Estimate how long your propane tank will last based on appliance BTU usage.
Pounds (lbs)
Gallons
Standard gas grills are roughly 30,000 – 50,000 BTUs.
Power Setting: 100%
Estimated Results
0 Hours
Understanding Propane Consumption
Calculating the burn rate of your propane appliances is essential for planning outdoor cooking, heating your patio, or managing a home heating system. The math is based on the total energy content of propane relative to the BTU (British Thermal Unit) output of your device.
Common Propane BTU Reference:
1 Gallon of Propane: ~91,500 BTUs
1 Pound of Propane: ~21,500 BTUs
20 lb Tank (Full): ~430,000 BTUs
Typical Appliance Usage:
Appliance
Average BTU/hr
Gas Grill (3-Burner)
30,000 – 45,000
Patio Heater
40,000 – 50,000
RV Furnace
20,000 – 35,000
Gas Fire Pit
50,000 – 100,000
How the Calculation Works
To find the runtime, we determine the total energy capacity of your tank and divide it by the consumption rate of your appliance. If you are running a 30,000 BTU grill on a standard 20 lb tank (430,000 BTUs), the formula is:
Total BTUs in Tank / (Appliance BTU Rating * Burn Intensity %) = Total Hours
Keep in mind that factors like ambient temperature, tank pressure, and altitude can slightly alter these values. Most propane tanks are only filled to 80% of their total volume for safety (to allow for gas expansion).
function calculateBurnRate() {
var capacity = parseFloat(document.getElementById('tankCapacity').value);
var unit = document.getElementById('capacityUnit').value;
var btuRating = parseFloat(document.getElementById('applianceBtu').value);
var intensity = parseFloat(document.getElementById('burnIntensity').value) / 100;
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('burnResult');
var hourDisplay = document.getElementById('totalHours');
var detailDisplay = document.getElementById('detailedResult');
if (isNaN(capacity) || isNaN(btuRating) || capacity <= 0 || btuRating 1000) {
hourDisplay.innerText = hours.toLocaleString() + " Hours";
} else {
hourDisplay.innerText = hours + "h " + minutes + "m";
}
var unitLabel = unit === "pounds" ? "lbs" : "gallons";
detailDisplay.innerHTML = "A full " + capacity + " " + unitLabel + " tank provides approx. " + totalBtu.toLocaleString() + " total BTUs. At your current consumption rate, you will burn " + consumptionPerHour.toLocaleString() + " BTUs per hour.";
// Smooth scroll to result
resultDiv.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}