Lpg

The Rooster

Bord Gais dont want to give me gas (even though the estate beside me has gas). Now if they dont want my money that's fine, the only thing I'd be a bit upset about is that I'd really like a gas hob in my kitchen.

The gas hob that I had picked out also comes in a "LPG version" - something I know little about and have no experience of. Does anyone know much about this as an alternative? I presume it means buying LPG cylinders regularly - would this be considered an expensive alternative? or a cheap alternative? any disadvantages/advantages?

Macy

We've a bottle gas/lpg hob in our new kitchen. Think it would work out cheaper than electric anyway, but disadvantage of having to pay up front. We've a spare bottle as well, to make it handier when one runs out - only out to the shed to carry on cooking. It will run out when you really could do without the hassle.

Hob is the same as for natural gas, just different fittings for the connection and different jets for the actual hobs.

Reasons we went gas hob were two fold:
1) The best to cook with. i.e. more control than electric hobs (bar halogen maybe). This was the main factor tbh
2) Rural location where power outages fairly common - well common enough that we'd have a gas stove of some description. We decided it'd be less hassle if we could just use the normal hob in the circumstances, and have 4 rings at that.

Also, space really wasn't an issue, so no problem with storing the bottle in a press.

rooferPete

Hi Macy,

The advantages or disadvantages for cooking I can't comment on, however the fitting I can.

"She Who Must Be Obeyed" likes the dual fuel system Gas and electricity so she has a range type with fan ovens and gas top.

We use two 75 lb. cylinders linked together, if one runs out the other takes over so no problems there, cost wise it has never been mentioned so not an issue.

The fitting no problem, although even I got an approved installer to plumb the regulater to the cooker, it's not rocket science in fact most retailers will have an installer they recommend.

The pipe is soft copper with a pvc sleeve on it, Ithink it's 12 mm, I do know the fittings for gas are slightly different from standard plumbing sizes but not a problem.

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Macy

Our hob is seperate to the oven, so it really wasn't an issue getting a dual feul cooker. Hob is on the breakfast bar, built under cooker on the other side of the "U"....

As for the dual bottle set up - sounds good, but then we'd probably still forget to check and run out at inconvenient times

As for the piping - ours is the standard rubber (?) pipe, but then it's not near a heat source which may make a difference.

rooferPete

Hi Macy,

If you use an approved installer He / She will know how much flexible pipe you are allowed to use and how near or far away heat sources should be to prevent problems.

There is a flexible hose used but through the wall is copper.

The Rooster

Thanks for the info. I see that its possible to run your central heating from LPG also, by having a gas tank in your garden rather than an oil tank. Flogas and Calor provide such a faiclity. Anyone got any views or experience of this as an option or whether there's any difference between Flogas and Calor?

rooferPete

Hi Rooster,

I have an LPG boiler among my heating collection, (LPG, Oil, Solid Fuel all linked) the LPG can be very expensive to run, also LPG is a deritive of oil so it's linked to the oil prices.

The tanks look like good ideas I had one, the minus was the driver would call and top it up when he was in the area, they would come out if you were running low so no problem there.

What I didn't like was the unexpected bills dropping in the door, Yep even us decadent capitalists like to be able to budget

I changed over to a system similar to the regulator for the cooking except it's a four way instead of two and the cylinders are larger.

I thought Flogas were gone out of business ? or maybe taken over I'm not sure though.

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