How to Check Propane Tank Level Without a Gauge! Super Simple!
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- If your propane tank has no gauge, it can be frustrating to run out of propane in the middle of cooking dinner. Here's a simple trick for checking the propane level in your tank, without a gauge!
Head over to our blog for more details:
www.thervgeeks...
If you want to connect your propane grill to your RV the way we showed in our recent post on that topic, you can view it all here:
www.thervgeeks...
AND HERE'S THE PARTS LIST TO CONNECT A BBQ TO YOUR RV'S ONBOARD PROPANE TANK:
Extend-A-Stay with 12′ Extension Hose: amzn.to/2El5j71
1″-20 Female Throwaway Cylinder thread x 1/4″ Male Pipe Thread Adapters: amzn.to/2BCxgV1
15psi Propane Regulator: amzn.to/2DMZ8rq
1/4″ NPT Brass Male-to-Male Nipple: amzn.to/2ElYKBf
1″-20 Male Throwaway Cylinder thread x 1/4″ Female Pipe Thread Adapters: amzn.to/2FrkVVO - you’ll need two
12′ Propane Extension Hose: amzn.to/2nnayuX
1.5″ Desk Hole Grommet: amzn.to/2DUwOql
1.5″ hole saw: amzn.to/2FueBgp
Propane 1/4″ High-Pressure Quick Connect - Female with Shutoff Valve: bit.ly/1_4NPT-H...
Propane 1/4″ High-Pressure Quick Connect - Male: bit.ly/1_4NPT-H...
Yellow Gas/PTFE Tape: amzn.to/2EG0LrQ
Weber Q1000 Portable Grill: amzn.to/2BBSHFD
Rolling cart for Weber Q1000: amzn.to/2BBSUZr
Cover for Weber Q1000: amzn.to/2DLi9dN
Table Kit for Weber Q1000: amzn.to/2BBSORu
NOTE: The above parts are listed in the exact order we assembled them, running from the RV's propane tank to the grill. So two of the items are listed above twice, due to being required at different places along the length of the hose assembly.
The only exception to the "listed in order of assembly" is first item above (the Extend-a-Stay/12' Hose combination), since we separate them to add the 15 PSI regulator in between). And of course the last item, the yellow pipe tape, is used throughout.
FOR MORE COMPLETE DETAILS AND A PARTS DIAGRAM:
www.thervgeeks....
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Great tip. I use a lot of 20 lb tanks for multiple devices. When completely runs out ( usually on the grill) I turn it upside down for exchange but I have many in multiple states of use, turkey fryer, buddy heater, gas grill. I keep 6 in rotation for emergency heat in a power outage. Going to try this in a couple of weeks to see where I’m at with them.
This was probably the most useful thing I've found on UA-cam - no joke. Thanks so much for sharing this tip. :-)
We appreciate your comment, David. Glad you found the video useful. Thanks for watching!
I TOTALLY agree!
This saved me from a deliver fee at my house when I didn't need a delivery (because I was half full.) Thank you!
Another simple, but often forgotten method for checking your propane level. RVgeeks continues to give us helpful tips to enjoy our RV experience.
+Stephen Hurlbut Thanks Stephen! 😊
+Stephen Hurlbut Thanks Stephen. 😊
If a propane tank can only be filled to about 80%, then they should make the gauge say full there. In my humble opinion.
While the gauges on the tanks want generally go above about 3/4 full for the exact reason you mentioned, our tank monitor inside the RV is calibrated to show 100% when the propane tank is “full” which is 80%. So the internal one works great. We agree with you though - it would be nice if full meant full on the tank itself.
In cool weather (
Great demo. I work at a store and propane is one of our services. I am breaking into it so, your helpful info will help when needed. Thank you so much.
That's the best tip I have seen on the RVing subject. Always heard you could tell with hot water, but never saw the end of the technique. LOL Thanks so much.
Thanks Wendy! :)
Yes, it was very helpful! And in just a short time.
Great info! RVing in NC ...45 degree days ... don't want to run out of propane ... need to keep the furnace going! Thanks!!
