butane or propane as gas for horsebox?

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my new horsebox has a butane (blue) cylinder of gas which I think has pretty much run out although reading around on the internet I'm wondering whether it's just not working as it's so cold at the moment as appears butane isn't reliable below 6degrees. Only wanted to make a cup of tea at dressage yesterday but could hardly get a flame out of the hob. Reading around some caravan sites everyone seems to recommend propane instead for winter use so wondering if when I get replacement cylinder would be better to get propane and if so is it just a case of swapping from one to the other or more complicated than that?
 
You should use propane but be aware that the regulator is different. They are not expensive though. Butane could well freeze but I use propane for my house (no mains gas) and it has never frozen.
 
We have both for our horse box - when it gets cold we swap the cylinders. This weekend the heater was working fine but we had expected to need to swap over.
 
star said:
my new horsebox has a butane (blue) cylinder of gas which I think has pretty much run out although reading around on the internet I'm wondering whether it's just not working as it's so cold at the moment as appears butane isn't reliable below 6degrees. Only wanted to make a cup of tea at dressage yesterday but could hardly get a flame out of the hob. Reading around some caravan sites everyone seems to recommend propane instead for winter use so wondering if when I get replacement cylinder would be better to get propane and if so is it just a case of swapping from one to the other or more complicated than that?
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Propane is the best year round and you can get it lightweight 7kg cylinders from calor you will need a different regulator about £10, the apliances will work on either but in cooler weather butane can freeze so even though there is gas in the bottle it wont come out until you stop useing it and it warms up.. butane is ok in portable heaters and for indoor gas apliances but not used for caravans or horse boxes anymore....
 
You need to check that all your appliances run on propane first as that is not a foregone conclusion.Either check the instruction book or they should have a plate on them and somewhere on that it will state if it will work with both.
My guess is and I may be totally wrong that one or all will only run on Butane or it would already be on propane. One short term trick is to wrap the cylinder with an old rug or something.
 
popsdosh said:
You need to check that all your appliances run on propane first as that is not a foregone conclusion.Either check the instruction book or they should have a plate on them and somewhere on that it will state if it will work with both.
My guess is and I may be totally wrong that one or all will only run on Butane or it would already be on propane. One short term trick is to wrap the cylinder with an old rug or something.
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butane or propane is fine for either (propane reg output 37 mbar) but for natual gas(towns gas) appliances need re jetting to work... wraping the cylinder would make the problem worse as its the gas getting colder than the outside air !!!! only warming the cylinder would help ie standing it in hot water ...
 
perfect11s said:
butane or propane is fine for either (propane reg output 37 mbar) but for natual gas(towns gas) appliances need re jetting to work... wraping the cylinder would make the problem worse as its the gas getting colder than the outside air !!!! only warming the cylinder would help ie standing it in hot water ...
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Have to disagree on both points one some appliances only work on butane as although the jets are the same the pressures are different 28mb butane. I agree most work especially newer appliances but some older ones may not.Wrapping bottles is the common way of stopping icing in commercial applications as the problem is that butane does not boil below 3 degrees were as the wrapping keeps the bottle temperature up and stops ice forming.We have problem grain drying in the middle of summer with ice forming on propane and the remedy is to insulate the bottles.
 
popsdosh said:
Have to disagree on both points one some appliances only work on butane as although the jets are the same the pressures are different 28mb butane. I agree most work especially newer appliances but some older ones may not.Wrapping bottles is the common way of stopping icing in commercial applications as the problem is that butane does not boil below 3 degrees were as the wrapping keeps the bottle temperature up and stops ice forming.We have problem grain drying in the middle of summer with ice forming on propane and the remedy is to insulate the bottles.
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This has got to be a wind up :D
 
popsdosh said:
If you think it is check it out with Calor.
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Seriouly you are joking about the bottles geting cold in the summer so they need insulating from the heat to stop them freezing !!!!! the change of state from liquid gas to vapour is why the bottle gets cold so insulating it from external heat will make it colder and less gas at a lower presure will be delivred, the answer is take gas from mulitple bottles so the ambiant air warms them fast enough ... I guess you didnt do basic physics/science at school then??? latent heat of evaporation and heat traveling from warm to cold !!!!
 
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star said:
I thought propane didn't freeze until minus 30 or something
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Minus 43 to be precise but if its boiling off quickly enough it will get down there .I was just putting the principals we use when using large amounts on a grain drier and were told very clearly by Calor to insulate the bottles to stop the temperature dropping so much.
All I really wanted to advise you was to check your appliances were OK to run on propane and if so use propane! It is much better at lower temperatures but you will find for example the kettle may take longer as not as hot as Butane.However better than no gas at all.
 
Propane's boiling point is -42 and Butane's is -1 (Butane doesn't freeze (turn solid) until about -135 and Propane not until -188).

Unless you're getting close to -42 I don't see why you had to insulate the propane bottles?
 
popsdosh said:
Minus 43 to be precise but if its boiling off quickly enough it will get down there .I was just putting the principals we use when using large amounts on a grain drier and were told very clearly by Calor to insulate the bottles to stop the temperature dropping so much.
All I really wanted to advise you was to check your appliances were OK to run on propane and if so use propane! It is much better at lower temperatures but you will find for example the kettle may take longer as not as hot as Butane.However better than no gas at all.
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Calor are wrong then.:cool:
 
Mike007 said:
Calor are wrong then.:cool:
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Can only comment from experience and it works!
Any way does not change the fact some of the appliances if older may not run on propane safely.Perhaps the OP should be asking a gas expert rather than the forum with such a safety critical thing.The only way to tell is really by checking each appliances plate and it will tell you including the water heater.
 
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What type are the orange short dumpy ones? I used them in the previous box too. Just had mine refilled when it went to lorry man to have work. Not planning to go out when its too cold though...;)
 
A shameless hijack: (sorry, OP, my old lorry used butane, new one uses propane, if that is of any interest...) as there are so many knowledgeable people posting - the gas cylinder (tall, orange) for my house gas cooker has run out. We hardly use it as we have an aga, but I want it available for Christmas. There is also a spare empty clylinder which was lying around the yard when we moved in - OH tried to exchange this for new Calor one today but found that it is made by Handy Gas and Calor won't take it; the one still attached is somebody called Terry Howells so hardly mainstream either! I'm half thinking the easiest thing would be to pay the deposit and get a new Calor bottle so at least it would be easy to exchange bottles on-going. But if I did this, would exisitng regulator and connection work, or would I need to buy new Calor ones? And if so, is changing it over a difficult job or could I or very un-handy OH do it?? Any advice gratefully received, I'm a gas virgin, only dealt with oil and electric before...
 
propane should in most cases be the same regulator ,I have only once ever come across a variation and that turned out to be a foreign regulator. Do calor charge a deposit around you as they dont here!!! they have more competition maybe? If buying a 47kg calor ask for the central heating rate as its a lot cheaper but not all suppliers will do this!
 
popsdosh said:
propane should in most cases be the same regulator ,I have only once ever come across a variation and that turned out to be a foreign regulator. Do calor charge a deposit around you as they dont here!!! they have more competition maybe? If buying a 47kg calor ask for the central heating rate as its a lot cheaper but not all suppliers will do this!
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Thanks pd, very helpful :)
 
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