# 100 pound propane bottles and gas range.



## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

As we only have one gas appliance and it only has the four burners,I thought we could perhaps use the 100lb tanks sold at Lowes,etc instead of buying a permanent tank.
Is this possible?

The reason I am wondering is from reading a propane website it stated such tanks aren't supposed to be used for appliances in your home but for BBQ's and the like.

But then the Lowes website states:
100 lb. Propane Cylinder



> * Used for portable cooking, *propane-fueled appliances*, temporary heating and more
> * Painted with Durabondâ¢ powder coat paint - the most durable in the industry for long life
> * All steel construction and made in the USA
> * Empty tank must be filled


I can't really see what the difference is...

Plus any other advice/helpful hints would be appreciated.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

We had a propane gas range and used a 100lb tank in our cabin. I cook a LOT, and also cook for the community. (Think funerals and weddings), and it lasted us almost a year.
Was not a problem at all. We also used 100lb tanks for our gas fire. Where we lived, a large tank was out of the question. They would not rent us one as they could not refill it.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Thanks,I just can't see the need for a huge tank at this time when we only have the four burners on the top of the stove(oven is electric)...


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

I probably should add that the tank stayed on the outside of the cabin and DH used copper piping and a regulator to bring it in. The tanks should not be inside the house.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> Thanks,I just can't see the need for a huge tank at this time when we only have the four burners on the top of the stove(oven is electric)...


Doesn't sound like there is a need. My oven was gas too and so you can see how long it lasted! We did not have (and still don't) a microwave, so our gas stove was how we cooked breakfast, lunch and supper.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

My house also has one of those 100 lb bottles. We do have a microwave, so our stove/oven doesn't get used heavily. We can go well over a year on that bottle.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

We will be mounting the tanks outside under one of the sheds,so out of the elements to some degree.

Trying to get it all done before we go up there after Christmas as a surprise for Mrs oz,hopefully it will work out.

Thanks again.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

We will have a regulator that came with the range inside and I believe there should also be a regulator at the bottle,is that right?


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## Williams farm (Dec 16, 2010)

I'd like to do the same thing for a drier and stove, but I wonder if its too cold to use a small tank. We are in Central Ontario. Our BBQ propane tank won't work if its too cold or is that the regulator that won't work? Will a 100 pound tank really last for a stove a year in daily use?


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Yes that is right. I am not the one who set it up, but DH did. It was near the bottle.

I hope you do manage to get it all sorted before xmas, what a wonderful surprise! Hope Mrs Oz does not come on HT in the meantime!


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

From my searches online,there are blankets for propane tanks,not sure how well such things would do in the frozen north however...LOL


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Our Little Farm said:


> Yes that is right. I am not the one who set it up, but DH did. It was near the bottle.


Thanks.


> I hope you do manage to get it all sorted before xmas, what a wonderful surprise! *Hope Mrs Oz does not come on HT in the meantime!*


Yeah I just thought of that....she is having major computer issues right now,has a bad case of the google redirect virus that seems to be taking over her laptop....


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

We never had a problem with ours being outside, in freezing conditions or covered with snow. Ours were not under shelter but were a little sheltered from the elements. I don't see a need for anything where you are going to be located.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Yeah I just thought of that....she is having major computer issues right now,has a bad case of the google redirect virus that seems to be taking over her laptop....


Now that you have your answer, why not kindly ask CF to delete the thread for you? 

If you need any further help, you are welcome to pm me, and I will get my husband to answer.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

My dad used a 100 pound bottle (something like 25 gallons if I remember right) at our cabin for the first ten years or so. 
It ran the stove and fridge on weekends only. 
He could usually get about 6 months or so out of a tank. I'm _really_ surprised there are those getting a year with regular use!


At our house, we're running a 125 gallon tank (fairly easy to find) for our stove and furnace. It lasts about a month to six weeks.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Well if you are using a tank for a furnace, then I imagine it would not last long. As for being _really_ surprised about those getting a years use out of 1 tank, two of us on here have stated that fact and I for sure do not lie.

