Gas supplies

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Prologica1

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Hi All,

We use 4.5kg butane blue bottles and supply is becoming problematic here on the East Coast. We have heard that the equivalent yellow propane bottles are in better availability. Can people please leylt me know their local situation esp. East Coast and South Coast areas and into the West Country?
Thanks
David
 
I found an orange Calor propane 3.9 cylinder in South Oxfordshire yesterday.

While searching I found a bit on the Calor website that said they were concentrating on Industrial and Domestic bottles, not the little ones we use for leisure.

I am sorting the kit out to refill my bottles from a large Calor cylinder.
 
Supply was a problem all last year. There have been a few available over winter because of lower demand but I expect they will soon run out again as the weather warms. I spoke to a supplier near me who said that they ordered 40 and received 2. If you see one, don't pass it by.
 
G P Barnes in Portslade always have them, everybody else around here hasn't for a long time. They're the main supplier in the area, I got a 4.5kg refill last week for £23 that's up from £21 last time so I was pleasantly surprised. The last time I got one from the marina here which would be about 3 years ago now they charged £25...
 
AngusMcDoon said:
If you see one, don't pass it by.
Click to expand...
Easier said than done. They aren't selling new ones so you would have to carry an empty with you all the time to swap over. I had this issue last year and eventually found that my marina gets regular replenishment since Calor are prioritising heating and cooking applications so boats count and BBQs don't. For this reason garages and the like won't get any any time soon. From what I can tell Calor have no plans or intention of fixing this situation so it may be better to change system. The supply issues have been there since at least September 2020.
 
Spent about two years trying to buy a full 4.5k bottle of Butane in North Kent. An area not exactly unknown for its boating and caravanning connections.
Eventually admitted defeat and bought a weeny little 406 bottle of gas from a camping shop along with a little adaptor. £40 .00

During further investigation became obvious that situation was not about to change, so bought an really manky empty 3.9k Propane bottle from Gumtree £30.00 and travelled half way across the county to get it.
Then tried to track down any Propane, finally found one full bottle for sale. 25 miles away on the Isle of Sheppey.
The proprietor was not even sure he had one, but OG, girded his loins, took the chance and drove down.
Lonely and lost at the back of the security cage was single full RED bottle of 3.9 K propane.
Did not bother to ask the price just gave him my credit card. :)
What to do with my 3 x very empty 4.5k butane bottles is the question.
Have heard at least 20 reasons why this problem has occured, none of them ring true and now with LPG likely to get more scarce and expensive.

Has anyone ever spotted this problem mentioned in our boaty press, me neither , perhaps the superyacht gin palace owners they seem cater for do not cook by gas . :)
 
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Thanks all for sharing your experience, keep them coming for a national view. Looks like the problem is widespread. We are now looking to join others switching to 'yellow' propane bottles, having checked that they will be fine with our Bainbridge cooker.
Enjoy the sunshine!
P
 
We encountered this problem late last year here on the isle of Wight when we could not replace our #2 4.5kg bottle which is still empty. Not taking any risks as live-aboards we bought a new Gaz 907 (you have to buy one plus a gas refill) and an adapter/valve gizmo that allows the existing Calor regulator to fit it. However being paranoid we also brought out our reserve plug in electric infrared hob come grill plate for 'a la plancha ' style cooking which has been so good we haven't use any gas since. We do also have and use an electric steamer, food processer, George foreman grill/bbq , electric kettle and a worktop halogen oven/air fryer. Like others we have no room for larger Calor cylinders in our gas locker although we could re-equip with red propane 3.9kg ones and a new regulator but even these red cylinders are apparently like hen's teeth

This all sucks and surely should have been highlighted in the boating press and taken up by the RYA but so far stony silence. (n)
 
Calor convert the 4.5kg bottles to 3.9kg propane by changing the tap. So the 4.5kg bottles are valuable too, don't throw them away!

You can buy an adaptor that allows you to illegally fill smaller bottles from bigger ones on ebay.
Or you can buy an adaptor to fill bottles at a fuel station, surreptitiously of course.
 
It is a generally held belief amongst Calor stockists that Calor couldn’t organise a p1ss up in a brewery. I know of three locally who have switched to selling Flogas bottles instead.

At least the current geopolitical situation means that gas supplies should become more reliable…
 
In Australia we use 9kg bottles and they are readily available - return an empty and pay for a full bottle.

I have a locker for two 9kg bottles: maybe I've over-done it a bit?:rolleyes:
 
I have a spare 3.9Kg propane that I would dearly love to swap for a 6Kg propane. That should be an allowable swap by Caolr, but they are not allowing that swap at the moment, and nobody has "new" 6Kg bottles.

I don't suppose there is anyone here close to Inverness that has a 6Kg that they want to swap for a 3.9?
 
What do you have to do to change to Flogas? My current system is two 3.9kg Calor propane, I prefer propane, but butane or a mixture would do.
Do I have to change the connector to the cylinder and/or the regulator?
Are the cylinders approximately the same size? The gas locker would take new cylinder a little wider and taller, but not by much, it won't take a 6kg propane.
The locker also has a molded base to take the ring on the bottom of the 3.9kg, and stop it sliding, the cylinders are held in place by shot cords, which keep the cylinders in compression.
 
Same sizes of bottles, a little more variation in regulators etc. but they stock compatible ones. identify what you have and ask your stockist to be sure.

They sell you a bottle, instead of setting up a contract- more like the CampinGaz (or sodastream!) arrangement where you pay initially for the bottle & gas, then exchange an empty bottle for a full one.

There are fewer places to exchange Flogas cylinders, so it's much less likely you'll be able to sail into a random harbour or marina, or call by a conveniently sited garage on your way to one and exchange an empty bottle for a full one. That seems to be less of an advantage at the moment, given that it seems you can't reliably do that with Calor bottles either but was historically a major reason for having Calor bottles.
 
As the 3.9 Calor propanes seem to be the hardest to find, one option is to buy a (easier to find) larger bottle and fill your 3.9 from that. The pigtail required is available on eBay for a few quid.
 
fredrussell said:
As the 3.9 Calor propanes seem to be the hardest to find, one option is to buy a (easier to find) larger bottle and fill your 3.9 from that. The pigtail required is available on eBay for a few quid.
Click to expand...

IIUC, this is not illegal, though it breaches your contract with Calor. Whether it's safe or not depends on how it's done- so exercise caution and do your best to ensure your risk appetite aligns with that of your neighbours.

If this isn't an accurate summary, I'd welcome corrections.
 
I’ve seen a number of calor stockists, mainly garages with 4.5 kg bottles whilst traveling around north Wales need to put mine in car next week when I go back, seems the stock is really patchy
 
whaup said:
IIUC, this is not illegal, though it breaches your contract with Calor. Whether it's safe or not depends on how it's done- so exercise caution and do your best to ensure your risk appetite aligns with that of your neighbours.

If this isn't an accurate summary, I'd welcome corrections.
Click to expand...
No correction, I think you're spot-on. Calor are, imho, abusing a quasi monopoly - how about a complaint to the Mergers and Monopolies Commission?
Report a competition or market problem
If we all do it maybe they'll take notice. The remedy would be for Calor to forgo their egregious 'you only rent the bottle so you can *&^4 off' clause and permit independent local refilling companies to establish a real market.
 
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