Posted: October 20, 2025
One of the many benefits of propane is that it doesn’t spoil in your tank. That’s why it’s a great fuel for powering backup generators: it’s there and works when you need it. How you use propane plays a big part in how much propane you might use on a daily or monthly basis.
If you use propane to power an appliance or two, a 500-gallon tank could last as much as 14 months. For a home in the Northeast using propane to run a furnace or boiler in the winter, plus for heating water and running multiple appliances, that same 500-gallon tank will last about six to eight weeks. That’s based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which finds the average American home uses about 750 gallons each winter for heating, water heating, and cooking.
Of course, here in South Florida, we don’t have an extended “heating season”—although we’ve seen some major cold snaps. It helps to know that different appliances burn propane at different rates, and some appliances don’t use much propane. For example, a propane cooking range only uses about 35 gallons a year. If that’s your only propane appliance, a 500-gallon tank will last 11 years! On the other hand, a propane fireplace uses about 200 gallons a year.
A traditional water heater burns about 1.5 gallons of propane a day, or about 200–300 gallons per year. A tankless water heater will use between 0.5 and 2 gallons per running hour—basically, how long you are using hot water, since they heat on demand. Pool heaters use more propane, because they’re heating a much larger volume of water.
A couple of other things to consider: how many people are in your household? One or two people will use a lot less water for bathing, dishwashing, and laundry than a big family. If you travel often or are a “snowbird,” your usage will also vary, and a tank of propane could last you longer than average.
While we don’t need to worry as much about heating, we do have to worry about storm-related power outages. One of the many benefits of running your home with propane is that you can also use it to power a whole-house generator. When storms bring down power lines, a standby generator turns on automatically and can run key equipment—or everything in your home.
The average 5,000-watt standby generator will run for about 7 to 10 days on a 500-gallon propane tank.
When it comes to residential propane use, propane tanks typically range from 120 gallons to 500 gallons, depending on what appliances and equipment you are running. Getting a larger tank means you’ll need fewer refills—and you may be able to avoid or lessen the sting from price spikes. But a bigger tank is, well, bigger: you’ll need space to bury it, and if it’s above ground, it can detract from your home’s curb appeal.
If you feel like you need deliveries too often—more than every six weeks or so—you might need a bigger tank. When it comes to finding your propane tank size sweet spot, our expert team can help. We will assess your needs and make sure you get a propane tank that makes sense for your South Florida home.
From tanks and tank monitors to reliable delivery service and equipment installations, the team at Miami Gas is here for you. Contact us today for more information.
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