Not all propane cylinders / tanks have gauges and not all gauges look the same. With different manufacturers the gauges vary in style, size and look but all have the same purpose, to allow the user to see how much propane fuel is in the tank at a given time. Most gauges on tanks are a float gauge style, which is a basic concept of an arm inside the tank that as the level of liquid propane drops the floating arm drops reducing the indicating number on the dial of the gauge. The gauge on the tank shows the approximate percentage of fuel and should not be use to fill the cylinder/tank. Propane tanks can not be legally filled passed 80% capacity of the tank to allow for expansion of the liquid propane.The numbers on the dial of the gauge indicate the percentage of propane fuel in the tank. Most dials on the propane gauges range from 10 to 80 on cylinders and 5 to 95 on tanks. These gauges are not to be confused with pressure gauges that range from 0 to 300 (most tanks don't have pressure gauges). View the photos below to help determine how to locate and read the propane percentage of the tank.
The following chart will help you to determine how many litres of propane are left in tank from reading the gauge. *These figures are approximate and can only be used to determine an estimate amount of propane in the tank.
| If Gauge Reads: | 40 gallon tank | 80 gallon tank | 500 gallon tank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80% | 180 litres | 360 litres | 1500 litres | |||
| 70% | 157litres | 315 litres | 1300 litres | |||
| 60% | 135 litres | 270 litres | 1125 litres | |||
| 50% | 110 litres | 225 litres | 935 litres | |||
| 40% | 90 litres | 180 litres | 750 litres | |||
| 30% (Good time to order propane) | 67 litres | 135 litres | 560 litres | |||
| 20% | 45 litres | 90 litres | 375 litres |