How cold before propane will stop working?

[Jay Pat]

The forecast is 1 degree for Monday night.
Thanks! Pat

[Second Chance]

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

[Jay Pat]

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

Looks like I will be ok.
I have drained the water system.
I'm running the heater anyway.
Thank you!!
Pat

[Second Chance]

Looks like I will be ok.
I have drained the water system.
I'm running the heater anyway.
Thank you!!
Pat

It's good you're running the furnace - just draining the water system isn't enough. There will still be water in low places in the lines, P-traps, and the water pump. Everything would need to be blown with a compressor or pumped with antifreeze, the pump run dry, and antifreeze in the P-traps for complete protection without heat.

Rob

[RV Sailor]

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

Great advice

[imrvman]

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

I'm from Canada and had propane tanks freeze up at higher temperatures than that. I've had 30 pound tanks freeze up at -10 to 15C (-15C is about 5F). Tank size is the biggest factor as smaller tanks have a bigger surface area to the volume of gas therefore the gas cools quicker than in a larger tank. I ski and park the 5th wheel every year in Whistler so to avoid that problem I rent a couple of 100 pound tanks. The Venturi effect of releasing gas from the tank also lowers the temperature of the tank below that of air temperature. Elevation above sea level can also effect the pressure in the tank and cause a freeze up sooner that expected.

[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.

[Bungy]

The forecast is 1 degree for Monday night.
Thanks! Pat

Ive used propane in an industrial setting down to -40 and below but had to cover tank and provide external heat (heat lamp etc).

[D2Reid]

We got down to -22 and still had heat and stove. The propane tanks are covered which helps protect from chilling effect of wind. I have seen some folks with electric blankets for their propane tanks, supposedly it make them more efficient. Engineers know, I don't.

One odd thing you may think about; the gas evaporation refrigerators will quit when it get that cold. Easiest way to prevent that is to put a light bulb inside the refrigerator compartment. The RV refrigerators usually have an outlet near them to plug into, just add a 100 watt light bulb.

[xrated]

We got down to -22 and still had heat and stove. The propane tanks are covered which helps protect from chilling effect of wind. I have seen some folks with electric blankets for their propane tanks, supposedly it make them more efficient. Engineers know, I don't.

One odd thing you may think about; the gas evaporation refrigerators will quit when it get that cold. Easiest way to prevent that is to put a light bulb inside the refrigerator compartment. The RV refrigerators usually have an outlet near them to plug into, just add a 100 watt light bulb.

You do realize that "wind chill" has no effect on metal objects other than to speed up the cooling effect until that object reaches the ambient temperature!