Mine did not run the fridge. That is probably the difference! 

So as the OP will only be using it for the stove top, he will easily get a years worth out of it.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Our Little Farm said:


> Well if you are using a tank for a furnace, then I imagine it would not last long. As for being _really_ surprised about those getting a years use out of 1 tank, two of us on here have stated that fact and I for sure do not lie.
> 
> Mine did not run the fridge. That is probably the difference!
> 
> So as the OP will only be using it for the stove top, he will easily get a years worth out of it.


Actually, if you'll look again, I was saying our _cabin_ was running on a 100 pound (25 gal.) bottle, for two days a week. Stove and fridge.
(I just mentioned our current 125 gallon tank in relation to standard use for a comparison)

However, that said, I obviously said something horridly offensive to deserve such a snide reply. 
My apologies. 
Apparently I shouldn't have dared to be surprised. :shrug:


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Y'all,it's Christmas remember....


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

ErinP said:


> Actually, if you'll look again, I was saying our _cabin_ was running on a 100 pound (25 gal.) bottle, for two days a week. Stove and fridge.
> (I just mentioned our current 125 gallon tank in relation to standard use for a comparison)
> 
> However, that said, I obviously said something horridly offensive to deserve such a snide reply.
> ...



Whatever. 

This is Oz's thread and I am glad I was able to help him with facts.

May you have a wonderful Christmas.


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## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

Williams farm said:


> I'd like to do the same thing for a drier and stove, but I wonder if its too cold to use a small tank. We are in Central Ontario. Our BBQ propane tank won't work if its too cold or is that the regulator that won't work? Will a 100 pound tank really last for a stove a year in daily use?


We are a family of four adults. I'm a stay at home mother who cooks multiple meals daily on a four burner gas stove and our 100lb propane cylinders lasts at least 6 months. I don't have a working oven on that tank.

-scrt crk


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

I use a 100-lb tank to fire up my propane forge. Have it basically wide-open, say an average of an hour a day, and a full tank will last me several months.

The only difference between my forge (which will run 1,800 - 2,000 degrees) and a stove is the regulator. Most small appliances run a a very low pressure - less than three pounds. I have a specual regular for mine with goes up to 60 pounds.

The best place I have found for propane equipment supplies is www.tejasmokers.com. Free shipping on most items.

I can man-handle an empty 100 lb bottle but need a bit of help via a cart for a full one.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

I called the local gas company and they pretty much suggested using the 100 pound cylinder too,said a 125 gallon tank with just four burners would last us probably three years...LOL


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> I called the local gas company and they pretty much suggested using the 100 pound cylinder too,said a 125 gallon tank with just four burners would last us probably three years...LOL


That's what WE'RE hoping for. 
We originally got our 125g with the intention of just running our stove, but the house we're currently in also has propane heat so our little tank got put into use that much sooner than intended.

Propane here is currently running about $1.89 per gallon. Considering they don't fill them up all the way, it's about $200 for a fill. I figure $200 every three years sounds good. lol
Besides, the tank cost us $20. 


To be sure, though, a 100lb bottle will suit you just fine.


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

Our Little Farm said:


> Now that you have your answer, why not kindly ask CF to delete the thread for you?


If we had threads deleted because the OP got the needed answer there would be a lot of often repeated questions. The archives are full of useful information.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

secretcreek said:


> We are a family of four adults. I'm a stay at home mother who cooks multiple meals daily on a four burner gas stove and our 100lb propane cylinders lasts at least 6 months. I don't have a working oven on that tank.
> 
> -scrt crk


I wonder if having an oven is why I got longer out of a tank? I did use it a lot to bake bread, make meatloaf, casseroles and shepherds pies etc, but maybe the oven is more economical? I would have thought it was the other way round! :shrug: 

Our lasted 11 months and 14 days. I just checked my cabin log! LOL 

If you were hooking something else to the propane, say a fridge, gas logs or something, then I would get a few more bottles.

