about 3,400 BTU continuous per cylinder. So a setup like this would be around 6500 to 7000 BTU. So it would only supply a single small burner. Of course it could supply more if the tanks were closer to full but I wouldn’t count on that. There are tank heaters that are designed to keep the tank around 90F in which case it shouldn’t have an issue, but they can be pricy, add another point of failure, and take electricity to run. As to the code compliance, I cannot say.
FWIW, a gallon of propane amounts to about 93,000 btus. A gallon of propane weighs about 4.3 pounds. As an example, my hottest burner is 18,000 btus. 93,000 / 18,000 = 5.167 hours of running that burner at full blast to consume one gallon of propane. A 20 lb tank is actually 4.6 gallons of propane. Running the 18,000 but burner at full blast would give you about 5.167 hours x 4.6 gallons = 23.77 hours of nonstop maximum burner time. Unless you are trying to boil your own beer on a kitchen range, a gallon or propane will go quite a ways considering that you only use the high setting at the beginning of the setting for most foods. I use a pressure cooker and that really cuts down on cooking time. I typically use the smallest burner for simmering soups and stocks. When I make beer I use a 50K btu burner designed for handling large pots and start off with about 7 gallons of water. You need some serious heat to make that happen in about an hour. Love the video, very informative. I will be ordering some parts to set up my new range with a 100 lb tank and two forty pound tanks.
Yes, all the links I have are located in the description, you may have to click "show more" if you don't see it. Some of the items are unfortunately sold out last I checked and I haven't searched for a replacement tee fitting since they stopped carrying the one I used unfortunately. These are just suggestions and jumping off points, there are variables in installations like this, so please proceed at own risk.
Would this work with RV regulator that pulls from tank and then the next? Or would you not get the vaporization that you need? Im wanting to put in a gas range /oven, excellent video!
It’s possible, but it will depend on temperature and tank size. Basically you would want for one tank to be able to support your max load at your minimum temperature, since it will be running from only one tank at a given time.
They are 1/4” to accept the propane hose npt and connect to the npt tee. So 1/4” fnpt to fnpt. I will update the link when I find a suitable replacement thank you!
I’m looking at the hundred pound horizontal built in dolly a little more money. Better vaporization Vera vertical because more surface area for liquid to gas to happen . There are in fact though no videos at all talking about that. Wish there was a comparison and performance video on it.
As a propane service technician with the second largest propane company in the USA, I am really impressed by the amount of research You put into this You did a good job with this
This is a dream come true video for me. I've been looking for this kind of information for a few years. No one else has explicitly detailed what was involved in this specific situation. I even understood about half of what you stated. You engineers are awesome! :)
Yes, thank goodness for engineers!!! He is basically speaking Greek to me!!! Lol!
I would have to watch it a couple of times and take notes to fully understand his presentation!!! I appreciate the through coverage of the topic though, so thanks to him for posting the video!!!
I did this exact project to supply gas to a gas range using all the same items in your parts list. For the home, I ran black iron pipe through the walls to the range with a shutoff valve at the point of entry and another at the termination point at the range. It worked out well. Now, I’m cooking with gas! Thanks for the video!
That will be against the law soon ;-) Seriously! Went from a commercial tag line to banned. We need to tell these lunatics "NO!"
I'm not an "Engineer" but I play one on TV. Its about time I got this information! Thank you so much for doing the work, organizing it and making the video. Very helpful. So much better than the countless time wasted on countless other folks who don't know anything, can't tell you what information they used to make their decision... or really anything. Learned a ton - Cheers! Oh and I also had the same experience with my local propane companies (N.E. Arkansas). Forget them!
Hes a SME
Social
Media
Engineer😂😂😂
Who? Cause if you mean me then no, I’m pretty sure ABET doesn’t accredit social media.
This is what I have been looking for for weeks and weeks! I have been dealing with so much frustration with my local companies. This information is so sorely what I needed. THANK YOU. Seriously THANK YOU.
