How cold before propane will stop working?

[ScottK]

2 degrees 😀

[Rockpatch]

If it gets below -44F propane won't evaporate (liquid to gas in the tank) and will cause low pressure issues in your system. We've been in the "upper" single digits without any problems - other than burning through a lot of propane!

Rob

Rob's comments are always "spot on".
Remember that Propane is like so many other natural compounds, it has a Freezing Point, a Melting (liquid) Point, and a Boiling (aka Gaseous) Point.
All Propane appliances run on Propane Gas. The propane you have available to use depends on the temperature and the tank size.
All propane tanks are filled to 80% full with liquid Propane. That leaves 20% of the top of the tank room available to store Gaseous propane.
The top 20% of a Propane tank represents the usable gas that you will get from "boiling off" the liquid propane.
Therefore, the larger the surface area of the tank above the 80% full mark, the more usable propane gas boiling off you will get.
A big horizontal tank produces much more usable gaseous vapor than a taller, small diameter tank.
Regarding temperature, think of Propane like a large curve.
The gaseous output of Liquid Propane is "zero" at -44F.
its output is optimum at about 70-90F.
Propane is most efficient and usable between about 20F and 80F.
If a tank gets over 120F, it can become a bit unstable.
Keep your tanks above zero in winter and below 100 in summer, and you'll be happy campers.

[huntindog]

I have been camping at -12 F a few times. I never had any propane issues.

[bshgto]

Xrated you are correct.

I did use the term chilling effect as opposed to wind chill. And I agree with you, the use of air movement that speeds up the cooling effect would have been a better use of words. I liken the idea I was trying to convey as the faster transfer of temperature as a result of air moving across an object. Kind of like blowing on hot soup to cool it more quickly.

I have often admitted to being functionally illiterate. This makes it difficult for me accurately communicate ideas. Doesn't make the idea wrong, just the way I say it is.

I apologize if anyone thinks I was misleading or untruthful. That is never my intention. And when I am wrong about something, I will admit it.

Yikes!!

[gbkims]

My propane tanks would frost, then start to ice up near the bottom of the tank while running my 2000W rated Yamaha EF2400IS this week for temporary power at the house.
After ~8 hours in 23°F temperatures and generator continuous load ~14.45 Amps, the 20# tank's vapor pressure was low enough to cause the generator to start stumbling.
Weighed the tank after the ice had melted off, it was 18.2 lb, so estimate 1/3 gallon of propane still in the tank, its tare weight 16.6 lb.
Ran a 30 lb tank for ~12.5 hours before it had iced up enough for generator to stumble.
After the 30 lb tank had warmed up used it again for a couple more hours. The tank weighed 24.4 lb, its tare weight of 23 lb.