Checking the fuel level of your home propane tank or grill cylinder.
Our customers in East Windsor, Hartland, Simsbury and other places in Northern Connecticut appreciate the reliability of propane. Whether it’s heating up water for a shower or the grill in your backyard, propane provides dependable, efficient power. Your onsite propane tank or portable propane cylinder ensures that your fuel supply won’t be interrupted by a utility outage.
Of course, it’s important to keep track of your propane levels so you know when it’s time for a propane delivery. We can help you check your tank or cylinder’s propane level.
How to check your propane level
Stationary propane tanks have a small dome on top. This is the hood to the tank’s fuel gauge. When you lift it, you’ll see the gauge, which looks like a car’s speedometer. There are numbers from 5 and 95, with a needle pointing to the percentage fill of your tank.
We don’t recommend letting your tank drop below 30 percent before contacting us for a delivery. Also, be aware that propane companies only fill an aboveground tank to about 80 percent, allowing space for your fuel to safely expend and contract as temperatures change.
Automatic Delivery prevents runouts for good!
When a customer’s home tank runs out of fuel, it creates a whole host of problems. Before we can refill your tank and restart your system, we’re required to perform a leak and safety test, which adds more time and expense to the process.
But we have a way to help you avoid run-outs altogether, and it’s completely free. With Automatic Delivery, Taylor Energy tracks your fuel use and plans your propane delivery for you. It costs you nothing and saves you the chore of checking your tank gauge all the time.
4 ways to check your grill tank propane level
Most grills use a 20-pound propane cylinder. These containers don’t typically have a gauge like your home’s propane tank. Here are four simple ways to know how much fuel is left in your cylinder.
- Use your grill’s scale. Many freestanding grills have a restraining bolt for your cylinder, which connects it to a simple scale telling you how full the tank is.
- Use a home scale. On the neck of your cylinder are two numbers. TW (Tare Weight) is how much your empty cylinder weighs, and WC (Water Capacity) is how much fuel it can hold. You can weigh the cylinder on a normal home scale, deduct the TW and then divide the resulting number by the WC. That’s your percentage fill!
- Use an external tank gauge. Available on Amazon and at most hardware stores, these affordable gauges connect to your cylinder valve and your grill’s regulator. They tell you how full your cylinder is, and some even calculate your remaining cooking time.
- Pour hot water over the cylinder. Propane absorbs heat, so the metal will turn cold to the touch at the fill line.
When it’s time for more grill propane, come by the Taylor Energy office at 152 Broad Brook Road in East Windsor, CT, during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). We can refill or exchange your propane cylinder. For more information, reach out to us today!