Found this video about 8 months ago. Copied this exactly as he did ,ordering exactly the same components. Just finally finished my kitchen remodel and couldn’t be happier. It’s works perfectly! Thanks for this video is was so helpful and informative and I’m thrilled to be free of the propane truck.
Any way you share links or information on what I need to buy for this exact setup??
@@GIL-rl7mz its all in the description...
Remember, use PROPANE-rated hoses, not natural gas. NG is far lower pressure. Also, and this is a big one, do not use standard Teflon tape in threads. Use yellow tape, which is for gas. You can use pipe dope (if gas-rated) on threads that are NP (National Pipe) but NOT flared fittings, which do not use either tape or dope. Be careful out there…
that realy clarifies the subjust of lpg standards lots ask that and need to now that
I assume I cannot use a standard BBQ regulator?
I just need to run a range
@@unibuzzer ask your gas supplier. There are many many different types of regulators.
Thank you for all this saying, i am planning to do a propane line.
You should publish the names of the companies who don’t want business and don’t care about their customers. Give them bad press because they’ve earned it.
Last one is likely amerigas based on personal experience.
The nice thing about the 20,30 and 40 lb tanks fit nicely in a a milk crate to help keep it upright.
WOW! Great informative presentation. I'm also an engineer and have gone through a similar path. Your resources are great pluses I didn't think of. Thanks. Love the professional looking install!
Excellent! Just bought a home with all electric. We are foodie so really wanted gas and this is the solution. Propane folks aren't interested for 1-2 appliances, and natural charges $100 per linear foot(!) for new service. Thanks for the level of detail on specs, and the "why" of it. Great video.
This video was incredibly helpful and very well done. I copied this design fairly closely for my GE gas range (JGS760SELSS) that we added to the kitchen replacing our electric range. I used 15" Marshall-Excelsior pigtails as the 24" were not available. I also used the JR Products 07-30365 regulator (1/4" NPT in, 3/8" NPT out). I ran about 75" of 1/2" black pipe from the regulator to the stove. If anyone has a vaporization chart for a 40 LB tank, that would be useful information to collect here. I find lots of 100lb tank vaporization capacity charts, nothing for the smaller 20/30/40LB tanks (which are smaller in diameter than the 100lb tanks). The stove seems to run great. I plan to keep a second set of tanks in reserve so no rush trips to the store would be needed when the 'operational' two run out.
thanks for more details, I will ditto you guys as this has given me a lot more confidence
AWESOME VIDEO. I'm looking to do the same thing to get around the exorbitant prices for a large tank and for getting gas service extended to my location. I had been told a 100LB tank was the way to go, but it sounds like having multiple 40LB tanks actually has a number of advantages from an operational standpoint as well as lugging them in to be refilled. I didn't realize how complicated the gas vapor pressure BTU/hr stuff is to figure out so you have a safe an effective install that is just as good as a natural gas source. MANY THANKS!!
I did a similar set-up, but used an RV-type two stage regulator that has an auto-switchover to feed your appliance from the second, full tank, while still allowing for removal of the original tank from the hook-up in order to take it away and have it refilled when convenient. There may be others, but I chose a Flame King ACR6a 2-Stage Auto Changeover LP Propane Gas Regulator. It comes with a rain cover too.
This guy had the exact same experience I did, and am still having! His setup is exactly what I need to do. That setup is what was described to me by a company who told me I wasn't going to use enough for their service..
this setup is dumb. get a 100gal tank. some people are not wimps
Pairing detailed images and text with so much informative content could significantly increase the impact value of this tutorial...
This is the route I’m going now. I did buy a small outdoor storage cabinet that the tanks fit in perfectly.
Thanks for this video, very informative and helpful.
Excellent presentation and content. Thorough explanation by an engineer but in a language that's understandable and make sense. Thanks for taking the time to produce this instructional video.
