500 gallon propane tank

[John Robertson]

Did you ever buy & install a 500 gallon above ground propane tank?

Over 10 years, if it's filled four times a year, the captive cost is about: $60/month rental over 10 years = $7,200 4 fills/year at $3.50/gallon = $7,000 Total 10 year propane cost comes to about $14K (depends a lot on prices)

In contrast the customer owned tank (COT) costs would be lower in both ways: 4 fills/year at $3.25/gallon = $6,500 (assumes 25 cent/gallon COT discount) Assume one inspection per 10 years is about $500 (give or take) Total 10 year propane cost comes to about $7K

Did you ever have an above ground 500 gallon propane tank delivered (in this situation the hookup is easy as it's already on a cement platform)?

Which company did you use & how much was it for that 500 gallon install?

[Scott Lurndal]

My rental for a 500gal tank is $7.00/month ($90.00 p.a.)

[Ed Pawlowski]

This may help

[hubops]

Rental fees on my 2 420 lb. tanks is waived due to using a certain minimum annually. < furnace & hot water >

John T.

[Snag]

Since we don't use much propane - cooking and a wall heater for backup since we heat with wood - none of the local dealers was interested in renting us a tank . So I bought a used 250 gallon tank from my favorite local dealer . He replaced all the valves and "stuff" , delivered and installed if for about 700 bucks IIRC . It came with 25 gallons , the max he can transport in a consumer tank , we had it filled for around 400 bucks , and I expect we won't need to fill it again for at least 3 years* . That comes out to be less than 400/year for the first 3 , and around 150/year thereafter . Or , if you want to amortize it over ten years , that's less than 200 bucks a year - for the first ten , way less thereafter . Unless I install a whole-house backup generator , that may or may not significantly change the cost ratio . Up til now we've depended on a

5500 watt gas unit , back feeding the house thru the shop sub panel . I can run everything but the water heater and the big AC unit on that generator - and in fact have considered making it dual-fuel and installing it in it's own little shed next to the propane tank . That's close to the house , and would make it possible to install a lockout (there's another term for it , can't recall it...) switch in the main panel .

[gfretwell]

I paid $1500 for my 250 but they buried it, ran the piping for the pool heater, a spur with a valve for the generator and gave me a fill. Your 5500w generator will probably burn 0.8 gallons an hour based on what my Briggs did over 9 days 24/7. The kit was about $150. That was BC (Before Covid). ;-)

[slate_leeper]

My local propane company sold me a used tank, delivered and installed, for $500. It replaced the newer one I was already renting from them.

Never hurts to ask.

-dan z-

[Marilyn Manson]

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