How Many Gallons In a 15 lb Propane Tank (Propane Tank Size)

Have you ever asked yourself or your friend how many gallons are in a 15 lb propane tank? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

Just in the US, over 47 million households use propane either for heat or gas. This estimation does not include businesses or families who use propane for other purposes. Needless to say, propane tanks are essential to have in most households. Despite how necessary propane is, it can be difficult to know how many gallons are in a tank.

A 15 lb propane tank holds 15 lb of propane, right? Well, not exactly.

To put it simply, on average you have 0.236 gallons = 1 pound of propane.

So, how many gallons are in a 15 lb propane tank? For a 15 pound propane tank, the tank will hold about 3.53 gallons of propane and weigh 27.7 pounds when full. This amount of propane is ideal for small appliances, not large grills or heating the entire family house. You will need to get a larger tank for larger purposes. In reality, a 15 lb propane tank is about 80% full, so the most you can put in is 3 gallons.

To learn more about calculating how many gallons are in your propane tank, keep reading. This article fully breaks down how to estimate how many gallons are in your propane tank and more.

Table of Contents

How Many Gallons Are In a 15 lb Propane Tank?

Figuring out how many gallons a propane tank can hold can be a bit confusing. The short answer to the question is that for a 15 pound propane tank specifically, the tank can hold 3.53 gallons of propane or 13.4 liters of propane.

Just so you know, 15 pound propane tanks are smaller than the standard size. The standard size propane tank is 20 pounds.

20 pound propane tanks are able to hold 4.6 gallons or 17.4 liters of propane. It has dimensions of 18 inches by 12.25 inches.

Most often, the dimensions for a 15 pound propane tank are 18 inches by 10.5 inches or 45.7 by 27 inches, which is smaller than the standard.

How Much Does a 15 lb Propane Tank Weigh Full?

Whenever you purchase an empty propane tank, it will have a tare weight, which refers to the tank’s empty weight.

In order to learn how much a propane tank will weigh when full, you have to add the tare weight to the amount of propane in the tank.

15 pound propane tanks weigh about 12.7 pounds when empty. As a result, the tare weight of a 15 pound propane tank is 12.7 pounds. Whenever a 15 pound propane tank is full, that propane gas will weigh 15 pounds.

So, you now have the information needed in order to calculate how much a propane tank weighs when full. It will weigh 27.7 pounds.

Tare weight + propane weight = tank’s weight when full

Here’s a chart that explains the dimensions and tare weight of many propane tank sizes:

Propane Tank Size	Length	Diameter	Width	Height	Empty Weight
1 lb	8 inches	4 inches	4 inches	4 inches	1.3 pounds
2 lb	10 inches	5 inches	5 inches	5 inches	2.1 pounds
3 lb	10 inches	7 inches	7 inches	7 inches	3.7 pounds
5 lb	12 inches	8 inches	8 inches	8 inches	6.7 pounds
10 lb	18 inches	9 inches	9 inches	9 inches	9.8 pounds
11 lb	12.4 inches	12.2 inches	12.2 inches	12.2 inches	10.4 pounds
15 lb	18 inches	10 inches	10 inches	10 inches	11.8 pounds
20 lb	18 inches	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches	13.5 pound
25 lb	21 inches	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches	15.1 pounds
30 lb	24 inches	12.5 inches	12.5 inches	12.5 inches	19.2 pounds
33 lb	26.75 inches	12.5 inches	12.5 inches	12.5 inches	23.3 pounds
40 lb	27 inches	14.5 inches	14.5 inches	14.5 inches	27.4 pounds
50 lb	27.4 inches	15.1 inches	15.1 inches	15.1 inches	34.1 pounds
60 lb	44.1 inches	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches	37.3 pounds
80 lb	46 inches	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches	43.2 pounds
100 lb	48 inches	14.5 inches	14.5 inches	14.5 inches	67 pounds
120 lb	48 inches	16 inches	16 inches	16 inches	75 pounds
150 lb	48 inches	18 inches	18 inches	18 inches	101 pounds
200 lb	48 inches	19.6 inches	19.6 inches	19.6 inches	127 pounds

How Long Does a 15 lb Propane Tank Usually Last?

Predicting how long a 15 pound propane tank will last is a bit difficult. Many moving factors will determine its life expectancy.

