Does Cold Temperature Affect a Propane Tank Level Gauge?
Propane is like nearly all other kinds 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 that reflects the tank level. Normally, this comes into play whenever a homeowner checks the gauge during cold weather and sees the amount of the tank level before and after delivery. Depending on the conditions, the tank level might not rise as much as anticipated.
Propane Tank Level Gauge
The propane tanks guage will show what percentage of the gas tank is still full. Tanks are typically not filled over 80% full as this will allow for the gas to expand during hotter days. For example, a 500 gallon tank, at a reading of 80% at normal temperatures reflects around 400 gallons of propane inside the tank. This is around how much can be stored.
Normal Temperatures
The propane industry operates the popular web site Propane 101, that considers the propane reference point to be an exterior temperature of 60 degrees. For example, if the gauge reads 50% of capacity on a day when the temperature is near 60 degrees, then a 500 gallon tank will contain roughly 250 gallons of propane. If the temperature that same day is much lower than 60 degrees, the gauge would read lower. In the same way, if the temperature is much higher than 60 degrees, the gauge would actually read higher because the gas expanded.
Effect of Contraction and Expansion
The energy contained or amount of energy contained inside a tank will not change when the gas either contracts or expands, based on 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 would receive around 424 lbs. of propane. With the delivery of 100 gallons, the homeowner with a 1000 gallon propane tank can expect the guage to go up by 10%. These numbers would be accurate if the temperatures were close to 60 degrees at the time of delivery. If the delivery took place during colder weather conditions, these chillier temperatures will cause a smaller increase reading on the propane gauge.