Vaporization is the process of a liquid being converted into a gas (or vapor). As propane boils, it is in the process of vaporizing. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit at which point it converts to a vapor we know as steam. Propane works the same way, but at a much lower temperature. Propane boils at -44 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because of the low vaporization temperature of propane, it is critical to understand the below vaporization chart when using propane tanks to operate heaters during cold winter days. When outside air temperatures fall to negative digits, the amount of propane vapor available within the tanks is minimal. The solution is to connect multiple propane tanks together, or to add a vaporizer. CHI Companies does rent vaporizers.
Vaporization Rate 500 Gallon Tank
| Temp F | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 273,000 | 364,000 | 455,000 | 546,000 | 637,000 | 728,000 | 805,000 | 842,000 |
| 30 | 228,000 | 305,000 | 373,000 | 455,000 | 523,000 | 610,000 | 683,000 | 751,000 |
| 20 | 182,000 | 237,000 | 305,000 | 364,000 | 396,000 | 478,000 | 532,000 | 614,000 |
| 10 | 137,000 | 182,000 | 228,000 | 273,000 | 296,000 | 364,000 | 387,000 | 455,000 |
| 0 | 91,000 | 114,000 | 155,000 | 182,000 | 205,000 | 237,000 | 259,000 | 296,000 |
| -10 | 45,000 | 59,000 | 77,000 | 91,000 | 100,000 | 114,000 | 137,000 | 150,000 |
| -20 | 23,000 | 29,000 | 38,000 | 45,000 | 50,000 | 56,000 | 68,000 | 75,000 |
Vaporization Rate 1,000 Gallon Tank
| Temp F | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 582,000 | 728,000 | 887,000 | 1,150,000 | 1,183,000 | 1,342,000 | 1,502,000 | 1,661,000 |
| 30 | 491,000 | 523,000 | 728,000 | 865,000 | 1,001,000 | 1,128,000 | 1,251,000 | 1,388,000 |
| 20 | 391,000 | 477,000 | 492,000 | 683,000 | 796,000 | 896,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,092,000 |
| 10 | 291,000 | 364,000 | 432,000 | 523,000 | 592,000 | 673,000 | 751,000 | 819,000 |
| 0 | 200,000 | 237,000 | 296,000 | 341,000 | 396,000 | 455,000 | 501,000 | 546,000 |
| -10 | 109,000 | 127,000 | 146,000 | 182,000 | 205,000 | 228,000 | 250,000 | 273,000 |
| -20 | 20,000 | 64,000 | 72,000 | 90,000 | 101,000 | 112,000 | 122,000 | 135,000 |
Amount shown in the table is the total BTUH available at a given temperature and current capacity. Example: 273,000 can operate a heater with a BTUH of 273,000. Therefore you may only operate a 250,000 BTUH heater at this temperature and fill percentage of the propane tank.
If the temperatures you are working in are continually at or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you may want to use a Vaporizer. As its name implies, a Direct Fired vaporizer uses direct flame to vaporize liquid LPG inside a heat exchanger. Requiring no electricity, the Direct Fired vaporizer utilizes LPG itself as its source of energy and provides a constant supply of LPG, regardless of the LPG composition.
To view the information and specifications of our vaporizers click here.
