As we are approaching the winter season and temperatures are likely fall close too or below freezing, caravanners need to be aware of the need to think about switching from Butane to Propane gas for their camping and caravanning needs.
Old hands may be aware of the problem with trying to use Butane in low temperatures but we have seen but several new caravanners posting on the forum, and it may be worth raising the matter again.
When we encounter ambient temperatures that approach or go sub zero, some campers, caravanners and boat users discover their appliances stop working.
The typical scenario is the user wakes up and tries to make a cup of tea or turn on the heating. They turn on heater or the cooker and start to heat the kettle. After a few minuets the flame goes out. The suspicion is the gas bottle must be empty. When they check the bottle by swishing it they find its still got liquid inside, but not enough gas comes out.
I have received many calls from customers with this complaint and the typical comment is "my gas has frozen".
As far as the user is concerned that describes what seems to have happened, but scientifically the gas hasn't "frozen" its actually just reduced (or stopped) its boiling, The vapour pressure in the bottle is too low and its because the Butane bottle is too cold.
FACTS
In practice the vapour pressure in an Liquefied Petroleum Gas bottle is determined by the temperature of the bulk of the liquefied content in the bottle.
As you use the gas vapour, the liquefied content uses some of its heat energy (Temperature) to boil and produce more vapour to try to replenish the vapour used from the bottle. In doing so the liquefied content looses some temperature. If this process continues. the temperature continues to fall and eventually that will reduce the pressure to atmospheric and no more gas will be liberated.
Normally the LPG bottle will transfer heat from the ambient atmosphere into the liquefied content thus sustaining the vaporisation process. But if the external ambient cannot provide enough energy (Temperature) the bottle will reduce or in extreme case stop producing gas vapour.
Bottled Butane will start to become unreliable at ambient temperatures of 4C and below
Bottled Propane will continue to provide gas down to about ambient's of minus 35C
What to do
If you intend to go winter caravanning pre-empt the problem by switching to Propane LPG. Depending on the age of your caravan, you will either need a new regulator (37mBar) for older caravans with regulators on bottles, or for more recent 30mBar caravans, a new pigtail. Certainly for all UK caravans produced since the 1970's there should be no adjustments needed to any of the appliances to run either Butane or Propane.
If this happens to you;
Don't panic - you actually need to get some heat into the gas bottle, and simply pouring a litre or so of water (even cold from inside the caravan) over the gas bottle can help to liberate enough gas to perhaps boil a kettle. However do not pour water over the regulator.
Let the sun shine on the gas bottles, and as the day warms up the gas pressure will improve.
DO NOT wrap up the gas bottles to keep them warm - the exterior of bottle needs access to the ambient air to collect heat from it. If you insulate it; it makes the problem worse.
Old hands may be aware of the problem with trying to use Butane in low temperatures but we have seen but several new caravanners posting on the forum, and it may be worth raising the matter again.
When we encounter ambient temperatures that approach or go sub zero, some campers, caravanners and boat users discover their appliances stop working.
The typical scenario is the user wakes up and tries to make a cup of tea or turn on the heating. They turn on heater or the cooker and start to heat the kettle. After a few minuets the flame goes out. The suspicion is the gas bottle must be empty. When they check the bottle by swishing it they find its still got liquid inside, but not enough gas comes out.
I have received many calls from customers with this complaint and the typical comment is "my gas has frozen".
As far as the user is concerned that describes what seems to have happened, but scientifically the gas hasn't "frozen" its actually just reduced (or stopped) its boiling, The vapour pressure in the bottle is too low and its because the Butane bottle is too cold.
FACTS
In practice the vapour pressure in an Liquefied Petroleum Gas bottle is determined by the temperature of the bulk of the liquefied content in the bottle.
As you use the gas vapour, the liquefied content uses some of its heat energy (Temperature) to boil and produce more vapour to try to replenish the vapour used from the bottle. In doing so the liquefied content looses some temperature. If this process continues. the temperature continues to fall and eventually that will reduce the pressure to atmospheric and no more gas will be liberated.
Normally the LPG bottle will transfer heat from the ambient atmosphere into the liquefied content thus sustaining the vaporisation process. But if the external ambient cannot provide enough energy (Temperature) the bottle will reduce or in extreme case stop producing gas vapour.
Bottled Butane will start to become unreliable at ambient temperatures of 4C and below
Bottled Propane will continue to provide gas down to about ambient's of minus 35C
What to do
If you intend to go winter caravanning pre-empt the problem by switching to Propane LPG. Depending on the age of your caravan, you will either need a new regulator (37mBar) for older caravans with regulators on bottles, or for more recent 30mBar caravans, a new pigtail. Certainly for all UK caravans produced since the 1970's there should be no adjustments needed to any of the appliances to run either Butane or Propane.
If this happens to you;
Don't panic - you actually need to get some heat into the gas bottle, and simply pouring a litre or so of water (even cold from inside the caravan) over the gas bottle can help to liberate enough gas to perhaps boil a kettle. However do not pour water over the regulator.
Let the sun shine on the gas bottles, and as the day warms up the gas pressure will improve.
DO NOT wrap up the gas bottles to keep them warm - the exterior of bottle needs access to the ambient air to collect heat from it. If you insulate it; it makes the problem worse.
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