How big does my home propane tank need to be?

Ferrellgas is fortunate to serve propane customers all across the country. From the northern reaches of Minnesota to the southern beaches of Florida, we serve customers in many different climates who experience varying weather conditions. During the winter, it’s reasonable to assume the northern areas require more propane for home heating than their southern counterparts. And while situations vary, those in the north may require a different size propane tank as well.

Propane tanks come in a number of sizes

For this purpose, we’re focusing on the larger tanks used to power home appliances, as opposed to the variety of outdoor uses made available by smaller, portable Blue Rhino propane tanks. Larger tanks can have a capacity ranging from 120 gallons to 1,000 gallons and can be used for many purposes, depending on each consumer’s needs and preferences. Check out this great blog to learn more about the different tank sizes available to propane users.

What’s the average customer use?

Many U.S. residential propane customers have a 500-gallon aboveground propane tank and receive deliveries a few times a year. Extreme cold temperatures, natural disasters, and other circumstances can impact the amount of propane used, but the 500-gallon tank is the reliable workhorse turned to often for residential customers.

Where’s the propane tank?

Don’t forget that underground propane tanks are also available to customers in many parts of the country. One advantage of underground tanks is that they don’t detract from your landscaping and home’s appearance or obstruct the view outside your window you’ve worked so hard to perfect. Just like their aboveground counterparts, underground propane tanks typically have a capacity of either 500 or 1,000 gallons.

Your tank is never full regardless of size

Keep in mind, your propane tank will never be "full," not even immediately after we make a delivery. Read more about why a propane tank is never full and how there are risks involved in doing so. It’s important to note that we’ll only fill a propane tank to 80% of its capacity. That means the workhorse 500-gallon tank we spoke of earlier is considered “full” at 400 gallons.

The size of the tank and the location it is placed are important choices for propane customers to make. However, there’s a more important decision to made first, and that’s making the fast and simple switch to Ferrellgas, where you’ll experience great customer service, easy management of your account through our free MyFerrellgas customer portal, and so much more. Our propane experts are here to help you make the right choices for your needs. Give us a call, start a chat, or connect with us today!