Propane or Butane on HH bulk

[tomcat]

Hi, I have got my hands on a 13kg empty bottle for a bulk set up on a HH but its a Shell Butane bottle - my question is can a HH be run on Butane or does it have to be Propane ? I can probably get a regulater etc for it - but is it worth the effort, as far as i can find the only difference is that Butane does not like the cold so much and has a higher calofiic value - so burns hotter. If thats the case then maybe worth using  anyone any knowledge on this please, or shall I try to get the bottle swapped for a calor gas propane bottle. I would appreciate any advice

[helbels]

It needs to be propane.  From what I understand, the butane doesn't burn in the same way as propane and will soot up your torch and/or beads.

[DeanWilson]

Can't you swap the empty bottle of Butane for one of Propane at a garage that sell gas? That's what I did and then I only have to pay to get it refilled!

[hollergrafik]

I swapped a empty butane bottle for a full propane one.

[Blue Box Studio]

I don't know about Shell, but the Calor website has a list of what can swap with what, so you can swap a butane for similar size propane and some propane for other propane sizes but not all.  All the Shell bottles I found at our tip had the top fitting not a side fitting for the regulator so I am still stuck with one bottle.

[tomcat]

thanks guys, I think I need to get my hands on a calor gas propane bottle by the sounds of it ah well I need to re-cycle the shell bottle later!

[Blue Box Studio]

thanks guys, I think I need to get my hands on a calor gas propane bottle by the sounds of it ah well I need to re-cycle the shell bottle later!

We don't have a Shell outlet locally, there are probably 50 Shell bottles at our tip!  Not a Calor bottle to be seen at the tip, in the hedgerow, on Freecycle, to beg steal or borrow

[tomcat]

managed to get a calor gas butane bottle and got it swapped for a propane - now for the hose etc ! soon I will be able to waste more gas and glass without running out so often 

[Krysia@No98]

It needs to be propane because the butane doesn't burn as clean and will scum up the glass.

Also it is well worth getting all the pipes and stuff from one of the glass suppliers as they will connect everything up for you and test all the connections to make sure that there is not leakage.  I think they call them the 'bulk set up'  Just for that little bit of piece of mind :-)

[stuwaudby]

Butane will work if the mixture of air and gas is set correctly. In domestic appliances this is done by varying the pressure of the supply gas. If you have a variable pressure regulator then you should be able to acheive a neutral mixture and a clean burn. If the mixture is correct then there should be no carbon residue left in the glass.

The calorific value of the Butane is higher but that does not mean that it burns hotter. Calorific value is a measurement of the amount of energy released when a fixed amount of the gas is combusted. Butane is a bigger molecule and needs more air to burn which means the heat output is diluted by the additional air resulting in a lower flame temperature. The energy is also being generated by combustion of a higher proportion of carbon to hydrogen, carbon has a lower energy output per atom. All this said the difference in flame temperature will not significantly affect the ability to melt glass.

Do not underestimate the freezing issues with Butane.

[DeanWilson]

The calorific value of the Butane is higher but that does not mean that it burns hotter. Calorific value is a measurement of the amount of energy released when a fixed amount of the gas is combusted. Butane is a bigger molecule and needs more air to burn which means the heat output is diluted by the additional air resulting in a lower flame temperature. The energy is also being generated by combustion of a higher proportion of carbon to hydrogen, carbon has a lower energy output per atom. All this said the difference in flame temperature will not significantly affect the ability to melt glass.

BOOM!

(ie WOW! #impressed!!)

[tomcat]

we have bulk, oh yes we do! - and my lady just made the first bead on it ! we had no problems getting going with it. The 4 bar regulator opened to max - then lit the torch ,  we have a turbo lighter to light it with -there was no way it was blowing the flame out on that!  now to waste some serious glass and gas in the pursuit of a round bead with dimples at both ends 

[Krysia@No98]

Fabulous, have loads of fun!