Thank you for all this info. Trying to find a propane company that is willing to actually sell us propane has been quite the challenge. Just like your experience, most companies either wouldn't return our phone calls or refused to do business with us for only 1 appliance. So we were stuck with only portable tank options that could be transported easily to and from the store ourselves. And then we have to DIY hook it up ourselves. There seems to be a massive market hole in the propane industry for homeowners who want propane for only 1 appliance like a range or gas logs. The propane industry seems to have no interest whatsoever in filling that need.
You are just scratching the surface of the problems/issues. I've went thru everything you went thru as well trying to connect propane. Why aren't we using Natural Gas? It's the old "well who's going to pay to run the distribution lines up the streets, or even out in the rural areas? Well one way is how the country got rural electric grid to the farms in the early nineteen thirties. REA's and such. But what I don't understand is the way the government backed huge loans to build massive pipelines from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico just export LNG to Europe and the Asian countries. This is big fast (easy) money for the big oil company's, while the tax paying citizens are freezing our asses off. Because NO ONE cares. Our electric grids are overloaded and in disrepair. We NEED energy diversification. We need Natural Gas Distribution lines. It was only a few years ago propane spiked to $5 a gallon with no regulation controls like Natural Gas has. (Rant Over).
Fantastic video. This is exactly the type of setup I'm reasearching for the future.
Wow, it's hard to express how incredibly helpful this video is. Thank you so much!
Looks great. Did you use a back check or back-flow preventer? Or does this exist in the regulator?
I used the knowledge I learned from this video to connect an old residential furnace converted to propane to a pair of 30lb propane tanks , heats my garage perfectly until I can run natural gas out to the garage :)
So simple even an engineer could figure it out.
So, 4 years later, are you still using this setup? We're 5.5 years into a new house we built and I had a 250 gallon tank set and we aren't big users with just a gas oven and gas insert fireplace. I had 100 gallons put in back in Oct 2021 and still have a decent amount left unless the gauge isn't working right. They charge $150/year rent since I'm a low volume user so, when this tank lowers more, I'm going to change over to the twin 40 pounders like you have done. What brand tanks did you go with? Did you ever get your usage figured out? Thanks in advance for any info and a great video.
How long do you need to swap tanks?
Looking to add an outside tank to supply LP to a new range and was wondering if after conversion kit installed on range (orifices) and a built in regulator on the range is an external regulator actually necessary at the tank? I haven't hooked anything up yet would like some feedback. I don't believe I will need the capacity you have here as we will not be running all burners ever. Any help. Thanks. M
The temp in winter where I live goes into the single digits and fluctuates into the 20s. I have a five burner stove purchased at Lowes that runs on one propane tank. I normally use one 40lb tank and have never experienced any issues you describe.
Im thinking of doing this with two 40s and and a RV regulator .
how long does the gas last?
Your explination helped me understand the stages of regulation between the tank and the appliance. Thank you!
Thank you for all that hard work. You answered every question I had. Now I’m more confident telling the gas co to come and get their tank.
Our house use to use a lot more propane (heat was gas, but now electric), but now only have a gas range. We only use about 100gal a year with just the range, so the propane co charges us a $100 minimum use charge because we aren’t using enough.
100gal a year ?
Incredibly helpful and informative. I opted for an induction cooktop since it would have been the only gas appliance in the home and local suppliers are gouging homeowners buying or renting underground tanks in my development where they are required to be buried. I hadn't even thought of being denied service because of low volume. This video is great, however, because I do plan on an outdoor gas cooktop and gas firepit and would rather not use standard 20 lb. tanks. Thanks!
I am preparing to do the same thing you’ve got going only I’ll be using two 100# tanks. I’m intending to use only one at a time, the other is backup. My end goal is to replace my stove first, then water heater, then furnace, possibly a dryer (that’s optional). I’ll be calling those folks you mentioned for some advisory input. Good video, I’m glad I came across it.
