Running 2 x camp fridges off one gas bottle

[Chris Holmes]

Hi All,

I currently use a gas fridge when I go camping.

This year we will need 2. Is it feasible to run 2 fridges of one (Calor
Butane) bottle?

Or do I need one bottle and regulator per fridge?

--
Chris

[newshound]

Can't see why it should not work. The consumption must be relatively low.

A quick google shows plenty of pre-regulator tees for a single bottle,
presumably not what you want. Do you feel competent to make up your own
to tee three hoses together? Many boat/caravan users must have cooker +
heater + fridge. Or do people typically have a separate regulator for each?

[Tim+]

No, a single regulator seems to be able to flow enough gas for fridge, oven
gas hob and heating simultaneously in my experience and this wasn’t a
special “high flow” one.

Our motor home fridge wasn’t happy on butane but this may have been due to
the move by the manufacturers to a single pressure regulator for both
propane and butane. This meant that it ran “rich” on butane and sooted up.


Tim
--
Please don't feed the trolls

[Roger Mills]

On 29/05/2021 20:16, Chris Holmes wrote:
>

Not a problem - as others have said, caravans have multiple devices
supplied via a single regulator. You'll need a metal tee-piece and three
jubilee clips after the regulator, with a branch to each fridge. Like
this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111425584831?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=111425584831&targetid=1278608952216&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1007201&poi=&campaignid=12126090633&mkgroupid=123610917838&rlsatarget=pla-1278608952216&abcId=9300481&merchantid=9607814&gclid=CjwKCAjwzMeFBhBwEiwAzwS8zFlnok56JAoJOekTNi3aBMb4hYtXP6P4g1zOCbH3Q_R-5mq_G_ri5hoCCIQQAvD_BwE
- or perhaps this if you want to be able to isolate each fridge:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163656377827?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=163656377827&targetid=1278608954056&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1007201&poi=&campaignid=12126090633&mkgroupid=123610917838&rlsatarget=pla-1278608954056&abcId=9300481&merchantid=101456384&gclid=CjwKCAjwzMeFBhBwEiwAzwS8zHgjZ6HpTmn2t6H-YkWPGp7LsmgZU6XJH9Z1MfV1Jg3iug-9QLf5mRoCqc0QAvD_BwE
(but you'll then need separate jubilee clips)

Butane is not good for high flows in cold weather - propane is far
better - but the flow to the fridges should be pretty low, and butane
will be fine unless you go somewhere with a lot of heavy frosts.
--
Cheers,
Roger

[Fredxx]

On 29/05/2021 21:40, Tim+ wrote:

<snip>

> Our motor home fridge wasn’t happy on butane but this may have been due to
> the move by the manufacturers to a single pressure regulator for both
> propane and butane. This meant that it ran “rich” on butane and sooted up.

That's not a typical setup. Most low pressure appliances operate at
28/29 mbar with butane and 37 mbar with propane with the appropriate
regulator.

[Tim+]

It’s a common setup in newer motor homes. A single pressure bulkhead
mounted regulator with high pressure hose(s) to the cylinder(s).

The regulator has some sort of impact detection built in to cut off gas as
well as a “high flow” cut off in the event of a large low pressure leak.

I’ve had caravans with the conventional different regulators for different
gasses. My motor home was the first “dual fuel” regulator that I’d come
across and also the first time I’d had issues with running a fridge on
butane.

Isn’t progress wonderful? ;-)

[Fredxx]

I'm surprised. I live and learn.

I guess progress doesn't have to be forward!

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

One regulator per fridge, I'd imagine the bottle will just last less long so
it might be better to have two for that reason alone I'd suggest.
Brian

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[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Well I was always told use separate regulators, but this was back in my
youf, so to speak. Maybe things have been made better now. Its odd that you
really are not encouraged to do gas piping at home yourself but nobody seems
to care what you do on bottled gas systems?

Brian

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[Unknown]

Fredxx explained :

> That's not a typical setup. Most low pressure appliances operate at 28/29
> mbar with butane and 37 mbar with propane with the appropriate regulator.

That used to be the case, but a few years ago caravans/motorhomes
swapped to a regulator mounted on the bulkhead, rather than the bottle.
The bulkhead one is a compromise between the two pressures. From the
bulkhead regulator then now use a high pressure pipe to the tank. The
bottle end of which, uses an adaptor for each bottle type.

[Chris Holmes]

Thanks everyone.

I might even try both fridges and the cooker off one bottle.

--
Chris

[Steve Walker]

Fridges don't take much. Two fridges and a cooker should easily be
handled by one, properly sized, regulator.