Ru88ell
Well-Known Member
This new (to me) boat I've got coming soon, has two blue butane gas cylinders in the gas locker. I propose to sail through the winter, but should I worry about the butane freezing?
Propane/Butane - cold weather
- Thread starter Ru88ell
- Start date
Leighb
Well-Known Member
Butane does give problems in cold weather as we used to find when using our caravan in chilly Spring weather.
Propane - red cylinders - is recommended for low temperatures.
Having said that it is probably not as cold in a gas locker on a boat afloat as outside a caravan exposed to the cold wind. Problem is that with the caravan we could go outside and give the gas bottle a bit of a shake if the flame got low, usually at breakfast time, not so easy perhaps on a bottle in a gas locker.
Propane - red cylinders - is recommended for low temperatures.
Having said that it is probably not as cold in a gas locker on a boat afloat as outside a caravan exposed to the cold wind. Problem is that with the caravan we could go outside and give the gas bottle a bit of a shake if the flame got low, usually at breakfast time, not so easy perhaps on a bottle in a gas locker.
maby
Well-Known Member
well, it certainly will not "freeze", but it can become almost unusable in the cold weather. The boiling point of butane is just below zero, so when the outside temperature gets below something like five degrees, the pressure starts to drop off and it gets slow to boil your kettle for your tea. If the outside temperature drops below zero, you're drinking cold water and eating salad!
We've muddled through in previous years, but this time round I think I'm going to change the regulator and get a propane cylinder.
We've muddled through in previous years, but this time round I think I'm going to change the regulator and get a propane cylinder.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
On our present boat, the gas locker extends down through the deck into a settee berth, so is protected from the worst of the cold, so we're OK with butane. On our previous boat, the gas cylinders were out on deck, and we had to change to propane. So it depends how your gas is stored, and also how cold it gets where you are.
Thistle
Well-Known Member
Why not swap one of the cylinders for a propane one (with suitable regulator) and add a changeover switch?
Jassira
Well-Known Member
So why do we both with butane, is it better than propane in hot weather, does it have any redeeming qualities ?
NickRobinson
Well-Known Member
Apparently butane is more energy dense, ie more joules/ltr (or kg, I never understood why bottle gas is sold in kg and autogas for vehicles in ltrs)
Go for propane, blue bottles don't work below zero C. A blue bottle in a locker will still need warming by ambient air as it chills in use, so unless its being actively warmed by the boat's heating system, it will quickly run out of puff on a frosty day.
If your boat only takes camping gaz cylinders, lots of threads here about refilling them with propane for winter use, though filling one for <3 pounds may give a warm glow all of its own!
Nick
Go for propane, blue bottles don't work below zero C. A blue bottle in a locker will still need warming by ambient air as it chills in use, so unless its being actively warmed by the boat's heating system, it will quickly run out of puff on a frosty day.
If your boat only takes camping gaz cylinders, lots of threads here about refilling them with propane for winter use, though filling one for <3 pounds may give a warm glow all of its own!
Nick
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
If the butane bottle is sat in a bucket of sea water that will gets it going on a cold, frosty morning. If the sea is frozen you have a problem.
maby
Well-Known Member
Hmmm, still think I'll swap to propane - the last thing I want to do when I wake up on a cold, frosty morning fantasizing about a cup of tea in bed is to drag my clothes on and go outside in that cold to muck about with buckets of sea water - perhaps I'm just getting soft!
winsbury
Well-Known Member
VicS
Well-Known Member
Butane becomes unusable below about 3C. So if you intend using your boat in cold weather you will need propane.
However your appliances must be suitable. They should be marked with the gas and pressure for which they are designed.
Ideally now fit a 30mb "Dual fuel" marine (Annexe M) regulator which complies with the latest marine spec and which will allow you to swap between butane and propane as desired simply by using the appropriate pig tail hose.
.
Simondjuk
Well-Known Member
Perhaps only relevant to larger boats, but our Eberspacher exhaust runs just close enough to the external face of the gas locker (within the machinery space) to warm it very slightly. If it's cold enough for the butane to give up, it's probably cold enough to have the heater running. Problem solved.
When shore power is available, warm a cup of water in the electric kettle and pour that over the bottle. Or warm water from the calorifier if not on shore power but the engine has been run within the last 12 hours or so.
Have I missed it elsewhere Russell, what's the new boat?
When shore power is available, warm a cup of water in the electric kettle and pour that over the bottle. Or warm water from the calorifier if not on shore power but the engine has been run within the last 12 hours or so.
Have I missed it elsewhere Russell, what's the new boat?
Last edited:
NickRobinson
Well-Known Member
Aren't they all dual fuel? With appropriate reggy, 11'' or 14'' water gauge depending on butane or propane?
N
maby
Well-Known Member
I think all the modern appliances are. Not so sure about the older devices.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Modern ones almost certainly and should be marked. Older butane ones will probably work ok too.
Until the dual fuel idea came along butane was used at 28mb, propane at 37mb. Dunno what they are in inches water gauge. Now you can fit the 30mb dual fuel regulator and use either gas without having to swap regulators.
maby
Well-Known Member
Thanks for prompting me to look! Now discovered the GasBOAT range and it is wonderful... Apart from the wish to be able to switch to Propane, I've had a long standing problem fitting the regulator to our CampingGAZ butane cylinders - since the regulator is on the hose, you can't screw it onto the cylinder - you have to screw the cylinder onto the regulator - very fiddly and a serious risk of dropping the cylinder and bruising the deck. GasBOAT put an adaptor onto the cylinder and screw the hose to the adaptor with a coupling - magic!
DaveS
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that. It prompted me to do something about my similar problem. I've now ordered bits which should achieve a similar result: a screw on "marine" CampingGaz regulator and a quick coupler, one half of which I will attach to the regulator with a few inches of hose. This assembly will then be spun onto the bottle and the other half of the coupler plugged in. Hopefully an end to messing around. My installation is particularly fiddly in that the holding down mechanism - a sheet of plywood with a large circular hole - goes between the regulator and the bottle giving something else to get in the way while turning the bottle and trying to catch the thread...
Thinking a bit further, the quick coupler would allow alternative appliances to be plugged in. Barbecue? Patio heater?
Ru88ell
Well-Known Member
Great answers, chaps. I'll investigate dual fuel.
[3889]
...
Butane is denser than propane so you get a greater mass of gas out of the same size cylinder: 7.5kg v 6kg. Propane has a slightly higher calorific value and Calor is normally slightly cheaper so, cost wise, there is no significant difference. The only advantage of butane is the extra storage capacity it affords. Personally, I use propane all year to save messing with dual fuel or swapping regs. As I use ~20kg / year this means one extra bottle change every 2 years - a lot less hassle than changing your gas system.
If you do find your butane won't gas off another option is to run the engine and use the cooling water to warm the cylinder quickly.
Momac
Well-Known Member
Campingaz is a rip off. The refills are about three times the price of calor gas (per kg of fuel).
Unfortunately my gas locker is made to suit the campingaz 907 cylinder and nothing else will fit.
.
Unfortunately my gas locker is made to suit the campingaz 907 cylinder and nothing else will fit.
.
