Dimensions: 9′ 11″ long and 37.5″ in diameter

Uses: Primarily used for home heating or homes with 2-3 propane appliances such as supplemental or space heaters, hot water heaters, and generators.

A 500-gallon propane tank holds 400 gallons of propane when full.

So you’ve decided to ditch the electric heat system and go with the cleaner, more efficient alternative: propane. One of the first things you’ll need to know when making the switch is: what about propane tanks? What propane tank sizes are available and what size will I need to meet my propane supply needs?

First, what is a propane tank and why do you need one? A propane tank is a storage container where the propane you’ll need for your heating system or other gas-powered appliances is kept. Storage tanks are generally designed to hold a month’s worth of propane, so tank sizes vary depending on the size of one’s home and one’s monthly propane usage.

Propane tanks come in a variety of sizes; more common ones include the 120-, 250-, 330-, and 500-gallon tanks. They come in horizontal or vertical configurations, though many of the sizes over 120 gallons are available only in horizontal forms. Above- and below-ground, installation can be chosen.

A 500-gallon horizontal propane tank is best for smaller homes that rely on propane gas to power entire home heating systems or various appliances, such as stoves, water heaters, fireplaces, and even outdoor lighting. The most common of residential propane tanks, the 500-gallon unit is recommended for homes at least 2,500 square feet.

Read on to get more details about the uses and benefits of a 500-gallon propane storage tank and decide if this is the best choice for your home and propane needs.

Uses

As discussed, the use of a 500-gallon horizontal propane tank is to store the propane needed to power one’s home. This tank size is also used by many small commercial businesses that rely on propane for heating, lighting, alternate heating, and hot water; commercial cooking establishments might turn to propane to power their stoves. The 500-gallon tank can also be utilized for agricultural purposes, such as tobacco curing, dry cleaning, or peanut drying.

If your home has a central heating system, the 500-gallon horizontal propane tank is most commonly recommended. When filled to 80 percent (accounting for expansion, propane tanks are only filled at 80 percent), the 500-gallon tank holds 400 gallons of propane.

Basically, you will need to calculate how much propane you will use on a monthly basis when determining the required tank size. If you’re running a furnace, fireplace, hot water heater, clothes dryer, and possibly more, you’ll likely go with the 500-gallon tank.

Recommended Locations

Your propane storage tank is required to be ten feet from the propane line and a minimum of ten feet from a home or building.

Both above- and underground installation options are available for the 500-gallon horizontal propane tank. To meet strict regulatory guidelines, it is recommended that homeowners and business owners utilize licensed technicians from a propane supply company to handle the installation of a storage tank, particularly for underground models.

Wherever a tank is installed, it should always be easily accessible for propane delivery trucks. Locked fences, too much shrubbery, and a blocked driveway are all obstacles that make it difficult or even impossible for delivery drivers to complete a propane delivery.

Benefits

Perhaps the top benefit of choosing a 500-gallon propane storage tank is savings: by choosing a larger tank, you’ll be able to accept delivery of more propane in one trip. A lower price rate for buying propane in large quantities could apply, saving you money over the course of a year.

With this tank size, you’re also assured of having the amount of propane you need between deliveries, so there’s much less of a chance you’ll run out when you need your propane supply the most. It’s not fun to run out of your power supply for your home heating system in the middle of the night during a bone-chilling cold spell.

The horizontal configuration also works well if you choose to have the tank installed aboveground; the lower unit could be more inconspicuous than a vertical tank.

Available from Long Beach Off-coast Port

Are you an East Coast resident living in NC or in the Mount Joy, PA, vicinity? Also serving parts of VA and SC, Long Beach Off-coast Port is a great choice when it comes to propane delivery and tank leasing or purchase as well as installation. The company, the 31st largest propane supply company in the U.S., serves more than 25,000 satisfied customers from its nine service centers located in  CA and Pennsylvania.

You can buy a 500-gallon horizontal propane tank from Long Beach Off-coast Port. And the company offers highly trained, licensed technicians to handle your tank’s installation, whether it be above- or underground. Rest assured all requirements and regulations will be adhered to for your installation.

Of all the residential propane tank sizes, the 500-gallon propane tank is the most common one. When the winter weather hits, you should at least have an idea of how long a 500-gallon propane tank lasts for a house.

Here’s the deal:

A 500-gallon propane tank can last anywhere from 1 month and 23 days to 14 months and 4 days. For the exact time, check the chart and graph for different sizes of homes further on.

