Propane tank

[jimspencer741]

Originally Posted by Jim S JR

This will take the guessibg out of it? It will work off bluetooth on your phone or get the one with the meter.
They have a single or double tank meter.
Get it on Amazon.Attachment 282154

We tried those for our two 100lb tanks just this past thanksgiving, and sent them back - did not work. Sent them back lol

We use = https://www.amazon.com/CHULAN-Propan...ps%2C60&sr=8-8

[MontanaWill]

I have 2 30# tanks. One tank lasts about a week using the heater. And about 12 days not using the heater (water heater, fridge, cooking). I recommend getting a spare tank just in case. Does not have to be the same size.

[BrandonSmith]

Nights in 30s, days in 50s, heat set to 67 during evenings/overnight, 55 during day.

I get 7-10 days from a FULL 20# tank.

If you’re using Blue Rhino or similar exchanges, expect 30-40% less time to empty the tank because they do not fill the tanks.

It also matters how big the rig is. I have a 20’ trailer and an 18,000 BTU furnace.

[CaptainJustice]

Originally Posted by Aussieguy

are you going to be connected to shore power?


use a electric heater instead ... lot less trouble than messing with propane
Mine came with one of them fancy fireplaces with fake flames.. and still haven't had to use it...

Also get an electric mattress pad. It's an electric blanket, but you put it on the mattress. Requires very little juice to keep you nice and toasty.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by jimspencer741

We tried those for our two 100lb tanks just this past thanksgiving, and sent them back - did not work. Sent them back lol

We use = https://www.amazon.com/CHULAN-Propan...ps%2C60&sr=8-8

The Mopeka tank sensors only work on tanks up to 40# size.

The "pressure gauge" type indicators will work ---- sort of, but will give widely varying indications depending on temperature. On a freezing cold day it will look like your tank is approaching empty but when the sun hits the tank, suddenly it will appear full.

[Chuck_S]

You don't have enough propane.

My Roo's 19,500 BTU furnace burns a pound of propane every hour of flame time. Propane has 21,548 BTU/pound but the furnace is maybe 90% efficient so I get that 1 pound/hour consumption. In my convenient case a 20 pound cylinder will produce 20 hours of flame. Some 4th Grade math and you can work out your system.

Those little 20 or even 40 pound cylinders don't last long.

-- Chuck

[Bob K4TAX]

No question about it, gas is more efficient for heat than electricity. Next time you are at one of the big box stores, stop by the plumbing department and look at the big yellow stickers on the water heaters. You'll likely be surprised as to the cost to operate per year.

Bob

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Bob K4TAX

No question about it, gas is more efficient for heat than electricity. Next time you are at one of the big box stores, stop by the plumbing department and look at the big yellow stickers on the water heaters. You'll likely be surprised as to the cost to operate per year.

Bob

I don't know if I'd use the term "efficient" with a gas fired tank type water heater as there is still a lot of heat going up the stack.

What makes them less expensive to operate is perhaps the cost of Natural Gas used to fuel them vs the cost of electricity which can be quite expensive in many parts of the country.

When it comes to actual efficiency, an immersed heating element puts ALL the heat generated directly into the water with no "stack loss".

Overall, gas does win as it comes from the ground and goes directly into producing heat. With electricity natural gas (or coal/oil) is first burned in a boiler, with associated heat losses, then electricity is generated.

I like gas as it has a much quicker recovery time and when I still had a large family living at home nobody griped about having a cold shower (although I think one now and then would have benefitted my Son )

One topic that came up several years ago here was presented by a member that had a fairly large solar array on the roof of his TT. He was considering a way to route some of his extra solar power into his water heater electric element to conserve Propane.

When I head South to the AZ desert in January I'm considering doing this with my TT. While I don't have a large solar array, just 240 w of portable panels, I will try running my water heater on my 2Kw Inverter right after a shower I figure that 1800w for 30 minutes or so should only draw ~60 ah from my batteries. The last time I was camping in AZ I noticed my batteries were fully charged by solar by around noon and for the next four hours the Solar Controller showed float mode.

An SW6 heater uses ~12,000 btu's per hour so every hour it uses !/2 lb of Propane, a good portion of that heat wasted. 1800W of electricity is over 6100 Btu's which go directly into the water. Every four days I might be able to save a pound or so of propane which isn't much in itself but in a month????

The extra 60 ah draw would raise my daily average use to ~90-100 ah or ~1.2 Kwh. On clear, sunny, days I've been logging consistent 1.2-1.4 Kwh total daily output from my panels so it will be an interesting exercise.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

You don't have enough propane.

