Propane Usage In The Summer: What’s Normal?

Written on: June 9, 2021

Automatic Delivery Ensures You’ll Always Have Propane

Propane usage is not always easy to calculate. That is especially true if you have a number of propane appliances that are working long hours in the background, out of sight and mind, such as a propane water heater.

It’s common to underestimate how much propane you’re using in the summer, especially since you’re not using propane for home heating. That can be a problem if you don’t check your propane tank gauge regularly. You could run low on or, worse, run out of propane. Avoid that problem with Kimlin Energy’s Automatic Delivery. We track your propane usage and fill your propane tank before you run low.

How To Calculate Propane Usage

You are probably not running all your propane appliances at 100% 24 hours a day. So, we’ve created the example below to estimate propane usage for running them at 25% and 50% capacity for 2 to 6 hours per day.

The estimate for potential propane use can vary a great deal, between 1.2 and 7.2 gallons a day. If you have guests stay over for a few days, those extra loads of laundry and hot showers can have a bigger impact on your propane usage (and bill) than you realize. Here’s an example.

For a gas water heater, clothes dryer, and range run at 25% capacity for 2 hours a day:

• 220,000 BTU/hours (the total for all the appliances) ÷ 91,547 BTU/gallon of propane = 2.4 gallons per hour
• 2.4 gallons x .25 (25% capacity) = .6 gallons per hour
• .6 gallons x 2 hours = 1.2 gallons

This number can then be used to calculate greater use of propane appliances:

• 25% capacity for 6 hours = 3.6 gallons per day
• 50% capacity for 2 hours = 2.4 gallons per day
• 50% capacity for 6 hours 7.2 gallons per day

If you have a propane pool heater (at 425,000 BTU/hour) that operates for one hour a day at 75% capacity, which adds about 3.5 gallons to your daily usage:

425,000 BTU/hour ÷ 91,547 = 4.64 gallons/hour
4.65 x .75 = 3.48 gallons

Pool heaters use a lot of propane. You can keep your heater from running as frequently by using a swimming pool cover to help retain as much of the pool’s heat as possible.

A propane whole house backup generator can make calculations a challenge since you don’t know when or if you’ll be using it in a power outage, or for how long. Keep track of any time your generator is used. That way, you can be prepared for any increases in your propane costs.

To have a close idea of how much propane you have left, be sure to know the size of your propane tank when doing your calculations.

With Automatic Delivery, you get peace of mind that you’ll always have the propane you need when you need it. Get in touch with us today to enroll!