Propane Tank Run Time Calculator

About this calculator

Propane stores roughly 91,500 BTU of usable energy per gallon, so a tank's total energy content (gallons × 91,500, adjusted for the standard 80% fill level tanks are rated to) divided by an appliance's BTU/hour rating gives the number of hours it can run before the tank empties. A 20 lb (≈4.7 gallon) grill tank feeding a 30,000 BTU burner, for instance, lasts roughly 13-14 hours of actual burn time — very different from calendar days if the appliance only runs a few hours daily.

This calculator takes your tank size and appliance BTU draw and estimates both total run hours and how many days that stretches to at your typical daily use. RV owners, campers, and homeowners with propane heaters, generators, or fire pits use it to plan refills before a trip or cold snap, and grill owners use it to know when a tank is likely to run dry mid-cookout.