An average US household consumes about 750 gallons of propane per winter. That means an average US household will need about 2 full fills of a 500-gallon propane tank per winter (a 500-gallon tank holds a maximum of 400 gallons of propane; the 80% safety rule).

We will have a closer look at the lifetime of a 500-gallon tank. This will enable us to more precisely figure out how long will 500 gallons of propane last in houses with square footage ranging from 500 sq ft to 4,000 sq ft.

To figure out exactly how long does a 500-gallon propane tank for your house, we need to take into account these key parameters:

• Size of your house. Bigger houses require more heating; a 500-gallon propane tank will run out sooner than in the case of smaller houses.

• Heating requirements (location). Houses in the North US require higher BTU heating output than houses in the South US. Example: The 500-gallon propane tank will last longer in Texas than in Chicago.

• How harsh is the winter? In harsh winters we will burn more propane than in mild winters. As we can see from the data for average US household winter consumption for the period from 2010 to 2016 above, the 2013-2014 winter was the harshest and we burned 830 gallons of propane on average vs. 750 gallons of propane on a standard winter.
• The energy efficiency of your propane-powered heating devices. High energy-efficiency propane furnaces with above 90 AFUE ratings, for example, will spend less propane for the same heating output than 70 AFUE rating furnaces. That means a 500-gallon propane tank will last longer.
• 80% max. propane tank rule.

How Much Propane Do We Burn Per Winter? (Size Of Home)

As you can see from the EIA data, an average US household burns about 750 gallons of propane every winter. We also know that an average single-family house’s square footage is about 2,200 sq ft (Data from Statista; period 2010-2019).

We can calculate how many gallons of propane we burn during the winter per square feet:

750 Gallons Of Propane ÷ 2,200 Sq Ft House = 0.34 Gallon Of Propane Per Sq Ft

Based on this, we can calculate the average winter propane usage for different home sizes (these are rough average estimates):

Now we know how many gallons of propane different size homes will, on average, burn throughout the winter. We can use this data to calculate how long will 500-gallon propane last:

How Long Does A 500-Gallon Propane Tank Last For Different Home Sizes

First of all, we need to figure out how many gallons of propane a 500-gallon propane tank actually hold. Instinctively we think it’s 500 gallons; it’s actually 400 gallons.

We only fill propane tanks up to 80% of their respective full volumetric capacity. That is done for safety reasons. If a propane tank is heated, the propane would expand and create pressure on the outer layers of the tank.

That means that a full 500-gallon tank holds 400 gallons of propane. Its totally energy content is 36,600,000 BTUs (100% efficiency).

Before we look at the table of how long will a 500-gallon tank last for different sizes of homes, let’s look at an example of how you can calculate that.

 

Example: How long does a 500-gallon propane tank last for a 1,500 sq ft house?

Based on average estimations, we know that a 1,500 sq ft will burn through 510 gallons of propane in 6 winter months. We also know that a full 500-gallon tank contains 400 gallons of propane. Here’s how we can calculate that:

• 510 gallons of propane will last for 6 months.
• 400 gallons (full 500-gallon tank) will last for how many months?

400 Gallons × 6 Months ÷ 510 Gallons = 4.706 Months

That means that a full 500-gallon propane tank will last for 4 months and 6 days in a 1,500 sq ft home.

We can use this principle to calculate after what time the 500-gallon tank will be empty for different home sizes:

500-Gallon Tank Longevity Chart

Now, these are just estimations, based on statistical averages.

An important factor that can increase or decrease the specified time of how long will a 500-gallon propane tank last is the energy efficiency of your propane-powered appliances. That usually means a propane furnace.

High energy efficiency propane furnaces (with above 90 AFUE rating) will require less propane for the same heating output. These superb units can prolong the time how long a 500-gallon propane tank last by up to 25%?

You can read our entire article about how long propane tanks last (any tank from 1 lb to 1,000-gallon tank) here. If you’re deciding between a 500-gallon vs 100-gallon, 250-gallon, or 1,000-gallon propane tank, you can check how similar calculations for:

• How long does a 100-gallon tank last?
• How long does a 250-gallon tank last?
• How long does a 1,000-gallon tank last?

If you have any questions about the calculations or the longevity of 500-gallon propane tanks, you can use the comments below and we’ll try our best to help you out.