We always had one spare as like I said we had 100lb cylinders (separate) for gas fire, and also for a gas dryer.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

ErinP said:


> That's what WE'RE hoping for.
> 
> Besides, the tank cost us $20.
> 
> .



Wow! That was a good deal! Craigslist?


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Neighbor. 
We were originally planning on doing the 100lb bottles, but there are a lot of 125g tanks sitting around (they used to run pivots, or windmill tank heaters, or what-have-you) so we just asked around if anyone was interested in getting rid of one.
I'm glad that's what we ended up with, given the fact that we're currently running a furnace, also!


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## Williams farm (Dec 16, 2010)

Thank you for your replies. I guess there's never one right answer! Sorry if I provoked any un-polite replies, I didn't know the posts here were owned or mean to cause trouble.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

I just had a 150 gallon tank installed last month. There is a difference in locations when anything bigger is installed. 150 gallons and less can be located anywhere. Larger tanks have certain distances from buildings.
I used two 100 lb. bottles the last few years. Ther is a difference in prices of propane also. When I take in the 100 lb. tanks the price of propane is $1.00 a gallon more than when I get them to come out and fill the 150 gallon one.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Williams farm said:


> I'd like to do the same thing for a drier and stove, but I wonder if its too cold to use a small tank. We are in Central Ontario. Our BBQ propane tank won't work if its too cold or is that the regulator that won't work? Will a 100 pound tank really last for a stove a year in daily use?


When it gets too cold there isn't enough surface area on a bottle for the propane to vaperize from. If your BBQ propane tank doesn't work when it is cold I doubt that a 100 lb tank would either.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

We were running a stove, water heater and refrigerator on dual 5 gallon tanks for several years. There was a "switchover" valve that would switch the tanks from the empty one to the full one automatically. We would use about a five gallon tank every ten days, but a lot of that was going to the old propane refrigerator. When we switched to an electric refrigerator, the tanks lasted about three weeks each. The water heater was originally a Paloma (on demand "tank-less" water heater) but we've since switched to a Bosch Aquastar tank-less water heater. We've also switched to two bigger propane tanks, I'm not sure exactly what size they are but they are about as big as one person can move empty and takes a dolly to move them when full. 

If you were just running a four burner stovetop, it will last a really long time on a big tank like that. Just for insurance, you may want to have a smaller 5 gallon tank so when the big tank runs out, you'll be able to put on the little tank until filling up the big one again. Depends on how far you are from a propane filling station.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

pancho said:


> I just had a 150 gallon tank installed last month. There is a difference in locations when anything bigger is installed. 150 gallons and less can be located anywhere. Larger tanks have certain distances from buildings.
> I used two 100 lb. bottles the last few years. Ther is a difference in prices of propane also. When I take in the 100 lb. tanks the price of propane is $1.00 a gallon more than when I get them to come out and fill the 150 gallon one.


It would be $75.43 to fill the 100 pound cylinder,which is $3/gallon roughly.


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

Williams farm said:


> I'd like to do the same thing for a drier and stove, but I wonder if its too cold to use a small tank. We are in Central Ontario. Our BBQ propane tank won't work if its too cold or is that the regulator that won't work? Will a 100 pound tank really last for a stove a year in daily use?


Cold weather makes it harder to keep up the pressure. At 40 below(F) you can carry propane around in a pail.Even at 20 below theres just not enough heat exchange to get the system to work well. BUT you can always put a small propane tank in a warm place if ya need to.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Actually, drawing propane too fast out of a propane bottle will cause the side to front up due to the difference between the propane inside and air outside. I can fairly easily frost up a 20-lb tank, but have yet to do so on a 100 lb tank - unless it is quite empty. The extra propane absorbes the temperature difference and being drawn off for an applicance should make any difference.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Our Little Farm said:


> Now that you have your answer, why not kindly ask CF to delete the thread for you?
> 
> If you need any further help, you are welcome to pm me, and I will get my husband to answer.


No! Don't delete the thread!

