How to Best Care for Your Residential or Commercial Propane Tank

What You’ll Learn

How do I properly care for my propane tank?

Propane tank care comes down to five simple habits: scheduling regular deliveries, understanding how temperature affects your fuel levels, checking for leaks, keeping the ground level, and inspecting for visible damage.

A little attention goes a long way—a well-maintained above-ground tank lasts at least 12 years, and underground tanks can last 20-30 years.

In this blog:

This blog was updated February 2026.

You spent thousands on your propane tank.

It sits outside, silently doing its job, and you barely think about it—until something goes wrong.

A kink in the line. A valve that won’t open. A tank that suddenly looks rusted.

The good news? Propane tanks don’t need much.

But the little they do need? That’s what keeps them running for 20 or 30 years instead of becoming an expensive problem.

Not sure how to best care for your propane tank? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

How Long Does a Propane Tank Last?

Before we jump into propane tank maintenance tips, let’s take a quick look at how long the average tank lasts.

With proper maintenance, you can expect a freestanding tank to last at least 12 years after the manufacture date. After that, it needs to be recertified every five years. This recertification must be done before you are allowed to refill the tank.

An underground tank, on the other hand, will last anywhere from 20 to 30 years. The actual lifespan will depend on a variety of factors, including whether it was properly installed in the first place and the type of soil you have.

5 Steps for Caring for Your Propane Tank

If you’ve never had a propane tank before, caring for it can feel a bit intimidating. However, it’s not that hard once you understand the basics. Here are five simple steps for properly maintaining your tank.

1. Schedule Regular Propane Deliveries

It’s extremely important not to let your gas tank run dry.

When checking your levels, remember that delivery companies will only fill your tanks to a maximum of 80% of their capacity. This is a safety measure to account for the change of volume that occurs at different temperatures (more on that in a minute).

After you’ve had your tank for a while, you’ll start to notice that propane prices fluctuate by season.

Keep track of these changes, and you’ll know when it’s a good time to stock up and when you should try to avoid getting large fill-ups.

For example, when the weather gets cold, propane costs usually start to go up. 

If this is too much hassle for you (and a lot of people feel this way!), then it’s a good idea to just schedule regular automatic deliveries. This way, you don’t have to worry about trying to monitor your fuel levels and order at the right time.

Automatic delivery usually calculates what’s known as a “k-factor.” It factors in the average high and low temperatures and uses this information to ensure that you receive a delivery at the appropriate intervals.

2. Understand the Impact of Temperatures

Propane expands when it’s heated, so your tank levels will read lower when the temperatures go down. If it’s below 60 degrees, you’ll want to take this into account.

When the delivery company comes to fill your tank, they’ll use a volume correction device to ensure that your tank is topped off appropriately.

To check your levels for an above-ground tank, pour a glass of hot (but not boiling) water on the side of the tank and observe the condensation. The highest level where condensation appears is the level of propane in your tank.

3. Check for Leaks

You should inspect your propane tanks regularly, and part of the inspection process should be checking for leaks. You can do this by pouring a mix of warm, soapy water over both your tanks and the gas lines. Bubbles will appear if you have a leak.

4. Make Sure the Ground Stays Level

It’s always important for above-ground tanks to sit on level ground or else they can tip over.

When you’re doing your inspection, check the dirt under the tank for moisture.

You’ll also want to check and confirm that the concrete platform the tank sits on is still in good condition and doesn’t show any signs of deterioration.

If the tank is sitting on a wooden platform, make sure it’s not rotting or molding. Otherwise, it could eventually collapse, leading to serious problems.

5. Check for Other Problems

Lastly, you’ll want to inspect your tank thoroughly, looking for any other problems. This includes:

• Damaged or missing valves, controls, dials, or indicators
• Kinks in your gas line
• Corrosion on any of your equipment
• Accumulation of soot on the tank or any parts

Note that underground tanks have an anti-corrosion component that must be inspected and tested on a regular basis.

You’ll need to schedule these to ensure your tank continues functioning correctly. If a problem with the component is found, you’ll need to replace it.

You’ll also need to make sure that any portable tanks are anchored down properly so they don’t tip over. If you notice any of your canisters are weathered or worn, you’ll want to replace them as well.

Finally, as an extra safety measure, shut off the valves when you’re not using your propane tanks.

Kauffman Gas Is Here for All Your Propane Needs!

With just a little bit of care, you can expect your propane tank to last for many years. 

Whether you’re new to propane and need installation, or you need help with fuel delivery or tank maintenance, we’re here to help! 

Become a Kauffman Gas customer today to get started!

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