Via an e-mail from reader Richard T., I recently had a special request to write an article. His request:
“From a 1975 The Mother Earth News magazine, I found an obscure reference to the Crosley “Icy Ball” refrigerator and a search found it mentioned in a SurvivalBlog article from 2009. I followed the link in the article which led me on to research it some more. Using “Crosley Icy Ball refrigerator” as a search phrase in Youtube I found several short videos on it. I then discovered this was not a lost technology but this is how RV and propane refrigerators work and they can still be bought today. Recalling that the Rawles homestead uses these, I think that readers, like myself, would like to hear your experience with them. Particularly, I’d like to know how propane can be safely used in the home as well as their efficiency.”
We Are Propane Believers
We have been using Propane upright freezers, clothes dryers, domestic water heaters, and kitchen ranges here at the Rawles Ranch for more than a decade. We also recently replaced our aging electric refrigerator/freezer with a propane model. That now leaves us with just one major appliance that is powered by AC electricity: a top-loading chest freezer. And even that one will probably be replaced by a propane freezer, when we can afford to buy it. Our backup generator has a gasoline engine. But our long-term goal is to replace it with a propane-engined one.
We are believers in going “propane heavy” or two main reasons:
- First, we prefer relying on our large propane tank because it leaves us less vulnerable to AC grid power interruptions. Because we live out in the hinterboonies, there are plenty of grid power blackouts, particularly with winter rain and snow storms and spring and summer thunderstorms. Since moving to our current ranch in 2006, we have experienced an average of eight power failures per year. Most of those have lasted less than 12 hours. But several of them have been for more than two days, and one lasted four days. As preppers, we always have EMP and solar storms in mind. Though unlikely, either of those could catastrophically bring the power grids down for not just months, but years. In a grid-down world, firewood, propane, and PV power will be the kings.
- Second, our photovoltaic power system is fairly small. We would have to add $30,000 worth of equipment to scale it up to operate most of our major appliances. And even then, it would not be able to handle large inductive loads like a water heater, space heaters, or an electric dryer.
Relative Efficiency
We live in a region with very inexpensive AC grid power provided by a power cooperative. Most of the power in our region is hydroelectrically-produced. Since we are on coop power, we pay the same rate that most businesses pay, rather than a residential rate. Presently, we pay just over 8 cents per kilowatt hour (KWH) for our 1,250 KWH monthly baseline, and the bill is bumped up to 10 cents per KWH for anything used above the 1,250 KWH baseline. To put that cost in perspective: In Florida, residential electricity averages 15 cents per KWH, in California, it averages 31.6 cents per KWH, and in Hawaii, it is a whopping 42.69 cents per KWH. By the way, you can see a full list of average power rates at the Energybot website.
With “cheap” hydroelectric grid power available here as an alternative, propane is actually a bit more expensive for most of our uses. But because we are preppers, we see the wisdom of having a large propane tank, and mostly running propane appliances.
Our most recent propane bill was for 228 gallons, at $2.60 per gallon. We are on a “keep-filled” contract with our local propane company, and they make deliveries at roughly six-week intervals. I estimate that if we had an “all-electric” house, our total monthly energy costs would be about 18% less. But I have the assurance of knowing that we have very little need of any grid power. (We also have a wood heating stove, a wood cookstove, two “spare” hand-pump wells, and lots of hand-powered kitchen and workshop tools and appliances.)
The Advantages
Most of the advantages of propane appliances are self-evident. They are amazingly reliable. They are also amazingly quiet. Other than the faint continuous sound of the propane burner, they are nearly silent. Propane freezers and refrigerators are certainly much quieter than electric ones. There is no annoying sound of a compressor motor cycling off and on.
The Drawbacks
A propane-heavy lifestyle does have some drawbacks. The appliances can be 30% to 100% more expensive, for the initial purchase price, versus electric appliances of the same capacity.
Aside from cost, running propane appliances has some other drawbacks. It might seem counterintuitive, but propane refrigerators and freezers generate heat, to make a smaller space cold. This is a process called heat absorption. So this means that you’ll have some unintended space heating going on, year-round. In the winter, that extra heat is welcomed. But on the hottest summer days, it can be slightly annoying.
