LPG gas is distributed in two forms - commercial propane and commercial butane. When you exhaust a cylinder bottle and need a refill, a gas station maybe your one-way solution. If your gas bottle is not an exchange-only cylinder bottle, you can almost refill the gas bottle at any gas plants or stations. However, private exchangers like Calor-gas And Flogas prohibit unauthorized refilling of their gas cylinder bottles at refuelling sites. If you have a propane tank, you can exchange for a filled ready gas bottle.
Do not attempt to refill cylinder bottles at auto-gas stations. Commercial propane is total different from commercial butane. Auto-gas is also different from LPG cooking gas. What most auto-gas sell is LNG (Liquified Natural Gas). This practice is not only unlawful but also highly dangerous. Furthermore, refilling a cylinder bottle with the wrong type of LPG can lead to serious appliance malfunction and can cause safety devices to fail. If you have a butane camping stove and appliance, don't say "because for emergency usage" you go ahead to refill propane LPG to your butane tank. In some countries, LPG gas is propane; however, auto-gas may use a different LPG. In Nigeria, the LPG gas is mixture of propane and butane. Almost all gas station offers the same type of LPG anyway. This makes it easier to refill your cylinder bottles without a worry of refilling the wrong type.
If you plan to travel or settle in the UK for an extended period, check out the propane and butane delivery service. Depending on the country of residence, it's a good idea to know what type of LPG's are sold as commercial fuel there. Traveling or camping with your propane or butane tanks outside your country, you need proper planning on refills and supplies. You may want to be careful, as refilling at auto-gas stations is considered illegal in most country. The only solution is to switch to comply with the country regulatory policy. You either book for an exchange service, which you get a whole new cylinder bottle. Or you convert your valves, adapters, regulators as recommended by relevant regulations.
If your appliance is only meant for one specific type of LPG, you may want to consider obtaining only that type of LPG for usage. Nevertheless, any LPG can be use for cooking, be it propane or butane or the mixture (P+B), in as much you have the correct appliance. But note, auto-gas can not be used for substitution for cooking gas. In some countries, you have LPG gas plants mandate to sell only propane, butane or the mixture
Tags
Propane & Butane