That is exactly what we do. Survival mode.
Upgrading to a 1000 gal propane tank
- Thread starter Owen Lucas
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Right....other than the burial, depending on equipment.
It is simple as bury the tank, and run the pipe......easy for some......
But look for a certification on the tank....namely a date. By memory, tanks are certified for 12 years at a time. A 1000 gallon tank is not something to mess with.
Owen Lucas
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It has transfer switch, the generator turns on after 10 second of no power. I can switch it on manually for testing purposes if I want to. If this was some kind of SHTF scenario, then yeah, I'd run it for a few hours a day and camp the rest. Maybe get 2 months out of a 1000 gal tank.
This is a good point. It looks like the 12 year cert is required only for portable tanks, so this stationary tank is exempt, but subject to inspection every time it is filled.
The guy sent me over a video of the tank, apparently replaced the fill valve and gives a 1 year warranty.
Its from 1968! But looks good overall. I've reached out to people all over the place and either they won't deliver to my area or don't have any in stock. This one guy appears to do this as his retirement job. He owns a truck with a knuckle crane so he's the only contestant now.
Those 60’s tanks are built very heavy, if it looks like it is good shape the age should not be a concern.
Have you talked to your propane suppliers about filling a customer owned tank? They might require some sort of documentation proving you own the tank.
Have you talked to your propane suppliers about filling a customer owned tank? They might require some sort of documentation proving you own the tank.
The Dept of Agriculture are responsible for inspections of propane systems, in many states. They might be a good place to ask for filling requirements. Also, for some propane companies, they require inspections for "new" installations.
Owen Lucas
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Good point. I might just go with a 500 gal unit. $4000 is starting to seem a little expensive for the luxury of an extra week. I can start rationing if I have to if it seems we won't be able to get a fill up soon.
Best not to put all your eggs in one basket in situations like this.
The propane company I bought my tank from just said it needs to have the data plate intact and legible. Whoever you plan on using for propane should be able to help you out.
If you plan on using the same place you are now, perhaps asking this question would make them rethink renting a 1000 gal.
If you plan on using the same place you are now, perhaps asking this question would make them rethink renting a 1000 gal.
So, 60 days from a 1,000 gallons, but in your first post, you said, 2-3 days from 290 gallons - so, I am struggling with your consumption rate here - 50+ gallons/day as first stated? Or closer to 15 gallons/day?
Owen Lucas
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I should have been clearer, I meant if I were to ration a 1000 gal tank by running the generator / heat only a few hours a day. Maybe I could stretch it up to 2 months if I really had to and there was no fill-up in sight. I hope that is never the case.
My main issue is if the generator kicks in with the current undersized tank with 1/2 a fill or less, I will only have a day of run time. The propane company might take a day or more to respond and I don't want to rely too much on their availability. I feel safer with a buffer. Such is propane life lol.
What kind of engine is in the generator that uses 100 gallons a day?
Owen Lucas
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It's not supposed to use a 100 gallons fortunately, I'm looking at 65 gal / day in the winter. I'm curious to see how much it actually uses for an extended period of time. I purchased an ultrasonic tank monitor which will be installed on the next tank.
https://mopeka.com/consumer-solutions/
Adding all three together, your total combined usage is approximately 2.7 gallons per hour.
(2.4 + 0.25 + 0.05 = 2.70 GPH)
"A Kohler 26kW generator uses the Kohler CH1006, a 4-cycle, V-2 engine that operates at 3600 RPM and is designed for dual-fuel operation on propane or natural gas. This 999cc engine is a commercial-grade, air-cooled unit with features like electronic speed control and hydraulic valve lifters for reliable performance during power outages"
I’m sure you’ve looked it up, but the LP consumption should be published by Kohler at 50/100% load. This is true for liquid cooled generators at least by some competitors. This will give you an idea of approximate consumption with varying use cases. If your tank is buried, don’t forget the sacrificial anode/cathode/whatever bag. HTH.
That kohler appears to be around 2.4/3.6 for half/full load.
The price of over buying capacity.. while powering with propane.
(not as much an issue with natural gas)
25% load/10% load numbers would be nice too as I doubt the house will have even 50% often.
if its being run continuously anyway.
the 50% load number for a month would be 9300 KWH.. or more than my yearly usage.
The issue of course being a standard generator (non-inverter) it HAS to spin at 3600 even for a 500w load.
so the efficiency is on a curve.. ie 25% load isnt half the 50% load consumption
as you can see with 50% vs 100% only being an additional 50% fuel for double the power.
or the reverse way of stating it: 50% load you only save 33% fuel vs 100% load.
if that is close for 25% load my guess would still be around 1.8GPH @ 25% load.
The price of over buying capacity.. while powering with propane.
(not as much an issue with natural gas)
25% load/10% load numbers would be nice too as I doubt the house will have even 50% often.
if its being run continuously anyway.
the 50% load number for a month would be 9300 KWH.. or more than my yearly usage.
The issue of course being a standard generator (non-inverter) it HAS to spin at 3600 even for a 500w load.
so the efficiency is on a curve.. ie 25% load isnt half the 50% load consumption
as you can see with 50% vs 100% only being an additional 50% fuel for double the power.
or the reverse way of stating it: 50% load you only save 33% fuel vs 100% load.
if that is close for 25% load my guess would still be around 1.8GPH @ 25% load.
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