Domestic propane - Can I obtain an inline gauge to show how much gas
is left in the container?

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 28 Mar 2004 12:40 PST

I'd hoped that the 'GasGard' gauge would be the answer for you, but
the international aspect complicates things considerably.

According to this site, the threading on some European gas bottles
differs from that of American bottles, and not all European bottles
are the same:

http://www.seacrest.nl/library/practical.htm#propane

In what nation was your bottle manufactured?

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Clarification of Question by gerryep1-ga on 28 Mar 2004 15:21 PST

In that this is the 1st time I've used Google Answers forgive me if
i'm pleased but surprised at the level of care being shown in helping
me to find a solution.

I've ordered the unit you showed me and thought that in due course I'd
find adaptors to get it to fit, the bottles which I wish to measure
are at my holiday home in Marbella, Spain (I am in the UK) the hot
water supply is fed by gas bottles and I am advised by my builder that
I will lose hot water generation from my Bosch water heater long
before the bottle is empty - that is the background to the question.

Many thanks,

Gerald

Gerald,

I'm glad I was able to locate a propane gauge for you. Like most
Google Answers Researchers, I am always pleased to be in a position to
help someone find what he needs online.

While the Google Web Search is a marvellous way to find many kinds of
information, when it comes to locating products that are for sale, I
like to turn to Google's offshoot, Froogle.

I located the GasGard gauge by searching on Froogle, using this search string:

Froogle Search: gauge propane OR lpg
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=gauge+propane+OR+lpg&btnG=Search+Froogle

Hope this works out well! Although an adaptor may be required, this
device should meet your needs nicely, at a reasonable price.

Best wishes,
pinkfreud

How about putting the bottle on a scale?

Thanks, weighing may help but seems clumsy.  I find it hard to believe
that the millions of gas bottle supplied water heaters, bar-b-q's,
caravans etc. haven't found a simple method of monitoring use and
availabilty.

gerryep1...

I found the following on a thread in an RV.net forum for motorhome
owners:

"An inline guage really isn't going to help you much. The inline
 guage will show you line pressure. You'll have the same line
 pressure if your tank is full or if there is only a few gallons
 left. Theres not a real sure way to tell how much gas is left
 in the tank without weighting the tank. You can buy those stick
 on guages that stick on the side of the gas tank and you have
 to pour warm water over them."

With or without the "stick on gauges", the hot water trick seems
to be a common solution:

"...get a pot of hot water (from the tap is hot enough).. slowly
 pour it down the side of the tank from the top. Once the water
 is gone, slide your hand down the path of the hot water trail
 ..wherever the hot sensation stops and the cold begins is where
 the level of propane is.."
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/13258335/gotomsg/13262079.cfm

If this satisfies you needs, let me know and I'll post it as the
answer.

sublime1-ga

Would this meet your needs?

http://www.grilllovers.com/shopItemDetail.asp?txtproductId=7790653

I found a cheaper price for the same device here:

http://www.camperschoice.com/cgi-bin/more_info.pl?order_id=&cust_id=&group_id=2030

Thanks - this guage seems to be it - I'll but it and hope it will fit
european bottles.

Thank you

G