I'm wondering about setting up a gas oven now... 

Actually, we could probably hook it up to the 250 tank outside, but it may be easier to just have the smaller tank strictly for the oven/cooktop. It's just so darned hot to run the wood stove in the Summer.


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## Gianni (Dec 9, 2009)

Butane freezes and turns to liquid @ 32F LP @-44F. 100 lb cylinder holds about 20 gallons depending on who filled it. LP has 91,800 BTU per gallon, the average range burner is 9,000 btu per hour, oven 22,000 BTUH. One top burner will run constantly 110 hours on one gallon of LP. You can figure useage from that. I would turn the pilots off and light it each time from a match or camper lighter. 
Your LP tank can sit outside without any problems until the weather drops below -44F. I would make sure that it has a stable base to sit on and I would attach it to something solid even if it was with a nylon strap. It might be a good idea to have a tee fitting in there with two shut off valves so you could hook up a 20 lb bottle while someone ran the 100 lb tank to town.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> It would be $75.43 to fill the 100 pound cylinder,which is $3/gallon roughly.


It cost $3.53/gallon to fill my 100 pound tank when I take the tank to them and $2.53/gallon to fill my 150 gallon tank when I call them to come out.
I thought it would be cheaper if I took the tank to them but when I asked they said no.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

that's what we use for our 4 burner stove. It is out side all year around. We use 1 a year ,but we can on a seperate burner system out side. So the canning uses a seperate supply of propane.
We also use a microwave and a toaster oven, and use our wood stove for cooking and heating water for tea during the winter.
I suppose the crock pot saves us some propane too.


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Locate your tank outside on the downhill side of your structure, as propane is heavier than air and if there is a leak, it will flow downhill away from the house. If it is uphill it would flow into the house...not good.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

pancho said:


> It cost $3.53/gallon to fill my 100 pound tank when I take the tank to them and $2.53/gallon to fill my 150 gallon tank when I call them to come out.
> I thought it would be cheaper if I took the tank to them but when I asked they said no.


Cheapest place here to fill a 100lb tank is 65 bucks.

Summer fillup rate was 1.59 gallon on my large tanks ( delivered )


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

TnAndy said:


> Cheapest place here to fill a 100lb tank is 65 bucks.
> 
> Summer fillup rate was 1.59 gallon on my large tanks ( delivered )


Wish I would have had mine in during the summer.


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## am1too (Dec 30, 2009)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> Thanks,I just can't see the need for a huge tank at this time when we only have the four burners on the top of the stove(oven is electric)...


I would consider 2 smaller bottles with a dual regulator. Empty one bottle and switch to the other without interuption and fill the empty. That gives you the liberty to fill the empty at your leisure.


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## Beeman (Dec 29, 2002)

For over 30 years the house I was born in had 2 100lb propane tanks which was used for our cook stove and oven. We had a propane company that came around and swapped out the tanks. it didn't have an automatic change over. You Just went out and lifted the lid and closed one tank, opened the other and then re-lit the pilot lights. We eventually installed a propane hot water heater also and that 2 tank set-up was there when we left in 1985.


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## Guest (Dec 22, 2010)

Oz,

A few thoughts in addition to the advice you have already recieved. You are not living full time at your cabin yet. I suggest 20 lb tanks for now. They will fire up your stove for about 2 months of use so you can haul them home with you and fill them, they are easily transportable, and they won't freeze at the temperatures you are likely to encounter. You can have several tanks if you want one in reserve. 

When you move in full time, buy (not rent) the biggest tank you can afford if there is access to fill it, 500 or even a 1000 gallon tank is good. You can have a large tank filled with delivered propane, during off peak times, for about $1.50 a gallon here. Small tanks cost $3.50 a gallon and you have to take them to town to have them filled. 

