Propane tank monitor

I have a gauge on each tank. I have found that the gauge will slowly go down in the green area, giving you an idea of propane remaining. I can open the top hatch and glance at the gauge without having having to remove the cover. I like the window mod and will do that also.
To me, checking propane is like checking tank levels, battery charge, 120v level, fridge temp, etc.. Just glance at them a few times a day when I'm near them.

Very nice modification.

I made a mod to my gas bottle cover to make it easy to check the green/red flag status on the changeover valve. Removing the gas bottle to check the flag was a bit of a hassle so I tended to do it less often than I should. This mod makes that unnecessary. I used a hole saw to make a hole in the gas bottle cover right where the changeover valve is located. I pop riveted a piece of plexiglass over the hole so now I can see the flag without removing the gas bottle cover.

Here's an idea for you. I have one of those oversized door knob covers. The kind you use to keep small children out of a room you don't want them to access. Take one of those and place it over the full tank valve. Leave that valve closed until the other tank runs out. Get the empty tank re-filled, and put the door knob cover on it. You will never be surprised by a partially full or totally empty tank again!!

I, like some of the others, only open one tank at a time. Having running slap out one cold night from not checking the "red - green thingy", I like knowing that I have more when one runs out.

pugslyyy wrote:
I don't like using the auto-changeover because I like knowing when I've drained a tank - and I'm not super diligent about checking that indicator to see if they switched automatically.

How do you not use the auto change over ?

opnspaces wrote:
Unfortunately the gauge Pine5008 posted won't do what you want. The problem is that a propane tank is liquid on the bottom and vapor on the top. RV's pull the vapor off the top and as the vapor comes off the top the liquid boils and releases more vapor to replace what was lost.

So the gauges that hook on the regulator will only tell you that you have pressure in the tank. The pressure will be the same whether you have a full tank, half tank, or 1/4 tank. Once the tank is empty the gauge will suddenly drop from full to empty. There really isn't much in between.

Thank you for sharing that. I was just looking at those gauges. I will just keep one tank shut off until the other is empty. Then when the furnace quits when it is rainy and cold my wife can send me out to switch tanks. :-)

Unfortunately the gauge Pine5008 posted won't do what you want. The problem is that a propane tank is liquid on the bottom and vapor on the top. RV's pull the vapor off the top and as the vapor comes off the top the liquid boils and releases more vapor to replace what was lost.

So the gauges that hook on the regulator will only tell you that you have pressure in the tank. The pressure will be the same whether you have a full tank, half tank, or 1/4 tank. Once the tank is empty the gauge will suddenly drop from full to empty. There really isn't much in between.

I don't like using the auto-changeover because I like knowing when I've drained a tank - and I'm not super diligent about checking that indicator to see if they switched automatically.

They do make a stick-on propane tank sensor that should show the level. It was just a very few dollars and we decided to try it. DH is less than impressed.

Our problem is that we rarely run completely out of one tank and don't think about it until we're in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, we don't use a lot through most of the season. Right now we're at one trip this coming weekend that will require we use the furnace. Since we aren't heading toward the propane place between now and then, DH just swiped the extra one from the BBQ grill and straps it into the bed of the truck, just in case. In a normal season when we only use the furnace in early spring and fall, we can get through with just one tank.