Calor gas butane question

lazercumber

Hi everyone just a little question regarding the Calor butane bottles. A month or two before xmas I purchased a Calor portable heater to cut down on the cost that I use through the mains. I was lucky enough to get a bottle with the heater that lasted a lot longer than I expected. I was then lucky enough to be given another bottle that which I presume was full or nearly full as that lasted again for a lot longer than I expected.

Roll on a few weeks ago (maybe 3) I took one of these empty bottles to Calor to swap for a full one (15KG) now after the same kind of usage most likely less as I have spent a couple of nights away from home the bottle is now empty but a lot quicker.

Now my questions are do Calor fill the bottles less if you take a bottle to exchange and do not pay their extortionate bottle rent charge? Or by peoples experience do some bottles just differ?

I can understand some bottles will differ by a small margin but should no way on earth differ by hours of gas usage.

Thanks.

Greenfires

I would guess that the bottles are filled by automated machinery. And when you exchange, you don't get the same one back again - they go off to a facility elsewhere to actually be filled.

Only thing I could suggest would be differences in temperatures affecting the pressure in the bottle - but then again it's regulated anyway so don't know if a bottle would last longer in colder conditions.

The "extortionate" deposit is probably because they lose thousands of cylinders every year due to people dumping them - and they have to be made to pretty high standards, which won't be cheap.

lazercumber

Greenfires wrote: »

I would guess that the bottles are filled by automated machinery. And when you exchange, you don't get the same one back again - they go off to a facility elsewhere to actually be filled.

Only thing I could suggest would be differences in temperatures affecting the pressure in the bottle - but then again it's regulated anyway so don't know if a bottle would last longer in colder conditions.

The "extortionate" deposit is probably because they lose thousands of cylinders every year due to people dumping them - and they have to be made to pretty high standards, which won't be cheap.

Yeah they are regulated so I doubt that matters. Could be wrong though as I remember reading before certain temps are one of the reason's some people use propane.

I am thinking maybe it just feels like it has run out quicker as I can not remember the exact week I got a refill. Well I will get a refill tomorrow after work and write down the date and stick it to the bottle as a test.

The rate you pay also for a refill contract is extortionate. If they were that bothered about the cost of a cylinder they would allow you to take one back for a discount on the refill bottle which they do not. Maybe that is why a lot are just dumped as it is not worth the time or petrol money to take one back without the refill agreement - but you can get a refill with a spare without the agreement (if that makes sense lol). If it cost them a lot to produce these canisters you would think they would give a little incentive to return a spare even if it is £5 off your refill.

Greenfires

Propane has a lower freezing temperature than butane - that's why most people camping or caravanning in the winter use it. The regulators work at different pressures though. My only thinking was that if the temps were low and you were using butane, it may have become a bit sluggish.

Not sure about your incentive idea to be honest. If something is expensive to produce - it's probably not the best way of staying in business to dish them out for free, AND pay people to bring them back as well!