Great Tip John, although I would throw a caveat out there. Ensuring to clean the tank first, if the LP tank is not cleaned really well you will have a muddy mess.
+Tim Rover Dirty hands for sure! 😛
You’re the best!
I haven’t seen your videos for a while, but you taught me how to hard boil eggs years ago!
I thought I was subscribed.
Obviously, I am not
now I am again !!😊
This is a great tip and works as advertised. I just checked my two outside tanks on my house and it worked great ... Thanks again for this oldie but goodie..
It is always good to see credit given when and where it should be given!
Extremely helpful. Occam's razor at its best. I appreciate the low tech, physics based solution. Greatly appreciated!
I love to see propane tanks cleaned and maintained like yours. It seems most people just let their tanks go to pot with road grime. Thanks for another great tip, I could have really used this advise about a year ago.
+smacdiesel Thanks! We do love keeping our stuff clean all right. 😊
Helps a lot that its in an enclosed area, out of the elements. Hence bottle covers on most trailer RV's nowadays (with two bottles) or virtually all Class A & C motor homes.
+Mic Tod™ It's actually right behind the left front wheel in a compartment that's open underneath, so it gets filthy on the road, especially when driving in the rain!
Oh. Then you do do a great job in keeping it clean. Mine (tucked neatly under a two-bottle cover) on the front of our trailer do get dirty, but at least the cover minimizes it, Comes up from underneath, no doubt. Anyway, nice trick and I'm here to confirm that it works! Thanks.
I agree that this is one of the most useful things I’ve seen on UA-cam. I just tried it and it worked perfectly. Thanks a bunch!
Adhesive strips are not accurate and the weather can change the reading. Also, when system is in use..like stove or Barbeque is running, the tank will be colder. It will actually freeze outside at the propane level. If near a beach with high humidity you will see the snow line on the tank. Locate a propane company when filling your tanks. The exchange stations(Lowes, Walmart, gas stations etc..) have low quality fuel and you will get a yellow flame. Also, a company like Globe propane with a 10,000 gallon tank will offer drive thru service and lower prices.
+Scott Wall Thanks for the great additional tips, Scott!
You guys are such great teachers. Love to watch your stuff. This one is amazing. Going out next week end so I had better go try it.
Thanks Slim! It's one of those fun facts that makes us smile whenever we use it! :)
Thanks for this tip. I was wondering a couple of weeks ago how I could test my tank. Now I know! :-)
Thank you so much that's the best tip. I tried it & I was so amazed not because it worked, but more because I am always on my grill, &I went and brought a gage & this costed me nothing, but a big cup of hot water. Thank you again.
This is a nice tip to know. I’m about to transition from a propane to natural gas cook stove. Amerigas won’t refund any gas you’ve already paid for when you end service. I’m going to use all mine up and tell greedy Amerigas to come get their tank.
Thank you for the fast, easy, no cost tip. I can take purchasing a gauge off the to do road trip prep list.
Our pleasure, Ruth! We love this little trick!
Nice tip guys....thanks!
TU. What should I do when leaving for summer, & dtill propane in tanks? It gets to 125 here, tho its on shade side of my new-to-me RV
I learned that it is filled to 80%. I didn’t know that before! How much is in a 15 pound tank? How many of that size needed in northern Arizona winter? Last night was 39!
Thanks for another excellent video. This is a great tip, and very useful to me right now.
Happy Camping
Will this work if the tank is vertical rather than horizontal as the one in the demonstration?
Just kidding. That is a great video, well explained, and utilitarian.
👍🏼 awesome!! Thank you sir!
Thank you for your video.I did it and apparently I have just a little less than half a tank.
Thank you for this awesome tip!
One of the Best RV Geeks Tips and Tricks to date. And that is saying something!👍Thank you, RV Geeks!
Thank you Belle! So glad you liked it. :)
How do u keep so nice.....ok I need to paint
Great simple advice, I love it, thanks
Great info thanks guys
Thanks for the useful info!!
Do you have to disconnect the tank when checking for the tank level or it's fine you can do it whilst it's connected to the system?
Great question! You can absolutely check the tank level at any time whether it’s connected to the system or not.
