5 Surprising Propane Uses

The versatility of propane helps make it a very popular fuel choice. We all know about propane’s common uses: grills, fireplaces, and home heat; among others. However, did you know propane is also used for forklifts, food trucks, and pool heaters? Yeah, I did, too. Way to ruin the fun. Well, let’s see if I can surprise you. Below is a short list of propane uses that, hopefully, will make you say, “Wow!” Or, at the very least, elicit a curious, “Huh.”

5. Hot Air Balloons

Hot air balloons use propane in the burner to heat the air inside the envelope. Referred to by most people as the “balloon”, the “envelope” is the nylon fabric attached to the basket or gondola that forms the familiar structure we all know. The more you heat the air inside the envelope, the higher you’ll rise. Propane, which is highly compressed in the cylinders, flows to the burner in liquid form. Once the pilot engages the burner, the propane flows to it and is ignited by a pilot light.

Today, most modern crafts are outfitted with a 1-4 burner system. The number of burners used in the system would depend upon the size of the vehicle. As for the propane cylinders, they are constructed of aluminum or stainless steel and range in volume from 10-25 gallons. If you’re curious about how much propane gets used, an average-sized balloon will typically burn around 15 gallons of fuel per hour.

This first entry on the list is not that surprising when you think about it, but it’s still pretty cool.

4. Ice Resurfacers

Many ice resurfacers, including Zamboni resurfacing machines, are fueled by propane. Because propane has lower emissions, this makes it ideal for indoor use at hockey arenas, and ice shows.

These machines work by:

Shaving off a thin layer of ice
Gathering the shavings into a tank
Cleaning the ice using water which is then squeegeed, vacuumed, filtered, and returned to the tank
Clean water is delivered onto the ice and evenly spread by a towel pulled behind

If you already knew about forklifts and other vehicles that run on propane, this one is not that big of a surprise. Don’t worry, we’re getting there.

3. Mosquito Traps

Okay, now we’re getting into some different stuff. If you’ve never heard of these, they’re pretty ingenious. Basically, these work by burning propane which creates carbon dioxide, heat, and moisture. Mosquitos are attracted to this because these conditions mimic human breath and body heat.

Once the little critters get close enough, a fan creates a vacuum and they’re sucked into a net. In addition, some devices use octanol, a chemical similar to human odor. The little suckers don’t stand a chance.

Now, I know that was a propane use surprise for some of you. If not, try the next one…

2. Refrigerator/Freezer

If you’re not an outdoorsy-type, or don’t own an RV, you may not know these even exist. While they may look similar to an electric appliance, the propane-powered refrigerators, understandably, work very differently. This appliance uses a process called “absorption refrigeration” to keep things cool.

A propane generator heats a mixture of ammonia and water stored in a chamber in the fridge.
When the mixture boils, the ammonia gas rises into a condenser and is cooled back to a liquid.
The liquid ammonia flows into an evaporator containing hydrogen gas.
A chemical reaction takes place when the hydrogen mixes with the liquid ammonia. This results in the absorption of heat. The heat is pulled from inside the fridge, cooling it.
As the reaction takes place, the ammonia is transformed back into a gas and the mix of hydrogen and ammonia gas flows into a chamber containing water.
The ammonia gas dissolves into the water solution and the hydrogen gas rises back into the evaporator.
The cycle begins again with the ammonia and water mixture.

This type of appliance is perfect for use in RVs, remote cabins, etc. If electricity is an issue, propane is the answer. So, how about that one? Surprised yet? Last chance…

1. Olympic Torch

Beginning in 2000, all the summer games have used propane or a propane mixture to fuel the torches. The COVID-delayed 2020-2021 Olympics in Tokyo utilized propane torches and a few hydrogen torches.

There are literally thousands of torches produced to take part in the long relay, eventually ending with the lighting of the Olympic Flame:

2000 Sydney – 13,000 torches fueled by a mixture of propane and butane
2004 Athens – 14,000 torches fueled by a mixture of propane and butane
2008 Beijing – 26,000 torches fueled by propane
2012 London – 8,700 torches fueled by a mixture of propane and butane
2016 Rio – 12,000 torches fueled by propane
2020 (2021) Tokyo – 16 of 10,000 torches fueled by hydrogen, the rest by propane
2024 Paris – only 2,000 torches made and all were fueled by biopropane. Biopropane is chemically identical to propane, but it is derived from different organic materials such as: animal fat, vegetable oil, plant and animal waste, etc.

How It Works

Liquid fuel is contained in a pressurized cylinder located in the base of the torch. The fuel is forced through a tiny opening in the fuel pipe. Sudden expansion of the fuel passing through the opening results in a mixture of vapor and spray that is ignited by the burner. This provides a steady flow of fuel and a constant burn. Due to the small size of the cylinder, the torches only burn for 12-18 minutes.

Click on the games below to view this century’s Olympic torches.

2000 Sydney 2004 Athens 2008 Beijing 2012 London 2016 Rio 20-21 Tokyo 2024 Paris

There You Have It

I hope you were surprised by at least one of these propane uses. If not…I’ll get you next time. With advancements in energy technology and biopropane, who knows what the future holds? If you enjoyed this blog, please consider subscribing below to receive our free monthly e-newsletter.

Please check our blog periodically for helpful information, handy tips and tricks, and timely announcements.

Keystone Propane, Your Trusted Partner.