LPG. WHAT IS IT AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR?
I'm sure many of you have heard of LPG, some of you have even installed it in your motorhome or camper, but it is also certain that many others will not know exactly what LPG is.
With this blog post, we are going to try to explain, as simply as possible, what LPG is and what it is used for.
WHAT IS LPG?
LPG stands for "Liquefied Petroleum Gas", and as its name suggests, it is a type of gas composed of a mixture of propane and butane gas. This gas is compressed to such an extent that it becomes liquid, occupying 80% of the total bottle, and leaving the remaining 20% for gasification. They also claim that it is less harmful to the environment, although it is still a fossil fuel.
WHAT IS IT FOR?
LPG is a fuel that can have different uses, but in Europe it is widely used as an automotive fuel, which means that it can be found in European petrol stations as an option in addition to the usual petrol and diesel.
USE OF LPG IN MOTORHOMES.
The behaviour of this gas means that it is not feasible to use it as a fuel in diesel engines, which are used in most motorhomes. However, it is compatible with the equipment installed in motorhomes, such as the cooker, refrigerator, hot water and heating system.
These devices usually work with propane gas (orange bottle), which is fine, but the problem comes when we leave our country. In Europe there are different gas systems depending on the country we are in, so we will hardly be able to replace it, as these systems are not compatible.
LPG solves this problem, as LPG cylinders are refillable and it is a widespread system in Europe, available at petrol stations, so we will not have problems if we run out of gas. Refuelling is done through a socket that is installed on the outside, similar to filling up with fuel. In addition, when installing the LPG system, we are normally provided with different types of outlets or external adapters for refilling the gas, depending on the country we are in (there are usually 4 types).
The installation of this system is normally carried out by means of a kit that includes a rechargeable cylinder, specific for this gas, which is usually installed in the place where the propane cylinder is located, that is to say, we would change one for the other. In addition, an external socket is installed to facilitate refilling and, optionally, we can ask for an internal indicator to be installed to inform us of the charge in the cylinder.
We can also choose to replace only one of the propane gas bottles, thus having one bottle of each of these systems. If this is the option chosen, we can also install a "Duo-control regulator system" that allows us to have one outlet for LPG and another for the propane cylinder. In this regulator, we will choose the desired position, opening the LPG outlet when we want to use it, or closing it and opening the propane when we want to change. The installation of this regulator is optional, we can simply change the gas connection from one cylinder to another, but this implies less comfort for the user.
At this point, one might think....
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF LPG?
- The most important one is that you can travel around Europe without worrying about the gas supply.
- You don't have to continually change the cylinder, just refill at a pump.
- LPG is cheaper than the traditional propane cylinder.
- Due to its gasification capacity, we avoid the problem of gas freezing, as LPG withstands temperatures from -40º to +65º.
- It stores more gas (22 kg in the LPG tank compared to 13 kg in a propane cylinder).
- We can have the option of knowing the level of the cylinder thanks to the indicator.
The next, inevitable question is....
WHAT IS THE COST OF LPG FOR MY MOTORHOME?
Well, it will depend on many factors, so it is very difficult to provide a fixed amount.
In Caravanas Cruz, we can make budgets tailored to the needs of our customers, depending on whether we are talking about camper or motorhome, the difficulty that each vehicle presents when proceeding to the installation, whether to install one or two bottles, if we install the interior indicator or not etc...
If you are thinking of installing a LPG system in your vehicle, ask us for an estimate without obligation.
If you did not know about this system, we hope that this article has helped you, or if you have already heard about it, we hope that it has provided you with more information.
See you next blog post!