If you own your tank the propane companies can't play their little games with you. I went to have my rented tank filled and the company said they had to have 1 1/2 times the regular price of the propane because i had't had it filled in over a year. If you own the tank you can shop arround for the best price. Having a large amount of propane on hand is good prepping. Tanks are on Craigs list from time to time or maybe a neighbor has one they are not using. The local propane company here is selling used tanks for $1 a gallon capacity so $500 for a 500 gallon one.

To hook up a tank you should check the local codes. Here, for a big one,you have to have a regulator at the tank to bring the pressure down to about 3 PSI. for a stove. You have to run a single, unbroken length, of flexible copper tubing (type L or K, I can't remember) buried from the tank to the house. Flare fittings have to be used so you have to flare the ends of the pipe. You can get a cheap flaring tool at Harbor Freight or rent one at a tool rental place. Many auto parts stores rent them too. 

Remember, if you chose to accept this assignment, we will dissavow any knowledge of your actions.


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## carogator (Sep 11, 2010)

Let's see now, using two 8000 btu burners at 1/2 setting 
equals 8000 btu's/hr. x 3 times a day or 24000 btu's/day.
100 # cylinder is 2,100,590 btu's divided by 24000 equals
87.5 days on a 100 lb. cylinder


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> As we only have one gas appliance and it only has the four burners,I thought we could perhaps use the 100lb tanks sold at Lowes,etc instead of buying a permanent tank.
> Is this possible?


I used two 100# tanks at my homestead, but I use gas for cooking, heat, and hot water. I actually had two 100# tanks, which were regulated with an RV propane regulator. That way when one tank would run out it would automatically switch to the other tank without interrupting gas service. That always kept the pilot lights going.

The 100# tanks hold about 23 gallons of propane each. That's a lot of propane for just a cook stove. You could save a lot on tanks by using a pair a 30# tanks on an RV regulator instead of the 100# tanks. The 30# tanks hold about 7 gallons each. I suspect that you will find a pair of 30# tanks to be satisfactory for your use.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Pony said:


> I'm wondering about setting up a gas oven now...
> 
> Actually, we could probably hook it up to the 250 tank outside, but it may be easier to just have the smaller tank strictly for the oven/cooktop. It's just so darned hot to run the wood stove in the Summer.


Do it Pony! You won't regret it and it is fairly cheap to run. I think to refill a tank it cost us about $74. We got out oven cheap off Craigslist too. Worked great.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

If you were to rent a large tank, for just the gas oven, you may run into trouble. Our company demands that you have it refilled at least once a year, if not, then you pay quite a sum to 'rent' the tank, otherwise it is free.

Seems much more sensible to either get two small tanks to a 100lb tank.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Propane comes in various weights and types of containers. For example, the long bottle used for soldering pipe fittings, the short, fat one used for portable propane stoves and lights, then 20, 30, 100 on up.

I highly recommend a 30-lb one over a 20-lb one. Initial cost isn't all that much and you save time by not having to take them to be refilled so often.

I would be leary of the propane tank exchange places. As I recall one copy was recently cited for not filling them up all the way.

If you use the small bottles, they can be refilled from a 20-lb or more tank. Adaptation valve is available from Harbor Freight. Essentilly you put the bottle to be refilled in your freezer for about 24 hours, then hook it to propane tankvia the valve, set propane upside down. Now open the valve to the bottle and the valve on the tank. If you put an ear on the larger tank you can hiss during the transfer. When transfer has stopped, reverse the process.

I weighed a full, store-bought bottle, let it run out and then refilled via the above method. The refilled tank weighed exactly what the store bought one did.


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## badlander (Jun 7, 2009)

You guys are life savers! Thanks everyone for all the information.

I told my husband the other day that life would be perfect if I had a stove on our homestead with an oven that I could use to bake and roast with. Bless him, he immediately began to think about it and plan where it could be put and how we could power it with LP.

We have been at our homestead, BaDland Farm for over a year now, and it is amazing how much it has taught us in that time.

We have pondered going on the grid with electricity but recently, Husband asked me if I really missed electricity and surprisingly I told him no, I didn't. Our generator and solar cells provide us with what we need in the way of lighting and power for appliances. What I missed was a stove. Our box wood stove has two cook eyes but no oven. It heats our home beautifully but you can only do so much with a dutch oven.