My Roo's 19,500 BTU furnace burns a pound of propane every hour of flame time. Propane has 21,548 BTU/pound but the furnace is maybe 90% efficient so I get that 1 pound/hour consumption. In my convenient case a 20 pound cylinder will produce 20 hours of flame. Some 4th Grade math and you can work out your system.

Those little 20 or even 40 pound cylinders don't last long.

-- Chuck

No way are these furnaces 90% efficient. They have two blowers, one on each end of a double-ended motor. One draws outside air through the firebox and exhausts it outside. The other draws inside air through the plenum (surrounding the firebox) and exhausts it inside, with no air exchange to the firebox. I would guess that these aren't even 50% efficient. They could make something more efficient, but it wouldn't be nearly as small. Stand near the outside exhaust when the furnace is running sometime.

[Chuck_S]

My furnace still burns 19,500 BTU/hr regardless of how much heat it puts out. And a pound of propane still provides 21,548 BTU/pound.

-- Chuck

[jimspencer741]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

The Mopeka tank sensors only work on tanks up to 40# size.

The "pressure gauge" type indicators will work ---- sort of, but will give widely varying indications depending on temperature. On a freezing cold day it will look like your tank is approaching empty but when the sun hits the tank, suddenly it will appear full.

It states online for those Mopeka tank sensors that they can be used with any tanks size if you change that in the app settings (which I did).

From Mopeka wibsite: Our sensor works on 20lb cylinders to up to >90,000-gallon bulk storage tanks*. *Will work on larger tanks and vessels dependent on tank configuration, dimensions, and locations. (LPG Tanks: All steel LPG tanks up to 1000 gallons, horizontal or vertical cylinders.

Yes I know that propane levels changes when its cold, warm, hot out.

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by jimspencer741

Propane is WAY more efficient than electric and tends to be cheaper than paying for electric.

What are your numbers for the energy efficiency of an RV propane furnace vs an electric resistive heater? I would have thought electric space heat to be about 100% efficient. There is some loss in the wiring, but even that loss is converted to heat. I don’t know the exact efficiency of a typical RV propane furnace, but I’d expect it to be quite a bit less than 100%.

If you’re referring to the relative monetary cost to heat with various energy sources, maybe that should be called value, not efficiency.

[jimspencer741]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

What are your numbers for the efficiency of an RV propane furnace vs an electric resistive heater? I would have thought electric space heat to be about 100% efficient. There is some loss in the wiring, but even that loss is converted to heat.

If you’re referring to the relative monetary cost to heat with various energy sources, maybe that should be called value, not efficiency.

Electric heaters (ceramic style, most common) most do not turn off (like no auto on/off), are around 80% efficient meaning what you pay in power cost, and what comes out you lose 20% of that. They loose a good portion of their heat to convention. They take time to heat up a space. Only 5,118 BtTUs for one 1,500 watt heater, what you get out of it is 4,095 BTUs.

Average RV propane gas heater is 70% efficient. Our propane cost per gallon is $2.45 - so 1 full hour of use we spend .82 cents. Approx. 1 gallon of propane can last 3 continuous hours. 30,000 BTUS then at 70% efficiency = 21,000 BTUs.

So the electric heater at .19 cents per kWh = $.28 for cost BUT you only getting 4,095 BTUs from it per hour.

Propane RV heater at .82 cents per hour of use and you get 21,000 BTUs. AND this heats the WHOLE RV, 42 feet of it.

Now electric does change in price from month to month - back in oct this year for us it was .30 cents per kWh, so for that electric heater would cost .45 cents per hour and again your only getting 4,095 BTUs from it. Some areas in the country you at .46 per kWh and low as .11 per kWh. Another thing, electricity is not very green or great for the environment. Propane emits less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of electricity while producing the same amount of energy. You need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat energy as electric.

So ya I'd say propane is MORE EFFICIENT than electric.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by jimspencer741

Electric heaters (ceramic style, most common) most do not turn off (like no auto on/off), are around 80% efficient meaning what you pay in power cost, and what comes out you lose 20% of that. They loose a good portion of their heat to convention. They take time to heat up a space. Only 5,118 BtTUs for one 1,500 watt heater, what you get out of it is 4,095 BTUs.



Average RV propane gas heater is 70% efficient. Our propane cost per gallon is $2.45 - so 1 full hour of use we spend .82 cents. Approx. 1 gallon of propane can last 3 continuous hours. 30,000 BTUS then at 70% efficiency = 21,000 BTUs.



So the electric heater at .19 cents per kWh = $.28 for cost BUT you only getting 4,095 BTUs from it per hour.



