Caladh
Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever changed from one to the other and if so why ? I am aware of course that Camping Gas is horrendously expensive compared to 7kg blue butane gas.
Butane Blue or Propane Red gas
- Thread starter Caladh
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Graham376
Well-Known Member
Used propane in UK to avoid freezing but use Campingaz elsewhere as easy to obtain, can't be bothered finding places to refill UK bottles.
NickRobinson
Well-Known Member
Red gas best.. If your lockers only take Gaz 907s people here will tell you how you should never, ever, refill them at £4 a pop.
maby
Well-Known Member
We swapped the regulator on our previous boat to convert to propane and it was a great improvement for the winter. We intend to do the same on the new boat, but it is more complicated because of the layout of the gas locker and we will need to get the local fitter to do it.
Kwik Decision
Well-Known Member
The "gas" in the cylinder is actually mainly a liquid, with only the top part of the cylinder containing gas. As this gas is withdrawn, some of the liquid boils off, to replace it. The boiling point of butane is around 0°C, and therefore at ambient temperatures below this, the liquid will stop boiling off, and you stop getting any gas to your stove. Propane has a boiling point of around -42°C, and so the liquid continues to boil off, even in very cold conditions. As a result of this, propane is recommended for winter use. However, as butane is more energy dense, it is preferred when ambient temperatures allow.
As you've spotted, Camping Gaz (butane) is outrageously expensive. If you are based in the UK, and can fit calor gas cylinders in your gas locker, they are far cheaper to get refills, and gives you a choice between propane and butane. To switch from one to the other, you probably just need a new regulator, assuming you use a reg which screws directly onto the cylinder valve. Your boat cooker should operate fine on either gas.
As you've spotted, Camping Gaz (butane) is outrageously expensive. If you are based in the UK, and can fit calor gas cylinders in your gas locker, they are far cheaper to get refills, and gives you a choice between propane and butane. To switch from one to the other, you probably just need a new regulator, assuming you use a reg which screws directly onto the cylinder valve. Your boat cooker should operate fine on either gas.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Camping Gaz if you are likely to be places where Calor cylinders are unlikely to be available or refillable
Butane or Propane in the UK , where Calor cylinders are readily available. Propane rather than butane if you want to be able to use the gas at near or below 0C
Butane/ Camping Gaz vs Propane may depend, however, on what your cooker can use
Best solution may be a 30 mb dual fuel ( ie propane or butane) bulkhead mounted marine regulator with a pigtail hose terminating with an M20 fitting and adapters that will allow connection of this to to Camping Gaz, Calor butane or Calor propane cylinders as required. Assuming your cooker is suitable of course
See W Haywards website https://www.whayward.shop/
Also Hamilton gas products: https://gasproducts.co.uk/ and Southampton Calor Centre: https://www.socal.co.uk/
GHA
Well-Known Member
Whatever is available locally goes in the homebase propane bottles. Propane usually so far. Still on a propane regulator at 37mB but the yet to be fitted annex M dual propane/butane regulator boiled a kettle 15 seconds slower than the propane one so that will get fitted one day then it doesn't matter. A lot of countries it will be a mix of unknown ratio anyway.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
A lot depends on how much you use. With liberal use of shore power and hot water from the calorifier our gas use is much less than in the days when we had to rely on gas. Consequently, the convenience and availability of Camping Gas means that the extra cost is not very significant.
ctva
Well-Known Member
I ditched the Gaz butane bottles about 15years ago for the red 3.9kg propane Calor bottles. Other than the regulator, no other changes were required for our ENO stove. Jeanneau have an awkwardly shaped twin Gaz bottle holder in fibreglass on a shelf. I ripped it out and replaced it with a made to measure ply and fibreglass box with a much better use of space, gained half a shelf.
I subscribed to simplicity and avoided the ‘marine’ regulators going for a hand tightening one so no spanner needed. Also, I’ve never noticed it boiling a kettle slower. We connected a new bottle at the start of a three week cruise in July and it is still not finished.
And the best bit, even full price is around £12 I think.
I subscribed to simplicity and avoided the ‘marine’ regulators going for a hand tightening one so no spanner needed. Also, I’ve never noticed it boiling a kettle slower. We connected a new bottle at the start of a three week cruise in July and it is still not finished.
And the best bit, even full price is around £12 I think.
pagoda
Well-Known Member
We ditched Camping Gaz 907s about 8 years ago and moved to 4Kg Calor Butane. Then to the 3.9Kg Calor Propane bottles. There is a new propane regulator, but the cooker jets size / performance is unchanged. I had problems with butane not working over winter (Scottish winter...)
Propane works reliably.
And about 1/4 of the price- easy to come- by Ireland included!
PilotWolf
Well-Known Member
Definitely Propane, I've had to keep pouring hot water over a Butane cylinder in a UK winter to keep the gas flowing.
W.
W.
Caladh
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info people. I asked because an engineer has recommended Propane over my existing 7kg calorie butane. Don’t do too much winter outings so have never had a problem as such. Like for like efficiency seems similar for both other than cold conditions. 7kg Calor cost is around £24 - is propane in Uk a similar price?
maby
Well-Known Member
I think propane and butane are a similar price per kg here - you do get more heat per kg out of butane. The best solution is one of Will Hayward's universal fitting kits, but they are quite expensive and would probably never justify the price unless you do a lot of cruising in exotic places.
Graham376
Well-Known Member
sarabande
Well-Known Member
I run butane. Small bottles filled from the tall 47kg one. Saves a lot of money and is very very easy to refill the small bottles from the large one.
Just remember where you put the key spanner, and never grease the thread.
Just remember where you put the key spanner, and never grease the thread.
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PilotWolf
Well-Known Member
Bit like catch22 isn't it, need the gas to heat the water to warm the gas
Yep, we were heating water in saucepans to tip over the bottle to boil the kettle!
W.
ashtead
Well-Known Member
Can you not wrap the spare canister in a duvet to keep him cosy and then plug him in?
cpedw
Well-Known Member
Not. The two are very similar but propane has slightly higher calorific value by mass. By volume it's the other way round - butane is denser than propane. https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/gross-net-heating-values-d_420.html
Derek
Old Harry
Well-Known Member
There is a reason why construction sites use propane