I understand you completely, been there done that, i tried to go the propane way with my stove for sometime now, but it`s a uphill battle with the county regulations, gas companies not wanting to deliver small amounts of gas and plumbers who ask for a kidney for installing it. I do have a motor home too, and it have a 30-40 propane gallon tank build in it, i didn`t think about it, but seeing your video now, it make a lot of sense to go the RV way, it`s simple and straighforward, also having two small tanks, make it more easy for somebody like me in the 60`s to go pick them up from anywhere. Just have to find a place to exchange or refill them. Thank you very much for your video.
Great video and setup. Thanks for posting this DIY.
Thanks for sharing your in depth research on this subject. Very informative.
Great video, I too found the same answers for trying to setup propane in our little barn apartment I am building. This answered all my questions, quite helpful.
A light, simple cheap shady enclosure will eliminate any UV concerns, and insulating it will increase the cold weather performance
Incredible video and detail! Thanks for taking the time to professionally explain all this!!
Fyi you can buy a 100lb tank with a multi fill/multi use valve on top right from a big box store for under $200. This allows your tank to be filled right from the truck and use any supplier you want.
This explains why I blow through my RV propane in the winter months. Thanks!
Thank you for the informative video. I'm ready to give up my 100 lb propane tank. I have a couple of 30 lb and one 40 lb. What are your thoughts on using two different sizes together. Thank you.
Would this work for a single 120,000 btu tankless water heater with no other appliances?
I really found this video helpful. Nice clear information and attractive, clean setup. Sometimes I'm just looking for a video just like this to get me started. Essentially, yes this is possible and you can do it too. The links to the parts are helpful. Thank for taking the time to post this.
Does the regulator differ from one that automatically switches to full tank
In the end, it's all about the comments! Great content and lots to ponder.
I appreciate all the detail and explanation! It's great understanding how it actually works. Makes it less worrisome. I was wondering could I run three 40 lb tanks together? Just use some slightly different fitting combos into the regulator? I'm not worried about BTU delivery just more not having to go fill up maybe once a year. Also, I see other SS hose types on Amazon that have a 1/4" male NPT. Any reason not to just ditch the flare type and I go NPT all throughout?
I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use three, though it would be more parts and more connections. Another option would be to have a couple spare in reserve and just swap them when the time comes. Then you could get the others filled when you got the chance and not take anything offline. when I built mine I wanted a name brand hose that was highly regarded to not degrade outdoors or have any flow problems. They were easiest to purchase in the flared style and so using adapters gave me additional options in the future. Using direct NPT ends does provide one less connection so that is an upside.
You did the over-thinking so I don't have to.
Thank-you!
How has this set up held up over time? Any inconveniences? Anything you would change?
It was interesting watching your video knowing that you are an engineer. It became obvious after a short while.
can this setup be done or copy with a 100lb tanks? dual setup? meaning will there be more pressure on this model regulator and will it be overpresurized if we use all these materials you showed on this video! can I instead use the smaller tanks you have in the video and replace them with two 100lb tanks? the hundred lbs tanks have roughly 23 gallons of propane when filled up!
Well done! You're an exceptional speaker 🎉
That would have been really cool had you taken a video of the assembly process while describing it.
I need to be a minimum of 10ft away from any building with propane tanks. But i wanna do this, propane stoves are awesome
Are you sure you need to be 10 feet away from any building? It depends on the tank size. The 20 pound and 30 pound tanks are small enough that they can legally be right next to your house as long as they’re 10’ away from any opening. Meaning 10’ away from any doors or windows.
Is there any issue going from the 3/8 to 1/2 black pipe as far is pressure drop or anything like that.
Short answer: No. long answer still probably not but heavily dependent on direction of flow, distance and how on the line you are as far as pressure and temperature. Going 1/2 to 3/8 can restrict a bit and would not be as good as going 1/2 the whole way. Going 3/8 to 1/2 is less restrictive but technically an expansion chamber and would cause a minor temperature decrease at the expansion point (acting as an orifice) and would be the most likely place to cause a freeze-up if you were flowing enough volume at a low enough temperature. But… no… shouldn’t be an issue going from 3/8 to 1/2 for a normal person in a normal use case.
