BBQ - Propane and/or Butane

I just bought a new gas BBQ on eBay...seller didn't specify Butane or
Propane ... looking around eBay many gas BBQs are advertised as Butane OR
Propane...I assumed this one was, too....I have Propane on boat
already....seller just told me the BBQ I bought is Butane....will I blow my
head off if I use Propane, through a Propane regulator (of course) onto this
(probably) Butane only bbq ?
TIA
Nickalex

"Nick Alexander" <nick@gransmore.com> wrote in message
news:6bp7lmF3d2jcaU1@mid....
>I just bought a new gas BBQ on eBay...seller didn't specify Butane or
>Propane ... looking around eBay many gas BBQs are advertised as Butane OR
>Propane...I assumed this one was, too....I have Propane on boat
>already....seller just told me the BBQ I bought is Butane....will I blow my
>head off if I use Propane, through a Propane regulator (of course) onto
>this (probably) Butane only bbq ?

Butane to propane conversion requires the following changes;
1) Using a LP propane regulator
2) Using the correct hose (usually orange rather than black)
3) Changing the gas jets

On Jun 17, 10:51 am, "Dave Mayall" <d...@research-group.co.uk> wrote:
> "Nick Alexander" <n...@gransmore.com> wrote in message
>
> news:6bp7lmF3d2jcaU1@mid....
>
> >I just bought a new gas BBQ on eBay...seller didn't specify Butane or
> >Propane ... looking around eBay many gas BBQs are advertised as Butane OR
> >Propane...I assumed this one was, too....I have Propane on boat
> >already....seller just told me the BBQ I bought is Butane....will I blow my
> >head off if I use Propane, through a Propane regulator (of course) onto
> >this (probably) Butane only bbq ?
>
> Butane to propane conversion requires the following changes;
> 1) Using a LP propane regulator
> 2) Using the correct hose (usually orange rather than black)
> 3) Changing the gas jets

I reckon it is probably butane, cos the only real advantage of propane
is that it don't freeze so easily in winter.... and who does winter
barbies? QED

Tone

On 17 Jun, 08:33, "Nick Alexander" <n...@gransmore.com> wrote:
> I just bought a new gas BBQ on eBay...seller didn't specify Butane or
> Propane ... looking around eBay many gas BBQs are advertised as Butane OR
> Propane...I assumed this one was, too....I have Propane on boat
> already....seller just told me the BBQ I bought is Butane....will I blow my
> head off if I use Propane, through a Propane regulator (of course) onto this
> (probably) Butane only bbq ?
> TIA
> Nickalex

Hi

I have been using propane on a butane BBQ for years no problem.

Changed the regulator to a propane one and that was it.

Means I only need to keep one type of bottle on the boat.

Mike

On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:44:57 -0700 (PDT), "mike.kolling@"
<mike.kolling@> wrote:

>On 17 Jun, 08:33, "Nick Alexander" <n...@gransmore.com> wrote:
>> I just bought a new gas BBQ on eBay...seller didn't specify Butane or
>> Propane ... looking around eBay many gas BBQs are advertised as Butane OR
>> Propane...I assumed this one was, too....I have Propane on boat
>> already....seller just told me the BBQ I bought is Butane....will I blow my
>> head off if I use Propane, through a Propane regulator (of course) onto this
>> (probably) Butane only bbq ?
>> TIA
>> Nickalex
>
>Hi
>
>I have been using propane on a butane BBQ for years no problem.

Yet!

>Changed the regulator to a propane one and that was it.

Whilst not changing to either a propane jet, or a dual-fuel jet will
just mean that the thing doesn't run efficiently, and that the burner
wears out more quickly, failing to change the hose is a big no-no.

The black, very flexible hose sometimes used for butane is unsuitable
for propane, and is very likely to leak if used.

Propane requires the (usually orange) hardwall gas hose.

The fact that something hasn't exploded yet doesn't prove that it is
safe.

