Does Cold Really Affect the Level Gauge on a Propane Tank?
Propane is like the majority of other types of materials in that it is affected by cold temperatures. The propane gas contracts as the temperature declines. That reduced level of gas inside the tank is reflected by the gauge which reflects the level on the propane tank. Usually, this happens whenever a homeowner checks the gauge in cold weather and sees the amount of the tank level before and after delivery. Depending on the conditions, the level on the tank may not rise as much as expected.
Propane Tank Level Gauge
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 since this will allow for the gas to expand during warmer days. For example, a 500 gallon tank, at a reading of 80% at normal temperatures reflects about 400 gallons of propane in the tank. This is roughly the amount that could be stored.
Normal Temperatures
The propane industry operates the popular web site Propane 101, which considers the propane baseline point to be an exterior temperature of 60 degrees. Like for example, if the gauge reads 50% of capacity on a day when the temperature is close to 60 degrees, then a 500 gallon tank would have roughly 250 gallons of propane. If the temperature that day is a lot lower than 60 degrees, the gauge would read lower. Similarly, if the temperature is much higher than 60 degrees, the gauge will actually read higher due to the expansion of the gas.
Effect of Expansion and Contraction
According to the information given by the propane industry web site, the amount of energy contained in the tank does not really change when the gas contracts or expands. The amount of propane itself has not changed, but only the density of the gas has changed.
Cold-Weather Delivery
The homeowner who orders 100 gallons of propane would receive roughly 424 lbs. of propane. With the delivery of 100 gallons, the homeowner with a 1000 gallon propane tank could expect the guage to go up by 10%. These numbers will be correct if the temperatures were close to 60 degrees at the time of delivery. If the delivery took place during colder weather, these chillier temperatures will result in a smaller increase reading on the propane gauge.