European “Gaz” adaptor?

[mrnewps]

Hello everyone. I am new to sailing and this forum. I recently purchased a brand new Fontaine Pajot Astrea 42 catamaran, built in France. It came with a butane hose for the stove. I’ve been trying to find an adapter that will allow me to connect to a standard USA style propane tank with no luck. I have purchased various adapters and fittings from Amazon, defender.com and West Marine with no luck. https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=58932
So far my dealer and the manufacture have not responded to my request for help on this topic.
Here are some photos. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Rapanui]

The simple solution would be to cut off the Camping Gaz regulator and fit a US Propane regulator with a barb end and hose clips. The other end will most probably be a 3/8" BSP compression fitting. I understand that it can be difficult to get BSPP or BSPT fittings in US. You can cannibalise the old fittings by carefully cutting off the crimps and fitting new hose and crimps.

Email to info@fountaine-pajot.com should get a reply with information and availability, price and lead time of any parts

[Captn_Black]

Originally Posted by Rapanui

The simple solution would be to cut off the Camping Gaz regulator and fit a US Propane regulator with a barb end and hose clips. The other end will most probably be a 3/8" BSP compression fitting. I understand that it can be difficult to get BSPP or BSPT fittings in US. You can cannibalise the old fittings by carefully cutting off the crimps and fitting new hose and crimps.

Email to info@fountaine-pajot.com should get a reply with information and availability, price and lead time of any parts

I thought the French used metric fittings rather than British Standard Pipe fittings?

[CatNewBee]

Every country uses different standards, bottles, regulators, hoses. Even in the same country there may be different adapters for different companies that provide gas. CampingGaz (blue buthane bottles) are available in several countries in the EU, but are the most expensive option.

[Rapanui]

Across Europe people use BSP for some reason. Particulary plumbing and sanitary fittings. Modern monobloc taps and mixers across Europe use metric 8 or 10mm male 'O' ring sealed on the tap end and usually 3/8 or 1/2 " BSP compression with a rubber washer at the other end of the flexible connecting pipe. It does seem weird to find a fitting labelled BSP in a hardware shop in Croatia but hey its a bonus. Our FP Athena uses 1/2" BSP compression rubber washer connections from the gas bottle to the copper line and then from the copper lines to the gas hob and oven via 1/4" BSP Tee and isolating valves for each.

[Captn_Black]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Every country uses different standards, bottles, regulators, hoses. Even in the same country there may be different adapters for different companies that provide gas. CampingGaz (blue buthane bottles) are available in several countries in the EU, but are the most expensive option.

I discovered that Camping Gas regulators fit the bottles in Cape Verde, which come in a range of sizes upto 25kg, and you are more likely to find a place to refill them (outside of EU and US) and refills cost per/kg. But yes, in places where you can't refill, camping gas is way more expensive.
Though I will be keeping a bottle from here, very cheap - the 12.5 kg is only 2000CV$ - not including the gas, which is about 1700CV$ currently for 12.5kg.
I like this solution a lot as Camping Gas regulators are also widely available internationally if I ever need a replacement.

[SVHarmonie]

BE VERY CAREFUL!

Switching from the blue butane tanks to standard propane involves more than just connecting a new tank to the end of the existing hose.

The regulators are different, VERY different. The pressure in a propane tank is a lot higher than in a butane tank. Consider yourself lucky you didn't manage to actually make the connection you wanted. There is a good reason the type of adapter you wanted is NOT available!!!!

In addition to changing the regulator, for MOST stoves you need to change the jet. In some cases you can do this by drilling it out (these are LITTLE holes and require care and precision), or a new jet from the stove manufacturer.

If this is all a mystery to you, get professional help. This is not a part of the boat you want to learn by trial and error!

[Bill O]

An old article, but still helpful from Whoosh. LPG in Europe

[Captn_Black]

Originally Posted by SVHarmonie

BE VERY CAREFUL!

Switching from the blue butane tanks to standard propane involves more than just connecting a new tank to the end of the existing hose.

The regulators are different, VERY different. The pressure in a propane tank is a lot higher than in a butane tank. Consider yourself lucky you didn't manage to actually make the connection you wanted. There is a good reason the type of adapter you wanted is NOT available!!!!

In addition to changing the regulator, for MOST stoves you need to change the jet. In some cases you can do this by drilling it out (these are LITTLE holes and require care and precision), or a new jet from the stove manufacturer.

If this is all a mystery to you, get professional help. This is not a part of the boat you want to learn by trial and error!

Yea, I thought about making a similar comment, although it sounded like he was going to be using a correct low pressure regulator for his propane, in which case it would be ok. Propane and butane regulators are never the same fitting anywhere you go, for good reason, but I guess it may be possible that a butane regulator from one country fits a propane bottle from another, or visa versa.

[Dsanduril]

If the regulator is of recent European vintage (and it likely is since the boat is new) it must comply with EN 12864 (first issued 2001, revised 2009), which, among other things, requires the low pressure regulators be able to deal with propane, butane, or any mixture thereof. Check for the EN 12864 mark, if it is there no new regulator is needed (although it may just be easier than finding an adapter).

Stoves designed for LPG will run propane, butane, or any mixture thereof. Pure butane provides ~11% more flow through the same orifice. Oven burners may need the air flow shutter adjusted slightly when moving between high butane content and high propane content.

Many of these questions have been hashed out here before.

[donradcliffe]

Will a standard US propane tank fit in the boat's sealed propane locker? If you can find one that does, I'd put in a US regulator, and use barbed fittings and hose clamps to splice the low pressure side together inside the locker. That is not the ABC way, but it is plenty safe. I would not mess with barbed fittings and hose clamps on the high pressure side of the regulator.