We were wondering about the feasibility of getting a propane tank in 300 or 500 pounder, but a 100 pound tank would probably just about suit our needs.

Merry Christmas to everyone from the two BaDlanders!


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Well after talking to various different gas companies and such,it would be cheaper for us to rent a 125 gallon tank,and have it hooked up than to buy two 100 pound bottles and do what we wanted.

Tank rental is $48/year.
Plus we might look into adding some propane heaters for the rooms downstairs in the future,so the bigger tank would be quite helpful.


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## Tom VH (Oct 15, 2010)

I think others have said it but if it's just for a stove a 100lb tank works great, less than $70.00 to refill and it lasts us most of a year and we cook on top and in the oven a lot.
We live in Central MN, the tank sits in the open on the NW corner of the house and have never in five years had a cold tank problem.
Good luck, it would be hard to live with out an oven.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

If it was just going to be the stove top we would use the 100 pound bottles but after seeing the heaters that would work in the downstairs area we think those would work out great for us.

Right now the space is 'workshop/storage of junk,LOL, but it is to be converted into two bedrooms and a living area,we thought putting individual heaters would allow us to turn off rooms if not needed.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> Well after talking to various different gas companies and such,it would be cheaper for us to rent a 125 gallon tank,and have it hooked up than to buy two 100 pound bottles and do what we wanted.
> 
> Tank rental is $48/year.
> Plus we might look into adding some propane heaters for the rooms downstairs in the future,so the bigger tank would be quite helpful.


If you are planning on using propane heaters in the future then it would only make sense to go with the larger tank. That rental is pretty good!


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

badlander said:


> t a 100 pound tank would probably just about suit our needs.


Sounds like it would be perfect!

Happy New Year to you!


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Anyone have any experience with the room sized propane wall heaters,or propane heaters in general?

We have zero experience,almost all homes down here are electric.


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## Tom VH (Oct 15, 2010)

I grew up with one in the basement rec room (kids TV area), it worked well, it had a fan to circulate, some don't though, keep the door to the upstairs closed to contain the heat


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Tom VH said:


> I grew up with one in the basement rec room (kids TV area), it worked well, it had a fan to circulate, some don't though, keep the door to the upstairs closed to contain the heat


Well if it can keep it warm up in MN it should work good down this way...LOL


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> Anyone have any experience with the room sized propane wall heaters,or propane heaters in general?
> 
> We have zero experience,almost all homes down here are electric.


In our 600 sq ft cabin we had a propane 'wood' stove. Got it from a local farm supply for about $500, looked like a wood stove and heated the place great.

Here we have a propane furnace which I dont like as it guzzles propane, and a vent free gas log fireplace which I love and seems VERY economical!


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> Anyone have any experience with the room sized propane wall heaters,or propane heaters in general?
> 
> We have zero experience,almost all homes down here are electric.


We had ventless ones in the last house we lived in. In fact, the second floor heat was supplied solely by a fairly new ventless propane wall heater. 
It created so much moisture that not only did anything that touched a wall develop mold between it and the wall, the exterior of the west wall of the house had black stuff on it. We finally figured out that was mold, too!!

SERIOUS moisture problems. 
I would _never_ put one in a house unless there were some way to guarantee it was venting outside. Even then, I'd be very hesitant.

I've often wondered if we noticed such dramatic problems because the one upstairs ran almost constantly. Ie, if it ran less often, we probably wouldn't have even noticed the moisture issues...


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

ErinP said:


> We had ventless ones in the last house we lived in. In fact, the second floor heat was supplied solely by a fairly new ventless propane wall heater.
> It created so much moisture that not only did anything that touched a wall develop mold between it and the wall, the exterior of the west wall of the house had black stuff on it. We finally figured out that was mold, too!!
> 
> SERIOUS moisture problems.
> ...


