butane to propane

coolvale

i am thinking of changing from butane kosangas to propane in my camper.
i have been told i cant exchange my cylinders for the propane ones.
do anyone have a spare or know where to get propane cylinders.please.
im in waterford.
thanks
tony

spaceHopper

I've picked up free cylinders at recycling centres. Normally you pay a deposit on a cylinder but good luck getting it back so they end up in the recycling centres

pastense

I changed over and its a good move, my gas retailer had no problem exchanging empty Flogas butane for full Flogas Propane.
In fact I believe they will take any Irish brand in exchange. So ask around and find one who will. Those who refuse are just trying to get more of your cash, in my opinion of course.

moodrater

pastense wrote: »

I changed over and its a good move, my gas retailer had no problem exchanging empty Flogas butane for full Flogas Propane.
In fact I believe they will take any Irish brand in exchange. So ask around and find one who will. Those who refuse are just trying to get more of your cash, in my opinion of course.

Cool, I asked the calor man about changing over and was told I'd have to pay for a new cylinder.

pastense

moodrater wrote: »

Cool, I asked the calor man about changing over and was told I'd have to pay for a new cylinder.

It seems totally illogical to me, from a business standpoint, to demand money from a customer who is exchanging a particular brand cylinder for the same brand and requesting a change from butane to propane.
The man who sells the gas to me is a keen businessman, not a grocery shop sideline but a fuel specialist and I can imagine what he would tell them if they gave him grief.
Have a look in your area for a 'Fuel Merchant' who wants your business.

I've two bottles of propane in buthane cylinders.

pastense

You're refilling I'd say, maybe wrong but would you tell us how's that done.

Local fuel merchant.

PM sent.

db

On the same topic, I am using butane in my caravan with a wall mounted regulator which will take either butane or propane. The connector to the cylinder is the regular Calor clip-on connector without the built-in regular. Anyone know where I would get a connector for the propane cylinder to do the changeover? I'm guessing it is not the normal regulator that comes on a BBQ.

moodrater

db wrote: »

On the same topic, I am using butane in my caravan with a wall mounted regulator which will take either butane or propane. The connector to the cylinder is the regular Calor clip-on connector without the built-in regular. Anyone know where I would get a connector for the propane cylinder to do the changeover? I'm guessing it is not the normal regulator that comes on a BBQ.

Pigtails available here:
http://gasproducts.ie/acatalog/Caravan_Gas_Pigtails.html
http://shop.calorgas.ie/20-propane-butane-gas-pigtail-butane-nut-x-w20.html

Depends on the thread on your bulkhead regulator I suppose. So check that.

Aidan_M_M

Refill at your peril. Cylinders are supposed to be emptied, cleaned and purged when they're sent back to the supplier.

What's the danger Aidan? 6kg bottles are too big for my liking and they probably won't take them back if I cut the handles off.

Aidan_M_M

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

What's the danger Aidan? 6kg bottles are too big for my liking and they probably won't take them back if I cut the handles off.

The "heavy ends" as the gas industry calls it, ie impurities and moisture, etc, can get into the system, harming regulators, affecting pressure, and ultimately as far as the jets themselves.
Remember , lower pressure in the system can cause that most fatal of gases, carbon monoxide.

Ah, guess I'll be purging my own bottles then :eek:

Any idea what they clean them with?

moodrater

Plenty of heavy ends in the last flogas bottle i got so much in fact I was wondering were they adding them in order to sell you less gas. Whatever about refilling your own bottle, you can still openly buy this crap on the forecourts around here, the bottles are rusty dented, no new valves seals, no new test collars and I'd be highly sceptical about the weight painted on them.

Also noticed an 11.34kg calor bottle stamped 15.5kg the other day surely thats more than 80% full?

Aidan_M_M

moodrater wrote: »

Plenty of heavy ends in the last flogas bottle i got so much in fact I was wondering were they adding them in order to sell you less gas. Whatever about refilling your own bottle, you can still openly buy this crap on the forecourts around here, the bottles are rusty dented, no new valves seals, no new test collars and I'd be highly sceptical about the weight painted on them.

Also noticed an 11.34kg calor bottle stamped 15.5kg the other day surely thats more than 80% full?

When I did my RGI certification , it was all ex Calor engineers, they said bottles being filled elsewhere, unofficially (even by retailers!) was the single biggest problem they had.

JonMac

How about the people with the refillable Gaslow etc. bottles? Building up gunk?

moodrater

JonMac wrote: »

How about the people with the refillable Gaslow etc. bottles? Building up gunk?

You get heavy ends with autogas too they gum up the evaporator in cars obviously a car uses vast quantities of gas relative to a motorhome. I assume they'd gum up your fridge burner and other burners eventually. The main problem with gunk in the gaslow system is the lpg leeching plasticiser from rubber hoses hence the expensive stainless hoses.

coolvale

thank you all for your replies.
i was able to exchange my cylinder for the propane.
tony

pastense

coolvale wrote: »

thank you all for your replies.
i was able to exchange my cylinder for the propane.
tony

Thats the business

Aidan_M_M

JonMac wrote: »

How about the people with the refillable Gaslow etc. bottles? Building up gunk?

The LPG sold at the pump seems to be better refined than the shop cylinders.