Does Cold Temperature Actually Affect a Propane Tank Level Gauge?
Propane is like most 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 which reflects the tank level. Usually, this occurs whenever a homeowner checks the gauge in cold weather and sees the amount of the tank level before and after delivery. Depending upon the weather conditions, the level on the tank may not go up as much as anticipated.
Propane Tank Level Gauge
The propane tanks guage will show what fraction of the gas tank is still full. Tanks are usually not filled over 80% full since this would allow for the gas to expand on warmer temperatures. For example, a 500 gallon tank, at a reading of 80 percent at normal temperatures reflects about 400 gallons of propane in the tank. This is roughly the amount that can be stored.
Normal Temperatures
The propane industry operates the popular website Propane 101, that considers the propane baseline point to be an exterior temperature of 60 degrees. Like for example, if the gauge reads 50 percent of capacity on a day when the temperature is near 60 degrees, then a 500 gallon tank will have roughly 250 gallons of propane. If the temperature that same day is much lower than 60 degrees, the gauge will read lower. Also, if the temperature is much higher than 60 degrees, the gauge would actually read higher because the gas expanded.
Effect of Contraction and Expansion
Based on the information provided by the propane industry website, the amount of energy contained inside the tank does not really change as the gas expands or contracts. The amount of propane itself has not changed, but only the density of the gas has changed.
Cold-Weather Delivery
The homeowner who orders 100 gallons of propane will be given around 424 pounds 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 result in a smaller increase reading on the propane gauge.