How Much Grill Time Does My Tank Have?

Tips for Checking Your Tank’s Level

Summertime is grilling time. And there’s so much to love about propane grills. They’re easy to start and clean, and they heat up quickly. They deliver precise and consistent temperature control. They cost about 50% less to operate than electric cooking methods. And because they don’t rely on an electrical component, you can keep grilling even if there’s a power outage.

Propane also has a great safety record. Click here for some basic grilling safety information.

Checking Your Grill Propane Level

Whether you’re cooking meals for the family or feasts for a crowd, don’t get caught without enough gas for your grill! It’s easy to check how much propane you have left. And then you can estimate how many more meals you can cook with what’s in your tank.

Here are three methods for checking your propane level:

The warm water method:

1. Fill a small bucket with warm to hot tap water.
2. Pour the water down the side of the tank.
3. Run your hand along the side of the tank and feel for a cool spot. The top of the cool spot indicates the fill level of the tank because the liquid propane inside the tank will absorb the heat from the water and make the metal wall of the tank cool to the touch.

Weighing your tank:

1. Find the two numbers stamped on the handle of your tank. One is the water capacity (WC) and the other is the tare weight (TW). Your tank’s tare weight is its weight when it’s empty.
2. Weigh the tank on a scale.
3. Subtract the tank’s tare weight from its current weight. The difference is how much propane is left.

Install an external gauge. 
You can choose from a variety of gauge types:

1. Inline pressure gauges install between the gas line from the grill and the cut-off valve on the tank, measuring pressures to determine how full the tank is.
2. Analog propane scales look like luggage scales and are pre-set based on your tank’s TW.
3. Digital propane tank scales give a digital readout of remaining cook time and gas fill percentage. Some even connect to smartphone apps.

How Long Will Your Grill Tank Last?

Now that you know how much propane you have, here’s a way to estimate how much grill time it represents. Generally speaking, a medium-sized grill on high heat will use approximately two pounds of fuel per meal. So a 20-pound tank should provide 18 to 20 hours of cooking time. If you have a larger grill, you may get roughly half that amount of cooking time with a 20-pound tank.

Remember, these are just estimates. A number of factors will affect how much cooking time you’ll get. If you have a backup cylinder, you never have to worry about being caught without enough propane to get grilling.

Trust the Experts at Cherry Energy

Cherry Energy makes propane delivery in North Carolina easy. We’ll get you the propane you need whenever and wherever you want it. We also have a showroom full of energy-efficient and innovative propane grills and other appliances.

Whether you’re looking for cost-effective propane delivery or a new grill, contact Cherry Energy today!