How Many Gallons In a 420 lb Propane Tank (Propane Tank Sizes)

Written by Mike Gilmour in Travel Guide

How Many Gallons In a 420 lb Propane Tank

Do you know how many gallons are in a 420 lb propane tank? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

In order to select the right propane tank for the job, you have to understand how many gallons are in a propane tank. Unfortunately, this task can be difficult since propane tanks are typically labeled by the pound, not the gallon.

The good news is that figuring out how many gallons are in your 420 pound propane tank is easy if you know the right calculations and conversions.

A 420 lb propane tank holds 420 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 420 lb propane tank? All 420 pound propane tanks hold about 96 gallons. Furthermore, these propane tanks are typically 50 (L) by 27.9 (W) by 27.9 (H) and weigh 206 pounds when empty. In reality, a 420 lb propane tank is about 80% full, so the most you can put in is 84 gallons. This size propane tank is typically used for heating up larger appliances, such as hot water, home heating, fireplaces, generators, and sometimes pool heaters.

If you are interested in learning more about how to calculate how many gallons are in a 420 pound propane tank, keep reading. This article explains all the calculations needed to figure out the capacity of your propane tank. Let’s dive right in.

How Many Gallons Are In a 420 lb Propane Tank?

Propane tanks are labeled based on how many pounds of propane the tank can hold. This title does not refer to the tank itself, just how much propane can hold. As a result, a 420 pound propane tank can hold 420 pounds of propane.

For many purposes, you will need to know how many gallons the propane tank can hold. The tank itself is normally 4 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter, making it spacious enough for a lot of propane. 420 pound propane tanks can hold 96 gallons of propane.

Read also: Cheapest Propane Refill Near Me (Tanks Exchange Locations)

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

How did we get this number? We did some simple calculations that you can do too. Knowing how to calculate how many gallons are in a propane tank will come in handy in the future.

The good news is that the calculations are easy and work the same way for all propane tanks.

Simply put, one pound of propane is equivalent to 0.236 gallons whenever the temperature is at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

This temperature is important, and we will touch on it here in a second. For the purposes of calculating how many gallons are in a propane tank, you just have to understand that each pound of propane weighs 0.236 gallons.

What this means is that you can figure out how many gallons are in your propane tank by multiplying 0.236 by the number of pounds in the tank.

For a 420 pound tank, for instance, you would multiply 0.236 by 420. With this calculation, a 420 pound propane tank can hold 96 gallons of propane.

0.236 gallons X tank capacity in pounds = tank capacity in gallons

This formula can apply to any size propane tank. In other words, you can use this formula to figure out how many gallons are in any propane tank you may have or stumble upon.

A Note On Temperature

As mentioned above, the temperature of the propane is important for this calculation. Propane is safely stored at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Changing the temperature of the propane can be disastrous, and it changes the conversion rate of propane in pounds to gallons.

Whenever the temperature increases, the gas molecules will expand in a way, creating less space within the tank. As a result, less propane can be fed into the same container.

 Conversely, colder temperatures cause the gas molecules to become closer together, which means more of the propane can fit inside the container.

For safety purposes, you always want to keep propane at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Because this is the recommended temperature of propane, it is the temperature that is used to determine how much a pound of propane weighs in gallons.

Read also: Can I Store Propane Tanks In Shed (FACTS You Need To Know

How Much Does a 420 lb Propane Tank Weigh Full?

In order to calculate how much a propane tank weighs when full, you have to add the weight of the propane to the weight of the empty tank.

Figuring out how much the propane weighs is pretty easy. A 420 pound propane tank holds 420 pounds of propane when full. Knowing how much the empty tank ways can be a bit more difficult. Generally, a 420 pound propane tank weighs 206 pounds when empty.

Using these numbers, you will need to add 420 to 206. So, a 420 pound propane tank will weigh 626 pounds when full, including both the propane and the tank itself.

