Swap and Go or Refill?

[sol]

A few months back I got my 9kg gas bottle filled at a local hardware shop for our Weber
All good.
Yesterday went and got a Swap and Go Bottle for Weber, lit it up and the flame is yellow and seems to spit every now and then.

A mate was telling me not to use Swap and Go and to only go get bottle refilled.

Is the gas in Swap and Go bottles different?

       

[Mace]

Propane / butane mixes can vary a bit between different suppliers, which can marginally affect flame quality, but more likely to be a regulator or burner issue.

http://bbq.about.com/od/grillsfaq/f/f070604d.htm

[Kit_e_kat9]

 

Sometimes it just NOT about convenience. 

These new bottles won't work on my Primus 4 burner at all!  With a "swap and go" ... I'd need to buy special fittings which are hard to come by and I couldn't be bothered even trying.  The bottle is about as 1/2 as old as I am and still going strong.

Also, on the camper, I have specifically sized bottles for the job.  I doubt a "swap and go" would fit in there - as bottles are now all different sizes.  How painful would it be to try and fit the wrong size bottle in there?


I refill.  When it expires, you get it checked and they stamp it and also refill it.

I was brought up that way ... Reuse / Recycle / Re(whatever that other one is) ...

Kit_e

[firefox]

Sol,
I'm on the road and if i could/would use Swap n Go that would be great!. But after so many bad stories and personal bad experiences i've got 2 brand new 4.5kg bottles myself and will only use refill. Why??

I've had about 1/2 lt of water in the bottom of a swap n go.

Half filled (i.e was too light so checked it and sure enough half full)

Yellow/green flames as well as crap coming out of the bottles.

I avoid them now.. Just not worth the hassle. i know my bottles and i know where they are filled. Yes you do need to plan a little and how much you use, but id prefer to know my bottles actually work.

If you do a quick search on google you will see similar stories like the above.

[Swannie]

I just like to refill with my own bottles.

Swannie

[Spada]

Refill untill your bottle is out of date, then swap and go to get a new bottle.

[sol]

Thanks guys, it was working perfect until I got the Swap bottle.

I just tried a bottle from the camper and bingo the flame is blue again.

I'll use it up ASAP and get the bottle refilled from now on.

     

[scarps]

Refill untill your bottle is out of date, then swap and go to get a new bottle.

agree x 2, particularly if you're after the fatter bottle to fit in the holders.

[fishfinder]

I normally have my bottles refilled,odd occasion swap and go with no problems but the last refill, not sure what the deal was but the flame kept going out on the ct so i tried on bbq and it did the same.

[KieranR]

I used to fill my own, but was costing about $30 to refill, so ive started using the swap and go from my local Bunnings, never had a problem yet, bottle is always full, good flame etc, and only cost me $21.82 to swap.

[JD-120]

I have found swap and go costs about double what BCF will fill your bottles for. If possible, I will always refill, unless in a position where I can't.

Refill for the cost savings, swap and go if I was not prepared enough and run out while on a trip and refill not possible.

[D4D]

... ive started using the swap and go from my local Bunnings, never had a problem yet, bottle is always full, good flame etc, and only cost me $21.82 to swap.

x2 I haven't had an issue, yet...

[peter01]

x3 Bunnings

[Foo]

Swap n go are good for when your bottles are near expirery date. 

Foo

[fuji]

There is no way I will swap my good bottles for the swap and Go. I go to the LPG place down the road and get my fill for a quarter of the price.

[JCAT]

Refill for the 2 x 4.5 kg camper bottles, purchased them new in 2010.

Swap and Go for the 9 kg bottle at home.


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[prodigyrf]

You're on the road and they charge around $44 for a 9kg fill at the cara park and many places the same for a swap but Bunnings charge $21.95 Oz wide for a swap so the answer is Bunnings swaps wherever timely or feasible.(leaving Darwin for the NW I donated a quarter of a bottle to Bunnings as a no-brainer) Yes the bottle sizes vary and I have to carry a couple of set bolt sizes to accommodate the 'adjustable' flat strap iron holder. Can't say I've had probs with gas quality although one I recall gave off a slight diesel smell while cooking.

[sol]

The bottle I've got has more of a kero smell when burning.

     

[ATC]

I've had times in sydney when the servo won't do refills as they only have 1 person on, and can't leave the checkout to do a gas fill.

Increasingly difficult to get find convienient locations to get a bottle refilled in inner Sydney.

SWMBO doesn't care for getting good gas, just swap it.

Will start to do the swaps at bunnings since a few of you have given them the nod.

Thanks

BTW as for the kero smell on the gas, that reminds me when I was a kid hiking & I stored the jell babies next to the kero fire starters. Still ate them though, just careful not to breath out near the fire at night.

[Buster3931]

I'm just wondering if we could start a list of locations of businesses that are happy to do refills ? I know it's hard to find places to refill down here on the Mornington peninsula .

I'm keen as the last bottle I got was an older bottle with a high collar which I didn't notice . Unfortunately i put it on the side of my brand new CT with the hinge. When opening the camper I stretched the hinge out of shape. Next job is to replace the hinges. 

 Buster

[D4D]

Rays & BCF typically do refills.

[RobM]

i used to do swap at Bunnings until one morning I walked past the BBQ and noticed it felt warm. When I checked the burner was just alight, had been all night. The tap on the BBQ was on low but when I checked the tap on the gas bottle it was turn off firmly. Two more times in the next 4 or 5 swaps I found that even with the tap turned off there was still a small amount of gas escaping from the bottle. (not as much as the first time). That was the end of swapping for me.
Seems as though nobody has bothered teaching the persons who get to fill the bottles not to tighten the valve too much. I have had bottles that have taken a lot of force to open.

Rob

Edit:
It's probably not so much the persons filling the bottle that don't know not to tighten the tap too much but some of the swappers that have had the bottle before you. Even so, should be checked before putting back on the rack.

[driftr]

Bunnings is a lot cheaper than servo swap & go and I've not had any issues with them..

Another tip is to become a member at BBQs Galore and they will refill for $16 or so

[KieranR]

Bunnings is a lot cheaper than servo swap & go and I've not had any issues with them..

Another tip is to become a member at BBQs Galore and they will refill for $16 or so

My local Bunnings is $21 to swap, local servo is $44.95, I used to fill at BBQ's Galore was $24.95 but is now pushing $30 a fill

[jclures]

I have two 4kg bottles on my camper, both are the zinc painted versions, and they on the last refill were out of date.
I had my local gas shop who are licensed to re stamp them do it and it under half the price of a new bottle of same quality. They fitted a new tap and refilled it for this price.