Does Cold Temperature Affect a Propane Tank Level Gauge?
Propane is similar to nearly all other kinds of materials in that it is affected by cold temperatures. The propane gas contracts as the temperature does down. That reduced level of gas in the tank is reflected by the gauge which reflects the tank level. Often, this comes into play whenever a homeowner checks the gauge during cold climate and sees the amount of the tank level before and after delivery. Depending upon the conditions, the tank level may not go up as much as expected.
Propane Tank Level Gauge
The propane tanks guage will show what percentage of the gas tank is still full. Tanks are usually not filled over 80% full as this would allow for the gas to expand on hotter temperatures. For example, a 500 gallon tank, at a reading of 80% at normal temperatures reflects roughly 400 gallons of propane inside the tank. This is around how much could be stored.
Normal Temperatures
The propane industry manages the popular website Propane 101, which considers the propane reference point to be an exterior temperature of 60 degrees. For instance, if the gauge reads 50 percent of capacity on a day when the temperature is close to 60 degrees, then a 500 gallon tank will have roughly 250 gallons of propane. If the temperature that same day is much 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 since the gas expanded.
Effect of Expansion and Contraction
The amount of energy contained or energy contained within a tank would not change when the gas either contracts or expands, according to the propane industry web site. The amount of propane itself has not changed, but just the density of the gas has changed.
Cold-Weather Delivery
The homeowner who orders 100 gallons of propane will 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 would be accurate if the temperatures were near 60 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.