Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Nov 06, 2014 12:03 pm Hi trusty helpers Unfortunately gas is not available on our street, we’ve discovered. My parents use LPG gas for a gas cooktop and heater which seems a reasonable solution. 1) What is the cost of this compared to natural 2) Any experiences to share or suggestions on best refill and storage method 3) Is it viable to use this option for gas hot water? Thank you! Leksie Re: LPG gas bottles 2Nov 06, 2014 12:22 pm From my investigations, it appears getting a couple of 9kg bottles and taking them down to be refilled appears to be the cheapest option for us at the moment. The larger bottles you rent every year, and refill costs appear to be more per kg than the 9kg bottles are. The auto changeover switch for the bottles is only slight more expensive than the manual changeover too. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: LPG gas bottles 3Nov 06, 2014 1:06 pm I have LPG gas for my cooktop.
I have 2 off 45kg bottles. The rental is $33.55 per bottle per year. The 45g bottle lasts about 2 ~ 3 years. If only using gas for a cooktop 9kg bottles would be cheaper however the gas installation needs to comply with the gas codes and be installed by a gas fitter. There is a requirement to provide a stable support stand for the 9kg bottle. If using gas for hot water you will need 2 off 45kg bottles so you have hot water while waiting for the empty bottle to be replaced. I do not have the exact cost to replace a 45kg bottle (including the delivery fee) but from memory is about the same cost per kg as the 9 kg swap and go plus you have the ongoing rental cost for the 45kg bottles. My house is on a very steep block and the gas Co will not physically swap over the bottles. I have to disconnect and drag the empty bottle out to the street and then I have to struggle with the full (very heavy) bottle and drag it to around the rear of the house and reconnect it. I wish I had installed the smaller bottles but I will need to get a gas fitter in now to change the connections if I want to use the smaller bottles. Re: LPG gas bottles 4Nov 06, 2014 1:10 pm Thanks for your quick reply I know the gas company are quite able to swap out the bottles in our area so that’s no problem. My parents are around the corner and they just come and swap them over when its time, no problem. Do you have any rough idea (even a ballpark figure, I’m building my first home) about how much the refill is? I guess I can call them and ask. Were there any higher expenses/complications in getting the fittings for your home or the right applicances. I wonder why the 9kgs are cheaper? I see you say its the same per KG, do you mean the rental is slightly cheaper or?? Re: LPG gas bottles 5Nov 06, 2014 1:25 pm Quote: Were there any higher expenses/complications in getting the fittings for your home or the right appliances. When you order the appliance you need to request an LPG appliance as LPG burners use different jets than natural gas. If the appliance is floor stock you will probably be supplied with a conversion kit. If the appliance is a special order it can usually be provided with the LPG jets already fitted. Re: LPG gas bottles 6Nov 06, 2014 5:57 pm Leksie5000 Were there any higher expenses/complications in getting the fittings for your home or the right applicances. I wonder why the 9kgs are cheaper? I see you say its the same per KG, do you mean the rental is slightly cheaper or?? My plumber/gas fitter strongly recommended when I buy the gas cooktop, buy it with it already jetted up for LPG, as some are a real pain to convert across even with the correct jets there, as some are very hard to get in to in order to change them over. 9kg bottles you own, the big ones you can only rent, although I have seen the bigger ones available on Ebay to buy. The catch is some LPG deliveries are swap overs, rather than fill up on the spot. I think that's basically because most home owners would be unable to transport or carry them. You can not transport them inside of a car, and they should be transported vertically, which means a trailer or ute, and then you have to get them on and off. 9kg ones you can carry in your car as long as they are not in the passenger cabin, i.e. put in boot of the car. Worst case with the 9kg ones is that when they get close to the 10 'life' you just do a swap and go, and you have a new one all over again. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: LPG gas bottles 7Nov 07, 2014 12:34 pm Thanks, I think we would prefer the easiest method. I know we can go with the larger bottles and they come and swap them out. The builder is doing our quote now and will include the LPG gas. Is it efficient to use LPG for hot water? Or too expensive would electricity be better? Re: LPG gas bottles 8Nov 07, 2014 5:51 pm Long term plan is to go off grid solar with us, and we've gone for a Evacuated Tube solar hotwater system with 315 litre mid mounted electric boosted tank, as we've worked out for us this is our best and cheapest option long term. As you will have gas for cooking, then you might as well go gas hot water, particulary since you've gone with the big bottles. Just be sure to get a auto changeover switch for the gas though, as when one bottle empties, it changes over to the the full one automatically. I believe the auto changeover option is only about $30 more. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: LPG gas bottles 9Nov 07, 2014 9:20 pm We have 2 x 45kg bottles. Each lasts about the 18 month mark as we only have a gas cooktop. It has been about 12 mths since we last swapped a bottle and it was about the $95. While 9kg may be cheaper, it is only marginal. I have no stuffing around swapping and refilling smaller bottles. No rush to get a bottle refilled because you know you have a long time between refills. The gas co you choose will come, swap, and all is done. You just get an account. Dearer, yes. Less stuffing around by a long way. Settlement 1/2/12 New Shed 23/3/12 Slab poured 27/3/12 Frame complete 4/5/12 Roof complete 1/6/12 LOCKUP 29/6/12 Our new build blog http://kareenhillsownerbuild.blogspot.com/ 4 10817 I want to build a decking to the drawn shape outlined in black. The problem is how close can I build to the gas hot water unit? Will I be able to build around it and be… 0 20220 you need a fridgie to answer but I would think you vac the whole system then add gas if you have a leak, unless it is new install with the gas already loaded, in that case… 1 3651 |