Lpg help!!

Forestdan

Hi Guys,

Don’t suppose anyone can help?

I have 4x 47KG bottles hooked up to my house. I only have one bottle open at a time with the other 3 being closed, then when that is empty I open the next one up then so on and so forth.

I have been told by someone who also has LPG that by having 2 new bottles open at a time helps regulate the gas better and will help the bottle last longer as I’m struggling with my usage at the mintue.

If anyone knows any truth behind this any help would be appreciated!

Cheers,

Dan

Trentenders

Hooking two up to a regulator won't make you use less, but it'll certainly stop you having to wait until one is empty before changing over.

Rodders53

Four cylinder systems are installed when high lpg demand is anticipated: one cylinder alone can't supply gas fast enough, so two are connected 'in parallel'.

The auto-changeover function ensures an uninterrupted supply. But does need one to keep an eye on the indicator. Some say that the auto changeover ensures the 'main' cylinders completely empty (but I suspect that's an urban myth).

https://www.clesse.co.uk/how-an-automatic-changeover-works/

If you are using a lot of lpg cylinders for heating then consider getting a bulk tank installed?

Mister_G

Rodders53 wrote: »

If you are using a lot of lpg cylinders for heating then consider getting a bulk tank installed?

See OP's other post here

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5965336/crazy-lpg-usage-please-help-me

Not sure why Flogas do not want to quote for a bulk tank.

Rodders53

Mister_G wrote: »

Not sure why Flogas do not want to quote for a bulk tank.

As you've pointed out there are others who can supply and install them.

My next door neighbours have just had Calor dig a big hole and install one under their front garden to replace their 47kg bottle system.

Forestdan

Thanks for the help guys! Fount a smaller local supplier and got my bottle price down from £69.34 (Flogas) to £56.60.

We would prefer a bulk tank but unfortunately we dont have the room to have one installed.

Our boiler hasn’t be set up correctly as we have no certs we think it was installed by the seller.

Boiler has been checked by a gas plumber but wont certify someone elses work for obvious reasons he said its safe but would recommend getting a new one.

3/4 bottles a month isn’t fun or cheap!

A new boiler is on the cards I think they just cost so much!

Rodders53

Forestdan wrote: »

We would prefer a bulk tank but unfortunately we don't have the room to have one installed.

That's a different story from earlier when Flogas were just ripping you off by refusing to install one.

To be frank you need to look at all the alternatives. As well as improving insulation and draught-proofing. An upgraded, better-insulated, flat roof may save money in the long term?

Your boiler is either too small to supply the heat needed for your home (and/or only having one gas cylinder on at a time is limiting the gas it can consume and hence heat output). A new bigger gas boiler will likely consume even more energy to heat your home to an acceptable standard? The costs for new boiler could pay for quite a few gas cylinders.

Gas is still cheaper than using fan heaters:

47kg gas is roughly twice the price of bulk lpg for each kWh of energy. (12p cf 6p approx).

Electricity is maybe 16p/kWh.
But a heat pump might make that around 5p/kWh as they generate more heat than the electricity they consume.

Heat pumps can be air to air (and also act as air conditioning in the summer) or air to water (but then the install costs more and your radiators may need to be bigger to work well).
Air to air are like fan heaters in some ways (cheaper to run but more expensive to buy/install.) There are threads on heat pumps here. Worth a read through I'd suggest?