Propane

Robmac

Robmac

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Not on a motorhome but on a boat, same thing really except there won't be drop out vents in a boat! :)

I want to swap my boats's gas system from butane to propane. This powers a Propex heating system, a Carver hot water system and a hob/grill/oven.

Is it just a matter of changing the bottles over and fitting a new regulator or is there more to it than that.

Thanks.
 
It depends. If you have bottle-mounted regulator, you will need to change it.
If you have a bulkhead-mounted regulator, you can keep it, but may need different fittings on the end of the high pressure hose.
 
hairydog said:
It depends. If you have bottle-mounted regulator, you will need to change it.
If you have a bulkhead-mounted regulator, you can keep it, but may need different fittings on the end of the high pressure hose.
Click to expand...

It is a bulkhead mounted regulator.

I will try and get a picture tomorrow.
 
I'm afraid I won't be able to get a photo' today as I am nursing a sick dog while the missus is out.

I will do it tomorrow.
 
I think you may need to check the appliances. I have heard that not all appliances are compatible with both gases but I am no expert. Propane and butane have slightly different calorific values so perhaps this makes a difference to some appliances.
 
Your appliances on butane may operate on 28mb. Propane works at 37mb so make sure the appliances are suitable. Motor homes these days operate at 30mb and the appliances are rated for that pressure.
 
Here in Spain they use the same regulator for Butano andv Propano There may be a slight difference in effiecience with the heater /boiler you have but never noticed it other than Propano is better in cold weather.
 
This is what confuses me - how do I check the appliances?boat.pics.jpgboat.pics1.jpg

The hot water system is an oldish Carver cascade as fitted to many motorhomes. In fact my last MH had one and it ran just fine on propane, as it should.

The cooker is as old as the boat so circa 1997 so unsure about that. The heating is a Propex fitted in 2013 so I don't think that would be a problem. The fridge is electric!

Pics might help if anybody in the know.
 
Just connect it up and try it ..Quote from Propex site
""Propex heaters run on clean burning Propane gas or Butane gas so are entirely independent from the engine fuel supply, they produce less pollutants and are cheaper to run than diesel heaters. ""
 
the flame on the hobs should be more or less the same , so easy to see if there's a prob . same for the carver. if you feel the need you can remove the outer cover and the internal ally shield to see the flame . if there's any problem with the propex , it'll refuse to fire up and flash a fault code
 
Right, the plot thickens.

There are 2 regulators, if you look at the photo's the one on the left with the screw on regulator is connected to the Propex heater and the cooker. The one on the right is connected to the hot water system via a bulkhead regulator;

20190125_125832.jpg20190125_125837.jpg

I assume they have done it this for a reason such as the water heater requiring a different regulator to the rest?

Or maybe they just wanted an independent supply for the water heater.
 
...or is that not a bulkhead regulator but just a screw on regulator attached to a bulkhead?

(As you can tell I know little about regulators!)
 
Also found the manuals on board the boat!! (I wondered where I'd put them).

All of it can run on Propane, Carver Cascade Rapide 37mb, Propex 2000 37mb, however, there is some confusion with the cooker (Spinflo Caprice) , apparently it can run on 30mb or 37mb which I presume means there are different versions of this model?

20190125_154148.jpg

If not, can anybody translate the figures in the photo' of the manual?
 
...PS off out for the night shortly, so won't be able to respond until tomorrow, but any suggestions gratefully received.
 
Robmac said:
Also found the manuals on board the boat!! (I wondered where I'd put them).

All of it can run on Propane, Carver Cascade Rapide 37mb, Propex 2000 37mb, however, there is some confusion with the cooker (Spinflo Caprice) , apparently it can run on 30mb or 37mb which I presume means there are different versions of this model?

View attachment 42007

If not, can anybody translate the figures in the photo' of the manual?
Click to expand...
That says it can run on 30 or 37. It is perfectly nomal for appliances to be able to run on 37mbar or 30mbar on propane.
I very much doubt that the other appliances will have any problems running on 30mbar. That's the standard bulkhead adapter pressure, so it is compatible with propane or butane, or a mix of the two.
Some german motorhomes were designed for 50mbar - they need different jets in the apliance burners to run on 30.
 
hairydog said:
It depends. If you have bottle-mounted regulator, you will need to change it.
If you have a bulkhead-mounted regulator, you can keep it, but may need different fittings on the end of the high pressure hose.
Click to expand...
 
I was discussing changing my van (c 2000) from bottled butane to a propane tank to motion, cooker, fridge and heater. Several of the van owners in the conversation advised against this on the basis of the cleanliness of the fuel. They told me that dirt would clog the fridge jet first, followed by the heater. As both those are at best a few hours to clean, it was not advisable.
Anyone with experience of a clean gas problem?
 
colosborne said:
I was discussing changing my van (c 2000) from bottled butane to a propane tank to motion, cooker, fridge and heater. Several of the van owners in the conversation advised against this on the basis of the cleanliness of the fuel. They told me that dirt would clog the fridge jet first, followed by the heater. As both those are at best a few hours to clean, it was not advisable.
Anyone with experience of a clean gas problem?
Click to expand...
Sorry, but they are talking twaddle.
 
If you're worried about clean gas just fit a filter. We've got a Truma one on our set up. Also I've used both butane and propane and the only difference we can see is that, as expected, the cadac grill runs slightly cooler on propane (and is better for it).
 
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