rigpigpaul
Member
Hi all, I have a chance of buying a Magma gas BBQ off a collegue from America but it uses Propane. Question, can this BBQ be used on Butane. Is it a no or will it burn slowly or hot or what? It is certainly a good price. rgds RPP
Propane Butane BBQs
- Thread starter rigpigpaul
- Start date
GSL
Member
I bought a Magma when I picked up my boat in Florida in 2008.
I packed about a dozen spare canisters (the green metal ones) in the bilge lockers, and the system worked very well on them.
A year later a bought the appropriate regulater in Southampton to use the blue screw on canisters available here in the UK, and the whole thing was useless.
I put up with the constant blowing out of the flame, insufficient heat and uneven flame for about a year, and then found some of the original type gas canisters from a camping store.
Converted back and all is great, so the moral of the story, check that you can find some of the correct type of canisters (mine were made by Coleman) in your area from a camping store (also available on Ebay) and all is good. Otherwise don't buy it
Graham
I packed about a dozen spare canisters (the green metal ones) in the bilge lockers, and the system worked very well on them.
A year later a bought the appropriate regulater in Southampton to use the blue screw on canisters available here in the UK, and the whole thing was useless.
I put up with the constant blowing out of the flame, insufficient heat and uneven flame for about a year, and then found some of the original type gas canisters from a camping store.
Converted back and all is great, so the moral of the story, check that you can find some of the correct type of canisters (mine were made by Coleman) in your area from a camping store (also available on Ebay) and all is good. Otherwise don't buy it
Graham
Gerry
Well-known member
We are on our third magma! We have run it successfully on both butane and propane. I definitely recommend purchasing the adapter that allows you to run it from a large bottle rather than the tiny disposable ones.
The magma does have a propensity to rust if keep on the rail in the rain etc, the burner will go pretty quickly we learnt!
Having said that we are happy with it's performance with both gases, I have cooked pizza using both kinds and whilst I think the propane burns marginally hotter both are more than adequate.
The magma does have a propensity to rust if keep on the rail in the rain etc, the burner will go pretty quickly we learnt!
Having said that we are happy with it's performance with both gases, I have cooked pizza using both kinds and whilst I think the propane burns marginally hotter both are more than adequate.
saltylegs
Active member
Check the link below and you will see that there are lots of regulators or valves to allow you to connect camping gaz directly or a tap/valve instead of the regulator that you feed direct from your onboard regulated propane supply.
The normal output from the standard Magma regulator is 1/2 psi so about 35mbar and will have no probs running on normal propane at 37 mbar.
In theory it should run on butane at 28 mbar but I have always found that US appliances lack a bit of performance on butane.
http://www.shopwiki.com/l/Barbeque-Control-Valve-Regulator-by-Magma(CLOSEOUT!)
sorry I meant the appliance runs at 35 mbar and will run ok at 37 mbar DO NOT feed the fitted regulator with 37 mbar as it will not work as the regulator will reduce the pressure to low. You can get a pigtail to connect the propane cylinder directly to the Magma regulator.
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Robin
Well-known member
We had a Magma that ran perfectly on the Gaz cannisters, not the cheapo ones but the ones that have a built in valve and can be removed. We also bought (from West Marine USA) a regulator for it fitted with a hose that we used with suitable end fittings bought over here on a Calor (red) propane cylinder and later from both Calor and Gaz butane cylinders. You need the special regulator that plugs into the Magma and has it's own on/off and flow control with the hose then going direct to the big cylinder not to another regulator. I could not tell any difference in performance between the disposable cannister, butane or propane but the big cylinders were infinitely cheaper.
saltylegs
Active member
You can use this http://bottomsiders.com/prod.php?425 in place of the supplied regulator and take the feed from your low pressure on board supply.
Robin
Well-known member
I had seen those, but that sort of assumes having a permanent pipe run to a fixed BBQ. We left the BBQ on the pushpit but just took a spare cylinder from the gas locker and connected it as and when required, with the cylinder on the cockpit floor.
saltylegs
Active member
Why not fit a BBQ point at the back end of the cockpit and a hose with a quick fit connection to avoid shifting cylinders about.
Robin
Well-known member
Bit difficult now as we sold that boat! Our new boat is a trawler yacht mobo in the USA and as yet we don't have a BBQ fitted, but we do have one of those George Forman type electric grills we can run off the generator or shorepower. We do have propane cooking on board but the flybridge mounted gas locker is far away from where we would want to mount a BBQ so I think we will be back to an aft cockpit fitted one with the Coleman type cartridge. USA cylinders are refilled rather than exchanged and buying an extra spare one would cost a good many years of any savings over disposable cartridges.
saltylegs
Active member
No probs. I had'nt read your profile and was thinking of the average uk yachty,
Robin
Well-known member
Average! Moi? After 40 some years with sails we are moving to live aboard in Florida full time on our new to us 'fast trawler'. We have a cockpit that is ideal for fishing and BBQs, but not quite the same as we had on our yachts over here!