Here is some information about empty tank weight of different propane tank sizes:

Propane Tank SizeLengthWidthHeightEmpty Weight
1 lb8 inches4 inches4 inches1.3 pounds
2 lb10 inches5 inches5 inches2.1 pounds
3 lb10 inches7 inches7 inches3.7 pounds
5 lb12 inches8 inches8 inches6.7 pounds
10 lb18 inches9 inches9 inches9.8 pounds
11 lb12.4 inches12.2 inches12.2 inches10.4 pounds
15 lb18 inches10 inches10 inches11.8 pounds
20 lb18 inches12 inches12 inches13.5 pound
25 lb21 inches12 inches12 inches15.1 pounds
30 lb24 inches12.5 inches12.5 inches19.2 pounds
33 lb26.75 inches12.5 inches12.5 inches23.3 pounds
Propane Tank SizeLengthWidthHeightEmpty Weigth
40 lb27 inches14.5 inches14.5 inches27.4 pounds
50 lb27.4 inches15.1 inches15.1 inches34.1 pounds
60 lb44.1 inches12 inches12 inches37.3 pounds
80 lb46 inches12 inches12 inches43.2 pounds
100 lb48 inches14.5 inches14.5 inches67 pounds
120 lb48 inches16 inches16 inches75 pounds
150 lb48 inches18 inches18 inches101 pounds
200 lb48 inches19.6 inches19.6 inches127 pounds
120 gallon52 inches30 inches30 inches260 pounds
150 gallon85 inches25 inches25 inches298 pounds
200 gallon88 inches27 inches27 inches387 pounds
250 gallon92 inches30 inches30 inches483 pounds
300 gallon100 inches30 inches30 inches591 pounds
400 gallon112 inches32 inches32 inches794 pounds
500 gallon120 inches37 inches37 inches949 pounds
750 gallon160 inches39 inches39 inches1,365 pounds
1,000 gallon190 inches41 inches41 inches1,760 pounds
2,000 gallon288 inches55 inches55 inches3,400 pounds

How Long Does a 420 lb Propane Tank Usually Last?

How long the 420 pound propane tank last depends on the BTU of the burner and the approximate run time of the burner.

In other words, how powerful the burner is and how often you turn the burner on will determine the life expectancy of a propane tank.

Because 420 pound propane tanks are rather large, these propane tanks tend to last a pretty long time. Still, the burner time will depend on the factors mentioned above.

Let’s look at an example to fully understand what we mean.

Let’s say that you are using a burner with an 80,000 BTU rating. A 420 pound propane tank will run for about 113.37 hours with this burner.

Read also: How To Store Propane Tanks In Hot Weather: Storage Safety Tips

How Do 420 lb Propane Tanks Compare To Other Sizes?

A 420 pound propane tank is just one of the many sizes of propane tanks available. It’s important that you select the correct propane tank size based on your intended uses. Here’s a look at some of the different size propane tanks available:

Gallons of PropaneTank Size
1 – 1.2 Gallons5 lb
2.6 Gallons11 lb
3.53 Gallons15 lb
4.6 Gallon20 lb
7 Gallons30 lb
7.7 Gallons33 lb
9.2 Gallons40 lb
11.4 Gallons50 lb
23.6 Gallons100 lb
28.3 Gallons120 lb
60 Gallons250 lb
96 Gallons420 lb
400 Gallons500 lb
800 Gallons1000 lb
24,000 Gallons30,000 lb

420 pound propane tanks are best for larger appliances and heating purposes. You’ll certainly want to consider a 420 pound propane tank if you want to heat up your home or water.

It’s also good for heating pool water. 420 pound propane tanks are not ideal for small appliances.

If you need a propane tank for small appliances, such as grills or space heaters, definitely look at smaller propane tanks. 20 pound propane tanks are considered the standard, but there are tanks slightly smaller or larger that may be better suited for your task.

Read also: How long Does a 30 Pound Propane Tank Last In an RV

Final Thoughts

Once again, a 420 pound propane tank is
able to hold about 96 gallons of propane. This size propane tank is awesome for
bigger appliances and heating purposes. Because of its large size, it is not
suited for small appliances.

Regardless of what size propane tank you
select, you always want to double-check the size in both pounds and gallons.

Then, compare the size to the task at hand.
That way, you can select the best propane tanks for your needs.

Now that you know multiple equations for
calculating the size and weight of a propane tank, including 420 pound tanks,
you can figure out the size of any propane tank. Good luck!

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/

Mike Gilmour

Hi, I'm Mike, co-founder, and editor of RV and Playa. My passion is traveling (with my RV) and enjoying the day at the beach (Playa)! Well, I originally created this blog as a way to share what I've learned by experimenting with the RV lifestyle, and I want to help others develop in life through new skills and opportunities.

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