"HOT" Propane Guage Buy at Grocery Outlet

[Francesca Knowles]

For those of you with a "Grocery Outlet" in the vicinity...
I bought one of these there today for $9.99.
They retail online for almost $20.00, plus shipping 1 Gauge Gas Watch I

[Raz]

I've got one with a different style gauge. Because tank pressure is a function of temperature, if it's cold, below freezing say, it reads empty when the tank is almost full. At warmer temperatures the gauge works but because the green yellow red is painted on a disk that is only partially exposed, the yellow red portions give little warning. I suspect the one you show will be better in that regard. Please let us know.

[Francesca Knowles]

Hi, Raz

You're ab-so-tively correct about temperature variations...
I keep one of the magnetic strips pictured below for cold weather propane tank measuring- you affix it to the tank side and pour hot water down over it!
Remarkably accurate, too

Francesca


Propane Tank Gauge Magnetic - Stores and Prices

[Stoney]

I'm with francesca cheaper is better us rednecks boil an extra cup of hotwater in the morning while making coffee slowly pour it down the side of the tank from the top run your hand over the tank and you'll know exactly how full your tank is by the temp variance it'll go from warm to cold almost instantly we kept a log on propane usage based on this trick so now we know how much propane we need for an outing , cheers mike

[Raz]

Great tip. I just tried it. Works well. Thank you.

Anyone want to buy a slightly used propane gauge. Would make a great paper weight. Raz

[Joe Z]

Originally Posted by Stoney

I'm with francesca cheaper is better us rednecks boil an extra cup of hotwater in the morning while making coffee slowly pour it down the side of the tank from the top run your hand over the tank and you'll know exactly how full your tank is by the temp variance it'll go from warm to cold almost instantly we kept a log on propane usage based on this trick so now we know how much propane we need for an outing , cheers mike

for me that is also the best way to check the tank with the hot water..... Those mentioned gauges work on pressure and I never had much luck with them..... others may have different feelings and i don't want to offend.
Joe

[Carol H]

I purchased the same one Francesca shows in the photo form Costco early last year. Found it works pretty darn good.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Carol H

I purchased the same one Francesca shows in the photo form Costco early last year. Found it works pretty darn good.

I bet it does. Being able to see the whole gauge has to be a big plus. At the time I bought mine, I could not find one like that. What I've got is not as good.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Carol H

I purchased the same one Francesca shows in the photo form Costco early last year. Found it works pretty darn good.

Checked today and Costco still have them for about $10

[Panoz77]

I just pick up the tank and shake it, most of those gauges are crappy gimmics.

[Carol H]

Hard to do if the tank is well secured to the trailer The one mentioned is not 100% but have found it to be pretty good at giving me an early warning that its getting low.

[Joy A]

When I was ordering my Scamp I put the guage on my options list. The salesman suggested against it because they are not realiable.

I purchased stick on guages for each of my tanks that are like the magnet one Francesca uses. That was before I ever thought about just running my hand up and down on the tank.

[Francesca Knowles]

I'm kind of surprised that my heads-up about a cheap buy has led to a controversy about the utility of propane guages!
The freestanding tank system that serves my house has one similar to those under discussion here, and it's served me very well for many years.
I do use the magnetic strip/ hot water method on the trailer tank if I'm traveling in very cold weather since unlike my home tanks it's exposed on all sides to cold air.
I see no reason why the guage won't be perfectly adequate in the kind of weather most of us camp in.

Francesca

[Joe Z]

I had a set of 30 pound tanks about five years ago with the newer OPD system and it had a gauge in it but the gauge had it's own separate hole in the tank and the gauge had a float of it's own that measured the liguid level inside (not pressure)......... that thing worked perfect for me. I do agree the pressure ones do give some degree of reliability.
Joe

[Francesca Knowles]

Well if nothing else, at least I've learned to spell G-A-U-G-E.
Why does that look like "GOWDGE" to me???

And it only took 14 posts for me to (un)learn....

Francesca

[Doug Mager]

I've (I can NOW say) foolishly bought two of these 'in line' gauges, one for a fire pit and the other for BBQ tank. They both seem not very acurate. Perhaps the more expensive ones (of this species) might be more reliable??? I prefer the style I've been using for years. It is a battery powered 'warning' system that magnetically attaches (at a predetermined place on the tank) to the side of any size propane tank. When fuel gets to that level, this guage emits an audible beep and a small built in led light flashes.

IMHO: The other ulternative is to TRY an keep track of how much fuel you might have used (keep track of the number of times you've used the tank) and always keep one of those disposable tanks with the appropriate adapter for use when you realize (while in the middle of a great BBQ,) that your BEST GUESTIMATE of overall usage is drastically flawed!!!! LOL.

[Bill K]

The pressure will stay the same till the liquid is gone as long as the outside air temp stays the same.

Bill K

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Bill K

The pressure will stay the same till the liquid is gone as long as the outside air temp stays the same.

Bill K

What???
Do you mean to say that you think the reading will stay the same using any of these gauges ???

Francesca

[Bill K]

Yes to the best of my knowledge as long as the temp. stays the same the pressure will not change till the liquid propane is gone.

I am only talking about a pressure gauge.

Bill K

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

What???
Do you mean to say that you think the reading will stay the same using any of these gauges ???

Francesca

[Francesca Knowles]

Well, that's not true of the pressure gauge on my portable tank system here at my house.
And it hasn't been true in the ten years it's been there.
But maybe the Laws of Physics are different here in Hadlock.

Francesca