Hi All,

It's -5C outside at the moment and the flow from the propane bottles that feed my cooker has stopped.
That's the second time this week.

I wouldn't mind, but I really did fancy a bit of cheese on toast for supper.


Cheers

Paul G

We've had -7 in the last couple of days and had no probs at work (but iirc it's a 2000 litre tank).

If we get low, we have attached smaller bottles which get frosted but the contents don't freeze.

ATB

Simon

I have managed to freeze a propane bottle to the garage floor - in the middle of a warm summer's afternoon! Mind you - it took a 3" diameter burner running off a 2 bar regulator for 45 minutes to do it...

...it's not easy silver-soldering 20lbs of copper steam boiler!

Propane should be ok at that temp. Butane struggles below zero.
But strictly speaking the problem is not the gas freezing but it's not boiling properly.
It boils producing the vapour you burn. Butane stops at about -8 but propane
is lower so you should be ok at the mo.

Maybe the regulator has frozen.

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies.

It was the boiling point I was wondering about, but if its lower than -8C then that can't be the problem.

I have moved a 47kg cylinder into my brick sh.. , (sorry) out house, and it's running my 4.5kw gas fire OK.
It's -6C in the open at the moment.


I wonder if I have a water droplet in the regulator or cylinder tap that freezes and blocks it up?

It's a mystery to me.


Paul G

You've got itnice and warm down there then it was -12 for a couple of nights here in Aviemore last week and the temp never went above 0 for 10 days. The hot water pipes burst at 3.30 am on new years day

Butane stops flowing around 0c

Propane Stops at about -20c Thats why they only use Propane on roadworks etc.

Butane is mainly the leisure industry where its summer use only.
Propane is used industrially as it needs to be useful all year round regardless of the temperature - Unless you live in Siberia or similar



[Edited on 7/1/2009 by wilkingj]