Calor 4.5 Butane and 3.5 Propane to be discontinued

[JOHNPEET]

Can I revert to jimi's earliest post, including his refill question.


Refilling on a DIY basis is the easiest process apart from making scrambled eggs. You need a Calor POL to POL hose. Something just over £10

Calor Essentials 0.75m (30") POL x POL Standard Hose | Hoses and Pigtails | Calor Gas Appliances

Note that Calor don't say anything about refilling the baby 3.9 propane cylinder (guess why !).


Take any full(ish) big propane cylinder and an empty(ish) smaller one. With both upright, connect the POL/POL hose.

Lay the large one down, with the hose end lower than the base, and place the small cylinder as low as you can below the big cylinder, with the valve end at the top.

Open the valves carefully.

Propane will flow from the upper cylinder down to the lower cylinder. If you drape a towel dipped in very hot water over the bigger cylinder , it will speed up the process.

And here's the only techy bit. DON'T OVERFILL the small cylinder. Do clever things like weighing it or shaking it to see if the liquid still sloshes. If you do overfill it, then liquid propane will be forced out of the valve into the oven. This is NOT a Good Idea.

When finished , close both valves, and with both cylinders upright, disconnect the POL/POL hose. There will be a whoosh for a second or two as residual propane escapes.

You now have a full small cylinder, at about 60% of the shop price.

It really is very easy.


And I have just checked, people are selling small propane cylinders on ebay and Facebook with outdated hose or battered Bullfinch torches for about £10 each. Yadda, yaddah about "Calor only rent the bottles". In theory.

Last July, when I was trying to sort two propane cylinders for my boat, it was my local Calor stockist that advised me to go and purchase a couple off FB (propane or butane) , then take them back to the stockist for swapping for full propane. I did exactly that - managed to get two cylinders locally for £35 for the two.

 

[lustyd]

While it's good to highlight refilling as an option, there is another option to buy the gas already in a suitable container from another supplier for less money that doesn't involve rewarding Calor with yet another contract for a larger cylinder.

It's no wonder they treat us so badly!

 

[Momac]

"Calor only rent the bottles". In theory.

That's a scam.
As is buying a very new looking but empty Campingaz cylinder from Halfords when you can get one suitable to exchange for less on ebay.

For filling a Campingaz 907 a different hose kit is needed. Campingaz is butane of course . But guess Propane would work okay.
This kit for example

About £40 on ebay but would soon pay its way

 

[SandyP]

Calor etc are shooting themselves in the foot

I managed to get a spare 3.9 the other day from the marina, last one. But I'm ok now for months

However, with boats changing to lithium batteries, electric coming and water is becoming viable and avoids all manner of complications with having gas
Surely their days are nmbered

 

[NormanS]

Calor etc are shooting themselves in the foot

I managed to get a spare 3.9 the other day from the marina, last one. But I'm ok now for months

However, with boats changing to lithium batteries, electric coming and water is becoming viable and avoids all manner of complications with having gas
Surely their days are nmbered

Eh? What do you mean by ".......water is becoming viable"?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Eh? What do you mean by ".......water is becoming viable"?

Fill up your giant Thermos flask like tank with hot water before you leave and have enough to make all the tea you could want for the following week.

 

[DipperToo]

I am sure there have been issues with smaller butane refills for years
I had no trouble obtaining campingaz refils last summer but perhaps just lucky.

Caravan/motorhome retailers seem to be a more reliable and usually cheaper source than marinas.
.

I could not get a 907 refill in south Devon in the last few months. Some stockists had not seen new bottles since last summer.
Brought the bottle home to suffolk and managed to get the last refil from a local caravan stockist at £45.
They showed me a letter they had just received from Calor giving a huge price hike to over £60 and they will probably stop stocking refills now.
As Many boats seem to have lockers and mouldings designed for the 907 size, I guess decanting from a large bottle to refill will be the only way forward?

 

[Petertheking1982]

I am currently exchaning emails trying to get a 4.5kg direct, which they dont want to do. The below is a quote from the emails they sent.

'The current position is that due to high demand for cylinders such as 47kg,19kg, 18kg and 15kg our filling plants are focusing on these core sizes first and then filling other sizes we have available, this decision was made to ensure we supply to the needy and vulnerable as well as keeping industry moving for food and medical supplies to be kept available throughout the UK.

However as advised previously there are availability challenges with the cylinder, the recall on the 4.5kg as had a significant impact on availability and the circulation of the cylinder throughout. The cylinder is not being discontinued from our range as we continue to fill all smalls as and when cylinders are available that have passed quality and safety inspections.'

