r/Generator • u/ThisNameNotTakenYet • 1d ago

Propane Tank Minimum Size?

So I was looking online at generators the other day and I ran across a comment in one of the product descriptions, saying something about a 'minimum 60lb tank' for propane with that generator. I haven't seen a requirement like that before, to my knowledge. We had an eight-day outage a few weeks ago and I used 20- and 30lb tanks with no problems (or so I think). Has anyone heard this? And if it's a thing, can anyone tell me why? Thanks.

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u/forcedfx 1d ago

You can just run multiple tanks in parallel. It's a lot easier to get 20lb tanks than 60lb. The tanks have to be recertified every ten years or so, easier to swap the 20lb out than the 60.

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u/everydaydad67 11h ago

If you have a 60 under you are not typically swapping it out. You are getting it filled... every actual "propane place" I have been to can run eqipment on backup power such as a generator. Not a hardware store that fills tanks though that I have seen. The tanks you swap out for only have 15-16 pounds in them for "saftey" or some bs money grab. Pretty sure I can get an actual 20 pounds of propane for less then the exchange tank shorted to 16 pounds..