Gas question

[Fergus]

I have 2 camping gas type cylinders. There does not seem to be a t-switch so does it use them both equally? Just wondering whether to replace both each year or risk 2 years before changing - would really help if I knew that it used one before the other!

Any help appreciated!

 

[Robin]

Can you really make 2 Gaz cylinders last a year??? The usual Camping Gaz one is a 907 and holds just 6lbs of butane compared to the Calor ones which in the usual boat size hold 10lbs of butane.

Regulators for Gaz screw into the bottle tops and will either have a screw shut-off valve or a twist 90 deg one. If you have 2 cylinders connected via a tee then the one which is working is the one you turned on at the cylinder, or both if you turned both on.

For comparison, we used to use 3 full 907 Gaz cylinders in 6 weeks full time on board.

BTW Calor is half the price of Gaz in the UK for the same gas filled at the same depot. We switched to using Calor and carry 2 x 10lb (4.5kg) Calor cylinders and 2 Gaz 907s at 6lbs as backups for when cruising in France. We have the 2 calor cylinders connected to a wall mounted Gaslow Regulator via hosetails with 'Calor' ends, however we also have Calor to Gaz adapter valves that screw onto the Gaz bottles and fit the Calor hosetails. We run on one cylinder at a time and to change over simply entails turning off the cylinder valve on one cylinder and opening the one on the other. You can replace the not in use cylinder without turning off the in use one as there is a non-return valve in the Gaslow. If you have space in the gas locker switching to Calor could save you lots of money!

 

[Fergus]

They probably are Calor cylinders - just have the same screw fiitting as the gaz ones. There doesn't seem to be any way to turn the cylinders on or off individually in the gas locker though..

 

[Robin]

Calor cylinders have a valve built in, Gaz ones don't. Gaz regulators have a male thread to screw onto the cylinder and Calor butane (blue) ones have a female connection to go onto the male connection on the cylinder valve.

You aren't winding us up are you?

 

[Fergus]

They have a female fitting on the cylinder and a cack-handed thread but no switch/valve you can turn off. Apologies if my ignorance makes you think I'm winding you up!

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
They probably are Calor cylinders

[/ QUOTE ] As Robin says Calor cylinders have their own valve but Gaz cylinders, which do not, either have a regulator which incorporates a shut off valve mounted directly on them or are connected using the Gaz to calor adaptor valve.
(The exception is the push-on type connection found on patio gas cylinders.)
Any installation on a boat which does not have provision to turn the gas supply off at the bottle is quite unsafe. It should not be used until changed to comply with the recommendations of the Boat Safety Scheme part 7. The BSS shows how twin cylinder installations should be connected.

 

[VicS]

These are Gaz cylinders.

They have a right handed female thread and incorporate a ball valve, so that they can be connected and disconnected, that is opened by a spigot on the regulator adaptor valve.

 

[Fergus]

Them's the ones! I have 2 of the larger size but as I said no tap or valve apart from the regulator..

 

[VicS]

Oh second attempt at a close up not required.

You must have a valve on the regulator otherwise you could never screw it onto the bottle and connect up without massive escape of gas.

This page from the BES website shows various regulators with the one for Gaz and the adapter to Calor butane fittings at the very bottom.


If you want to use twin Gaz cylinders he best system for a boat is to use the Gaz to Calor adaptor valves, two high pressure Calor hoses to a T piece and then to a single bulkhead mounted Calor butane regulator. That also gives you the option of using cheaper Calor if you have the space for the cylinders. The trouble with that though is that you always have to have both cylinders connected even though you are only using them one at a time.
Also look at the Calormarineshop website. Fittings here

The simplest is a single bottle set up with the spare bottle stored, ready for use, in the gas locker. A bulk head mounted regulator and the Gaz to Calor adapter valve makes swapping bottles simpler than if you have a bottle mounted regulator (like I have /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif ).

Remember all high pressure parts of the system must be in the gas locker.

Here's my pic anyway!