Thanks, I used this information when setting up my vented heater.
Great info.
By the way, that security cable you have on your tanks can be clipped off in about five seconds.
And we’re talking little clippers.
In the list of parts, for connecting the tank hoses to the regulator, he lists two choices of inverted flare to NPT adapters. One has a back check, and the other doesn't. Any suggestions as to which style I should use? Thanks.
How often did you find that you need to refill the 40LBS tanks now that it has been in service for a few years. Thanks for having this video.
Ooh, just discovered how to view the hardware links. So exciting! Great work. Engineers rock!
Love to install this system! Does anyone have a list of items needed to build it. please let me know. Thanks!,,
Thanks for sharing this video. This will solve our problem. I do have a question, roughly how far are the tanks to the stove.
For our install, the overall length from regulator to stove was about 12 feet with 3 90s.
@@DemonicAnimatronic Thank you sir. That’s about the length I have to go.
Any leaking issues on the black pipe? I could see leaking as one of the issues with having a multiple pieces of black pipe connected together vs. one longer piece of LPG rated copper pipe (properly labeled).
No issues as long as it’s installed properly. Black iron pipe has been the standard for gas for a very long time, even the natural gas company goes from the poly underground pipe to painted black at the meter usually. Copper is very common from large propane tanks away from the house to the regulator on the side of the house and then frequently black thereafter. Copper gas line in the home has really only become more standard in the us after our unfortunate decade or two of the awful corrugated line. Before that most gas installs were black pipe throughout. I really like the copper line where possible because the fewer connections the better IMHO however as was mentioned, it doesn’t have the same physical abuse capability as the black since this run was exposed.
I've been looking to do something similar to my cabin in northern WI for supplemental heat with a 14,000 BTU heater. Also an engineering, my concerns are the same. This winter temps have been down to -26 Deg F. This is climate zone 7 which is the coldest it gets in the lower 48. That alone is a 96 Deg swing to bring the cabin up to 70.
That regulator is no longer available. Do you have any others that you recommend? I am looking to do exactly this on my house.
I just looked and could not find it either, I pulled up the spec sheets for them and it looks like the MEGR-291 (non L ) is still available and is identical with just a slightly higher throughput but is recommended for stoves, fireplaces, etc. I don’t see an issue with using this model and have added a link in the description. Thank you!
I'm having same issue companies won't come out because I only have gas fireplace...... have no idea what to do
Can this set up be used to run a mobile home furnace?
I always try and keep things on the Easy side. I built my wife a summer kitchen in a shed, I put a LP stove in the shed with two 20 lb tanks, I went with the 20 lb tanks because they are easy to carry and almost every place sells them, and when the 20 lb tank runs dry I just connect to the other tank.
ive had that hookup since 1991 👍 so yes it works great
I think your vid is very close to what I plan on doing with 2 @ 30#s. I Just purchased a Duel Fuel 7500w generator. Do you think I need to be concerned with the surface area for vapor boil to which I should design a two tank system like yours? I want to keep these tanks behind my shed out of direct sun and will run a 25 foot hose to the gen. I live in central VA and temps only get into the low 20s on the few coldest nights. this past Jan.2022 we were without power for 4 days. We survived on regular gasoline gen. thank you SAB
Could you have somebody post the lp consumption of your 7500 watt generator. I'm told the average house hold generator will go through 500 gallons in 2 weeks. I'm assuming that's 24-hour run time
This is what I've been looking for
good one diy me too if you ever had a leak you would smell it hope fully the dish soap spray bottle no worries we used copper pipe with compression fittings no leaks after ajusting nut tension with thread lpg tape
Very helpful. Thanks
Excellent presentation of very informative information!
This is a great video and it is exactly what we are trying to do to set up a gas stove at a weekend house. We have had similar issues with LP companies and wonder where did you get all of the information on components to purchase? Such as the regulator and all. The black pipe is no issue but my concerns are running 45 to 50 foot of black pipe before the connection how do I determine what regulator and if 2- 40!gallon LP tanks will be sufficient
Sorry for the late reply.