This is amazing. Don't even have to purchase a meter now for my BBQ grill. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this! I'm sitting here wondering, "do I need to go fill my little 5lb tank before camping tonight, how much did I use last time, am I going to run out?" I'm going to go test this now!
That's an easy tip that I think we could even handle lol. We do have an unrelated question for you guys, about how much time do you think is spent in RV maintenance and up keep while full timing? Daily, weekly, Monthly or less? Have a Happy and Safe New Year!!
+Moving Forward It's not a constant thing, but more "periodic" depending on the maintenance item. Dicor inspection and fresh water tank sanitizing every 6 months for example. Water heater flush and waxing the paint annually, etc. of course engine & chassis maintenance as per recommendations of the manufacturer. And of course things do need repair sometimes. All part of keeping things working and as new as possible. Happy New Year to you, too!
This is a better answer than what we were expecting. We were really thinking the RV would be almost all consuming of our time lol. Thank you.
+Moving Forward Well, if you buy a really old RV.... 😉
Wow! I'm gonna go do this right now!
Cool trick. Not sure my neighbor below will appreciate the water on their patio though.
The money you save on gas will go towards replacing the floor when it rusts out from all that water 👍
By code, propane tanks are mounted in open/external locations. There’s no floor. It’s all outdoors so designed to get wet. The small amount of water we occasionally pour on it pales in comparison to the tsunami that blasts the entire area when we drive in the rain.
Thank you so much!! I did find it very useful, winter is coming up and I had no idea had to check the big tank outside my home.. Now I do, now I just need to call around and find out who has the cheapest... thank you again :)
Thumbs up! 😇 🌲
+Eusepio1957 Thanks Eusepio! Great to hear from you. 😊
Brilliant tip. Just used this on my mobile home which I had no idea how much gas I had.
My gosh! This is exactly what I neeeded! Thanks👍
Thanks f0r the ibfo
That really works!! Thanks for the great tip.
Very Good thanks
شكرا 👍
An amazing quick tip!! Thank you Sir!
GENIUS!
That was neat as hell lol
Brilliant tip! Thank you so much
Thanks god bless
Very helpfil tip! Thank you!
Very neat trick. Makes perfect since, scents, cents, sense.
Great tip thanks
What if it's really hot outside?
It works in any temperature!
Thanks will use your trick.
Unfortunately, mine is buried
Sorry to hear. Definitely have to have access to the tank to do this.
Excellent tutorial / Thank You !
Great info!
Thank you, I was just about to order some expensive electronic gauges.
Thanks!
damn.. world is full of smart people
Awesome. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you 😁
Great tip. And it really does work. Is that an 80 lb tank? I need to send you guys pics of my install of the "Extend A Stay". I'll finish it up tomorrow but I came off for a line to my Buddy Heater with 2 valves inline. I have the possibility of swapping hoses for going to a grill but I carry a 20lb tank for the grill and outdoor stove.
+Bill Long Just a 32 lb tank. Looks bigger though. 😉 Shoot is a note when your Extend a Stay is done and pics are ready. Sounds like a great set-up, Bill.
I knew what you was going to do begins I started video and you did. lol. good old trick there I have used before.
where might the geeks be at now, and what did decide about Glacier park summer of 17
+vegasdavetv Currently in Southern Calif, heading to Mexico (although flying this time). Canadian Rockies might be on tap for this summer!
We're heading to the Canadian Rockies next summer also. The last time I was there was 1970 and Yoly's never been across the border before so it's one of the remaining items on our bucket list. Hope to see you guys :-)
Thank you guys for the quick tip, great stuff as always. Enjoy the warmth. (minus 2*F this morning in New Hampshire, heh)
Yikes! Hope you have plenty of propane!
my LP tank is leaking around the threads of the gauge. I tried to remove the gauge and the float fell off inside the tank. Do you know where I can get a replacement? I assume that I need to remove the tank and set it on the side to install the new gauge so it hangs down and doesn't catch on the tank when screwing in. I have a Manchester 29.3 gal. tank.