Burning propane also throws some moisture into the air. Here in the Inland Northwest, we have fairly low ambient humidity. But in a more humid climate, running a lot of propane appliances might make the indoor humidity uncomfortable. Do your due diligence before you buy.
Another drawback is that propane freezers and refrigerators are not “frost-free.” We typically defrost ours twice each year. That takes time, and it can be a bit messy. But, thankfully, we have tile or concrete floors in all of the places where we have our propane freezers and propane refrigerator-freezer. So we just lay down some old towels beneath their doors, whenever we defrost them.
One other minor drawback is that we occasionally get a whiff of odorized propane, when operating our propane kitchen range. That is usually when we first light the main burner, after it has been fully “OFF”. But if we fire it up from the “PILOT” position, then there is no smell at all.
Built to Last
Generally, propane appliances are more sturdy than their electric equivalents. They have a well-earned reputation for reliability. One of my friends owns a Sevel brand propane refrigerators that has been in continuous operation for 75+ years. The only repair that has ever needed was a replacement door seal. Most of the small propane refrigerators are made for the RV market, and they are not known for long-term reliability. In contrast, most of the large propane freezers and refrigerators are made by Amish companies. They are built sturdy and with no frills. There are no automatic ice makers or in-the-door chilled water dispensers. They are incredibly rugged and long-lasting. We are still running the first propane chest freezer that we bought new in 2008. It has only needed one replacement part in all those years. That was a replacement thermocouple. That was just a $23 part. Since I’m one of those “Two is one…” kinda guys, I bought two spare thermocouples, to keep on hand.
We also have a propane kitchen range. Our first propane range used an AC-powered glow bar for the main oven compartment, and AC-powered top burner igniters. Thus, whenever there were power failures, we were only able to use the top burners, and we lit those with matches or a butane wand lighter. More recently, we switched to a more traditional Amish-built propane range. This has battery-powered top burner igniters and a piezoelectric igniter and pilot light for the main oven compartment burner. It is oblivious to any grid power interruptions. It is truly “Old School” and just about bombproof. We expect it to last for many decades. With its Plain Jane Amish white enamel and no chrome, it won’t win any beauty contests. But it is definitely built to last.
Some Good Appliance Brands
One of our upright propane freezers is a Blizzard brand, and the other is a Crystal Cold brand. Both are built like tanks. Our propane refrigerator-freezer was also made by Crystal Cold. It has a 13.5 cubic-foot refrigerator compartment and a 4.2 cubic-foot freezer compartment. It does have a battery-powered light for the main compartment. But, otherwise, it looks like something that was built in the 1960s.
Our propane kitchen range is from the Premier brand. Again, no fancy trim, but it is built for a reliable long life.
Our propane hot water heater is a Bradford White brand. There are lots of other propane-fueled hot water heater brands on the market, but I chose the Bradford White because of its high reliability rating.
Our propane clothes dryer is a Speed Queen. It — like our washer — is from their famously reliable “Commercial Heavy Duty” product line. I suppose that we could operate its tumbler/fan motor with our off-grid power system, but generally we just use our clothes drying racks near our wood heating stove, whenever we have grid power failures, instead of the dryer.
We sourced several of our propane appliances from the mostly web-based company Oasis Montana. They have a low overhead, so they can offer a low markup. Most of their appliances are drop-shipped directly from manufacturers, right to the buyer’s door.
Summary
In sum, we enjoy our propane-heavy lifestyle here at the ranch. I sleep better at night, knowing that even if a nuclear EMP strike drops all three American power grids, we will still have most of the modern conveniences — at least as long as we have a supply of propane.
If you decide to go propane-heavy, then I recommend that you buy a very large propane storage tank. For a typical family of four, a 3,000-gallon (or larger) propane tank would be advisable, if your local fire code will allow it. Underground tanks are preferable, both in terms of ballistic protection and for OPSEC. (Nothing screams “Survivalist!” to visitors louder than the sight of a 4,000-gallon aboveground propane tank.)
Oh, and a final note: I generally recommend buying rather than leasing a home propane storage tank. Some tank lease contracts only allow you to buy propane from the company that supplied the tank. I like having the option of price-shopping for propane. – JWR
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