"Dave Mayall" <david.mayall@ukonline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4hdh54pnh98rjtdjlk3h2qf6j7o8a9m8eq@...
> On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:44:57 -0700 (PDT), "mike.kolling@"
> <mike.kolling@> wrote:
>
>>On 17 Jun, 08:33, "Nick Alexander" <n...@gransmore.com> wrote:
>>> I just bought a new gas BBQ on eBay...seller didn't specify Butane or
>>> Propane ... looking around eBay many gas BBQs are advertised as Butane
>>> OR
>>> Propane...I assumed this one was, too....I have Propane on boat
>>> already....seller just told me the BBQ I bought is Butane....will I blow
>>> my
>>> head off if I use Propane, through a Propane regulator (of course) onto
>>> this
>>> (probably) Butane only bbq ?
>>> TIA
>>> Nickalex
>>
>>Hi
>>
>>I have been using propane on a butane BBQ for years no problem.
>
> Yet!
>
>>Changed the regulator to a propane one and that was it.
>
> Whilst not changing to either a propane jet, or a dual-fuel jet will
> just mean that the thing doesn't run efficiently, and that the burner
> wears out more quickly, failing to change the hose is a big no-no.
>
> The black, very flexible hose sometimes used for butane is unsuitable
> for propane, and is very likely to leak if used.
>
> Propane requires the (usually orange) hardwall gas hose.
>
> The fact that something hasn't exploded yet doesn't prove that it is
> safe.

Plus I've always found it quite difficult to screw a propane connector onto
a butane bayonet fitting, so I have bought a ten quid barbie and fill it
with presoaked paraffin charcoal bags with a high degree of success, giving
the authentic barbie smoky flavour one expects in ones gressingham duck.

"Ron Jones" <ron@ronjones.org.uk> wrote in message
news:02b13472$0$10197$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
>
> I remember that change as well. But coal gas:air mixture is vastly
> different to butane:air - at work the bunson burners had jets around 2-3mm
> diameter for col gas and a pinhole for natural gas...
> <chemist hat on>
> If it claims duel-fuel, then I estimate it was desinged for butane....
> Butane needs 31 volumes of air to burn completly. Propane needs 23.9
> volume.
> One would not want to burn rich (i.e not enough air) as that would tend to
> make carbon monoxide, and a possible sooty flame, so therefore if set for
> butane, then there is more than enough air for propane - and no nasty
> by-products....
> Propane limits are 2.4-9.6% in air for burning (FWIW 1.9 to 8.6% for
> butane). So something like a 3.2% mix would be burnable for both gases
> and give complete combustion.
> <chemist hat off>
>
> --
> Ron Jones

So I guess that means my hat will stay firmly planted and I will not be
wandering about dazed, sans eyebrows, if I use the same gas as for the rest
of the boat, propane, having invested in an additional propane regulator and
orange hose, for the spare gas bottle...it will, of course, mean, though,
that both bottles unaccountably become empty at precisely the same moment
and I go without tea and hot shower one morning...

Thanks to one and all for your responses.
Nickalex

"Neil" <neil1mysocks@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:b2f5$4857facc$6948@news.teranews.com...

> Just wanted to say that, as personally, I think a gas BBQ is merely an
> outdoor cooker, and therefore the fun has been removed for me.... ( I
> also only ever really get to cook on one, as I am not allowed near the
> indoors cooker.....so believe I have become an expert over all the years)

Well, that's what I expected until my son-in-law bought a gas bbq and we
tried it out...and you know what they say ? ... "Behind every successful man
stands...an amazed father-in-law" .... it was very impressive, in a number
of ways...it was easy to light, clean (-ish), quick to get to cooking
temperature and the fact that hot fat dripped onto something hot (a metal
plate in this case) it gave the grub a bbq flavour close enough...and no
running out of coals, firelighters, boy scouts, blowtorches, petrol,
fire-brigades etc ... all in all a successs. Budding Tim McGuires can
always have a bonfire after the bbq guests have drunk all your beer and gone
home...<g>