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Propane Vaporization Rate Information |
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Have you heard about the guy's that have a 250,000 Btu heater and runs
it on a 20 lb. propane tank and it works great. We have also heard that many times and we also know that it does not
work
great.
For Maximum Operation
Due to the pressure in the
propane tanks, many of our heaters require a 100 lb. tank or larger to
operate. Propane tanks that are less than 100 lbs. do not have
much pressure. The propane ends up freezing in the pipes, which
ruins the heater and voids your warranty. We recommend that all
of our customers use a 100 lb. tank or larger unless the heater
description tells you otherwise.
Rule of thumb for heater tank sizing is: 75,000 BTU heater needs minimum
of one 100 lb tank, 150,000 BTU heater need two tanks manifold together
and so on. A 250,000 Btu heater will not work great with a 100 lb. tank. It
will operate, but a 100 lb. tank will only give you 167,000 Btu @ 20 degree
F, so don't think your 250,000 Btu heater is running properly even on a
100 lb. tank. At 20 degree F, you should manifold at least three 100 lb. tanks
for maximum output.
Tank sizing for heaters is very hard to understand if you are not familiar
with it. To make it a little easier to understand, just figure 75,000 Btu
per 100 lb. tank. So if you have a 150,000 Btu heater, you should use two
100 lb. tanks manifold together. If you have a FULL 20 lb. tank and want to run
a heater, the largest heater you can run properly at 20 degrees F is 45,000
Btu's.
As you see in the chart below, at 0 degree F, you only get 113,000 Btu
when the 100 lb. tank is full. When the tank is at 50% full you get 64,000
Btu. When you have a heater that seems to be working great, but you can
not feel much heat, it is because the tank is low on fuel. You can sometimes
tell by looking at the tanks frost line.
Hose Sizing
For high pressure heaters that use 1/4" hose, you can use 1/4" hose
up to 25 ft,
you should use all 3/8" hose up to 75 ft, you should use all 1/2" hose
from 100 to 150 ft.
For low pressure heaters that use 3/8" hose, use 3/8" up to 50 ft,
and use 1/2" for 75 ft to 150 ft.
for low pressure Natural Gas Heaters 150k and smaller, use 1/2" hose
up to 50 ft, 3/4" hose up to 150 ft.
LP Conversion
8.547 cu. ft. per pound
4.24 lbs. in gallon
36.45 cu. ft. per gallon
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Vaporization Rate: 100 lb. Propane Cylinders (approximate) |
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Maximum Continuous Draw In BTU Per Hour At Various
Temperatures
In Degrees F |
| Lbs. of Propane in Cylinder |
0 degree F
1 Tank |
20 degree F
1 Tank |
0 degree F
2 Tanks |
20 degree F
2 Tanks |
0 degree F
3 Tanks |
20 degree F
3 Tanks |
| 100 |
113,000 |
167,000 |
248,000 |
367,000 |
545,000 |
807,000 |
| 90 |
104,000 |
152,000 |
228,000 |
334,000 |
501,000 |
734,000 |
| 80 |
94,000 |
137,000 |
206,000 |
301,000 |
400,000 |
662,000 |
| 70 |
83,000 |
122,000 |
182,000 |
268,000 |
363,000 |
589,000 |
| 60 |
75,000 |
109,000 |
165,000 |
239,000 |
310,000 |
453,000 |
| 50 |
64,000 |
94,000 |
141,000 |
206,000 |
260,000 |
382,000 |
| 40 |
55,000 |
79,000 |
121,000 |
174,000 |
217,000 |
319,000 |
| 30 |
45,000 |
66,000 |
99,000 |
145,000 |
217,000 |
319,000 |
| 20 |
36,000 |
51,000 |
79,000 |
112,000 |
174,000 |
246,000 |
| 10 |
28,000 |
38,000 |
62,000 |
84,000 |
136,000 |
184,000 |
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