Propane use in the summer isn’t as easy to predict as in the winter months, since you use summer propane appliances less often than your heating system. But even though you aren’t using as much propane in the summer months as you did in the fall and winter, that doesn’t mean you aren’t using any at all. In fact, you may be using more than you realize to power your pool heater, hot water heater, stove, clothes dryer, and other outdoor living appliances.

If you get a propane bill that’s higher than you expected during a warm weather month, you might think you have a propane leak somewhere in your system. That’s certainly possible and you should perform a safety check immediately! And if you smell propane, leave the house right away and follow all propane safety instructions.

However, most of the time, you’ve simply underestimated your propane usage.

How to Estimate Your Propane Use in Summer

According to Propane101.com, you are probably not running all your propane appliances at 100 percent all day long during the summer. More than likely during these warmer months, propane will be used by cooking appliances, water heaters, clothes dryers and maybe pool heaters. If the gas range, dryer, and water heaters are used at a rate of 25% capacity 2 hours per day, the gas usage will be about 1.2 gallons per day:

The usage rates will differ as capacity percentage and length of use change. For example:

25% capacity for 2 hours – 1.2 gallons per day
25% capacity for 6 hours – 3.6 gallons per day
50% capacity for 2 hours – 2.4 gallons per day
50% capacity for 6 hours – 7.2 gallons per day

If you add the propane consumption of a pool heater, the numbers really start to climb. Pool heaters are high-capacity appliances that can consume more than 4.5 gallons of propane per hour. If it takes 4 hours to heat the pool on a cool day, the pool heater may use 18.5 gallons. If left running all day, it will consume 100 gallons of propane in less than a day! Use a swimming pool cover to help retain as much of the pool’s heat as possible!

Another appliance that can throw off your usage guesswork is a propane generator, since you don’t know when, or if, you’ll need to use it in a power outage, or for how long. Back-up generators can use 2-3 gallons of propane per hour depending on the load size of your generator.

Common Summer Propane Appliance Usage Estimates:

Gas cooktop/range – 5 to 10 gallons per month
Built-in propane grill (four burner) – .75 gallons/hour (all burners on medium)
Tankless water heater – 1.5 gallons per day
Gas clothes dryer – less than one gallon per day when in operation

These estimates are for average size appliances but the gallons they use can really add up. And if you have larger capacity units or higher usage due to guests, you could burn through more propane in a day than you thought possible.

How To Beat Unexpected Usage: Install A Propane Tank Monitor

No matter how you calculate your propane usage, it’s important to have enough propane on hand to keep your home comfortable and enjoyable this summer. Levco recommends taking the guesswork out of how much is left in the tank by installing a propane tank monitor. The monitor sends a continuous, 24-hour radio signal to your propane provider that keeps track of the exact amount of propane in your tank. The receiver sends a notification when it’s time for a refill or an alert if there is an issue with the tank.

Turn To Levco For Your Propane Needs!

Levco offers automatic propane delivery using tank monitors and installation of new propane tanks. Whether you use propane year round or just in the Summer months, Levco is the premier choice! Thousands of homeowners have trusted Levco to keep their tanks full since 1980! Give us a call at (203) 533-8249 or contact us today!

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LEVCO’s MISSION

TO SOLVE PROBLEMS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, OFTEN BEFORE THEY EVEN KNOW THEY HAVE THEM – YOU CAN LEAN ON US!

Levco is the premier provider of heating & cooling service as well as fuel oil and propane delivery in Fairfield County, CT.

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CT Lic. 303607
HOD 194 / DOT 663660

55 Merritt Blvd, Trumbull, CT 06611

Phone: (203) 533-8249

Email: service@levcooil.com