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Calculating propane for tankless

DD_5
DD_5 Member Posts: 36
in THE MAIN WALL
I'd like to run a tankless (probably a Takagi TKJr) water heater with propane and a gas range as well. I want to use as small a tank as possible so I can transport the tank easily and refill it myself somewhere away from the house.

How do you calculate for this??

Thanks Folks...

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Comments

  • TonyS
    TonyS Member Posts: 849
    This book will tell you

    What you are looking for. It has to do with square inches of exposed steel on an above ground tank and other factors. Enjoy



    http://www.regoproducts.com/PDFs/L-545_Servicemans_Manual.pdf
  • heatpro02920
    heatpro02920 Member Posts: 991
    sounds like a bad idea...

    Why not get the propane delivered, they will bring in the tanks install the regulator, ect... set it all up...

    I had a customer with a 250ga tank in an small enclosed trailer, he had a guy that would fill it no questions asked, but then that company was sold to a new owner who would NOT touch it, a trailer with no placards no haz-mat licenses or permits to transport any quantity of fuel... He never found another place that would fill his trailer so he ended up having me install the tank on a cement pad and gets it delivered now {he even bought a placard set from ebay and still no one would touch it} the largest they will fill is 100lb'ers and sometimes they will only let you fill one at a time..
  • TonyS
    TonyS Member Posts: 849
    Dont let the Propane company

    supply your tank unless they are selling it to you. Provide your own tank and regulators.

    When you own your own tanks, propane will be anywhere from 1 to 2 dollars a gallon cheaper. You need to be able to purchase 200 gallons or more to get the next tier pricing.

    Remember propane tanks are rated in liquid capacity, actual capacity is 80 percent.

    So if you buy a 250 gallon tank, max capacity will be 200 gallons but when you get it refilled, unless it is completely empty you will not fit 200 gallons and will have to pay a higher price. Size your tank to your yearly consumption and fill it near end of summer, your payback will be quick and painless.
  • heatpro02920
    heatpro02920 Member Posts: 991
    WOW

    you get 1-2$ cheaper!!! I own my own tanks and save 50 cents per gallon, I know what we pay is cheap, but if they would take off $2 a gallon, they would be paying me, lol.... I just got filled, and it was 388 gallons at $1.97 per gallon... I think they owe me a few bucks, lol...



    I know some lp companies out there are silly with the prices, so it is definitely possible, honsetly even .50 a gallon is tough to swallow...
  • JohnHenry_2
    JohnHenry_2 Member Posts: 70
    Your propane dealer is probably

    still making an almost 100% markup on you...



    http://ycharts.com/indicators/us_wholesale_propane_price

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  • TonyS
    TonyS Member Posts: 849
    Last tank

    I paid 1.48 a gallon, that was in January. I have a customer that has a 500 gal tank from a large company and he is paying 3.25 a gallon.

    He wants to buy a tank from me but has to wait till winters over because he is spending all his money on.... LOL propane. Sad but true!
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    Wholesale

    Yeah, but who pays wholesale for propane besides the distributer . Unless you start your own propane distribution company.
  • Aaron_in_Maine
    Aaron_in_Maine Member Posts: 315
    edited April 2013
    True

    Propane price is based on usage if the company owns the tank. I worked for a propane company and got my gas cheap under 2 a gallon. Went out on my own a year and a half ago. They didn't catch my discount for a while but when they did 4.59 a gallon! I bought my own tank and my price from another company back down to 2. I use 150 gallons a year for 2 adults on a Rinnai tankless that also includes my grill. And I wash my cars with hot water. It's base on usage because they need to recoup the cost of the tank regulators labor to set the tank etc.

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  • JohnHenry_2
    JohnHenry_2 Member Posts: 70
    of course the distributor

    That's why it's wholesale. I'm just saying there's a lot of room in the price. I personally think 100%+ markup on a product you just have to drop off and don't have to warranty is a tad excessive.

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  • JohnHenry_2
    JohnHenry_2 Member Posts: 70
    propane at 3.25/gal

    is probably keeping more than a few people from switching from fuel oil to propane. Instead of bailing out banksters, the feds should be handing out zero or low interest loans to customers like yours and folks who want to switch to propane to purchase tanks. Every gallon of fuel oil replaced by propane reduces our trade imbalance by over $2 at current crude prices. Not to mention the reduction in CO2, SO2, NOx etc. emissions.

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