Originally I ran the calculations for the vaporization of propane at a given temperature and used the surface area for a given tank size etc… my suggestion is to use a predone table for the tank size you want to use, so look for vaporization rate of xxlb tank. For most small cylinders it is fairly close to the rate of a 100lb tank given the surface area of the liquid propane is the same but there will be differences. As far as the pipe length and size, you calculate that based on loss in the pipe for a given flow. So you will need to know what your appliance consumes in BTU/hr and then what your starting pressure would be at the regulator. Add up your overall length of pipe and your equivalent length of fittings and you can tell your pressure loss for a length of pipe. For the regulator, you will want to look at tank pressures for your cylinder at few different temperatures and the pressure required by your appliance. Most good regulator companies have the information in their literature for each regulator as to what the input pressure vs output pressure will be for a given BTU load. Size the regulator to flow more than you need for the appliance but don’t go super big, a regulator that is close to your load will regulate the flow better than a massively over sized one. You can dive into it as much or as little as you want. Much of this is done frequently with RVs and food trucks so there is some info in that community as well. For more information on the calculations for line loss and tank size I would look at bergquistinc.com/sites/default/files/academy_guides/Handbook.pdf as well as engineeringtoolbox.com/amp/propane-gas-pipe-sizing-d_827.html
5 stars! Well explained, super helpful, thank you
😞🙏
Thanks so much for this. I was working on this myself but you pulled it all together for me/us.
Great video. Started thinking about vaporization capacity and thought to myself why don’t they make your 40 gallon tank in a horizontal option? Your surface area for the vast majority of the time would be huge especially with two in parallel. Hmmm
Actually, there is at least one 40 gallon propane tank with a horizontal option, and it also has an integrated dolly so it can be moved around when full without too much hassle. It is the Flame King YSN100HOGb 100 LB Pound Horizontal & Vertical Propane Cylinder, which is sold by big box stores and by Amazon too. Pricey, though.
Author - Do you have a parts list? I need this exact setup.
I have been using 20 pound barbecue tanks for years to power our range. You do NOT need a fancy setup like this, and a tank will last for months unless you're using the oven all the time. We always have a full one at the ready.
Honestly there isn’t really anything here that’s fancy. It’s two tanks connected to a regulator. And most of the time you wouldn’t run into an issue as you noted. However if a single tank gets low and you are using the oven and all burners at the same time, especially if it’s cold, you can use more gas than can vaporize inside the tank. This can cause the tank to freeze up, cause the regulator to freeze up, or lead to swings in temperature and consistency in cooking. A lot of things shown here are for reliability and safety, and like many things, stuff doesn’t go wrong until it does. The regulator is very necessary as you can’t connect the tank to the range without one, the one we chose was chosen such that we could limit our potential problems. Poor quality lines can degrade and leak etc. Now people can say that one small tank in the snow will run their high performance range perfectly and it never freezes or has inconsistent baking, but thermodynamic laws don’t agree. Now if it’s warm where you are and your range burners are not very powerful you would probably be fine as you noted.
@@DemonicAnimatronic I get what you are saying. We just have a standard range manufactured by Whirlpool, not a Wolf commercial range that requires more fuel. Sometimes I have to go brush the snow off our tank/regulator if our flame is yellow - I'm learning here....
Is there another regulator you could recommend? The one you recommended is sold out everywhere for a while now. I'm just trying to find one that is comparable and would work with the set up you have since that's one I'm doing.
It looks like it is available through zoro.com and I found it through amazon for a slightly higher price as well, but I do see the place I purchased it is showing OOS. As far as an alternative, most any lower capacity BTU 2-stage integrated regulator should work. Something with a capacity between about 100,000BTU and 225,000 would be about the same. I can’t speak to the reliability of other brands though. Marshal excelsior is good, as is Emerson fisher, albeit a bit more expensive. Many of the ones I see on the small side are Chinese mass production ones that I’m not confident in. Not to say these would not be perfectly adequate, I just can’t say whether the quality is there or not. I would suspect most of the alternatives are not certified either like the Marshal but that may or may not be important for you.