Hmmm,thanks for that,these are ventless heaters we looked at.
We definitely don't want any problems.:thumb:


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> Anyone have any experience with the room sized propane wall heaters,or propane heaters in general?
> 
> We have zero experience,almost all homes down here are electric.


When I lived on the homestead I used an unvented propane heater to heat the house. It was a small 2-story cabin, maybe 500 sq ft, but a 20,000 btu/hour heater was more than enough even for the cold climate I lived in. The heating capacity was entirely satisfactory, it had a thermostat, and I only paid about $125 at eBay for it, delivered. That was a few years ago, but I'm sure you can still get one for around $150.

The vented models are quite a bit more, starting at around $400. The difficulty in installation is a lot more too. With the ventless I just ran the black iron propane pipe up through the floor, then mounted the heater on the wall.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Oz . .I hope you can/will shop around . . .Rental fees . . .Bah Humbug

You mentioned "sheltering" a 100# tank . . .They really need to be in an "open" area . . . .even if it is right against a wall. 
Should 'any' kind of leak develop you need it to dissipate into the air . . . . .
So any kind of 'containment' of a propane tank (with a leak) is one very large Bomb looking to provide disaster .......

I have a ventless wall heater that works great.

A friend just paid $96 to fill a 100# tank . . .yea gads..........


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## JackDeePeyton (Aug 1, 2005)

We have a cabin down on the river and have been using a 100 gal propane tank for both the ventless heater unit and the kitchen stove.........no problems.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2011)

Oz,

Ventless propane heaters are a bad idea. Folks get killed by them every year. If they malfunction they can produce carbon monoxide or use up all the oxygen in the building. They do produce moisture so mold is a problem too. Get a vented one. Maybe a used one from a mobile home?

Don't rent the tank. If you have decided to get a 125 gallon tank it should cost about $125 for a used one. At $48 a year rental it would pay for itself in less than 3 years. If you rent the tank you can only buy propane from the company you are renting from. When they say they have to charge you half again as much for propane because you don't use much (happened to me) you have no choice if you rent. If you own the tank you can tell them to take a long walk on a short pier and you can call someone else. No wonder the twits from the propane company reccommend renting.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

OZ if you want to use propane to heat some spaces why not get a propane water heater and use convectors and hot water to heat them? It's not as tricky as it sounds and then you have non elecric hot water too.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

We have never experienced moisture problems with ventless propane heaters, that sounds disgusting. Wonder if another issue was going on, or they were installed incorrectly? Was the home insulated?

Installed correctly, taking into account the size of the room etc, they are safe to use. We got our ventless fireplace installed by the propane company. Was not that expensive at all, and gave us peace of mind. No mold at all. Very pleased.

We do have carbon monoxide detectors as advised. I would do the same for a woodstove etc.


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> If it was just going to be the stove top we would use the 100 pound bottles but after seeing the heaters that would work in the downstairs area we think those would work out great for us.
> 
> Right now the space is 'workshop/storage of junk,LOL, but it is to be converted into two bedrooms and a living area,we thought putting individual heaters would allow us to turn off rooms if not needed.


The ventless heaters work ok, but tend to be illegal in living quarters. If not right now where you live, it's likely coming soon. They work fine & all, but they are not vented, so it's like not having a chimney on a furnace- the xaust is going into the room - some people don't do well around such actually, sensitive to it.... I'd be real careful, you might get by, but it's not a good thing in many people's eyes.....

In a real cold climate like mine, one of these as a room heater will put a lot of water vapor into the air; but we have such dry winters that's almost a good thing. If you are in a mild winter in a more humid climate, you can run into excessive water for your situation, lots of condensation on cold surfaces. Depends on your situation, it is a problem in some areas.


As to tank rental, if at all possible I'd buy a good used tank, over 15 years, you will save _much_ money & hassle.

Many of the lp companies have horrid buisness practices, they get you hoooked on their tank; then they come up with new policies you didn't know about: Need to buy so & so much lp or you get charged an extra yearly fee; Your tank will get downsized; You get charged extra for not taking a big enough fill; they charge much more for lp than competitors because they are the only one's who can fill the rented tank.

