Hi dav1d, blue gas is butane, red gas is propane, which apparently does not freeze so is better in winter, no doubt someone with more knowledge on the subject will come along and explain more, Cheers, Bob
Hi, dav1d. Scorpio has more or less summed it up. We use propane (red cylinder) all the time.
If your caravan has the universal regulator (fitted at manufacture of van), this will deal with either gas. But the pigtail (flexible pipe from regulator to cylinder) would have to be changed over when switching from butane to propane, or vice versa. If you want to avoid this chore, stay with propane, because you would need propane for winter camping to avoid risk of gas freezing, especially overnight.
When we got the van with the universal regulator we decided to stick with the red propane cylinders as we could use them all year. Although Calor will swap between the two gases its possible that you could be wasting gas by swapping a half full cylinder.
I have learned all about the differences in gas from this site. There is a lot of information about it. However, I read once before about changing the rubber pipe. Can anyone tell me what the difference is?
When I bought my caravan it had an orange pipe attached to a blue butane regulator. Inside the caravan is a spare bit of pipe, but this is black. I have changed to propane and attached an orange propane regulator and used the same orange pipe...is this correct?
Bob, I believe that when the regulator is coupled directly to the gas cylinder there isn't a problem.
When a bulkhead-mounted regulator is in use, and the connecting hose goes straight to the gas cylinder union, then a high pressure hose must be used because that gas in that hose is under the same pressure as it is in the cylinder.
Ahh, but on the universal regulators, you still need to change the pigtails, as the connection is differant between propane and butane. but quite right, the black hose is usually low pressure, ie after a regulator, whereas the orange is high pressure
No bother, timtheenchanter, I reckon wev'e all done it at sometime. At first, it got me wondering if I'd typed everything in, and then forgot to click on the "post reply" box - I've done that as well !!!
little known fact is the gas pipe of a black colour (LOW PRESSURE) should be changed each year and the orange ones last for 5 years (HIGH PRESSURE),the fitter told me this on our first sevice when i asked why he taken the new pipe i had fitted off and replaced it.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.