And it looks like in the course of me typing the response, zoro went out of stock as well
So how long have y'all been getting before refills?
We bought a gas range a few weeks ago and it's been absolutely impossible to get a propane company to set a tank and install it for us. I'm not big on regulations, but propane companies are mostly unregulated, and they don't have to help you if they dont want too, unlike most other utility companies. It's pretty sad. Anyway, I too am an engineer, I've DIYed just about everything, but never gas. So, thanks for the confidence to duplicate this project. I'm still on the fence whether to buy a cheap pipe threader from HF for $40 to do it all the iron pipe under the house, or to essentially stub down from the kitchen and stub into the crawl space with iron and then connect them together with CSST avoiding all the pipe threading and precise distance measurements in my crawl space.
Having done a bit of pipe threading with the big machines, I can say I would stay away from the cheap threaders, the die tolerances are just not there and it’s asking for a leak or at least a ton of frustration and choice words, I generally prefer iron pipe or professionally done copper gas line, but I would choose most anything over self threaded black iron.
There's always the flexible gas pipe (yellow) that is commonly used for natural gas but if I remember correctly some local building codes have heartburn over them being run vertically and I'm not sure if they are proper for LP... but worth looking into. If acceptable, and used for just a single appliance, that would eliminate a bunch of pipe threading and assembly.
Edit: Just looked it up. Good for propane too. This brand unlike CSST; gasflex.com/
@@DemonicAnimatronic is there any way you can give me the parts list to duplicate your set up I know you stated Marshall excelsior as the store to purchase everything any help would be appreciated ty
use csst where you can. and just get fittings to switch to pipe where needed. Its so much easer to install.
Pressure rating is different though. Pipe can carry propane furthest, than i think its csst, than copper. May be wrong about that order tho....
CSST is what's under our house. Connects to a shut off then normal 36" LP hose to stove on one end then to the exterior wall through PVC protected hole to the connection at the exterior ( per my state codes)
excellent info and just the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you!
I'm really looking to do this but instead of a stove it would be for a 30000 BTU heater. This would only be a heater for power outages, I would only use it of weather got so bad we lost power which has happened every year so far we have lived here in our new home. Do you believe a set up like this would work for a single 30k BTU heater? Or would I need a different connection. I'm in the same boat as propane companies will not come out to do a small tank refill and I don't meet the requirements for use because it's only going to be a Incase of emergency type of set up.
Edit: Also the link to the valves for HD are no longer working at least for me.
In theory, a couple 40lb tanks should be good to support 30k btu down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit at 25% full and lower temps the more full the tanks are. That would be the limiting factor out of the stuff I have listed. So should work. I would test it before you need it for emergency also and you could technically add a third cylinder if needed just more piping or a manifold. Thank you for the valve link info, seems like every time I change it they switch what they sell, maybe just the times. I will try and find a replacement valve to link.
@@DemonicAnimatronic thank for the fast response and i appreciate the idea of a third tank. That might work, but I'm having trouble sourcing the tanks ATM with out paying an arm and leg. Cause two tanks right now are gonna be pretty expensive as all the local places are out of stock which is probably normal for this time of year
Excellent video, although I can't say I like the word "Demonic" in your video attributes. Our LPG service guy found a pressure leak in the system which consists of what may be a 100 pound LP gas tank and about 50 feet of rubber coated flex pipe to the cooktop. Like you, the only gas appliance we have is a cooktop. We just had a single quote for replacing the gas line, and it was a totally outrageous $2500 to $2800 for the job. Needless to say, we ARE going to get other quotes. Interestingly, whenever we have a contractor whose first comment is something like, "this is a nice place you have", the quotes that follow would bring tears to your eyes.
Very helpful. Thank you!
So i need a regulator externally before getting to a stove’s regulator?
