Terms and Conditions

1.1 Calor Gas Limited - the leading supplier in the UK-markets Butane and Propane in a variety of cylinder sizes which are hired to the user and at all times remain the property of Calor Gas Ltd.

1.2 Calor Gas Limited's terms of business are that the cylinders may only be refilled by Calor Gas Limited (via their U.K. Dealers who are listed in the free "Calor Gas Dealer Directory" available from Calor Gas Dealers or Calor Gas Head Office, see address on back cover).

1.2.1 The normal method of obtaining a re-fill is for Calor Dealers to exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, the customers paying only for the gas.

1.3 Butane and Propane tend to be rather like other 'utilities'. The fuels are not exported. They are supplied in each country by the individual marketer and their cylinders tend to be unique to them. Generally there is no inter-changeability of cylinders between marketers in different countries. Also, the terms on which they supply cylinders (sold or hired) tend to vary from one market to another.

1.4 The predominant form of LPG used in the U.K. still is Butane, and this also applies to France, the Med and tropical countries. However Propane is growing in popularity. Your choice of gas will depend upon when and where you will be using your boat. If there is a likelihood of you using it in cooler climates or times of the year, you are strongly advised to fit a Propane regulator and use Propane all year round. The important thing is that once have decided whether to use Butane or Propane, there is no need to swap back and forth. It is just as safe to use Propane in warmer climates as it is to use Butane. In addition, all appliances have the same power rating whether used on either gas.

1.5 However, Calor Gas Limited recognises that the blue water yachtsman will hire Calor Gas cylinders in the U.K. and will, where possible, get them refilled abroad. (See paragraph 1.10.4 and 1.11 regarding safety factors). In that only the hire charge has been paid by the use, Calor Gas Limited would very much hope that the yachtsman's cylinders would eventually be returned to the U.K. market and a partial refund of the original hire charge obtained (70% if returned within one year).

1.6 Yachtsmen visiting N. Ireland will be able to get Calor 4.5kg butane fills. However, the larger butane cylinders in N. Ireland have a Kosan 'snap-on' valve which is not compatible with Calor GB regulators. Propane 3.9kg and 13.0kg cylinders with standard (GB compatible) 'POL' connections are available. In the Republic of Ireland none of the cylinders (butane or propane) are compatible with Calor GB regulators. To overcome these problems see UK yachtsman.

1.7 Our main advice to travellers abroad must be to ensure that if practical, you take a large enough supply of Calor Gas with you, to last the entire time you are away. This may entail hiring additional cylinders, but these can be returned when empty for a partial refund (see 1.5).

1.8 But if this is impractical, Camping Gaz is obtainable in the UK as well as in over 100 countries world-wide. So if you intend staying with a Butane installation, it may be a good idea to take a Camping Gaz / Calor Gas adapter, to enable a Camping Gaz 2.7Kg cylinder (which contains Butane only) to be connected to a Calor Butane installation should your supply become depleted at an inopportune moment. The adapter is available from Calor Gas Dealers in the UK. Visitors to Scandinavia and the Baltic will find Camping Gaz widely obtainable, but if using other than this brand, a check on the availability of larger capacity Propane or Butane cylinders would be advisable.

1.8.1 The Camping Gaz cylinder when used with a Camping Gaz lantern also makes a splendid cabin light for use when in port - which saves electricity. The Camping Gaz cylinder can therefore be used both as a lantern and a backup to the main system. This obviously only applies to boats up to about 35ft with fairly modest gas requirements, as the gas off-take in the Camping Gaz cylinder is limited.

1.9 In general, propane is the predominant form of LPG in the 'Atlantic/Caribbean Islands and in the U.S.A. 1984 advice from a circumnavigator is that Butane is unobtainable South of 30°S; this includes Southern Australia, New Zealand, the Southernmost tip of South America, and the Falkland Islands. However in Brazil, according to the British Steel Challenge (1992) they only supply a mixture of propane and butane (technically this should be regarded as being propane). Another circumnavigator advises (1987) that only Butane is available in Venezuela, Tahiti and Rarotonga. To overcome these problems see advice in para 2.2.3.

1.10 Cylinder threads and connections used by Calor Gas are commonly used in the Atlantic / Caribbean and around the world by other LPG supplies. It may therefore be possible in an extreme emergency to connect another country's product to your system, but the following information should be closely heeded.

1.10.1 All Calor Propane cylinder valves have a female 'POL' connection with a 5/8" B.S.P. female left hand thread.

1.10.2 4.5kg Calor Butane cylinder valves have a 5/8" B.S.P. male left hand thread on to which a hexagonal union nut screws.

1.10.3 7kg & 15kg Calor Butane cylinder valves are quite different. They are designed to take the 21 mm 'Kosan Teknova Compact' regulator, which is available from Calor Gas Dealers.

1.10.4 It is vitally important for safety reasons that you ensure the cylinder to be connected contains the right fuel - beware of uncertain translations of a cylinder's contents. This is because Propane is stored at a much higher pressure than Butane, so the setting of any pressure relief valve on a Butane connection, would not be suitable for Propane.

1.11 For vitally important safety reasons skippers must be aware that an LPG cylinder is to be used in tropical/semi tropical regions it must not be filled to more than 70% of its total capacity rather than the 80% level used in temperate climates. Many small cylinders do not contain safety relief valves and, therefore, if in the presence of heat the liquefied gas in the cylinder should expand and the cylinder should become, what is called 'hydraulically full' i.e. totally full of liquid, it could burst with disastrous results. If you wish to check the cylinder is correctly filled, weigh it with a spring balance and subtract the tare weight (usually stamped on the Aluminium tare disc) to obtain the nett fill of gas. This should not be more than, but in hot conditions possibly less than the declared gas fill printed on the container.

1.12 Under no circumstances should any attempt be made while abroad to refill a Calor cylinder, as it is the property of Calor Gas Ltd and should only be filled by them.

1.13 CYLINDER TEST DATE

If you plan to have Calor Butane of Propane cylinders refilled abroad, you should ensure that you leave the U.K. with cylinders from your local stockist that will not require testing before you return. Calor cylinders are fully tested and re-valved every 15 years. The next test date is stamped on the aluminium tare disc (together with other cylinder information, see example below) and shows the last two digits of the year eg. a cylinder due to be tested in the year 2001 would carry the code 01. It is also wise to select the cylinders with the smartest paintwork and thus avoid any problems with depots who will not handle 'scruffy' or near 'test expired' cylinders.