Problem with calor gas pressure in 4.5Kg bottles and more issues.......

winks said:
If you still have your original Gaslow pigtail this will do it.

www.gaslowdirect.com

Gaslow Easy-Fit Adapter

The Gaslow Easy-Fit Adapter 01-1674 is a UK POL LH male adapter with Easy-Fit hand wheel to convert 21.8LH regulators or regulator hoses to fit UK Propane cylinders.
www.gaslowdirect.com www.gaslowdirect.com

Cheers

H
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply.
The original hose was used for the butane bottle, so I assume the fitting was changed.
 
magpus said:
Thankyou everyone, I do appreciate your time and efforts and, once again, I am learning a lot.
No one here would go down the Blue butane bottle route and all would have gone red bottle.
Finally photographing the sticker on the locker door, shows that the original were 3.9 kilo bottles, which looking online are red propane.

I am fairly logical when I try to identify issues and just made another trial.
Having been out in the van today and been very warm, I thought I would try the 4.5k cylinder again to see if there is any difference with it being much warmer.
Absolutely no difference.
The video attached shows gas hob on and water heater.
As the water heater kicks in the gas hob flame drops and the fault code shows on the panel.

Just looked and videos don't appear to be allowed so, no video.

Anyway, as mentioned, I try to learn and although I will be changing to a red cylinder in some way shape or form, does any one know why, when it's nice and warm that the blue bottle seems severely lacking in pressure or something else.

The route I think I will try to take is visit my local gas stockist and ask if I can try some sizes in the van locker.
I would like to get as big as I can manage to manipulate without doing myself damage when it comes time to change. With such tight space, this was the reason for the small bottle.

Lastly, as mentioned above, changing from blue to red and needing a different connection.
Is there a converter I could just plug / screw into the end of the hose to be able to adapt the hose to fit red or is there a kit/hose I can buy and fit.
I really have such a low opinion of any motorhome / habcheck / fitter / installer that I really can't do a worse job. (famous last words)

(With everyone's help on a previous call for help, the crash data solution was fantastic)
Click to expand...
When using gas, the pressure drop in the bottle is associated with a reduction in temperature, thus cooling the bottle and impeding gasification. I would imagine that this could be substantial when using the heater. My experience of using butane cylinders was for cooking only on board a yacht, and when using hob and grill at the ends of the sailing season, it was frequently necessary to switch bottles (using a Gaslow manual changeover) due to lack of pressure. The part-used bottle would then be put back into use on many occasions for boiling water in the kettle with no problem. The demand from your heater probably results in a greater cooling effect. Propane is the solution.
 
Even in the summer butane supply can drop off if the demand is high because the liquid cools as it boils off the gas.
I've had little portable gas BBQ with 200g clip in canister that became very slow after a while at full heat. I changed cans to keep flow up

There are two routes to take when considering Calor to back up the Gaslow.
If you expect to be able to top up and 'never' use it go for a small bottle to save weight - I've got a 6kg Calorlite.
Or if you expect to use it quite often the go for 13kg as the per kg gas cost is so much less than the small bottles particularly 3.7 kg.
At the moment 6kg seem to be unobtainable so the choice us stark.
@magpus
Personally I don't see the need to rush to change if your fitter won't do it free for you now.
I'd run the van on butane for cooking and fridge during the summer then when it's empty swap the bottle for the same size propane and swap over the pigtail.
During this period travelling around you can assess how many lpg stations you've been near using FillLpg.co.uk.
I think you'll realise that availability isn't as bad as you feared.
Aa I say I top up a little and often as I go rather than at my local supplier. Not having one local isn't a big deal - do you expect to never travel away?
 
Thankyou for the info @TJBi

@Markd
Thankyou.
We mainly use our van for little day trips only a few hours driving and in our area there used to be several stations that had pumps, but shell has removed the Autogas as well as a few others.
One we used once or twice, the pump was out of action for many many months. Recently we found another on a trip. Filled up to massive amount of £2.50 ish.
The gauge on the gaslow bottle showed it was 50% full!!
Anyway, at least that Gaslow cylinder works, however full.