Propane is so dangerous that we would never attempt to tackle working on anything inside the tank. We're not qualified to even suggest a solution here, other than to take this one to a professional. Your skills may exceed ours, but this one is beyond our comfort and ability level.
Nice! And, excellent job at putting the explanation in layman's terms!
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you
Nice tip, should be of help to us.
You should have a rv show on cable tv. You have great videos and a great "tv" personality. Hope you have a million stress free and safe miles ahead. !
Thanks so much. You just made our day. :)
Does this work on butane tanks as well ?
Sorry we’re not sure, Wanda. Maybe you could try it out and let us know?
Great video thanks for the info.
That is so cool. Thanks guys, that is the tip of the year for me as we head out for 3 months. Always entertaining and haven't missed one vlog.
+Tennants BEtrippin Awesome! Have a safe trip. 😊
Very clever, thank you.
thanks
Thanks
Hi Is there a vid on pros/cons of all electric vs propane heated DPs? Thanks!
Check this one out, Rob! ua-cam.com/video/1pgYW2xQwho/v-deo.html
Gauges are only $5 at Home Depot so pretty easy to add one if you don't have one. We have a standard 20lb tank mounted horizontally squeezed very tightly into a small compartment so this wouldn't be an option for us. Thanks anyway though :-)
Yup... probably not a good idea to flood your compartment!
All propane compartments are required to have vents in the floor (propane is heavier than air) so flooding isn't an issue, but there's not enough room to get my hand alongside the tank, let alone a pitcher of water :-)
+Travels with Yoly Sorry it sounds like it's too tight for this trick to work for you. 😟
RVgeeks Our gauge is easily read but you still have to interpolate based on ambient temperature.
I can’t see how this is a good way to check. No matter what the top is going to be hotter. The water is cooling by the time it gets near the bottom especially if the tank is already cold.
Try it. It absolutely works like a charm!
You should review the mopeka Bluetooth propane tank gauge!
Hi Dillon! We'd never heard of this device before, so thanks for telling us about it. While we do love tech, we generally use propane so slowly that the cost of this might be just a little steep for something we only need to do once every few weeks at most. If we had a really small tank, or used it up faster, it might be worth spending more than our hot water method (which is free of course) to get continuous monitoring. Thanks for letting us know about it, but "free" is definitely a hard price to compete with. ;-)
Nice
a fantastic tip as I never know how much is there but if I weighed this tank would this help?
+norm lor It sure would! That's how they sell it in some places.... by weighing the portable tanks. 😊
Great Tip, Thanks
Thanks. Great, easy tip.
How does this work in hot weather?
Works great in any weather!
Will that work with helium?
Only if there is a liquid in the tank.
Outstanding, Thanks!
you can also see the level early in the morning when its still cold out the condensation line.
+Matthew Murafa That does work great on cold mornings all right!
Thanks for a portable any where test for propane levels.
+Nancy Castanien Glad you liked it, Nancy! It is a pretty handy trick. 😊
This is awesome. Thanks!
Just used this tip today, worked perfectly and there was no doubt how much propane I had left. Ridiculously cold down here in Orlando right now...brrrrrrrrrr. Thank you!
I Google'd it and your video was number two in the results. I told my wife, oh look the RV geeks show how this is done...lol
Thanks! Good to hear Adam (that we're coming up in the searches... not that it's cols in Florida! ;-)
Great post. Thanks
Will an inferred laser thermometer work? Comparing temperatures, top to bottom?
That's a great idea! So I just went outside and tried it, and it didn't really seem to work. The difference between the top of the tank and the bottom was only about 4 degrees F, and the transition from the highest temp to the lowest was pretty gradual, so not well defined.
I think the reason the hot water trick works isn't because there's a big difference between the area above, and the area below, the propane level. It's because the metal is always pretty cold, but pouring hot water over it makes it warm. But the propane is so cold, that the metal that's directly against it gets immediately cooled back down, and the area above cools much more slowly. So you get that temperature differential for a short time while the upper metal takes longer to cool back down.
That was a great idea though! I was disappointed that it didn't just work. I guess I could pour the hot water AND use the thermometer, but my hand is always... handy. LOL
Well...now we know. Thank you.
Great tip! Thanks