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I’m in the process of choosing appliances for the kitchen of my new home in the woods. There will be no natural gas lines, but I would still like to cook with gas. I’m looking for some advice about cooking with propane. Also, I don’t intend to use a large propane storage tank. Instead, I would like to use two bar-b-que style tanks (easier to refill – although more frequently). I’ve heard the two tanks give you the protection of back-up and they tend to last a fairly long time. Any thoughts??
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Replies
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Propane is the same as Natural Gas, more or less, no big deal. Just pick your appliances based on what you decide to use/find.
You will have very little satisfacion on 20# tanks though, Better step up to 100# and have one in reserve.
Better yet, why don't you stop by a Natural/Propane Gas supplier in the area of your cabin and review your thoughts with them, they will be the ones to help you. Both forms are available in tanks and they will probaly deliver to a 100# but not 20# tank
There is not much you can't do with gas.........
If you want more specialized help post this unde the group "Heating, Insulating, & Venting a House"
*.... Mr. Jones.. Smith here..we got a cabin in the woods too, lots of Propane..so far we've got:hot watergas stovewall mount lightsgas space heater& gas refrigerator..we only run the generator for the water pump and extra light when we're cooking or reading..our generator is gasoline, but if i had it to do over again, it would be ......you guessed it...Propane.. no carbureutor, no gas cans...and we've got a whole series of bulk tanks, because they can't get in, ..once the snow starts, until Spring......take a tip from mr. Anderson, discuss your plans with your local bottled gas dealer...b Thoreau only wished he had it so good...
*Mike similar as to you, 10 miles from shore, propane every 2 to 3 years by barge, if I'm lucky.but you forget to mention the best one, I reccomend it highly "Gas Lights" they are great, oops maybe you did (Wall)Because of need:Converted generator to propane for emergency use.Converted Pump to propane also.So just seasonal cabin use though.Way out there.Anderson
*If you need a downdraft venting propane cook top, Jenn AIre makes one. You can still light the burners with a match if the power is out.Go with 100 # tank is my suggestion also.Also look into all the other items mentioned above. As long as you are plumbing a tank, use it for several appliaces.I like my propane, even if the last fill was at 1.49 a gallon in my 500 gallon tank.Frank
*I actualy live 'out there' 24/7 365.I use propane for cooking, turn a burner on at the stove for heat, and use a propane light when the power goes out.I know that plenty of people will get all up in arms about using a burner of a cookstove for heat. I admit I was quite worried at first what effect it might have on my health, but this tiny camper is so 'leaky' that there has always been plenty of fresh air, and I have had no propane or carbon dioxide related health issues. One burner on the stove coupled with a small fan affixed to the side of a cabinet halfway across the camper, have provided even, and fairly good heat all winter. The fan is pointed at the floor, so it blows the heated air down. Of course, my camper is so small that I don't have room to change my mind. Every time I turn around, I bump into myself. Not a lot of space to heat. But it is also a camper, (read, no insulation and VERY thin, leaky walls.), so if your cabin is well insulated you should not use much propane for heat either. I use the 5 gallon tanks. I have 4. This gives me backup, (I know to take the other 3 to the refiller when I hook the last one up.). I don't have to pay someone exhorbitant fees just to drive the propane out to me, I fill them when I go to the grocers' etc. Plus, I literaly live on the side of the mountain, most of my property is steeply sloped. I tried dragging the bigger ones up the hill. They proved to be a pain in the arse even using a winch. I can carry the 5 gallon tanks up by myself, two at a time, no trouble.Even using a burner 24 hours a day, the small tanks last an average of a week apiece. Once I can afford it I will build a larger place, and will use wood to heat with. (I have already been given two woodstoves. Yay !!!) This will bring consumption down to probably a tank every month and a half to two months. I seem to remember a tank lasting for 2 and a half months or more during the summer.One further note of advice... Build some sort of shelter for the tanks. Not because you want to baby the tanks but because you will want to be out of the rain, etc when changing the tanks yourself. Make this shelter separate from the house, you don't want a propane leak into your living space. I also used a tarp to make a covered walkway from the door to the tanks. (No walls in the walkway.)Propane cooks exactly the same as natural gas. If you are going to use a tank-type propane water heater, take my advice and get a small one. Just big enough for the number of people you will have there to take a shower. Get one that takes a couple 'D' batteries for ignition, instead of having a pilot light. Turn this heater on about an hour before taking a shower or doing the dishes, then turn it off again afterward. This way it is not constantly using propane to keep water hot that doesn't need to be. Get a small on-demand heater for the sink. This way you won't be tempted to just leave the big heater on all the time.I hope this is helpful.:-)
*You don't say if you have road access or not. Makes all the difference in the world. If you have road access and commercial power the setup is simple. Just use normal gas appliances that are jetted for propane and a decent sized bulk tank.I have participated in several installations where there is neither road access or commercial power. I have found that using the biggest tank you can conveniently carry is best. For most non-athletic people that is 40#. But 100# are popular as well. The little tanks just aren't big enough.Appliances: Propane refrigerator, cookstove and possibly lights. Depending on how much you use the place propane lights at 45-50 a pop may be a bit pricey. Shower: Get a marine shower. They work great. Heat: Again depends. I like wood if available. If not then whatever you choose to haul. Some folks use oil. No one I know uses propane for heat except to take the chill off in the am. Lots of folks do this from little 80sf cabins to 1500sf cabins. But propane works just fine as long as you maintain the appliance and go for the biggest tanks you can conveniently handle.
