Butane or Propane?

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Butane or Propane?

Hello all, motorhomers have there own preference.

the difference between propane and butane? Is one more suitable than the other for particular applications?
Propane (red and green cylinders) has a lower boiling point than butane (blue cylinders) and is stored at a higher pressure so it is more suited for storage outside. Butane’s boiling point (conversion from liquid to gas) is around 0˚C so in colder conditions around this temperature it will not work.



So lets have your views.

Which is best?
 
Propane, I use it all year round, don't want to wake up one day not being able to make a cuppa!
 
Propane for me

I also use Propane year round. However the new van has a fixed LPG cylinder, so things will be different.
 
I remember years ago as a young Squaddie having a gas stove with Butane oh how I laughed when it didn't work on an excercise in sub-zero temperatures when I wanted to get my scoff.
 
Butane or propane

I had seen various posts on the subject and thought it wouldn't happen to me guess what it did -6 overnight in Dumfries at the beginning of December.Best to change to propane,no fun waking up to no hot water for brekkie,Andy
 
BedfordMJ said:
I remember years ago as a young Squaddie having a gas stove with Butane oh how I laughed when it didn't work on an excercise in sub-zero temperatures when I wanted to get my scoff.
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Just had a flashback to my days as a pongo, Scoff !! we used the small hexy stoves, god it seems years ago !!

PS I use propane all year round, does the job.
 
TWS said:
Just had a flashback to my days as a pongo, Scoff !! we used the small hexy stoves, god it seems years ago !!

PS I use propane all year round, does the job.
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Yes and there was me being clever not having to clean filth off the hexy blocks on my mess tins. Then cold Bacon grill was ok but a nice hot brew would have been nice.
I use propane :D
 
Dezi said:
I also use Propane year round. However the new van has a fixed LPG cylinder, so things will be different.
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I don't know why all campers aren't equiped with fixed tanks, much more convenient, the yanks have been doing it for years.

When filling up in this country you will get 100% propane, however if you fill up on the continent it will be a propane/butane mix the proportions will depend on where you are, generaly the further south the more butane. I sugest you don't overfill abroad and later winter camp here on the same gas.
 
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Hia
I use propane (red)
When I remember to fill them up and not go on my travels with empty ones.:D:D:confused::confused::D:D
 
Had butane freeze (and the water) in a caravan once and stuck with propane after that. My parents used to comment that one burnt hotter than the other and one tended to blacken pans more than the other, but I can't remember which :(
Doesn't matter anyway, I'd rather have gas that didn't freeze and just scrub the pans a bit harder.
 
I used butane calor gas until it froze up and i could not make a cup of tea so use propane all year round now,with no problems.
I love my morning cuppa.
 
Geoff.W said:
I don't know why all campers aren't equiped with fixed tanks, much more convenient, the yanks have been doing it for years.

When filling up in this country you will get 100% propane, however if you fill up on the continent it will be a propane/butane mix the proportions will depend on where you are, generaly the further south the more butane. I sugest you don't overfill abroad and later winter camp here on the same gas.
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***** said:
I suspected this heavy butane mix from southern European countries and I asked the question months ago and no one could answer including all the folks on Gaslow. Thanks Geoff, you have confirmed my thoughts:cool:
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With regards to the propane/butane ratio on the continent I have a saved list from another forum which is not verified but could give you a rough idea of some of the ratios on the continent....

" A few examples of the ratio propane to butane (averages) in Europe, you may want to remember when filling-up:
Austria 50/50
Belgium 50/50
Denmark 50/50
France 35/65
Italy 25/75
Netherlands 50/50
Spain 30/70
UK 100/0
Germany 90/10 "

In winter months, there is a possibility that in the colder regions of some countries they might increase the propane element but it would always be adviseable to make sure you have full bottles before leaving UK.


pete
 
Butane doesn't HAVE to freeze to become useless, when it gets down toward zero it just doesn't seem to evaporate, I can feel it swishing around in the bottle but it must just be too cold to work, I'm in Spain now and it can get down toward freezing overnight, still around 18 to 20 during the day though.:D
 
propane/butane ratio in LPG

In Belgium the ratio propane/butane in LPG is in summer 40/60 in winter 60/40I reccon this will be te same in surrounding countries. However there is no indication when they go over from summer > winter, nor what, which and when you get this ratio really on the pump.
I can only state that with the low temperatures we had last week overhere
(-16°C) a lot of LPG drivers came into trouble. :eek:
Officially they state that the butane 'freezes' at 5°C but that the propane in the mixture assures you still have combustion - until the propane is gone ???-
For me they could skip butane and stick to propane.
 
The powers that be have told me on numerous occasions that appliances built to be run on Propane should only be run on Propane, the same with Butane and Autogas mixes. Trouble is that in the real world they seem to work just fine on almost any mix you want to throw at them.

I just have this nagging feeling that the authorities have been got at by the appliance manufacturers and they actually believe the spin they have been fed (along with the all expenses paid educational and research tours of the Bahamas LPG industry).

I have an Autogas tank fitted by Westfalia from new in the mid 80s, it has a small 12V electric block warmer just prior to the regulator to ensure vapour does not freeze in the regulator. I've seen the warmers advertised on a German website - but as usual when I need to find the website I cant.
 
All the gas appliances in my Hobby are specified as being suitable for either Propane or Butane provided the regulator pressure is correct. (30mbar is it). It is only older MHs that would have problems with autogas and even then it may only need a change of regulator.

Roger, the MH sales yard where I park the MH when back in Oz has an accessories shop that sells the heaters. If you are desperate I can get one and bring it back in mid May and post it from Sydney I've got a fixed tank and even with Spanish autogas in it, didn't have any trouble with regulator freezing. Probably should fit one though.
Not a problem in Morocco even with butane below freezing because I'm using Moroccan 13kg bottles that are inside a heated gas locker
 
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