 

[dunedin]

Calor etc are shooting themselves in the foot

I managed to get a spare 3.9 the other day from the marina, last one. But I'm ok now for months

However, with boats changing to lithium batteries, electric coming and water is becoming viable and avoids all manner of complications with having gas
Surely their days are nmbered

Suspect the people posting on here with gas lockers sized for Calor cylinders are oldish British boats, which are unlikely to be migrating to electric cooking when underway in the foreseeable future.
However, due to the cost of gas cylinders (Camping Gas in our case), many of us are carrying a portable induction hob for use when on shore power - like everything else, prices gone up a lot since we bought but still less than last gas refill - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017WBR...=osi&th=1&psc=1&ascsubtag=ecSEP55xwatld1kuofp

 

[lustyd]

I carry a Campingaz Bistro that uses CP 250 cannisters available pretty much everywhere relatively cheaply. It also gives a single ring hob but has the distinct advantage of working away from shore power so I still get tea/coffee/bacon in the morning at anchor!

Not such a problem with FloGas as I'm unlikely to run out, but still nice to have and can also be taken to the beach.

 

[justanothersailboat]

One thing I did wonder was whether 4.5kg cylinders last long enough in the lockers of casual, occasional boaters that they get a bit dodgy. It's not a lot of gas if you're on long trips or cruising or living aboard, but if you do lots of little day sails and overnights but few big trips then a little bottle can last a long time - and there seem to be a lot of boats around that are used that way. I know my old 4.5kg one that came with the boat had been there for a long time already and lasted me quite a while longer while I was getting used to things and not being too ambitious. I would be amazed if that tested safe for reuse given the state it was in by the time we'd started to do more and finally used it up. So these sizes might have a high attrition rate on the cylinders perhaps?

I would love to switch to another, more reasonable brand but it has to fit, there is not room in my boat for a bigger locker insert without taking out an internal bulkhead (no thanks!) even if one was available. I imagine a lot of boats have a similar situation. Not having shorepower either really narrows things down.

 

[yotter]

I am not keen to home refill 4.5 Butane, but will not rule it out just yet. I can fit a 4.5 in the vented gas locker, but the next size up (7kg) is unlikely to fit. A change to 3.9 propane is an option, but not sure how available these refills are either. How long will it take to do the Sunday roast in an air frier, and how long will I need to run the engine to provide the leccy

 

[lustyd]

I can fit a 4.5 in the vented gas locker, but the next size up (7kg) is unlikely to fit

Why not a FloGas 4.5?

 

[lustyd]

I would be amazed if that tested safe for reuse given the state it was in by the time we'd started to do more and finally used it up. So these sizes might have a high attrition rate on the cylinders perhaps?

No different to the ones sitting on patios for years at a time going rusty. Other suppliers manage it all over the world, the problem is Calor and you are absolutely free to leave them, the Spanish inquisition will not follow up with any form of torture.

 

[yotter]

Why not a FloGas 4.5?

Its an option if it fits in the locker, I also like the idea of composite, bess blue paint to appear on the gelcoat (or varnish). One downside is its £50 to buy each cylinder and we have 5 between 2 boats, other is that our local marinas do not stock it (yet). Thanks for the heads up though

 

[lustyd]

One downside is its £50 to buy each cylinder

But they do offer them with gas in, so definitely better than your Calor ones! The dimensions are the same as the Calor ones, just need to change the regulator to the more standard one used by most non-Calor bottles (and some Calor)

 

[Martin_J]

According to the Flogas Website, their 4.5kg butane cylinder is approximately 34cm high which does make it similar in height to older/shorter of the 4.5kg Calor cylinders.
It's hard to tell from a picture.




The next thing that might prevent them being used is that some boats have a grp moulded gas locker that also fits nicely around the base ring of the old Calor. Remember the new taller Calor cylinder has a larger diameter base ring as well as being taller.

 

[yotter]

But they do offer them with gas in, so definitely better than your Calor ones! The dimensions are the same as the Calor ones, just need to change the regulator to the more standard one used by most non-Calor bottles (and some Calor)

Very good point

 

[PaulRainbow]

According to the Flogas Website, their 4.5kg butane cylinder is approximately 34cm high which does make it similar in height to older/shorter of the 4.5kg Calor cylinders.
It's hard to tell from a picture.

View attachment 149544
View attachment 149542

The next thing that might prevent them being used is that some boats have a grp moulded gas locker that also fits nicely around the base ring of the old Calor. Remember the new taller Calor cylinder has a larger diameter base ring as well as being taller.

If i remember correctly from another thread, a while back, those taller bottle are not "new" and are not to replace the "normal" 4.5kg bottles. They are the ones used in Ireland and some made their way over her early on in the shortage.

 

[Chris CJ]

our local farm shop has 907 full gaz bottles in stock , called in this afternoon to exchange , they wouldn‘t take my rather rusty bottle in exchange , it has been in the bow locker and get wet with sea water from time to time . they said calor gas won’t accept rusty bottles . One of the reasons I have been given in the past for the excessive expense of replacement 907 bottles is that they are de rusted , pressure tested and repainted every time .
not sure where I go from here to obtain a replacement bottle …. Any thoughts or suggestion
Chris