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Thread: A Different Stove Question

  1. #1
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    A Different Stove Question

    We live in an area that does not have natural gas delivery as a utility. If we want natural gas, we have to have a tank and then a truck comes when we need it.

    We do not have a tank for the house. We do have a tank at our greenhouse.

    We currently have an electric stove that will likely need replacement in a few years.

    Does anyone here have a gas stove fed from a tank? Any ideas on how big a tank is needed for service to a stove? How often to fill?

    We occasionally have power failures and it would be nice to be able to use our stove so we do not have to go out for dinner or breakfast. We have had an occasion or two where our power was out for a full day. A landslide taking out a few poles can do that.

    Thanks for any information on this,

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  2. #2
    Jim,
    I have a stove and clothes dryer that burn propane. I think the tank has a 50 gallon capacity. It gets filled once a year and we burn about 35 gallons. In my area they charge more per gallon if you use less. In addition some companies add a surcharge if you do not use enough. When the electric is out the stove still works though.
    Izzy

  3. #3
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    At my previous home, I used propane delivered to an on-site tank for cooking. (I have natural gas from the street here) My good friend just did a whole kitchen renovation (the one I did the big island top for) and he's using propane from the big tanks he already has for his pool heater. He'll be running a whole house generator off those same tanks at some point, too. Propane is just fine for cooking. You don't get quite the same BTU as you do with natural gas, but it's close. I highly reccomend cooking with gas over electric unless it's impossible to get at a property for some reason and then induction is the way to go, IMHO.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
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    Jim,
    Be aware that it is also possible to buy or rent the tank. If you own the tank you can shop around to various suppliers for the best propane prices, but you're also responsible for maintenance and upkeep. If you rent the tank, you're generally obligated to purchase your propane from the supplier who rents you the tank. Tanks can be above ground or buried (if you're concerned about the looks). Here in rural Penna. propane is very popular for both residential and commercial use. I use propane at home and my business, as natural gas is not available to me either.

  5. #5
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    Jim, you are not exactly correct. Induction electrical stove much more efficient then any natural gas/propane stove you can buy.
    Plus induction stove much faster too.
    Ed.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    At my previous home, I used propane delivered to an on-site tank for cooking. (I have natural gas from the street here) My good friend just did a whole kitchen renovation (the one I did the big island top for) and he's using propane from the big tanks he already has for his pool heater. He'll be running a whole house generator off those same tanks at some point, too. Propane is just fine for cooking. You don't get quite the same BTU as you do with natural gas, but it's close. I highly reccomend cooking with gas over electric unless it's impossible to get at a property for some reason and then induction is the way to go, IMHO.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eduard Nemirovsky View Post
    Jim, you are not exactly correct. Induction electrical stove much more efficient then any natural gas/propane stove you can buy.
    Plus induction stove much faster too.
    Ed.
    I didn't mention anything about overall efficiency. My comment was reflective of the difference between natural gas and propane for BTU output. Gas on a range top will always be my preference for the level of control it provides. But thankfully, induction has a billion times more control than regular resistance electric for folks who can't do gas and really, really like to cook. Yes, there's some subjectivity there, but ask any serious amateur or a professional cook, and most will agree with my feelings.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
    Propane has a higher BTU output then natural gas, it's also heavier then air so will settle on the floor if there is a leak, which one reason I hate propane, my hot water & furnace is natural gas but the kitchens on both houses on the property are all electric, which is way cleaner then gas, it's been 24 years since my kitchen was last painted & still in good shape + no hood either.

  8. #8
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    Be aware most modern gas stoves need electricity to run the oven valve. The burners on top can be lit with a match but not the oven. They probably went to electric oven valves by the 70's.
    Bill D.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rollie Meyers View Post
    Propane has a higher BTU output then natural gas,
    Given that...it's interesting how ranges have lower BTU figures for Propane use vs Natural Gas use...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Given that...it's interesting how ranges have lower BTU figures for Propane use vs Natural Gas use...
    That is weird! Since a cubic foot of propane has almost twice the BTU content of NG, you wouldn't think so. But, I think the issue is that convertible ranges don't have enough air/oxygen input to use all the available energy. So, the jet sizing is much smaller for propane. I think dedicated gas or propane are different in that respect.

  11. #11
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    I do not belive that propane is really any more btu's per cubic foot if the pressure was equal. The difference is that propane is normally supplied to the burner at about double the pressure of NG so it appears to have more BTU's per cubic foot. But as soon as it leaves the orifice the fuel drops to atmospheric pressure.
    The lower Btu content of propane has something to do with the more complex molecular structure of propane and its many more bonds which have to be broken to split the molecule during combustion.
    Bill D.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    We live in an area that does not have natural gas delivery as a utility. If we want natural gas, we have to have a tank and then a truck comes when we need it.

    We do not have a tank for the house. We do have a tank at our greenhouse.

    We currently have an electric stove that will likely need replacement in a few years.

    Does anyone here have a gas stove fed from a tank? Any ideas on how big a tank is needed for service to a stove? How often to fill?

    We occasionally have power failures and it would be nice to be able to use our stove so we do not have to go out for dinner or breakfast. We have had an occasion or two where our power was out for a full day. A landslide taking out a few poles can do that.

    Thanks for any information on this,

    jtk
    Replace the old radiant electric stove with an induction one. Weber cooker or camping stove for when the power goes out.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Kelly View Post
    Replace the old radiant electric stove with an induction one. Weber cooker or camping stove for when the power goes out.
    We are not much fans of induction stoves. We do have a lot of cast iron, but my wife tends to like the lightness of some of her aluminum cookware.

    Sometimes the power goes out when it is snowing. Not sure the wife would want to fire up the BBQ during inclement weather.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  14. #14
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    Natural verse Propane

    I have had both over the years and would take either over electric.
    The natural gas models can not be directly connected to the propane line.
    Most units you can buy the other orifices needed and change them your self.
    Some even come with both. My older one (1966) did.

    Howard Garner

  15. #15
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    I've cooked with gas for much of my adult life and having recently tried induction with a small countertop unit, I'm completely sold on it. No open flames, instant heat adjustment, easy to clean, perfectly even heating, can't see any cons.

    Fondue if the power goes out in the snow!

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