Propane Tank Safety

Whether it’s for your grill or your firepit, Maschino’s suggests having one tank in use and one tank filled for backup but there are rules you should follow when you do that. See how to use and store your tanks below!

Liquid Propane (or LP) tanks come in a variety of sizes but the “standard” tank for your BBQ or firepit is usually a 20 pound tank.

You have options of trade-in tanks, refillable tanks, and even horizontal tanks
Tanks are only filled to 80% as temperature changes cause pressure changes, a 100% full tank is dangerous.
- All tanks should come with an overfill protection device to regulate this.
20 pound tanks weigh 20 pounds empty though they hold 4-4.5 gallons of gas
One gallon of LP contains 91,502 BTU’s per hour.
- One BTU (British thermal unit) is equivalent to one burning match.
- An appliance rated for 65,000 BTU will burn for 5-6 hours on a full 20lb tank.

When it comes to storage, Maschino’s recommends storing your tanks under cover or inside an outbuilding to keep them out of direct sunlight and avoid the above mentioned pressure changes.

All outdoor gas appliances (fireplaces or firepits, grills, pizza ovens, etc.), regardless of gas type, require a set of air vents wherever your tank or incoming gas service is located in the event of a leak. This will provide cross ventilation to help prevent gas build-up inside of a cabinet or other structure.

For even more detailed information on propane tanks, check out this article from HPC Fire!
Small Tank Firepit Operations