Gas hob Butane Propane cylinder switch

patrickstar3

Just had a new gas hob installed today and it's connected to a yellow Calor butane cylinder outside.
I'm just wary of a possible cold winter this year and the butane line freezing. Would there be any reason a propane cylinder wasn't installed, and if not would it be much hassle to switch the line over to propane, is it something that I could do myself?
I would've asked when it was being installed, but I wasn't around unfortunately

gctest50

before you get someone in, you can also get twin regulators

should automatically change over to a spare cylinder

RE: Freezing, Just make sure that the regulator on top of the cylinder doesn't get wet, it's when this water freezes that the gas is unable to flow.
I found that placing an upside down bucket over the cylinder solved this problem.

patrickstar3

Ah ok. Hopefully that does the job then

patrickstar3

patrickstar3 wrote: »

Just had a new gas hob installed today and it's connected to a yellow Calor butane cylinder outside.
I'm just wary of a possible cold winter this year and the butane line freezing. Would there be any reason a propane cylinder wasn't installed, and if not would it be much hassle to switch the line over to propane, is it something that I could do myself?
I would've asked when it was being installed, but I wasn't around unfortunately

I'd go back to your Rgi and ask him to install something that is fit for purpose and sign off on it.

Unless you have a hob that's for Butane only or you like hugging a cylinder on cold days then using Butane cylinders as a fuel source is silly and not what I'd expected a Rgi to be fitting.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

RE: Freezing, Just make sure that the regulator on top of the cylinder doesn't get wet, it's when this water freezes that the gas is unable to flow.
I found that placing an upside down bucket over the cylinder solved this problem.

I like the bucket tip:) but propane and butane have different characteristics, butane becomes pretty much unusable at -2c as opposed to -42c with propane.

Point taken, We have a propane cylinder that used to often freeze (the regulator) in the winter and just protecting the regulator from water did the trick.

patrickstar3

Ok, so it is strange that he installed butane then, I figured. I'll give him a ring tomorrow and see what the story is

Billy Bunting

In 90% of cooker/hob installations you'll find butane is used, mainly to keep costs down for the customer and for ease of availability.

Billy Bunting

Billy Bunting wrote: »

In 90% of cooker/hob installations you'll find butane is used, mainly to keep costs down for the customer and for ease of availability.

Manly Propane in the Midlands very little butane used.

patrickstar3

So, my RGI says that he's never heard from someone with their butane freezing, and that it's actually safer with the smaller butane cylinder anyway since, the bigger propane ones need to be chained to stop them toppling over, etc.
Sure look, I'll leave it for now, and deal with it if something does happen

patrickstar3

patrickstar3 wrote: »

So, my RGI says that he's never heard from someone with their butane freezing, and that it's actually safer with the smaller butane cylinder anyway since, the bigger propane ones need to be chained to stop them toppling over, etc.
Sure look, I'll leave it for now, and deal with it if something does happen

You may find hopefully you have no issues but you've paid to have a gas supply that is questionable as opposed to paying for a gas supply that will work.

If your RGI wishes to read his own gas regulations it will inform him that butane is unsuitable for use at a ambient temperture below 0c.

Below is Calor gases opinion.


What is the difference between butane and propane?

Propane (bulk tanks, large red and green cylinders and grey patio cylinders) should be stores outdoors and used externally. Butane (yellow and blue cylinders) can be used and stored indoors or outdoors. Butane has a lower boiling point therefore in colder conditions, if stored externally, may not work.