I am not in a rush to sort it out but I am contacting several companies as I am intrigued to hear different opinions. As per everyone's advice here, I will be changing to the red bottle, but before I contact the fitter or whatever you class him as (PLEASE don't comment there), I like to have a little knowledge behind me.

I suppose I have just been disappointed in many different ways from the Crash Data incident to the scandal of the metal locker requirement law to this GAS fiasco!
Sometimes I forget the very good times we have had in the van from ovenighting in Thetford forest to the van rocking in high winds when parked up at Ness Point.

Once again, thankyou everyone.
 
Oh the joy continues.....
Just in case anyone is looking to change cylinders, it appears that calor are only exchanging like for like!!
2 retailers of gas near me told me the above, so I phoned Calor (Correton Calor Ctr) and they agreed due to demand and availability.
I asked them to add some text to their website as it was a little misleading in the current climate.
 
Technically of course there's nothing new about not exchanging outside the bottle group.
It's a bit naughty to not exchange colour in same group if that's what you're saying.
The other option is to look on Ebay or (more likely to be local) Gumtree for an empty propane bottle.
You can get lucky at council 'tips' if they take bottles.
As you do have Gaslow you should be able to stick out for a while just topping up until supply eases.
If determined to change now why don't you bite the bullet and get a new bottle paying the deposit which you can get most of back if you return inside a year.Haven't heard that there's a problem with 13kg if you don't mind the additional load in van. As a spare it should last a 'lifetime'
 
Calor should change from Blue to red for the same size bottle?

I would be going back to the hab/fitter guy who put the blue bottle in to start with. Tell him the solution he fitted does not work and ask him to rectify it by fitting a propane bottle in place of the butane bottle he wrongly fitted.
 
Markd said:
Technically of course there's nothing new about not exchanging outside the bottle group.
It's a bit naughty to not exchange colour in same group if that's what you're saying.
The other option is to look on Ebay or (more likely to be local) Gumtree for an empty propane bottle.
You can get lucky at council 'tips' if they take bottles.
As you do have Gaslow you should be able to stick out for a while just topping up until supply eases.
If determined to change now why don't you bite the bullet and get a new bottle paying the deposit which you can get most of back if you return inside a year.Haven't heard that there's a problem with 13kg if you don't mind the additional load in van. As a spare it should last a 'lifetime'
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information and advice

"It's a bit naughty to not exchange colour in same group if that's what you're saying."
I have a 4.5k Butane and they will not swap for a 3.9k propane. Seems to be supply and demand!
 
Nabsim said:
Calor should change from Blue to red for the same size bottle?

I would be going back to the hab/fitter guy who put the blue bottle in to start with. Tell him the solution he fitted does not work and ask him to rectify it by fitting a propane bottle in place of the butane bottle he wrongly fitted.
Click to expand...
B-)
I have just done that and he's going to get it sorted.
 
Great result - glad to hear him accepting his mistake.
Just hope he has got a propane bottle 😀
 
Markd said:
Great result - glad to hear him accepting his mistake.
Just hope he has got a propane bottle 😀
Click to expand...
He has replied and says will sort a propane bottle. I just feel it's more than temperature though, but hey ho, all I want to do is be able to put the kettle on and the heating and ENJOY.
Thanks again for your comments everyone.
 
Tookey said:
Been there! Measured up my locker, sourced a calor gas propane and butane from here and e bay, the regulators, got the butane filled, hunky dory.....

Oh crap, canisters have to be used in a vertical position only 😕

Basically stuck with 907 campingaz which are economically poor, live and learn. You will get your head round it in no time (y)
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Butane no goody, but many caravan sites use it here, prob cos all numpties here only go on hols in july twelth week.
 
You may find that the 5kg patio gas bottle will fit in a 907 space?
 
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