How Much Propane Common Appliances Use
There’s a reason why over thirty-million Americans still use propane as their primary fuel source. Propane is extremely efficient at powering a number of household appliances.
We often associate propane with furnaces and grill, but the reality is it can be used for a great deal more. If you’re wondering how much propane common appliances use, then you’re in the right place.
We’ve organized a list of the different appliances that use propane and the general amount that they use. That way, you can be sure whether or not the fuel type is right for you in your Long Island home. Let’s get started!
How Do You Measure Propane?
Before we learn how much propane common appliances use, it’s important to first understand the energy units used to measure it. Propane usage is measured using a term known as BTU, which stands for British Thermal Unit. One BTU refers to the amount of propane needed to raise or lower one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. For reference, one gallon of propane would put out around 91,500 BTUs every hour.
Propane Use by Appliance
Now that we know how to measure propane, we can dive into the amount that some common appliances use it. Keep in mind that these are only estimates. The actual amount can vary depending on the appliance brand, age, and condition.
How Much Propane Furnaces Use
A modern propane furnace burns roughly 200,000 BTU per hour. This translates to roughly one gallon of propane used every hour when it’s running. The furnace is used much more in the winter months than at any other time of year.
The amount of propane the furnace uses depends largely based on the square footage of the home.
For example, an 800-1,500 sqft home might burn 300-600+ gallons per year.
Whereas a larger home that is 15,000+ sqft might burn 5,000+ gallons per year to heat their home. We estimate that a Long Island home burns approximately 400 gallons per 1,000 square feet of heated space depending on the average winter temperature.
How Much Propane Stoves Use
One of the most common uses for propane is to power a gas range (stove and oven). Unfortunately, measuring the amount that each stove uses is difficult. A single household’s use of the stove varies far more than their use of the furnace. Like other appliances, stoves can vary in efficiency. Older stoves might not be as efficient as using propane as newer models.
That said, the average propane stove uses around 65,000 BTU every hour. So, in this instance, a stove would use between 20 to 50 gallons of propane every year. Most chefs prefer propane stoves over electric ones. That’s because propane provides instantaneous heat quickly. On top of that, they also offer better temperature control. On the other hand, electric stoves require a lot of time to heat up and fluctuate rapidly between different temperatures.
How Much Propane Hot Water Heaters Use
Your Propane hot water heaters is another household appliance that might vary in terms of its efficiency and propane usage.
Variables include things like the number of people in the house, the amount of hot water they use, and the number of bathrooms that need to be supplied.
However, the average hot water heater uses roughly 20 gallons per month.
How Much Propane Pool Heaters Use
Pool heaters are the appliance that uses the most propane. That’s because they need to heat such a huge amount of water. Some pool heaters use roughly one gallon every hour for each 100,000 BTU. Many underground pools have a 400k heater which burns more fuel, approximately four gallons/hour.
As such, the average pool heater can be expected to use between three to five gallons of propane every hour. However, keep in mind that this number varies depending on the size of your pool, the number of degrees you wish to warm it, and the efficiency of your heater.
How Much Propane Fireplaces Use
Most propane fireplaces use a fairly small amount of the fuel source. The average fireplace burns roughly one gallon of propane every hour. However, depending on your fireplace settings and usage habits, this number can increase.
How Much Propane Grills Use
Most propane-powered grills use between 20,000 to 40,000 BTU every hour. As such, a twenty-pound propane tank will last roughly eighteen to twenty hours on it. However, this number does depend on usage and the grill being used. People are often hesitant to use a propane grill because they’re worried about the tank causing a fire. However, the NFPA performed a test and found that the overwhelming cause of grill fires comes from the grill being improperly cleaned.
How to Calculate Propane Costs
As we mentioned before, the amount of propane that a household object uses varies widely from appliance to appliance. As such, if you want to calculate your propane costs accurately, then you’ll need to research to determine how much each appliance uses exactly.
It’s also important to look at the propane costs in your area. The climate in the area you live in plays a large factor in the cost of propane. Areas with longer cold weather seasons have a higher demand for propane.
As such, the prices will likely be higher at certain times of the year. Make sure to call the local propane companies in your area to find out their rates. In many instances, they will likely offer unique billing options as well.
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