BBQ Gas

[The Medway Handyman]

Is BBQ gas propane or butane? What's the difference AAMOI?

[Mogga]

is commonly used as a fuel for engines, barbecues, and home heating systems. three-carbon alkane

gas is sold bottled as a fuel for cooking and camping. four carbon atoms, CH3CH2CH2CH3

NIce thing on how to know how much is left in the bottle

[Lobster]

Normally butane but afaik propane may be advocated in very low temperatures (not that you'd be barbieing then though).

David

[Bob Minchin]

BBQ Gas is Propane in green cylinders. Liquid butane has a higher boiling point than propane so at low temperatures either from the surroundings or combined with the result of self cooling as the gas is drawn off, butane gas can refuse to come out of the cylinder. Propane is much less likely to do this. Hence professional outdoor users of LPG cylinders or other gas used from an outdoor tank are all propane-generally in red cylinders. Butane tends to be in blue cylinders and for indoor/fair weather applications. HTH

Bob

[RW]

The "Sheds" sell BBQ gas with that "special" adapter that supposedly is easier for Joe Public to use without mishap.

Standard blue Butane cylinders usually have a bayonet type fitting which is quick and simple to use, same as indoor gas heaters etc Although Calor have their own size, 21mm I believe, whereas some others use 22mm or visa-versa.

Propane requires the use of a spanner, and have "Left-hand threads". Clearly something the average J.P might not understand, especially the female persuasion ;-)

FWIT I purchased a quality gas BBQ with the "special" fitting and promptly dumped the fitting as the gas proved way too expensive compared to the standard orange bottle propane and fitted a low pressure adjustable regulator set to a couple of mBar.

No significant noticeable difference between my BBQ and next doors (Using the "special" gas) apart from he pays more than me.

Not only that you can usually find the orange cylinders lying around in places recently vacated by the "Travelling" community who have lifted them from a building site/garden/anywhere they feel like nicking them from and use that. Refills being the cheaper part as deposits on the cylinder are therefore nil.

[The Medway Handyman]

The new green ones with the posh handles have a gauge - to show how quickly your wallet is emptying.

Had one of those on the old BBQ, might still have it somewhere - cheers.

>

[somebody]

In message , The Medway Handyman writes

I believe they're interchangeable for your average BBQ. AIUI it is just the regulator pressure which is slightly different.

Our new BBQ came with one of those regulators for silly 'arm and a leg' patio gas (green bottles).

The local petrol station sold me a new regulator for a standard butane bottle for £9.99, and then a nil deposit bottle of butane at a 1/4 of the B&Q 'patio gas' price. Works absolutely fine.

Hth Someone

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

Si

[Mary Fisher]

That's right. We use propane (in red bottles - it doesn't have to be green) only because we use it in the caravan too and there's no point in having different bottles and regulators.

I suspect that the green bottles might well be more expensive, w/w.

Mary

[Mogga]

Here but not having read that particular bit of wikipedia.

[Dave Liquorice]

Note that is an american entry. Just looked for a TW mark on the calor butane cylinder I have handy but it's not there. However a very quick google gave me:

out questions: "How can I monitor how much gas is left in a cylinder?" "What is the empty weight of bottles?"

The empty tank weight in pounds and ounces is on the metal disc. Can't say I've looked closly enough at other suppliers cylinders to see if they have the metal disc or not.