Yes
Your regulator should be mounted above the snow line. Vent of reg needs to be kept clear for safe operation. Seems a little low depending on this location.
Since these tanks are meant to be stored inside an RV, can I place a pair in my basement to power my kitchen range?
I already have a 500 Gal propane tank that powers a hot water heater, a furnace and a propane fireplace. We wanted to also use it for our range but the gas guy we spoke with said that the connections couldn't service another appliance. He offered to run another line at a cost of $1500. That was too much for us.
I cannot recommend they be used inside. In an RV/camper they are either located on the trailer tongue or in a special vented locker designed for the tanks.
Usually aren't stored Inside... They are either on the tongue or in a vented outside, sealed to the interior metal cabinet.
You mentioned weather covers but I didn't see one. If it snows or freezing rains at all where you are you may want to buy or modify some kind of cover for the tanks. From experience I can say that removing a coating of ice from the tank fittings is not fun and potentially dangerous. Nice setup, good luck.
Do you think a setup like this would work in -20F temperature? I'm asking because I'm in the process of switching to an LP stove and I live in the eastern part of Canada!
It looks like the vaporization for a 40lb cylinder at 25% full and -20F is about 3,400 BTU continuous per cylinder. So a setup like this would be around 6500 to 7000 BTU. So it would only supply a single small burner. Of course it could supply more if the tanks were closer to full but I wouldn’t count on that. There are tank heaters that are designed to keep the tank around 90F in which case it shouldn’t have an issue, but they can be pricy, add another point of failure, and take electricity to run. As to the code compliance, I cannot say.
FWIW, a gallon of propane amounts to about 93,000 btus. A gallon of propane weighs about 4.3 pounds. As an example, my hottest burner is 18,000 btus. 93,000 / 18,000 = 5.167 hours of running that burner at full blast to consume one gallon of propane. A 20 lb tank is actually 4.6 gallons of propane. Running the 18,000 but burner at full blast would give you about 5.167 hours x 4.6 gallons = 23.77 hours of nonstop maximum burner time.
Unless you are trying to boil your own beer on a kitchen range, a gallon or propane will go quite a ways considering that you only use the high setting at the beginning of the setting for most foods. I use a pressure cooker and that really cuts down on cooking time. I typically use the smallest burner for simmering soups and stocks.
When I make beer I use a 50K btu burner designed for handling large pots and start off with about 7 gallons of water. You need some serious heat to make that happen in about an hour.
Love the video, very informative. I will be ordering some parts to set up my new range with a 100 lb tank and two forty pound tanks.
Do you have any links to the hardware that you bought if you bought online? Such as regulator. Thanks
Yes, all the links I have are located in the description, you may have to click "show more" if you don't see it. Some of the items are unfortunately sold out last I checked and I haven't searched for a replacement tee fitting since they stopped carrying the one I used unfortunately. These are just suggestions and jumping off points, there are variables in installations like this, so please proceed at own risk.
I thought I was the only one who couldn't get someone to bring a tank for a furnace in my wife's salon In our pole building 🙃
I set mine up almost exactly like this video and it works perfectly !!! Thank You !!
They make warming blankets for thatose tanks, pricey but certainly helps with the lower temps
What size gas line
Would this work with RV regulator that pulls from tank and then the next? Or would you not get the vaporization that you need? Im wanting to put in a gas range /oven, excellent video!
It’s possible, but it will depend on temperature and tank size. Basically you would want for one tank to be able to support your max load at your minimum temperature, since it will be running from only one tank at a given time.
What is the size of the valves? The link isn’t working for that one item. Thanks.
They are 1/4” to accept the propane hose npt and connect to the npt tee. So 1/4” fnpt to fnpt. I will update the link when I find a suitable replacement thank you!
Perfect. Thank you!
you don’t mention putting a drop in?
I’m looking at the hundred pound horizontal built in dolly a little more money. Better vaporization Vera vertical because more surface area for liquid to gas to happen . There are in fact though no videos at all talking about that. Wish there was a comparison and performance video on it.