Camping and Calor gas

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PhilipH

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The boat builders very kindly fitted a regulator and attachment that enables an easy switch between Camping Gas (as supplied) and Calor. I tried this yesterday but it didn't work as the burnner seemed to have too much pressure and the flame was jumping about. The regulator supplied is marked as 30mbar but I note that Calor supply 28mbar regulators.

Do I need to swap regulators too - I didn't do it yesterday cos it will mean cutting the nice integrated pipe and regulator supplied?

I checked in my bits and pieces box, and found that I have two spare regulators at 29mbar and 28mbar. Any thoughts?

Thanks for any advice.
 
The same regulator will work on Camping Gas and Calor <u>butane</u> You are not getting confused with the differences reqired for Calor propane are you?

Check what gas your appliance should be using and at what pressure.

You should find all the info you need on the
Calor marine site
 
No - not confused - did the propane butane confusion thing a while ago and I now know that propane requires a 37mbar regulator.

I have the blue Calor Gas and the blue Camping Gas.
The Calor site is very good, but doesn't answer the question.
 
Absolutely no reason why it shouldn't work normally. Is your adapter between the calor bottle and the camping gaz regulator a right angle fitting? (so that regulator stays in same plane). Some adapters are straight, and although it should not matter it is just concievable that a faulty regulator could 'stick' when operating in a different plane. Highly unlikely though.

Vic
 
Hi

I've used the Calor reg with a camping gas adapter that screws into the calor fitting - is that the same type you are using? We had no problems using either gas and no noticable pressure problems or flame flicker. We used it for 2 years, before changing it to a standard Camping gas reg.

Cheers

Wayne
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have the blue Calor Gas and the blue Camping Gas.

[/ QUOTE ] Then it should work with no problems. We have 1 Calor (butane ) bottle and 1 Camping gas bottle. When one runs out we just put the other on in its place no problems and no special procedures.

It has been suggested in here in the past that the bottles are sometimes "overfilled" resulting in some liquid getting into the lines (personally a bit sceptical but not in a position to argue about it) so perhaps if you are having trouble when you connect a freshly refilled bottle.....?

Are you tipping the bottle while getting it in position and so getting liquid into the piework. I'm still doubtful about that as a reason though.

You do have the regulator bulkhead mounted in the approved manner (for boats) don't you.. with a high pressure hose that connects directly with the Calor bottle or via an adapter/shutoff valve to the Camping gas bottle. Or do you have a changeover valve to switch between the bottles which are both permanently connected to their own high pressure hoses.

Just a thought, if the trouble is due to liquid shut the bottle valve light one burner and allow the pressure to decay completely. Then open the valve again and relight the burner.
 
A difference of 2mbar shouldn't make any noticeable difference.

I use both Butane 28mbar and Propane 37mbar. When I change from butane to propane I notice a more fierce flame for a a short time as the butane in the pipes comes though at the propane pressure; this then settles down to normal as the propane comes through. My point here is that for the short time I am effectively running butane even at 37mbar I get a slightly more fierce flame but it does not lift away from the burner. I doubt very much that a change of 2mbar would even be noticed.

Do you have a faulty regulator which is supplying much more than the 30mbar stated?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Do you have a faulty regulator which is supplying much more than the 30mbar stated?

[/ QUOTE ] If that was the case it would not work properly on the Camping gas would it!
 
Without wishing to hi-jack the thread, I had a friend years ago (when I had no interest in the matter) who used to refill his camping gas containers from big Calor cylinders. I think he used to just use a gravity feed, with the calor above the camping gas. I would like to do this - any comments?

I appreciate the dangers involved in such a process, so would do it in the open air, with a breeze blowing!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Without wishing to hi-jack the thread

[/ QUOTE ] You just have!

First (obvious) comment you must use high pressue hose.

You need to maitain the supply cylinder at a slightly higher temperature than the receiving cylinder then it should distil over. I think But the supply cylinder will tend to cool all the time. The receiver will need to be cooled in order to condenese the gas

You would need to have the receiving cylinder on a weighing machine to monitor the amount of gas transfered.

Might be better if the supply cylinder is upside down so that liquid is transferred directly but you would still need a small temperature differential to give a pressure diffrence. But it would overcome the problems of warming and cooling I think.

Just thoughts!
 
I thought to use that steel-braided-on-the-outside stuff. I am a bit worried about the mechanics of it. If I am pouring a liquid down a pipe, what happens to the gas-phase gas in the bottom bottle? Does it sort of glug-glug up the pipe, get compressed...? Or should I just not worry about the mechanics/physics. I wish I had listened all those years ago. Have you, Vic, or anyone here, /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif actually done this trick??
 
There was a quite extensive thread on the subject just a few weeks ago, though I can't remember the title. Certainly many people have done it. In the late 70s in the U.S. 'kits' were available in Sears to fill the american-style 'disposable' 400g cartridges (often used by plumbers over here). (These cartridges have schrader-type valves on both the outlet, and as a pressure-release valve).

(p.s. all such cartridges carry a dire warning of the consequences under Federal Law if you dare >transport< a refilled one /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif)

Vic (M)
 
I once had a camping gas cylinder in France that would not ignite. It was a new cylinder and I thought it may have still contained gaseous nitrogen which is used to inert cylinders before they are brought into service. As I was at anchor I vented the cylinder off the back of the boat and after that it worked perfectly. If your Calor cylinder is new or just been re-tested then perhaps you have the same problem.

Gareth
 
You don't have to worry about the gas in the bottom bottle basically because it is the same stuff it wont have to glug glug up the pipe it just joins the rest. It would be different if it was a different gas. As vic M says there was a bit on here a while back. I can remember something about the heating and cooling aspects of transferring in the gaseous phase but I don't remember anything much more than that. I am sure though the methods used commercially to refill bottles was mentioned. In a properly set up facillity the heating and cooling requirements could easily be engineered I guess. I have a vague feeling that that is how it was said to be done. Tranferring the liquid though seems to be the obvious way to me although you would have to be carefull not to overfill.

When you refill a refillable lighter you do it with the supply can inverted and uppermost and transfer the liquid but the scale is a bit different.
 
[ QUOTE ]
but are the burners nice and clean? Good clear airmix

[/ QUOTE ] If it is OK on the Camping gas then presumably they are!
 
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