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 Nothing beats the sheer joy that comes from grilling food over an open flame. Although most people prefer the delicious smoky flavor that comes from charcoal grilling, nothing beats the convenience, control, and mobility that you get from propane grills. Whether you want a perfectly-seared steak or flawlessly-cooked tuna, a propane grill will do just that at the touch of a button. The downside, however, is the constant guessing game you have to play when trying to figure out how much gas you have left in the tank. Propane tanks tend to run out of gas at the most inopportune moment. The real question is, how long does a 15-lb propane tank last? Is there a way to tell? Here’s what you need to know. How Long Does A 15-Lb Propane Tank Last?For starters, you could get a propane tank gauge to estimate how much gas you have left. But anyone who’s ever used them before will tell you that they are highly inaccurate. One sure way to know would be to use the following formula: T = PH ÷ kB
If deriving this formula seems overly complicated, here’s a chart that you can use to estimate how long a 15-lb propane tank will last based on the burner’s BTUs.
Based on this, here’s how you can use the chart to estimate. If your grill burner has a fire-power rating of 20,000 BTUs, it means that it uses 0.9 lbs of propane gas every hour. So, to get the estimated grilling time in hours, simply calculate: 15 lbs (size of propane tank) ÷ 0.9 = 16.67 hours If the burner has 30,000 BTUs, it uses 1.4 lbs of propane every hour. So, to get the estimated grilling time to calculate: 15 lbs (size of propane tank) ÷ 1.4 = 10.71 hours Always Be PreparedNote that the values given are intended to provide rough estimates of how long your 15-lb propane tank should last. It is always better to have a spare tank on standby to avoid getting caught off-guard when the gas runs out. Are you looking for a grill that’s backed by a lifetime warranty? Our comparison chart has it all. Check it out now! Skip to contentHow Long Does a Propane Tank LastBy Christie Vanover | Published July 8, 2022 | Last Updated August 10, 2022 There’s nothing worse than grilling a Thanksgiving turkey only to find out midway through the cook that your propane tank has run out of fuel. So just how long does a propane tank last? And how do you know if it’s almost empty? Propane Tank GaugesOne of the easy ways to monitor the level of your propane tank is to install a propane tank gauge. There are few different varieties. Propane Pressure GaugeThe pressure meter attaches to the end of the hose that comes with your grill. Then, it screws right on to the tank. Once you twist the knob to open, the gauge will activate and display a reading of green, yellow or red. Green means you have plenty of propane left. Yellow means it’s time to have a backup tank on standby. Red means it’s time to refill or replace the tank. Propane Weight GaugeAnother type of propane tank gauge is one that weighs the tank. A standard propane tank for a non-portable gas grill includes 20 pounds of propane gas. Those are the white tanks that you see outside hardware stores and grocery stores. There are other propane tank sizes, like the ones used for portable grills and Coleman stoves, but for the purpose of this post, let’s focus on the tanks used on a standard gas grill. When you get a propane tank refueled, the gas inside is actually added based on the weight. With this type of gauge, you’ll disconnect the tank from your grill, attach it to the gauge’s hook and lift the tank by the gauge. The dial will give you a readout like the fuel gauge on your car, ranging from full to 3/4 to 1/2 to 1/4 to empty. Propane Magnetic GaugeThe final type of propane gauge is a little easier to use, because it doesn’t involve disconnecting your tank or lifting it. It’s the magnetic gauge. You stick the magnet to the side of the metal tank and it measures the fuel inside based on the temperature. When a propane tank releases gas during your cook, the tank will cool and the magnet is able to register that temperature adjustment to show how much fuel is left. Although this is the easiest gauge to use, I personally don’t find it as reliable as the other methods. How To Measure Your Propane Tank Level without a GaugeYou can also measure your tank without a gauge, and this is the method I use. A propane tank for a standard gas grill includes 20 pounds of propane. When you look at the tank, you will see a tare weight embossed on or around the handle. It will probably be abbreviated to say TW. The tare weight indicates how much the tank weighs when it’s empty. So let’s say that your tank’s tare weight is 17.5 pounds. And you know a full tank includes 20 pounds. That means a full tank would weigh 37.5 pounds (the 17.5 pounds for the empty tank and the 20 pounds for the fuel). Turn the knob to close and disconnect your tank from your grill. Then, place it on a scale. Take the weight that you get and subtract it from the tare weight (17.5). This will tell you how many pounds of propane are left in the tank.
Video DemonstrationHow Long Does a Propane Tank LastThe amount of propane you will use will depend on how big your grill is, how high of a temperature your cooking at and if you’re using all burners. A good rule of thumb is that if you have a medium size, 3-burner grill, you’ll get about an hour of cook time per pound of propane. If you have a larger gas grill, like a 4-burner grill, you’ll get about 30 minutes of cook time per pound of propane. So if you have 10 pounds of propane (a half a tank), you’ll get 5-10 hours of grill time, depending on your grill. That’s plenty of time to grill a turkey. GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
Want even more great grilling recipes and tips? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for my latest grilling adventures. If you make a recipe, I’d love for your to leave a comment and rating below. Thanks. 2022-08-10T09:35:41-07:00Share Your Love of GrillingHow many times can you grill with a 20 lb propane tank?As a rule of thumb, a medium-sized grill on high heat will use approximately two pounds of fuel per meal. Following this rule, a 20lb propane tank will provide 18-20 hours of cooking time on a medium grill. A larger grill can burn through 20lbs of propane in as little as 10 hours.
How many hours will a 20 lb propane tank last?As mentioned above, 20-pound propane tanks are used for modest tasks like cooking individual meals. As a rule of thumb, one tank of propane will typically last between 18-20 hours if you're grilling on a medium-sized grill. Whereas larger grills can burn through 20-pounds of propane in as little as 10 hours.
How many times can you grill on one propane tank?A 20-pound propane tank (the standard size for propane grill canisters) typically provides between 18 and 20 hours of grilling time for an average-sized grill.
How much propane does a grill use per hour?An average size (500 sq. -in) grill will use about 1 1/2 pounds of propane an hour cooking medium to high.
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How long does a 20 lb propane tank last on a grill
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