Propane Tanks and the Winter

I've used propane tanks in the winter before without too much problem. However there are a couple of things to be aware of: Propane loses much of its heating value in the cold (anybody know why?), so it's gonna take longer to get those burgers done.

Also, for smaller propane stoves (the backpacking type) I've seen the little needle valves on the tank freeze open. This leads to a spectacular venting of gas until the tank is empty. However I don't think that can happen with a screw-type valves on gas grill tanks.

Propane does not "break down" like the additives for gasoline, so that isn't a problem. ANY tank can leak at any time so be sure to store them safely and check that the tank valves are securely turned off. Filling the tanks in the spring will limit the amount of gas available to leak in case something does go wrong with the tank. Units that have a horizontal cylynder are more prone to this. Always get the best you can afford and RTFM.

In many areas of the US, propane for the standard 20 lb tanks is blended with the much lighter butane. Butane has a lower boiling point, and as a gas has fewer BTUs per cubic foot, so it will boil off first in cold weather and require a higher setting on your grill.

Backpacking stoves are usually fueled with a disposable butane cylynder, and any moisture near the valve can freeze and cause a jam, particularly on less well designed units. This comes from designs that allows the valve to pass liquid butane. The vaporizing liquid is COLD!

Thanks guys! I think I'll only get one filled, though. While I have been grilling 4-5 times a week since June, I'll probably back off once the temps fall below 40 degrees. I guess the wife will have to dust off the stove.

Oh, that's most likely to cause you problems: with lower temperatures, restrictions like needle valves and regulators can freeze due to the gas expansion plus the outside low temperature.

After all, I think the burgers will take longer to cook because... they are cooler!

If you need to use it and is having problems also with pressure loss in the cylinders, the gas expansion may be the cause. In this case, use two cylinders in parallel, to reduce the amount of gas bled from each one. If you don't want to use it during the winter, why worry? Let it be, and spend money charging it just in next spring.