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propane tank size

Akavishon

Member III
I've been searching and googling but can't find definitive answers:

1. On my 1986 E32-3, what size propane tank fits into the stern propane locker? 10lb? 20lb? (I'm not at the boat these days to measure)

2. Does anyone have like/nolike opinions on 'The Lite Cylinder' products?

thank you!

- Zoran
 

Shaggy

Member II
Happy with mine

Howdy, Zoran -

I replaced the (gasp!) rusty, steel propane tank the previous owner left for me with a composite tank. I believe it was from Lite Cylinder but can't remember if it was the 10# or 20# tank.

I will be on the boat for the next several days and will try to post the dimensions of the tank and propane locker, even though it's an E-38.

I have been very happy with the tank, though. It is much lighter and about half the price of those gucci aluminum tanks. It is plenty rugged and I like being able to visibly check the propane level :)

I did have to take a hacksaw to the plastic handle and cut it down a bit so I could properly seat the lid of the propane locker. It was an easy job and I am still able to use the handle to lug the tank around for refills.

I think I paid around $100...? I'll try to post the other vital stats soon.

Curt
 

Shaggy

Member II
Howdy, Zoran -

Sorry I took so long getting back to you.

My propane bottle is the 10# model from Lite Cylinder Company.

The tank measures approximately 9.5" in diameter and 17" tall. The propane lockers on my E-38 will accomodate a tank with a max diameter of 11" and max height of 17".

As I mentioned previously I had to cut down the handle of the tank a bit so the locker lid would seat properly. This was a cosmetic modification only and the handle is still functional.

I hope this helps with your E-32. Let me know if I can answer any more questions for you.
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
Has anyone here re-certified their old propane tank?
If it's not the standard BBQ 20lb tank, one can't simply do an empty-for-full exchange at places like Home Depot, U-Haul, etc.

I bought my boat about 4 years ago. The propane stove passed inspection during the survey, but I haven't used it since, and I almost never even lift the lid of the tank locker. I pulled the tank out to inspect it last weekend - expecting to see rust corrosion. Nope! My PO (bless him!) had replaced the OEM tank with an Aluminum one (Worthington brand). Its nominal capacity is 10lb of propane and it fits the locker perfectly.

I read online that propane tanks need to be re-certified at 12-yr after their manufacture date. I'm assuming that refilling stations can't refill older tanks(?) - mine has a manufacture date of 11/07 stamped on it, so it's time.
A local propane distributor said they'll re-certify it for $5 if I have them re-fill it, and they can re-certify it even with the existing propane in it (it seems to be about 1/3 full). I understand that they'll engrave the re-cert date on the tank.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
A "10 pound" propane tank holds less than 2.5 gallons of propane. I replaced my 32-3 tank because it was far past certification and my supplier wouldn't fill it.

If your supplier will recertify, sounds like you're home free.
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
So far I have not recertified any propane tanks. They've always been exchanged or discarded. I should think the propane distributors are the place to go. For my laboratory gases, the gas distributors never refill "my" tanks anyway - they just exchange empty for full cylinders, so the issue never arises. It's getting harder to find places to certify scuba tanks - most recently had it done at a fire extinguisher supply place. IDK if they do propane tanks.

Last time I shopped around, I liked those Worthington 10 lb. cylinders. They seem like a good size if you have the schlep them a long way. Two of them seem like a good solution. With the bonus that you could keep the boat running while you take the empty one away to fill. I may go that way in the future. But so far, I have not had to keep the furnace running for any extended period, which might change the calculus.
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
We have a 20 pound aluminum tank that holds 10 pounds of propane, probably identical to yours. They are light, corrosion resistant, and cost about $250 Canadian. I use about 8 pounds per year, mainly on our stove, sailing year round.
We have had ours recertified twice, a straight forward process, however our guy insisted the tank be emptied before he would change the valve and refill. He charged twice your cost, but it's still cheap to do.
Frank
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Christian,
My terminology in my post above may be wrong, but my tank, when full, weighs 20 lbs and takes 10 pounds of propane to fill.
Frank
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
Christian,
My terminology in my post above may be wrong, but my tank, when full, weighs 20 lbs and takes 10 pounds of propane to fill.
Frank
stamped on the collar of my tank is:
TW (tare weight?) - 9.5 LB
WC (probably not 'water closet') - 23.9 LB
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Pounds vs. gallons, take your pick.

