Propane water heater usage.

[Taylortractornut]

My wife and I just bought 275 bucks worth of propane november 6th. It was 100 gallons and we ran out last night Jan 26. We have a 40 gallon hot water heater thas gas and we both take a shower a day on normal days and sometimes 2 and its set between hot and economy . We have one gas heater in the hall way and its only been on one brick 2 nights. The whole system was leak free When dad an I lived here and later my oldest brother 100 gallons would last 6 months. Same routine nothing has changed we have the washing machine and the dishwasher set on cold water. I didnt think about checking the gauge the other day after we got filled. but a few days after that intial filling the gauge was at 20%. I was talking to a friend the other day and he said that they had noticed a similar thing hapening and was outside near the truck when they started pupming the truck was already at 50 gallons. and shut off at 100. The driver shut the pup off and took a smake break and bumbled around abit and left took about 45 minutes to do all this. His tank ran way out be fore normal time. I was just wondering if 100 gallons in 3 months would go through a water heat on this settting. Mine isnt listed. I know years ago they had a delivery driver filling his own tanks by not disengaging the pto o nthe truck to rest the pump meter then drive to his next location. One thing though when he pulls in tomorrow Ill be right there at the pump.

 

[2manyrocks]

Space heating would eat up propane quickly, but I don't think you should have burned 100 gallons of propane in 3 months only heating water. Have you thought about going on the water heater manufacturer's web site and looking to see what their annual fuel useage rating is for your water heater? I assume the AFUE rating label is missing from your water heater?

 

[EddieWalker]

How do you know you do not have a leak?

The only way that I know of is to pressure test the lines and let them sit under pressure for a period of time. If the pressre drops, you have a leak. I've never done the test myself, but when I build or remodel and have to run gas, I hire a plumber to do the test and certify that it's leak free in writing. On new construction, you have to give this certificate to the gas company to get the gas turned on.

It could be real easy to have a pinhole leak that is steady enough to lose the gas without it being enough for you to smell it.

I'd do the test before doing anything else.

Eddie

 

[jinjimbob]

If you have a 100 gallon tank, then it only holds around 85 gallons. You need a bigger tank I think. Does your tank a percent full gauge? If so, look at it before and after a fill up. Our driver gives us an imprint of his filling meter, to kinda prove how much he put it, like an old fashioned petrol pump.

85 gallons over 3 months is about normal, especially over winter. If you have cold well water, more energy is used too. I have a 500 gallon tank, they never fill over 85% full.

You might be able to rent a Combustible Gas Sniffing device from your local tool shop.

If you get the propane from the same company all the time, they might keep track of how much you have used over the years. Ours does.

I thought you aren't supposed to ever let a tank go empty?

 

[Taylortractornut]

My tank is a 250 gallon tank. Its manditory that they test it when they run out. It was tested the last time in november for 36 hours. We used a different company because of price difference from 50 cents to 1.50 from another local company. I cancelled my auto fill with the company Called Dowdle a couple years ago when I lived here with pos I sold a pile of aluminum for 1000 and used prbought 850 dollars worth of gas or at the time 2 full tanks. They were bought out by another company and wouldnt recognize my recpts long drawn out story. I just found the energy rating and on the current mid range economy setting it should have only used 288 gallons per year. My wife says Im paranoid and that im thinking folks are trying to lay one on me. I told her its never used that much gass. I heat with wood and only 2 mybe 3 nights we used the heater with one brick down the hall. Ive looked at what it costs to fill up the tank 775 bucks for 250, verses an outdoor boiler for 8000. I told Amy it might be cheaper that way.
I love my wife dearly but think she's one of the most naive folks around. She doesnt question anything that seems wrong . But now she has never lived out on her own away from her family either. She called me a mistrusting curmudgeon kinda like that title.
I reminded Amy I bought a 2 ton truck from these folks a couple years ago and one of the drivers wanted it for a buddy to haul hay on but wanted to give half of what it was being priced at.. I heard about the truck and bought it sight unseen Probably the same driver gettin me back lol. Ill try the Gas sniffer rental Ill have to find a store that does that.

 

[2manyrocks]

288 gallons year multiplied by 3/12 months would be 72 gallons estimated useage for the water heater plus whatever was burned in your space heater.

 

[kenstrac]

I don't know how old your water heater is or when it was last serviced,but that might be a good place to start check for a good blue flame not lifting off burners,no carbon buildup on bottom of tank,weeping of water in combustion chamber, plugged orifices .
I would look at actual temperature of the water should be 125-130 deg.

BTW when is the last time tank was flushed out it may have a build up on the bottom which would make it very inefficient

 

[windy acers]

I HAD A 100 GAL TANK AND WOULD GO THROUGH IT IN 30 DAYS. I HAD A WALL SPACE HEATER AN A 40 GAL WATER HEATER. I DID AWAY WITH IT AND ALL OF THE PROPANE COMPANY HEADACHES AND WENT WITH ELETRIC. IT IS WAY LESS HASSEL AND SEEMS CHEAPER.

 

[Labrat]

I'll take a quick shot at this. You had 85 gals to start. (They leave room in the tank for expansion) 90,000 btu per gallon x 85 gal =7650000 btu's of energy. An average water heater burner is about 35000btu per hour. 7650000 / 35000 = 218 hour of capacity. Divide this by say 2 hours a day of run time = 109 days divided by 30 days in a month and you get 3.6 month of propane. Approximately. this doesn't include the space heater.

 

[Taylortractornut]

The tanks is a 250 tank we order 100 gallons of fuel to avoid the 700 to 800 dollar bill with it. I think the heater was on maybe 48 hours


I cant remember the las time it was flushed I havent since I owned the house personally done it but I had a plumber suposedly do that before I bought the house. the flame in the burner is blue all oriffices are clear. I thought about talking Amy into a an outdoor furnace that heats water but with my job being shakey It may have to wait till I can order a kit to build one.
Lelctris is almost out of the question I had a run in with them over a glitch in a remote read meter that ran up a 120 dollar power bill when I had the main disconnected for over 2 months to help reduce to the chances of damage to equipment from some testing I had done.