Propane RV heater at .82 cents per hour of use and you get 21,000 BTUs. AND this heats the WHOLE RV, 42 feet of it.



Now electric does change in price from month to month - back in oct this year for us it was .30 cents per kWh, so for that electric heater would cost .45 cents per hour and again your only getting 4,095 BTUs from it. Some areas in the country you at .46 per kWh and low as .11 per kWh. Another thing, electricity is not very green or great for the environment. Propane emits less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of electricity while producing the same amount of energy. You need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat energy as electric.



So ya I'd say propane is MORE EFFICIENT than electric.

I would diasagee that electric heaters are as inefficient as you describe. They may not heat a room well but 100% of the heat they generate does go into the room.

A fuel burning heater (oil or gas) will loose heat through it's exhaust that contributes no heat to the space you want it in.

FWIW I have three heaters for my TT, one oil filled radiator type, and two ceramic's with fans AND auto on/off thermostats.

It appears you may be describing a Radiant Heater as they don't have fans or thermostats as a rule. They'll heat objects and people in front of them but any loss to convection will still go into the occupied space, not "up the chimney".



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[jimspencer741]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I would diasagee that electric heaters are as inefficient as you describe. They may not heat a room well but 100% of the heat they generate does go into the room.

A fuel burning heater (oil or gas) will loose heat through it's exhaust that contributes no heat to the space you want it in.

FWIW I have three heaters for my TT, one oil filled radiator type, and two ceramic's with fans AND auto on/off thermostats.

It appears you may be describing a Radiant Heater as they don't have fans or thermostats as a rule. They'll heat objects and people in front of them but any loss to convection will still go into the occupied space, not "up the chimney".



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Not describing "radiant heaters" I sure did search: how efficient are CERAMIC HEATERS



And NO they are not 100% efficient.



NOW infrared quartz heaters are 100% efficient but again only produces 5,118 BTUS and are good for small spaces and not great for a WHOLE RV when compared to a propane GAS heater.



AND another thing: I DID say that propane heaters for rvs are around 70% efficient. And described the cost comparisons to it.



OVERALL - propane way to go for the whole RV AND that, once again I was describing CERAMIC heaters.



LASTLY I mentioned on cost for electric and propane and every county/city/state had different prices for each.



FOR us - propane is way to go and oh its greener than electric

[IamProStreet]

Originally Posted by jimspencer741

It states online for those Mopeka tank sensors that they can be used with any tanks size if you change that in the app settings (which I did).

From Mopeka wibsite: Our sensor works on 20lb cylinders to up to >90,000-gallon bulk storage tanks*. *Will work on larger tanks and vessels dependent on tank configuration, dimensions, and locations. (LPG Tanks: All steel LPG tanks up to 1000 gallons, horizontal or vertical cylinders.

Yes I know that propane levels changes when its cold, warm, hot out.

I think that’s for the round pro sensors. The old sensors I believe are 40 pounds and under. I have the pro and love them!

[jimspencer741]

Originally Posted by IamProStreet

I think that’s for the round pro sensors. The old sensors I believe are 40 pounds and under. I have the pro and love them!

Yea i had the pro one so I can change the tank size - did that and still do not work - sent them back

[IamProStreet]

Originally Posted by jimspencer741

Yea i had the pro one so I can change the tank size - did that and still do not work - sent them back

I only have 2 30 pound tanks so I can’t vouch for the larger tanks, just going by what mopeka says. They work perfect on what I have.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by jimspencer741

Yea i had the pro one so I can change the tank size - did that and still do not work - sent them back

Two things with Mopeka sensors, placement of sensor and the "sonic grease".

The sensor's transducer (the round, black object between the two magnets) needs to be in the center of the tank's bottom and the proper amount of grease present.

Mopeka supplies some "sonic grease" but silicone grease or even Vaseline works. Just enough to insure no gap between sensor and tank but not so much the sensor's magnets can't maintain grip. I've had mine fail to read a couple times but merely making sure they were still centered and properly "greased" put them right back online.

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[jimspencer741]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Two things with Mopeka sensors, placement of sensor and the "sonic grease".

The sensor's transducer (the round, black object between the two magnets) needs to be in the center of the tank's bottom and the proper amount of grease present.

Mopeka supplies some "sonic grease" but silicone grease or even Vaseline works. Just enough to insure no gap between sensor and tank but not so much the sensor's magnets can't maintain grip. I've had mine fail to read a couple times but merely making sure they were still centered and properly "greased" put them right back online.

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Yuppers did that too, added the grease.

I can read directions lmao.

Also I was a auto mechanic for quite some time before I changed careers, which both require attention to details and reading.