When I get my tanks refilled, the price is per gallon so the meter reads gallons.

Are propane tanks measured in pounds or gallons?
Answer: Propane can be measured in a few manners. The most common way is by gallons. It can also be measured by pounds (one gallon = 4.2lbs). When measured in gallons, a meter at the pump is used to determine the amount of propane that has been filled into a tank.

A
lso of interest: what the devil does a gauge on our tanks measure? Gallons? Pounds? Neither, directly, apparently:

Reading a Propane Tank Gauge
One of the most important things to understand about your propane tank is that the fuel gauge shows you the fuel level as a percentage of the capacity of your tank, not the total amount of gallons in the tank.

While not all propane tanks have the same gauges, their purpose remains the same: to show you how much propane is left in the tank. Most gauges are “float gauges,” (like the fuel gauge in a vehicle), which reads the level of liquid propane in the tank via a floating arm. As the level drops, so does the float gauge.


Well, my aftermarket tank gauges are certainly not float. They must be simple pressure gauges.
 

peaman

Sustaining Member
WC (probably not 'water closet') - 23.9 LB
"WCW, or WC, stands for water capacity weight. This is the weight of the tank if you filled it with water. Since LPG is about four-tenths the weight of water, determining the capacity of a cylinder requires only a little arithmetic (multiply by 0.42). One of the most common LPG cylinder sizes, 20 lbs, has a WCW designation of 48."
Quoted from this very informative article.
 

Teranodon

Member III
Well, my aftermarket tank gauges are certainly not float. They must be simple pressure gauges.
Yes, the gauges that come on our boat tanks are pressure gauges, and say - basically - nothing about how much propane is left in the tank. They indicate the pressure of the gas that is above the liquid propane in the tank. That pressure depends on temperature. So what you have in your propane locker is a thermometer!

To tell how much propane is left: remove the tank and weigh it, then subtract the Tare Weight that is stamped on the tank. I use an inexpensive digital scale that I suspend from the boom. What I find is that one day's basic cruising, including cooking from-scratch meals and heating the cabin for 2-3 hours, uses about 1-1/4 pounds of propane. I keep track of the weight in the log.

On the E34, the locker takes a 10lb tank, no more.

The big propane tanks at my house have true float switches, like the one on my boat's diesel tank.
 

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toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
That's true, except some tanks do have a kind of float gauge. My horizontal tank has one that actually has scales for "vertical" and "horizontal" positions. I don't think it's particularly accurate. IIRC, the needle only swings about 30° between empty and full. And on the boat, it's up against a bulkhead anyway, so you can't see it.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
As I was decanting propane from a BBQ tank to my Worthington 10-pound aluminum boat tank I, er, broke my rule of not noticing the manufacture date. My boat tanks were both made in 1996. Hmmm.

A few calls about recertification drew laughter. A bit tardy, although nobody does recertification anyhow, around here.

As before, a new aluminum 10-pound (tare) tank is about $250-450. Except none available anywhere, at the moment. Covid, or any explanation you choose.

Looks like a steel 11-pounder might fit the Ericson helm lockers. Width is OK, height is 17.8" vs existing 16". I'll have to measure.

Update: Nope, max height the propane locker will accept is 17." I'll stick with the ancient tanks for a while and refill them myself.
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
As I was decanting propane from a BBQ tank to my Worthington 10-pound aluminum boat tank I, er, broke my rule of not noticing the manufacture date. My boat tanks were both made in 1996. Hmmm.

A few calls about recertification drew laughter. A bit tardy, although nobody does recertification anyhow, around here.

As before, a new aluminum 10-pound (tare) tank is about $250-450. Except none available anywhere, at the moment. Covid, or any explanation you choose.

Looks like a steel 11-pounder will fit the Ericson helm lockers. Rust is cheap.
I wonder how long those steel ones would hold up in a marine environment? Looks like you could buy half a dozen of them for the price of just one of those aluminum ones.

Several years back, when I still had my propane system installed, I had no problem finding a place nearby to recertify my aluminum tank. Maybe that's not done so much any more?
 
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