Gas Bottle Consumption

Calculation
We often get asked about how long a gas bottle will last when running a gas
appliance. Using the calculation below you can work this out yourself.
LPG gas bottle energy calculation
1 kg of LPG gas contains 50.4 MJ of energy
1 kW = 3.6 MJ
This means that a 45 kg LPG gas bottle has:
45 kg x 50.4 MJ = 2268 MJ
This works for the different bottle sizes, here are the most common:
9 kg
= 453. 6 MJ
= 2268 MJ
45 kg
= 4536 MJ (two 45 kg bottles)
twin pack

Calculating how long an LPG bottle will last

To work out how many hours an LPG gas bottle will last, you need to divide the energy (MJ)
by the total MJ input of your appliance (in MJ/h).
For example
Rinnai Portable Convector Avenger

= 2268 25 (MJ input of appliance on high)

= 91 hours (approx.)

Rinnai Energysaver - 309FT

= 2268 13 (MJ input of appliance on high)

= 174 hours (approx.)

Rinnai Gas Fireplace - Arriva

= 2268 31.5 (MJ input of appliance on high)

= 72 hours (approx.)

The input figures used in the above calculation are when the appliance is running on high. It
is rare that you will run the appliance on high for a long period of time, so the above usage
calculation will be the worst case scenario.
A continuous flow water heater example has not been included as it is difficult to provide an
approximation as usage is intermittent and can vary significantly according to the application.
You can still use the calculation you just need to determine how long the unit will be used
each day, i.e. 3 x 5 minute showers, 2 loads of washing and intermittent use of the kitchen
tap may equate to 40 minutes of continued use.

Rinnai New Zealand

Gas Bottle Consumption Calculation: 02-10