Most importantly, the BTU rating of your burner and the approximate burn time will determine how long a 15 pound propane tank will last. Let’s take a look at an example.

Let’s say that you have a 15 pound propane tank and are using a 32,000 BTU burner. In that case, the propane tank will last about 10.12 hours.

You will then have to replace the propane within the tank once this 10 hour period is up.

Adjusting the BTU rating, as well as the size of the propane tank, will impact how long the propane tank burns.

How Do You Calculate How Many Gallons Are In a Propane Tank?

Above, we mentioned that a 15 pound propane tank holds about 3.53 gallons of propane. How did we get this number?

There is a formula you can use to calculate how many gallons are in any propane tank. As a rule of thumb, one pound of propane is equal to about 0.236 gallons whenever the propane is at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the recommended temperature for propane.

You can use this information in order to calculate how many gallons are in your propane tank.

All you need to do is multiply 15 by 0.236 in order to figure out how many gallons are in a 15 pound propane tank. When you do the math, you will find that the tank holds 3.53 gallons. This formula will work on any propane tank of any size.

How much the tank holds in pounds X 0.236 = how much the tank holds in gallons

Of course, the temperature of the propane will impact this calculation. The 0.236 conversion only applies whenever the propane is at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is way above or below this point, the conversion will be different. F

or your own safety, we always recommend keeping propane at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, though.

The reason why the temperature has to be 60 degrees Fahrenheit in order for this conversion to work is that changes in temperature will cause the propane gas molecules to either expand or constrict closer to one another, depending on the temperature.

Anything below 60 degrees will cause the particles to get closer together, whereas temperatures above 60 degrees will cause the molecules to expand. This change means that capacity differs.

How Do 15 lb Propane Tanks Compare To Other Sizes?

Most standard-sized propane tanks weigh 20 pounds. As a result, 15 pound propane tanks are smaller than average and are not used for a wide array of projects. 15 pound propane tanks are better suited for small appliances.

Select a bigger propane tank for large appliances and home heating purposes.

Here is a look at different size propane tanks and how many gallons they hold:

Gallons of Propane	Tank Size	Tank Dimensions
1 – 1.2 Gallons	5 lb	12” X 8 ½”
2.6 Gallons	11 lb	17 ½” X 9”
3.53 Gallons	15 lb	18” X 10 ½”
4.6 Gallon	20 lb	18″ X 12 ¼“
7 Gallons	30 lb	24″ X 12 ¼″
7.7 Gallons	33 lb	26.7” X 12 ½”
9.2 Gallons	40 lb	2½″ X 12 ¼″
11.4 Gallons	50 lb	27 ½″ X 15″
23.6 Gallons	100 lb	48 ½″ X 15″
28.3 Gallons	120 lb	68” X 24”
60 Gallons	250 lb	92” X 30”
96 Gallons	420 lb	100″ X 37″
400 Gallons	500 lb	5’ X 10’
800 Gallons	1000 lb	5’ X 16’
24,000 Gallons	30,000 lb	10’ X 70’

Whenever you select a larger propane tank, the propane tank will have a longer runtime because the dimensions are larger. It’s important to select the size of your propane tank carefully depending on its intended purpose.

Small propane tanks, such as those that are between 5 and 50 pounds, are considered small propane tanks.

These propane tanks are better suited for appliances, such as space heaters or grills. Propane tanks that are larger than 100 pounds are better suited for big purposes, such as heating your home.

For example, many homes that are between 2000 and 4500 square feet select propane tanks that can hold 1000 gallons. This propane tank is also ideal for small businesses that use different commercial or industrial appliances.

Final Thoughts

Once again, a 15 pound propane tank is able to hold 3.53 gallons of propane. That is, it holds 3.53 gallons whenever the propane is housed at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Propane housed at another temperature will hold different gallons due to the expansion of the gas molecules.

Instead of just taking our word for it, you can do your own math to prove that a 15 pound propane tank can hold 3.53 gallons of propane.

You can actually use the calculations to figure out how many gallons your propane tank will hold, no matter what size propane tank you have.

Before you go out and buy a propane tank, double-check to make sure you are getting the right size based on your intended purpose.

Additionally, consider the BTU of the burner so you can have an adequate runtime.

References

https://www.amerigas.com/about-propane/propane-tank-sizes

https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/ways-to-estimate-how-much-propane-you-have-left/