The house is a double-wide trailer located in SW Montana. Probably has the standard 500 gal tank which I realize could not hold more than 400 gal. The homeowner probably received at least one delivery of propane this year before his death the last week of July. Current fuel level is unknown but presume it to be no more than 50-60%. The home is now temporarily abandoned with the electric still on and the furnace set at 55 F. Hopefully the water heater was turned off.
Questions: given normal weather how long would you expect the propane to last for heating the home before the supply runs out? Would you guess that 55 F is enough to keep the pipes from freezing? Just looking for opinions really. This property is not my responsibility but other family members are. They are just young kids who have never had to deal with anything like this before. Thanks for any assistance.
Propane Usage Questions
- Thread starter GrtArtiste
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Might be best just to have it winterized for them? Then its not a worry for the winter. I imagine trailers vary quite a bit on how well they are insulated around the water pipes.
I agree, just winterize it. Then you won't be using any propane or electricity, and you don't have to worry about frozen pipes or a fire. I'd guess that 55° would probably not be enough to prevent frozen pipes in a mobile home. In the short time I lived in a mobile home, we had frozen pipes with the heat at 70°.
"That depends" is probably the correct answer here. How well the trailer is insulated is the key variable, particulary in Montana. Heating to 55 may work, but I'd make sure all cabinet doors, etc are open wherever there are pipes.
Here - I can roll through 200 gallons in a month during the colder months. Your place is smaller, but likely less insulated and in a harsher climate.
I'd personally blow air down the pipes and call it a day.
we use about 75 gallons a month to heat a 1000sqft house with 1wall furnace heater,1 propane pot belly heater and a propane oven. house is lacking in insulation but it will get unbearably hot in there if you turn them up.
Yeah, that location, the outside will probably see -30 F, 55 inside and nothing to stir things up will lead to frozen pipes unless the design is really good.
Drain all the pipes and water heater. Then you won't have to worry about it.
and remember, with a trailer, no matter how well insulated the inside living area is, all the plumbing is located below the floor line, in a big open air space, that is closed off from the outside world buy thin (usually)non-insulated sheet metal skirting.
temps down there may be a few degrees above amibient, but unless you can some how insulate the skirting (ie: stacking up hay bales around it)you'll be fighting a battle with futility.
just winterize the place.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7430801_winterize-vacant-mobile-home.html
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