Calor gas connections

[Big Les Wade]

My cooker runs on calor gas. I have two 47kg cylinders, both connected by rubber hoses to a switchover valve on the outside wall.

One hose is red and connected at both ends by a jubilee clip. It is perished and leaking at the cylinder end. The other hose is black and has a different type of connection at each end, via a kind of nozzle held onto the hose by a metal collar, and connected to the cylinder and valve by brass hex nuts.

I inherited this set-up. Obviously I need to change the red hose. Anyone know how to specify what I should order? Is it easy to fit these things yourself?

[Tim+]

I could be wrong but I suspect that the regulator and hoses are the property of Calor. I'd certainly ring them first before doing anything.

Tim

[Davey]

Even if not, then they will have the best hoses with fittings. Take a photo and show them.

[Huge]

I have a similar setup (without the leak) and the hoses and regulator most certainly aren't the property of Calor - I should know since I installed them.

I bought them from a tool-hire place that also sells bottled gas.

[Big Les Wade]

Are the hoses like my black one (which is a BS3212/2 high pressure hose)? Is it easy to connect them up without leaks?

[fred]

In article , Big Les Wade writes

Propane I assume (red cylinder)?

Does the setup look like any of these:

It looks like the hose from the cylinder is at high pressure so if it is one of those that you need to replace then it would probably be better to buy ready made 'pigtails' such as these:

Just match up the fittings to the existing setup, they're pretty cheap. BES is trade so it's plus VAT as well as the post.

Scan the pages back and forth for super duper rodent proof ones if you want to splash out.

Changing the pigtail out should be as straightforward as changing the cylinder connection. If you want to do a leak test, do it with soapy water rather than a washing up liquid solution as it has loads of salt in it as a thickener and so can lead to corrosion.

[News]

Agreed. My hoses and regulator were installed a couple of weeks ago, and I paid for them.

[Dave Liquorice]

Bulk tanks are the proprty of the supplier and you are, AIUI, tied to that supplier.

You can buy 47 kg cylinders from any where and from any body. You can buy the change over valve/regulator over the counter in a decent plumbers merchant.

The hose from cylinder to regulator needs to be a high pressure one. I thought that orange was HP and black LP but looking at BES:

It's not that clear cut as the changeover/regulator kits come with black hose. Hoses normally have some printing on giving rating etc. Maybe it's a UV thing? More research required on that.

Shouldn't be difficult to change the hoses. Several sizes available and use stainless jubilee clips to hold the hose on, don't skimp on hose length.

[newshound]

I was going to suggest BES too

[Weatherlawyer]

I think the different fittings mean he has a choice of supplier -useful if one of them wants to be funny about supplies.

Go Outdoors .co.uk has a selection of these things in plain view if you ever need to ponder the alternatives.

[Dave Liquorice]

This is bottled not bulk gas. You can buy from anywhere from your local garage to calor direct. Connector types differentiate the gas not the supplier.

AFAIAA propane (orange) cylinders all have the lefthand thread taper POL connector and hand valve. The POL can connect to hose (at high pressure) or a regulator.

Butane (blue) cylinders have a clip on connector that operates a valve in the cylinder connector when fitted. I don't think you can get a clip on that doesn't have a regulator.

Patio gas butane/propane mix? (green) has a different connector, something akin to the butane one I think.

Below that you have the tiddly cylinders that campers use for camping stoves or lanterns. They can be proprietary, Camping Gaz, but a lot use a standard 10 mm(?) screw on thing.

[Big Les Wade]

Thanks. Mine are orange for propane. What does POL mean?

[Dave Liquorice]

LMGTFY -

POL - Prest-O-Lite name of the company that first produced the valve/connector.

[Jethro_uk]

er bollocks. You will - *if* you have the original hire agreement which comes with them.

[Chris French]

Yep,I've had refunds on gas bottles before, (with the original receipt or whatever). They won't without as they are otherwise popular target for stealing to get the refund

[Chris French]

Not anymore, that was changed in 2009

[Tim+]

But only a partial refund. It's a sliding scale that decreases with years of "ownership". Calor used to list all the details on their website but it would seem now that you have to phone them. I wonder why they've gone all coy about their miserable refunds? It's almost as if they don't want you to know...

Tim

[Jethro_uk]

Presumably they degrade with time ?

[Tim+]

The deposits certainly do.

Tim

[Jethro_uk]

:)

ISTR the cylinders are some sort of mild steel. Does LPG have a corrosive effect over time ? They all come stamped with serial numbers. IIRC the original design dates back to 1947. They had the original technical drawings round the corner in operations, when I worked there. In a special filing cabinet for such things ...