Propane vs Butane for gas cooker ?

[sailorman]

I read all of this post after doing a forum search because I am considering changing from butane to propane as we will be aboard this winter. Great info but I am still not clear on the cost / efficiency issue. A 4.5kg butane cylinder (which I use) is the same size and around the same price as a 3.9kg propane cylinder. Simple (but probably naive) question - which will last longest

[A 4.5kg butane cylinder (which I use) is the same size and around the same price as a 3.9kg propane cylinder.]
calor use the same cylinders & paint them according to wots in em.

 

[Hadenough]

Sailorman thanks. Understand that and that I will need a different regulator but what I am trying to establish is will 3.9kg of propane last as long as 4.5kg of butane. I'm guessing it's all to do with the CV and other things that I don't understand. Any experts out there?

 

[sailorman]

Sailorman thanks. Understand that and that I will need a different regulator but what I am trying to establish is will 3.9kg of propane last as long as 4.5kg of butane. I'm guessing it's all to do with the CV and other things that I don't understand. Any experts out there?

different reg req. as for consumption i dont know i use both but prefer propane due to better at lower ambient temps

 

[rivonia]

Sailorman thanks. Understand that and that I will need a different regulator but what I am trying to establish is will 3.9kg of propane last as long as 4.5kg of butane. I'm guessing it's all to do with the CV and other things that I don't understand. Any experts out there?

Look it realy does not matter at all which type you use OK! It is all LPG= Liquid Petrolium Gas. We use any type that is available and often change bottles of different colours and different weights on our travels around the world. We have had them filled rfom one bottle of a larger size to a smaller bottle. At the moment we are still on Greek bottles but will get them filled by the TRNC gas people. So dont worry be happy.

 

[Hadenough]

Look it realy does not matter at all which type you use OK! It is all LPG= Liquid Petrolium Gas. We use any type that is available and often change bottles of different colours and different weights on our travels around the world. We have had them filled rfom one bottle of a larger size to a smaller bottle. At the moment we are still on Greek bottles but will get them filled by the TRNC gas people. So dont worry be happy.

Irish Diesel IS GREEN
UK Duty free is RED
H eating Diesel is BLUE Enough said!!

D'you get out of your bunk the wrong side this morning

 

[VicMallows]

At the last two Southampton Boat Shows there was a guy selling convertors for different threads etc for all the european and other gas bottles likely to encounter.

Yeah. I asked him a question because I wanted to source a 50mb regulator and he either didn't have a clue what I was talking about .....or couldn't care less.

Vic

 

[VicS]

Sailorman thanks. Understand that and that I will need a different regulator but what I am trying to establish is will 3.9kg of propane last as long as 4.5kg of butane. I'm guessing it's all to do with the CV and other things that I don't understand. Any experts out there?

In post #8 I said that on weight for weight basis the calorific values are almost the same ( and quoted some figures in support of that statement )

That means you will get the same amount of heat from a kg of propane as you do from a kg of butane.

Now a small propane bottle holds 3.9 kg and the same physical size of butane bottle hold 4.5kg

That means there is significantly more heat available in a small butane cylinder than in a small propane cylinder. For the same amount of cooking the butane bottle should last longer.

If you are looking at cost then, taking Calor's current refill prices, a kg of butane costs £3.55 while a kg of propane, which will give a similar amount of heat, costs £3.97.

 

[Hadenough]

VicS

many thanks that's what I suspected, significant enough difference to make it worth while sticking to butane for other than the colder months.

 

[KellysEye]

I'd go with Propane. I don't know if it is cheaper than Butane in the UK but it is in Europe and the Caribbean. I've only seen fairly dinky Butane cylinders, we carry 13kg and 8kg backup Propane cylinders. On the other hand it may just come down to the size of your gas locker. If so buy the biggest cylinder that will fit, generally Propane is cheaper the larger the volume. Don't know about Butane.

 

[fergie_mac66]

I go with propane for a different reason its a little bit higher pressure and having used butane for summer and propane for winter I notice that butane can be blown out much easier even allowing for flame failure device I still would prefer for a flame not to be blown out ...

Besides "king of the hill" likes propane ! (its a tv thing !)