French Gas

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ozzyb

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We're considering moving our boat to France for this year. We have UK Calor connections at present, just checking what do we need for French Gas systems. Used to have Gaz setup on our old boat which we replenished in France. Not sure if replacement Calor type bottles are available. advise please
 
ozzyb said:
We're considering moving our boat to France for this year. We have UK Calor connections at present, just checking what do we need for French Gas systems. Used to have Gaz setup on our old boat which we replenished in France. Not sure if replacement Calor type bottles are available. advise please
Click to expand...

I think you will find Calor cylinders are not available outside the UK.

Camping gaz widely availble. You can get an adapter valve to fit Gaz cylinders that will then allow them to be used with a Calor butane installation.
 
Can't help you with Calor availability ... never looked for it ... but can confirm that Camping Gaz is available just about everywhere.

Just to confuse you many supermarkets keep it INSIDE the store ... so much for H&S :eek:

One further point, you probably know that French Marinas don't charge for leccy. Well the Norman and Breton ones don't.

Our boat already has a 240v ring main so we have an electric kettle, toaster, frying pan, cafetiere, oven and grill and steamer.

Can't remember the last time I changed the gas bottle ... even our hot water for washing/ washing up is free.
 
As Bav34 says - no Calor outside UK. We use the larger Camping Gaz 907 cylinders readily available in supermarkets, currently about €20ish for a refill. Obviously you will need to replace your Calor regulator with a Camping Gaz one.
 
davewarburton said:
As Bav34 says - no Calor outside UK. We use the larger Camping Gaz 907 cylinders readily available in supermarkets, currently about €20ish for a refill. Obviously you will need to replace your Calor regulator with a Camping Gaz one.
Click to expand...

Not if he has butane at present and obtains one of the adapter valves I mentioned and Happydaze's link shows
 
davewarburton said:
Don't agree - keep it simple and replace your Calor regulator with one of these for Camping Gaz - made for the marine environment

http://www.gasproducts.co.uk/cgi-bi...as_Regulator_-_Campingaz.html#aLB4005#aLB4005

Also available here:

http://www.socal.co.uk/gasboat-4005-30mb-marine-gas-regulator-gaz.html
Click to expand...

Its not necessary to change the regulator. ( unless the existing is not butane or dual fuel)

The simplest solution by far is to just use the adapter valve shown.. Then you have complete interchangeability between Gaz and Calor cylinders.

Just discovered that there is also now a similar GAZ to propane adapter ( See the Socal website).
 
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Thanks for info. I'm in Plumbing side of construction & used to be Corgi registered many years ago but today only deal with oil burners. By what most of you are saying it seems that there is no alternative but to use french Gaz cans and (a) I will need a Can & (b) an adapter to suit. We spent 3+ months in France last year and the two 4.5kg calor bottles lasted, used about 1 1/2 bottles. I know from previous experience that the Gaz cans do not last as long as Calor
 
No Calor in France. Calor take 4.5kg LPG

Camping Gaz very expensive but pretty widespread throughout Europe. 907 takes 2.6kg

Best bet (in France) is Butagaz Cube, with 6kg. Occupies the same space, weighs the same full and costs the same as a 907 bottle, contains x2 as much LPG and doesn't rust.

Both will need a change of regulator - a 40 second job and about €12.
 
Don't think too much about it.
Buy a red fibreglass and plastic Gas bottle from the supermarket in France, and find that it is cheaper than Gaz, lighter to carry around and will not rust or do so much damage to your boat [or back}!!
You'll need a different regulator but it's only a few euros. I only wish that i could easily refill them without crossing the channel!
It weighs in at 12 lbs and holds 10kg of gas.
 
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ozzyb said:
I know from previous experience that the Gaz cans do not last as long as Calor
Click to expand...

A refilled campigaz 907 cylinder has 2.7kg of gas in it. So Campingaz is relatively expensive compared to Calor. I use campingaz only because the gas locker on my boat will not accommodate anything else.

In the UK (and presumably in France) a 907 cylinder is quite expensive to buy - £30.
Empty campingaz 907 cylinders can usually be found on ebay. I bought one locally for £6. Make sure the screw in carry handle is included as it is required when exchanging for a refill.

The normal campingaz regulators are about £5 or so . I didn't realise there was a marine version of the regulator , but my boat is on fresh water so no issues.


.
 
Thanks Mudisocks that red fibreglass and plastic Gas bottle from the supermarket in France looks like it has the euro 21mm clip on connector end as found on the larger Butane bottles over here. Any idea what size is the Red bottle I'm guessing bigger than 4.5kg blue Calor
 
MartynG said:
Make sure the screw in carry handle is included as it is required when exchanging for a refill.

.
Click to expand...

If the 2 pounds 50p handle is absent, the dealer will simply unscrew the handle off the new bottle and keep it. Make sure you see him/her break the seal.....

(Lots on here about refilling 907s for 25% normal cost..)

N
 
ozzyb said:
Thanks for info. I'm in Plumbing side of construction & used to be Corgi registered many years ago but today only deal with oil burners. By what most of you are saying it seems that there is no alternative but to use french Gaz cans and (a) I will need a Can & (b) an adapter to suit. We spent 3+ months in France last year and the two 4.5kg calor bottles lasted, used about 1 1/2 bottles. I know from previous experience that the Gaz cans do not last as long as Calor
Click to expand...

Well Camping Gaz 907 only holds 2.75kg so will last around 60% the time of a 4.5kg one. I see that you have a Beneteau and I think that you might have the same arrangement as our Jeanneau (i.e. The regulator screws directly on to the Calor cyl.). If so, simplest solution is the adapter shown by happydaze and no problem with regulator as you've already realised. We used one of these in Brittany last year and left our Calor cyls. at home.

It was a bit annoying as Camping Gaz was around 20-23 Eur in some places and cheap "Le Cube" is a few mm too big for our gas locker. Much cheaper in Spain and Portugal if you get that far (12 - 14 Euro).

I'd second the comments about a kettle. We used a kettle, electric fire (lousy weather), toaster and immersion heater to keep gas used to a minimum. Some locations said that power was limited to 600W but we always managed to boil a 2.2kW kettle without tripping the breaker.

I went to our local council re-cycling centre before leaving and ofund that they had plenty of Camping Gaz 907s lying around. They said that it was strictly forbidden to take any but that they'd be "working elsewhere in a few minutes". Problem solved at zero cost. As a bonus, I can now fit a 5l petrol tank on top of the spare 907 in the vented gas locker.

Ooops: Didn't spot Page 2 and replied to post in Page 1. We couldn't find any French cyls. small enough to fit our gas locker but some were very close. Width was usually the problem but some were too high when adapter pushed on top.
 
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charles_reed said:
No Calor in France. Calor take 4.5kg LPG

Camping Gaz very expensive but pretty widespread throughout Europe. 907 takes 2.6kg

Best bet (in France) is Butagaz Cube, with 6kg. Occupies the same space, weighs the same full and costs the same as a 907 bottle, contains x2 as much LPG and doesn't rust.

Both will need a change of regulator - a 40 second job and about €12.
Click to expand...

Everything (except Camping Gaz) available in France is a bigger diameter/cross section than the Calor gas bottles.
My boat's gas lock was built to take two Calor gas bottles. The only thing which fits in France is Camping Gaz.
I use the 907 cylinders. Exchanging empty ones for full ones is cheaper in Spain than France.
 
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