How Long Does A 500-Gallon Propane Tank Last? (Calculated) (2024)

Of all the residential propane tank sizes, the 500-gallon propane tank is the most common one. When the winter weather hits, you should at least have an idea of how long does a 500-gallon propane tank last for a house.

Here’s the deal:

A 500-gallon propane tank can last anywhere from 1 month and 23 days to 14 months and 4 days. For exact time, check the chart and graph for different sizes of homes further on.

An average US household consumes about 750 gallons of propane per winter. That means an average US household will need about 2 full fills of 500-gallon propane tank per winter (500-gallon tank holds a maximum of 400 gallons of propane; the 80% safety rule).

We will have a closer look at the lifetime of a 500-gallon tank. This will enable us to more precisely figure out how long will 500 gallons of propane last in houses with square footage ranging from 500 sq ft to 4,000 sq ft.

To figure out exactly how long does a 500-gallon propane tank for your house, we need to take into account these key parameters:

• Size of your house. Bigger houses require more heating; 500-gallon propane tank will run out sooner than in the case of smaller houses.
• Heating requirements (location). Houses in the North US require higher BTU heating output than houses in the South US. Example: The 500-gallon propane tank will last longer in Texas than in Chicago.
• How harsh is the winter? In harsh winters we will burn more propane than in mild winters. As we can see from the data for average US household winter consumption for the period from 2010 to 2016 above, the 2013-2014 winter was the harshest and we burned 830 gallons of propane on average vs. 750 gallons of propane on a standard winter.
• Energy efficiency of your propane-powered heating devices. High energy-efficiency propane furnaces with above 90 AFUE rating, for example, will spend less propane for the same heating output than 70 AFUE rating furnaces. That means a 500-gallon propane tank will last longer.
• 80% max. propane tank rule.

How Much Propane Do We Burn Per Winter? (Size Of Home)

As you can see from the EIA data, an average US household burns about 750 gallons of propane every winter. We also know that an average single-family house square footage is about 2,200 sq ft (Data from Statista; period 2010-2019).

We can calculate how many gallons of propane we burn during the winter per square feet:

750 Gallons Of Propane ÷ 2,200 Sq Ft House = 0.34 Gallon Of Propane Per Sq Ft

Based on this, we can calculate the average winter propane usage for different home sizes (these are rough average estimates):

Now we know how many gallons of propane different size homes will, on average, burn throughout the winter. We can use this data to calculate how long will 500-gallon propane last:

How Long Does A 500-Gallon Propane Tank Last For Different Home Sizes

First of all, we need to figure out how many gallons of propane does a 500-gallon propane tank actually hold. Instinctively we think it’s 500 gallons; it’s actually 400 gallons.

We only fill propane tanks up to 80% of their respective full volumetric capacity. That is done for safety reasons. If a propane tank is heated, the propane would expand and create pressure on the outer layers of the tank.

That means that a full 500-gallon tank holds 400 gallons of propane. Its totally energy content is 36,600,000 BTUs (100% efficiency).

Before we look at the table of how long will a 500-gallon tank last for different sizes of homes, let’s look at an example of how you can calculate that.

Example: How long does a 500-gallon propane tank last for a 1,500 sq ft house?

Based on average estimations, we know that a 1,500 sq ft will burn through 510 gallons of propane in 6 winter months. We also know that a full 500-gallon tank contains 400 gallons of propane. Here’s how we can calculate that:

• 510 gallons of propane will last for 6 months.
• 400 gallons (full 500-gallon tank) will last for how many months?

400 Gallons × 6 Months ÷ 510 Gallons = 4.706 Months

That means that a full 500-gallon propane tank will last for 4 months and 6 days in a 1,500 sq ft home.

We can use this principle to calculate after what time the 500-gallon tank will be empty for different home sizes:

500-Gallon Tank Longevity Chart

Here is a graphic representation of these numbers:

Now, these are just estimations, based on statistic averages.

An important factor that can increase or decrease the specified time how long will a 500-gallon propane tank last is the energy efficiency of your propane-powered appliances. That usually means a propane furnace.

High energy efficiency propane furnaces (with above 90 AFUE rating) will require less propane for the same heating output. These superb units can prolong the time how long does a 500-gallon propane tank last for up to 25%.

You can read our entire article about how long do propane tanks last (any tank from 1 lb to 1,000-gallon tank) here. If you’re deciding between 500-gallon vs 100-gallon, 250-gallon, or 1,000-gallon propane tank, you can check how similar calculation for:

• How long does a 100-gallon tank last?
• How long does a 250-gallon tank last?
• How long does a 1,000-gallon tank last?

If you have any questions about the calculations or the longevity of 500-gallon propane tanks, you can use the comments below and we’ll try our best to help you out.