*I have a dual fuel cooktop with the 2 gas burners supplied from a 5 gal propane bottle. I fill it about twice a year. The barbeque uses more.
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I installed a propane cooktop (GE) 15 years ago. It is slow slow slow. A 40 lb bottle lasts a year. Great for blackouts.
Moved to a house with real natural gas. It was fast!.
Check the BTU output before you buy.
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I have a propane heater in my cabin. I have an assortment of tanks, 20#, 40#, and 100#. The 20# and 40# will fit in the trunk of a car but you need a pickup for the 100#. I had my gas supplier make up a rubber hose with female 3/8" gas fittings on both ends. My gas line stubs out through the wall with a 3/8" male fitting on the end. If I am going to be there for a weekend I simply hook up a 20# tank with a BBQ regulator. If, however, I am going to be there for a week or it is very cold I will muscle the 100# tank (cylinder) into position and hook it up with its own regulator and the hose I described earlier. Takes about two minutes to hook up and a minute or so for the gas to reach the stove. Having two (or more) tanks makes sense. In small quantities, propane is sold by weight. If you take a 20# cylinder in and it only needs 15# you still pay for 20#. So it is smart to bring in empty tanks for fillups. I have 4 or 5 20# tanks. Paid $2 to $5 at yard sales.
*Just call Cabela's and order the whole outfitter package. Tents/stove/heaters/lamps/etc. Then all you'll need is a mule or two! I've often thought of this as opposed to a cabin. I'm tellin' ya, the outfitter stuff looks pretty comfy! Jeff
*We have a 1940's O'Keefe & Merrit gas range. It cost about $50. (Needed lots of cleaning though) It was originally built for natural gas. Changing the jets to a larger orifice was the only modification needed for propane conversion. You lose about 10% of your BTU's when switching to propane. We keep the pilots off and use matches. One 5 gal. bottle lasts about a month. And my wife does a lot of cooking, bread baking, pies etc. Dave
*A potential problem with using small tanks is they cool off too much. A stove top will never do it, even when it got to -40F up here last winter. But a hot water heater, or space heater pulls more propane and as it evaporates from the tank, the tank cools. I've had this happen even in San Francisco at 40F when pulling 500,000 BTU/hour from a 500 gallon tank (draining it every 4 days). It would ice up and the pressure would drop below the 5 psi I needed. Again, not a problem for a cooktop (which pulls at a slower rate, less continously, and only needs 1/4 psi to work). But something to consider before installing larger propane appliances in a cold environment. -David Kenai, Alaska
*Thanks David for reinforcing by giving another reason why you don't heat with hauled propane.Be interesting to hear what R.N.Jones has decided as a result of this post.
*.... BTW... other than being on an island.. i can't conceive of many places a bulk truck can't get to.....i don't understand why you guys are hauling those tanks around...can you drive to your camps?if you can drive to your camps , so can the bulk truck.. and they've usually got a 100' or so of hose to go the last bit..if they can only get in part of the year... increase the size of your tanks to get thru the season they can't get to the tanks..the road to our camp is snowed in for 5 months in a tough winter...jsut wondering.....
*Mike:The sites I have personal knowledge of are not accessable by a bulk truck. A few are are miles from the nearest road. A couple more have such narrow, twisty roads that a pickup can barely make the trip.
*FredB... ....i feel yur pain , man.....hire a bulldozer... widen the road.. how you gonna hump them tanks when you get over the hill like me (more that 25)... hah!
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I like propane..but...If you are in deep snow country be very careful to protect the regulator from snow and freezing moisture. If the vent hole is plugged the regulator may send too much pressure to the appliance. This could lead to a leak. Also protect the pipes from the tank to the house. Settling Deep (4 or 5 feet) snow can shear off pipes. The gas then seeps under the snow(it's heavier than air) until it enters a building (not necessarily your building). It will fill the building up to the first ignition source and then go boom!! We lost two buildings in this way in our valley during a heavy snow winter 3 years back. Needless to say that folks are much more careful now!!
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R N Jones,
Propane functions the same as natural gas but burns twice as hat. You'll need a compatable stove though most gas stoves are convertable by adjustment or nipple replacement. Don't mess with #20 tanks. Call the local propane co.
David Taylor
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You've made the most significant choice in a man's life next to his spouse and his choice of beverage.
In my many years as a salesman of propane and propane accessories, I've been faced with this dilemma countless times. My advice for you is to install the largest possible container that will fit on the lot. If necessary, you could have a years supply of propane airlifted in via helicopter. It's worth the expense, trust me on this.
Sincerely,
Hank Hill
Arlen, Texas
*Uhhh hank, were you messin with the propane tank valves again ?You know that here at the megaolmart I am your boss, and I said to quit messing with the tanks. Someone is going to get theyselves blowed up.
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Then there was the one about the weekend pilot zooming toward earth trying desparately to open his chute, seeing a homeowner zooming upward the pilot yelled "hey man you know anything about a parachute?" the homeowner replied, "Hell no man, you know anything about a gas stove.?"
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I'm in the process of choosing appliances for the kitchen of my new home in the woods. There will be no natural gas lines, but I would still like to cook with gas. I'm looking for some advice about cooking with propane. Also, I don't intend to use a large propane storage tank. Instead, I would like to use two bar-b-que style tanks (easier to refill - although more frequently). I've heard the two tanks give you the protection of back-up and they tend to last a fairly long time. Any thoughts??