If you own your own tank, you are in control, you can shop for the best deal in lp, it doesn't matter how long between fills, etc. You are in control if you own your own tank, I think you will be much happier with that?


In short, owning your own tank is better than renting, renting is _always_ more expensive than owning over the years. Always. If you rent, they 'gottcha' and will nickel & dime you....

For just the stovetop, a 100lb, or 2 30lb tanks would work fine for the time being. You do have a lot more work daling with it every 6 months or so; and you will pay more per gallon of lp with the smaller tanks.

--->Paul


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Nimrod said:


> Oz,
> 
> Ventless propane heaters are a bad idea. Folks get killed by them every year. If they malfunction they can produce carbon monoxide or use up all the oxygen in the building. They do produce moisture so mold is a problem too. Get a vented one. Maybe a used one from a mobile home?


If you follow the installation guidelines and use a CO detector then ventless heat is safe. The most important thing is to provide no less than 200 cubic feet of living space for each 1,000 btu/hour of gross heating capacity.

If you put a 20,000 btu/hour ventless propane heater in a bedroom and don't use a CO detector, you're asking for trouble.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Yep. Use common sense and follow the rules.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

. . ."Horrid buisness practices" . . . . . .

Now thats the gospel truth . . . . . . .

They will stand there and tell their lie's right to your face . . . .
All these lies are for nothing more than *Company* profit . . . .

If only for a stove it would be far easier on you to put in two 20# tanks. 
Oh so much easier to haul around.
. .And you can shop for "the better price" for refilling..........

. . Rental fees . . . . .Bah Humbug..............


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

His rental fee is so low, it might cost as much in gas to get to the store a few times each year for propane!

I have a rental propane tank now and have never had a problem with it. Have great service.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Our Little Farm said:


> We have never experienced moisture problems with ventless propane heaters, that sounds disgusting. Wonder if another issue was going on, or they were installed incorrectly? Was the home insulated?


Installed correctly. (In fact, that propane service double checked when we first moved into the house). And yes, the house was insulated, though possibly not as well as it should have been, being an older house. 

So far as whether you've experienced moisture problems or not--You should clarify, "that you know of." Since that usually tends to be a problem that builds up over time and people often don't even realize it until they take apart a wall for a remodel or something...


One of the chief by-products of a propane heater of any sort is water vapor. It has to go SOMEwhere. :shrug:


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Would a dehumidifier work?
Of course that is just another thing to have running...

Right now we are on hold as Christmas,while a joyous time and all,it was also a time when very little money came in....


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

I think it depends a lot on the climate where you live. Some places you'll get a moldy towel in no time if you leave it in the basket, some places, like here, you could leave it for weeks and not have a problem.

Around here ventless gas fires are used by most of my neighbors and have been for years, with no mold/damp issues. Being at a similar elevation and similar climate to your cabin in NC, I would expect the same.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Unless you have seen the _inside of the walls_, you don't know what they're doing... And western Nebraska is semi-arid. :shrug:
So far as a de-humidifier, oz, it might work. But I still tend to think smarter still would be to avoid introducing humidity-producing systems in the first place. 
Water vapor is a by product of the burning of propane. 

Here are a couple of threads where people asked about ventless propane heaters:
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=58910
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=138079

Personally, we're going to have a couple of in-wall electric ones for space heat.


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## Marianne (Feb 22, 2009)

I haven't read all the replies, just the 1st page. Just wanted to say I got my 100# tank refilled yesterday, at a cost of $70.00. It will last app. 6-7 months for us, for propane stove and oven. I can a lot, too, and cook from scratch and that takes more time and gas. This is 7 days a week. I DO have and use a small electric toaster oven for pies, rolls, casseroles and cornbread/biscuits. It REALLY cut my propane useage in half as I don't have to heat up the big oven nearly as often now. Still, 2 tanks (app) per yr. here.


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