Colour of gas bottles

[Mac]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question. Does the colour of the gas bottle indicate what gas is in the bottle? I ask because we are about to rearrange our kitchen and I would like to put the gas bottles outside but I don't know what gas our cooker uses. We use gas which comes in an orange metal container (because that is what was connected to the cooker when we bought the house-so we just bought the same) The container has REPSOL on it but I can't see anywhere if it says Butane or Propane. As I say-sorry if this seems a stupid question.

[Clarkkent]

I think that you will find that the bottle colour is determined by the brand of gas.

Is your gas bottle kept outside in a cage, with flexible tube goint to the appliance? If so, then it should be propane. If inside the house in a normally ventilated kitchen it will be butane.

[Pierre ZFP]

REPSOL seem to be a Spanish outfit and there website is completely unhelpful in identifying what type of gas you have

see HERE

Both propane and butane seem to be in the same kind of bottle (that can't be right?) The only difference I can see is that the butane bottle contains 12.5Kg gas and propane 11Kg so maybe there is a content weight somewhere on the bottle

IIRC the propane adapter has a left hand thread but don't take that as gospel.  Often butane bottles are blue and propane red but even that isn't universal as for example I have a propane bottle that is white!

[Quillan]

The idiots (that includes me) guide to domestic gas bottles.

Two types of gas, Propane and Butane both of which come from petroleum products (the process of making diesel and petrol). Each has a two distinctive properties. Both are stored in liquid form.

Propane (comes typically in orange or red bottles) will change to gas above -42 deg C which makes it ideal for domestic use where the bottles are stored outside or in the cold. It does not burn as hot or as efficiently as Butane. Basically a Propane bottle will last less time than Butane if consumed at the same rate of flow because it is not so hot.

Butane (comes typically in a blue bottle) will change to gas at 0 deg C so not so good when stored outside in winter. It does however burn 12% hotter than Propane for the same level of flow.

Whilst the above colours are recognised EU colour codes there is a caveat in that the bottle can be any colour but then it must state clearly on the outside which gas it is where there is no need to write the name of the gas on the correct coloured and approved bottles.

So you have the right coloured bottles for outside although putting them in the garage if it is under the kitchen might be better.

The jets for both Propane and Butane on your device (like your cooker) are the same but they are different to 'town gas'. Typically cookers come with town gas jets and in France you normally get a packet with replacement jets for bottled gas and if using bottled gas you must change them over. The typical symptoms of having town gas jets when running on bottled gas is lack of control of the jets and not enough heat.

Connection - There is not a standard for connectors. In some countries they are the same in others different and they also vary between suppliers. Calor Gas have left hand threads for Propane and right hand threads for Butane. One supplier has a push on with a locking lever but I forget the name of the supplier. It seems however that in France the norm, for whichever gas, is left hand thread and that is the most common sold connector. The connector can also change with the size of bottle. You can have connectors that have the regulator built in or a separate regulator the latter more commonly used in caravans and boats in France. The reason for separate, fixed to a wall, regulators is to do with vibration apparently.

Hope that helps.

[fisherman]

The red / blue colour propane / butane standard is not followed in France. Our butane bottles are red.

[sid]

Butane comes in several different coloured bottles; we have dark blue and cream. The volume of gas also varies; when you see gas offered at a cheaper price you're often just getting less gas in the same sized bottle.

Gas should never be stored in a cellar, so the advice to keep it in the garge beneath the kitchen should be qualified by the proviso that the garage is not sous-sol. The gas is heavier than air and will sink to the lowest point in the event of a leak, thus creating a danger zone in a cellar etc. It could explode or you could be suffocated if you walked into it.

Propane for outside storage/connection is correct.

[Mac]

Thanks for all the replies. Had a good look at the bottle and in small writing round the top found out it's Butane. Judging by other replies though I could change to Propane (to put outside) without the need to change the gas jets. This would give me a bit more room in the kitchen so I may do that. Thanks again.

[sid]

I think the jets are the same for butane and propane. I'd check with the stove manufacturer's instruction book. The regulators are definitely different.

If you want to put the bottles outside you'll HAVE to change to propane (butane becomes very feeble towards freezing point at zero degrees). Also, I believe that outside installations need to be properly "plumbed in", with copper pipe.