Propane or Butane bottles for Winter?

[James_374314871]

Hi there,

What bottle do you recommend for year round use in Scotland, maybe the Highlands for ski-ing etc.

I believe that the regulator must be installed or changed by an approved gas technician and so do not want to make the wrong choice. I assume that the price of a bottle is the same regardless.

Thanks for your answers.

 

[Pablo1]

James,

Everything I have read suggests propane for winter use. Butane "freezes up" at sub zero temperatures. I've always used propane without a problem, even on icey mornings.

Paul

 

[Damian]

James, Paul is correct, Propane for winter vanning as it continues to gas down to below freezing temperatures.

As for the regulator, if it is a bulkhead mounted one, just the pigtail needs to be for Propane.

If it is a bottle mounted regulator, you need to buy the Propane one, and fit it yourself, it is just a jubilee clip.

 

[ProfJohnL]

James,

Everything I have read suggests propane for winter use. Butane "freezes up" at sub zero temperatures. I've always used propane without a problem, even on icey mornings.

Paul

Hello Paul,

Just a technical point:

Butane does not "freeze up" at sub zero temperatures. It actually remains in its liquid state, but it is too cold to produce any gas vapour, hence no gas pressure.

Propane is good down to -35C as it only stops producing vapour at -40C

 

[JeremyClarksson]

I worked out the cost per heat value between butane and propane some time ago and found that butane is slightly cheaper on 13/15 kg bottles and below with propane cheaper on bottles above that size.

The difference is small in percentage terms and we now run propane year round as the hassle of changing bottles etc is not worth the cost saving.

We can fit a 13/15kg bottle in the front locker although the cost difference is slightly wider if you can only fit 6/7 kg bottles.

The only other plus to butane is slightly better availability.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Why does every body refer to GAS BOTTLES. Bottles are made of glass or plastic & usualy contain pop water milk etc.

Gas come in CYLINDERS not bottles.

Graham W.

 

[JeremyClarksson]

Thanks for correcting me Graham.

I am glad you found nothing substantial in the post to criticise.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Sorry if you think i am critisising (is that spelt right), But as a raw recruit on my B.A. course 35 years ago it was drummed into us & failed the course if you said bottles not cylinders.

Graham W.

 

[MalcolmL]

Sorry if you think i am critisising (is that spelt right), But as a raw recruit on my B.A. course 35 years ago it was drummed into us & failed the course if you said bottles not cylinders.

Graham W.

No, it isn't spelled correctly!!

 

[BrianStAlbans]

Why is it called bottled gas then ?

Brian ;O)

 

[Ian_5094401]

Graham,

You must try to get out more !!!

 

[ProfJohnL]

OK lets sort this one out now!

I vote we all start calling then vessels, hands up if you agree!

 

[BrianStAlbans]

Vesselled gas, doesn't sound right to me ;O)

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Got out last week to Lincoln 2 nights, going tomorrow to Devon 10 nights. Great caravaning init.

As I said we are brainwashed in the f.r.s. but it is a great job.

Graham W.

 

[Oldfogey]

If you're planning to camp regularly in v. cold weather, then it is probably a good idea to change to Propane, the main downside being that you may have to hunt harder for it, particularly in the smaller sizes.

On the other hand, for the occasional, perhaps unplanned, winter trip, butane can still be used.

I regularly used to hire a boat on the Norfolk Broads for Christmas week (single-handed - lovely and peaceful), and they were invariably butane fueled.

The technique was to fill a hot water bottle before going to bed, wrap it up thougoughly so it was still hottish in the morning, and when you woke up, dash out and pop it into the gas locker.

Dash in, put the heating on, put the kettle on, back to bed.

The hottie will warm the gas up enough to flow, and from then on you can replace it any time the gas seems to be getting sluggish.

Of course, you need to be hardy enough to go out on the foredeck in your dressing gown in temperatures below zero and a biting NE wind.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi

When I was young we did as a family spend a week on the Norfolk Broads during the October half term holiday. I have repeated the same on two occasions with my own youngsters, and we have had a great time. Only we did have problem with Butane. We woke up one morning to heavy frost and the cooker would not sustain a flame.

Solution was to get a bucket of the river water and dowse the gas cylinders with it. Worked a treat. The river water was of course a few degrees above freezing, and as it made good contact with the gas 'vessels' it transferred enough heat to the LPG to get some vaporising.

 

[Oldfogey]

The problem is not only the ambient temperature, but that as the gas vaporises, it expands, and thus cools. Consequently the temperature of the bot... er cylinder can be several degrees below air temperature.

 

[Pat_374304630]

James in answer to your question,Propane.The new BP lightgas is Propane,much lighter in weight than conventional gas cylinders.

 

[Pat_374304630]

John l

We already have an alternative name, Cylinder.

 

[Rubix]

This topic (Checkov - Wessel Vs Bottle Vs Cylinder Vs recepticle) reminds me of my Dad (an Electrician) who used to tell us of for calling "lamps" light bulbs, as "bulbs grow in the garden" !!!

Try working for the NHS where the majority of staff don't know what all the other staff do. (there are people who aren't Nurses or Doctors who work for the NHS !!)

Happy Friday peeps !

 

[JeremyClarksson]

My wifes family insists on turning the lights/TV/fires "out" not "off".

I do not know where they keep them after they have done it!

Coming from Bristol we also have a habit of annoying others by putting "to"s in i.e. "where are you going to", "where's that to" in addition to all the other bristolian foibles.

Celebrate la difference!