Amazing gas consumption

wincrasher · 12-08-2011, 02:18 PM

I've been using my new Outback for almost 2 weeks now.

I've been running the heat only at night at about 70. During the day, I turn off the furnace and use my ceramic heater to keep it 60 while I'm at work. On the weekend, I went home and left the ceramic heater running at 60. It's been mostly 50's in the day and 30's at night. Low was 28 one night.

So I've heated for 9 days. Still have not used a whole 30 lb bottle.

Everyone told me to expect to burn thru both bottles in 3 to 4 days. So I'm happily surprised.

Think maybe buying the 2 100# extra bottles was a bit of overkill.

jje1960 · 12-08-2011, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wincrasher

I've been using my new Outback for almost 2 weeks now.

I've been running the heat only at night at about 70. During the day, I turn off the furnace and use my ceramic heater to keep it 60 while I'm at work. On the weekend, I went home and left the ceramic heater running at 60. It's been mostly 50's in the day and 30's at night. Low was 28 one night.

So I've heated for 9 days. Still have not used a whole 30 lb bottle.

Everyone told me to expect to burn thru both bottles in 3 to 4 days. So I'm happily surprised.

Think maybe buying the 2 100# extra bottles was a bit of overkill.

Sounds like very mild conditions, as well as very conservative use, hence your consumption. We visited Upstate NY last March, used about 40Ibs in a long weekend in our SRX.

Festus2 · 12-08-2011, 02:47 PM

In view of the temperature and weather conditions that you described, I would not be anticipating going through 2 tanks of propane in 3-4 days. As jje1960 pointed out in his post, you are not relying totally on your propane furnace and supplementing that with the use of a ceramic heater. Glad to hear that you are pleased about the low consumption but considering how you are efficiently managing to heat your RV, it is not too surprising.

chuck&gail · 12-08-2011, 06:09 PM

Just be careful if tanks are in enclosed belly heated by furnace. We do not run an electric heater when temps are below freezing outside. Propane is MUCH cheaper than busted pipes.

Even when about 20 F at night, we get at least a week per tank. Usually above freezing most of the day, so then we were running electric heater.

hankaye · 12-09-2011, 09:32 AM

wincrasher, Howdy;

Are you 'fulltiming' and going to be there for the whole winter??
If so, ya might want to check with the local propane Co. and see about getting set-up with a 125 gallon tank. The price ya pay for a gal. will be lower when ya get a refill. It helps take the worries out of running out during the weeend or the middle of the night.
With my older TT back in the COLD (talkin' temps. down into the minus numbers and staying there for a few days at a time), Utah winters I would use about 80 gal. a month. Some months a bit more some a bit less.
Of course your usage will vary but it's something to contemplate...

hankaye

Exsailor · 12-09-2011, 07:35 PM

I'm still hung up on your being able to hold it to 70 degrees. Wife and I fuss over her insistence on keeping it closer to 75. Actually, I have been able to camp for 12-15 days on my bottles even with the heat battles and sometimes cooking inside. Lp gas is the least of my worries, cost-wise.

hankaye · 12-10-2011, 09:04 AM

Exsailor, Howdy;

Ain't talkin' about a weekends camping. Talking (on my part any way), about fulltiming. Last month the price of propne was $2.88/gal. 100 gal. of propane costs $288.00 + tax. To purchase propane by the 30# tank.. the price is closer to $3.88/gal. Propane like alot of things is cheaper when bought in bulk.
Electric costs $0.15/kwhr. Last winter (in Utah), I was spending about $120.00 for elect. that was just heater motor and lights, tv and computer plus converter charging batteries.

Then there is rent...

jje1960 · 12-10-2011, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hankaye

Exsailor, Howdy;

Ain't talkin' about a weekends camping. Talking (on my part any way), about fulltiming. Last month the price of propne was $2.88/gal. 100 gal. of propane costs $288.00 + tax. To purchase propane by the 30# tank.. the price is closer to $3.88/gal. Propane like alot of things is cheaper when bought in bulk.
Electric costs $0.15/kwhr. Last winter (in Utah), I was spending about $120.00 for elect. that was just heater motor and lights, tv and computer plus converter charging batteries.

Then there is rent...

So to the original poster.... advise would be?

hankaye · 12-10-2011, 01:48 PM

jje1960, Howdy;

My advise was in post #5. To get a larger tank so the OP dosen't get caught out of gas in the middle of the night or a weekend when the Propane Co. is closed...that's all.

LeeMedic · 12-10-2011, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck&gail

Just be careful if tanks are in enclosed belly heated by furnace. We do not run an electric heater when temps are below freezing outside. Propane is MUCH cheaper than busted pipes.

Even when about 20 F at night, we get at least a week per tank. Usually above freezing most of the day, so then we were running electric heater.

Good points!

jje1960 · 12-11-2011, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hankaye

jje1960, Howdy;

My advise was in post #5. To get a larger tank so the OP dosen't get caught out of gas in the middle of the night or a weekend when the Propane Co. is closed...that's all.

Rgr that, agree for sure. Price of bulk propane is like half considering refill or trade.

**JRTJH** · 12-11-2011, 06:07 AM

ACE Hardware in this area refills propane tanks at the store. They have a card they give you (if you ask) where they stamp your refills. Once you refill 3 tanks, the 4th is free. They won't honor 30 lb tanks, only 20's, but at least it takes some of the sting out of paying the price. Fortunately, we have natural gas, but just down the lake, that's not available and many of my neighbors have to use propane. Their heating costs are double of what we have to pay.

Some of the propane suppliers here will fill smaller tanks at the same price as the big tank when they are filling the big tank. I suppose they realize that since they are there, why not squeeze every penny they can get. Some of the neighborhood folks drop off their 20 and 30 lb tanks at the home of whoever is getting propane delivered next and they get all of them refilled at the bulk rate price. Right now, I think the last pricing was $2.41/gal. That way, a 20lb tank costs about $12.50 and a 30lb tank is about $17 if I remember the last ones we refilled. That's a bit less than Hank had to pay in Utah, but still a bunch more than in the past. I think, if I calculated our natural gas correctly last time I did the BTU conversion, we're paying about $1.45/gal for natural gas. 5 years ago, that was $0.20/gal. No wonder the neighbors are taking advantage of bulk rate tank fill pricing when they can.....

jje1960 · 12-11-2011, 08:52 AM

Only place I have for miles around is Southern States, it's just plain expensive getting the 30 refilled. I've thought of having a bulk tank brought out to the house and fill the 30's myself.... something I've just never followed through on. I needed a tank filled last year in Upstate NY, a friend of my brother in-law refilled for us at his farm, cheapest propane refill I ever had!

wincrasher · 12-12-2011, 11:07 AM

We're down in the high twenties at night, so we'll see if consumption ramps up.

I got my two 100# bottles filled - at least it was the same price whatever size you had. They have a big tank in the park I'm staying and they were nice enough to carry them up to my trailer. I looked into a 100 gal tank by a local gas service - they wanted $745 to bring one out and fill it!

With me only being here a few months (March) that didn't make much sense since I had these 2 100# bottles, plus my 2 30's. Especially if one of the 100# bottles lasts a month, then it's not such a hassle to carry it down to fill.

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