Gas Safety and Information Guide

LPG stands for Liquid Petroleum Gas

There are two different types of LPG – Propane and Butane. Propane (red and green cylinders) has a lower boiling point than Butane (blue cylinders) and is stored at a higher pressure so it is more suited for storage outside. Butane’s boiling point (conversion from liquid to gas) is around 0˚C so in colder conditions around this temperature it will not work correctly. So if you are going to be using your gas appliances in the colder months then Propane is the one for you; but if you need to store the Gas Cylinder inside then go for Butane.

Butane is usually found in Blue cylinders
Propane in Red cylinders and
Patio Gas in Green cylinders (propane).

What is Butane?
Butane is predominantly stored in blue Calor LPG cylinders / bottles, in a range of sizes. Like propane, it is an LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), existing as a vapour (gas) at ambient temperature and pressure conditions, yet easily liquefied by cooling or applying moderate pressure. Butane cylinders can be used indoors making them the Calor LPG fuel of choice for appliances used internally.

Butane is mainly used for portable heaters, barbecueing, and caravanning.

Butane is a colourless and odourless gas. For safety reasons a stenching agent of mercaptans (mainly ethyl mercaptan) and organic sulphides is added to butane to ensure leakages are easily detected by the distinctive and unpleasant smell.

Download your free Pdf Butane Safety Guide to keep yourselves safe and up to date.

What is Propane?
Propane is predominately used for domestic heating, cooking and numerous commercial and industrial applications. It is also used for leisure applications, when it is found in red cylinders or green Patio Gas® cylinders. Like butane, propane is an LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), existing as a vapour (gas) at ambient temperature and pressure conditions, yet easily liquefied by cooling or applying moderate pressure. Propane, a saturated hydrocarbon gas with the chemical formula C3H8, belongs to the Alkanes (previously known as Paraffins) family of hydrocarbon gases.

Propane has a far lower boiling point than butane so a more appropriate LPG for outdoor use during colder months, and can be used all year round.

Propane is a colourless and odourless gas. For safety reasons a stenching agent of mercaptans (mainly ethyl mercaptan) and organic sulphides is added to propane, to ensure any leakage is easily detected by the distinctive and unpleasant smell.

Download your free Pdf Propane Safety Guide to keep yourselves safe and up to date.

Download your free Pdf Propane Patio Gas Safety Guide to keep yourselves safe and up to date.

Some Common Questions Answered

I have inherited an unwanted empty Calor cylinder / bottle, how do I dispose of it?
To locate your nearest Calor Gas Direct outlet please call 0800 662 663.

I have purchased a Calor cylinder / bottle, should I have received a regulator with it?
No, regulators are not supplied with Gas cylinders / bottles but we do sell good quality regulators and very competitive prices. [Regulator Range]

I have an empty cylinder but I don't have the cylinder refill agreement, can I get a refund?
Unfortunately not, Calor has introduced new regulations so please look after your agreement.

How about taking cylinders abroad / availability of Calor abroad?
You can take Calor cylinders abroad but you will not be able to purchase them outside of the UK.

How full is a Calor gas cylinder in a full condition?
In percentage terms, All cylinders are 80-87% full when new, as space needs to be left for the expansion of the liquid. The weight on the front of the cylinder is the total weight of gas in the bottle.

How can I check how much gas is left in a cylinder?
Calor’s 5kg and 13kg Patio Gas® cylinders are fitted with Calor's new Gastrac® - an indicator which tells you when you are running low on gas.
For all other cylinders, the empty tare weight can be found on a metal disc on the shroud, this gives the weight of the cylinder in pounds and ounces. To convert this to kilograms multiply this number by 0.453592. Once you have the empty weight of the cylinder you can put it on some scales, then you will have the total weight, so you can now subtract the empty cylinder weight from the total weight, this will tell you how much gas you have left in the cylinder in kg's.