# Propane fuel gauge



## Jack Aubrey (May 24, 2009)

Hey guys, I've got several propane bottles, and this fuel gauge seems logical. I have been told by the guy I have refill my bottles these are a waste of money. Of course, this is the same guy who said propane only stores for a couple of years as well! Have any of you used these? Can you recommend them or are they a waste of money? Thanks in advance. JA


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## ComputerGuy (Dec 10, 2010)

I had one and it didn't work very well for us. Just MHO


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

great to track that BBQ grill tank tucked away or the tank(s) on a RV .... you can buy something ready made like the pic or work a pressure gauge into a system line thru a "T" fitting ....


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

Do the hot water test. This is the simplest method. If you pour hot water down the side of the tank, you can feel a temperature difference when you place your hand on it. The tank will feel cold up to the level where the propane is. Above that, the tank will feel hot where it contains only air.

Read more: How to Check the Level of a Propane Tank | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5019363_check-level-propane-tank.html#ixzz1zgFCtXiu


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## Jack Aubrey (May 24, 2009)

Thanks guys ! JA


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

I remember one of those back on my dad's grill. The thing would say empty and we'd grill several more times on E. Course that was almost 2 decades ago so maybe they improved.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

You can weigh an empty tank. Then weigh it again when it is full. Now you know the weight of the actual liquid propane. You can weigh it any time and tell exactly how much propane it contains.


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## BasecampUSA (Dec 26, 2010)

BillM is right... there is even a simple "fish weighing" type scale available for BBQ size tanks. Hook the tank, lift and read the scale.

Backlash's test is pretty good for any tank with liquid in it.

This will prove that the pressure guages don't work well: -just read one in the morning and when the tank sits in the hot sun all day, you will notice it will change even when you don't use any gas.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Those pressure gauges are not accurate at all.

These work well:

propane tank gauge strip


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## TopTop (Nov 11, 2011)

One of my old grills had a scale built in. You set the tank on a spring loaded shelf. When the spring lifted the tank it was nearly empty. You could build a very accurate balance beam to do the same thing. Hook up an empty tank, calibrate it to zero out & mark it. Be sure you actually hook it up so you weigh the line & fittings. Lay steel weights on top of the tank five lbs at a time & mark those on your pointer.


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## tugboats (Feb 15, 2009)

Those pressure guages are a waste of money. LPG (propane) stands for liquified propane gas. The propane is a liquid under pressure. The pressure in the tank will remain constant (vapor pressure of the propane) as long as any liquid remains in the tank. When you notice a pressure drop all of the liquid is gone and the tank is empty. Just weigh the tank. There is an empty weight (Tare) stamped on the tank usually. 

For all of you nit-pickers just use the IDEAL GAS LAW: PV=nRT. We all know that the latent heat of vaporization will chill the liquid but let's not get that complicated.

Tugs


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