When full, the weight of a 500-gallon propane tank is about 1,300 kg (2,866 Pounds), including the weight of the contents and the tank.
Empty 500-gallon propane weighs about 540 kg (1,190 pounds).
And liquid propane weighs 1.92 kg or 4.24 lbs per gallon. And every 500-gallon propane tank you have can hold around 400 gallons of propane, weighing around 769 kg or 1,696 pounds. You can’t fill the tank with the propane fully because there is a rule that the tank can only hold 80% of its full capacity.
The large tanks for propane are built to work both below or above the ground. Besides, it features special steel to reduce corrosion.
How to Weigh the Propane Tank
You can easily weigh the propane tank by yourself, as well as other size tanks. Of course, math requires it, but it isn’t a big deal. The accurate way to know the exact amount of propane in your tank is by using a multi-purpose luggage scale.
You can find two weights stamped on your tanks’ collars. The empty weight is written with TW or Rare Weight, while the full weight is stamped with WC or full with water.
The Tare weight is the empty weight of the tank, while the WC or water capacity is the weight of the required water when filling the tank. The 5-gallon tank will be filled with 47.6 pounds of water.
And the regulations require the propane level isn’t more than 42% of the WC of the tank. Or the maximum weight of propane is only 20 pounds or not more than 42%.
Instead of filling it fully, if you want to refill propane, fill only 80% of its full capacity. It is because you need to give space for temperature fluctuations. Propane is similar to water, and it can expand when you add heat to it. Yet, propane will increase its volume 17 times compared to water. Thus, the propane tanks are filled with 80% of their total capacity to give the liquid more space. On another note, on warmer days, the capacity of the tank might be read 85% full.
How to Measure Your Tank
So, how do you know how full your propane tank is? What you have to do is weighing the propane tank and get its tare weight. When doing this, you may use any scale, whether it is a hanging scale or floor scale.
On the market, there are some hanging scales to weigh the portable propane tanks. For instance, you want to weigh your barbecue grill tank. It weighs 32.6 pounds. And the Tare Weight stamped on it is 16.6 pounds. So, the weight of the propane is 32.6 – 16.6 = 17 pounds.
If you fill it until 20 pounds, it is considered full. Yet, if you fill it only 16 pounds, it is 80% full. Propane itself is 4.25 pounds per gallon. To transport the 500-gallon propane tank, you can either hire companies to install or do it yourself.
