Filling with AutoGas (LPG) in Spain
In Spain there appears to be two kinds of adapter required to fill UK refillable bottles. One the Euro/Spanish adapter sold by Gaslow, part number 01-4305, which is required at a only a few garages and another resembling 01-4305 required at many more garages. The latter fill points cannot be used with any of the adapters sold by Gaslow. Does anyone know where to purchase adapters to use this second type of fitting in Spain.
peedee
Comments
-
I've just receive this morning a set of adapters from Safefill, the design of which correspond to Gaslow's 01-4300, 01-4305 & 01-4310. Hopefully I've covered all the bases although I'm only planning on being in France this year.
What other designs of filler adapter are there?
1 -
I have had problems this year and last at different garages. You think the adapter required is the 1-4305 but it does not provide a good seal. I took the opportunity this year to compare the 1-4305 with the connector offered by the garage and it was slightly different so I have concluded there are two types in use in Spain. I did note that these garages do not appear on FillLPG and the only ones I have successfully managed to fill up from do.
peedee
0 -
It certainly would be interesting to know if anyone else encounters this problem. I was behind another Brit yesterday waiting my turn. He was using the connecter supplied by the garage. At one end this had a locking mechanism to fit a dish type connector which the Brit had which I suspected was the one you use in France. At the other end it looked similar to the end on the 1-4305 adapter but comparing with the 1-4305 the dimensions did not look the same. I helped the Brit fill up holding the pump button in while he held the nozzle hard against the filler. Had he not held it hard I suspect it would have leaked. Of course using the same configuration I was on my own and there was no way my dish adapter was going to provide a seal and I gave up and went to another garage shown by FILLLPG. I had no trouble using my 1-4305 adapter there.
It is colder than last year here and I am using 1Kgm of gas per day on average.
peedee
1 -
FYi yesterday I ran my heating on electric just to see how much I would use and to work out the cost difference when electricity is being charged at 35 cents per 1Kw. My load increased by 8Kw, ie it cost nearly an extra 3 Euros a day while the cost of gas at 55.9 cents a litre costs 1 Euro.
peedee
1 -
i have the same three adaptors, however i have heard of one 'problem' at spanish pumps and this is to do with whether the adaptor is fitted with a non-return valve (my spanish one has one but thebother two dont....)
the issue seems to be that, with the ones 'with' the NRV the back pressure of the gas in the tank (after pump removal) pushes back against the NRV and makes it blooming hard to unscrew, and some cases cant be managed by hand....
i havent used mine in spain yet, never needed it (yet)... but cant remember any other issues (or other types of adaptor) when filing in spain.
0 -
The latest .... I lent my adapter to another vanner who went to a garage where I had problems filling. He manage to fill up using my adapter but with a great deal of difficulty and with the help of the garage attendant. He thinks the problem might be low pump pressure is not opening the fill valves?
peedee0 -
I am really confused now as to what the problem might be and I am hoping to get a better look at the adapter offered by the garages and possibly photograph it. Thinking about it I would have thought if the fill valves don't open no gas would be dispensed in the same way the pump stops when the 80 percent full valve closes. Anyone else got any thoughts.
peedee
0 -
Hi folks, as i have said before on this forum, off to Spain for 3 months starting mid April, have caravan with 2x6kg propane cylinders, in front locker, was hoping these would last the trip, but if not , in Spain can you buy refilled cylinders that fit as you do in the UK, appreciate may not be able to do a one for one swop. tks p.s. is 2008 caravan with baynote type fitting
0 -
Spanish bottles are not a straight swap, you must change the fittings and obtain a bottle. The easiest way is to try and obtain a second hand bottle and exchange it for a full one (17 Euros) and buy a Spanish regulator (9 Euros)
Getting back on topic. I visited a garage this morning who actually had four different kinds of adapter. The photos below show the ones used by Brits. The major difference is it has no interior valve unlike the 1-4305 I have from Gaslow. Ignore the white protrusion this retracts into the body of the connector when in use. The opposite end of the Euro/Spanish adapter locks onto a dish type adapter.
peedee
0 -
Considering what others are saying and have experienced, the problem seems to be the none return valve built into Gaslow's 1-4305 adapter. For what ever reason some LPG pumps do not produce enough pressure to open the valve. The answer appears to be to buy an adapter not fitted with a valve. AutoGas sell them here
I don't recommend using the connector in my photos.
peedee
0 -
We are having problems with the pressure at some garages this year. At 2 garages we managed to get some gas in maybe about half a 11kg bottle but at another couldn't get any in. The attendent said lots of vans are having this problem as there pressure is only 15mb, whereas our tanks are 30mb. Fingers crossed when we leave this site we find an lpg station with more pressure.
0 -
thanks for the update...
ill also add a bit to this resurrected thread...
i have a Gaslow Spanish adaptor which has the non return valve but, as i carry a Repsol bottle in my 2nd 'slot', i havent had cause to use it.....other bottle (Gaslow 11kg) was full on leaving the uk.
i have a pal here who i know will be filling shortly and i will have a chat with him about his adaptor (NRV or not).
im wondering if (some) filling stations might carry one for customers to use?
Re: electric usage....we are metered and charged for usage of OVER 4kw per day.
after 5/6 days of running the fridge/freezer and any heating on bottled Repsol, and with only the kettle and battery charger on electric (heating fan and water pump 12v but causing charge) i checked the meter and we were averaging a shade under 2kw per day...
so i have switched the F/F back to electric for a bit to use up the spare capacity and will check again next week.
it may be that we can do a few days on and a few days off to make best use of the paid for allowance without going over total allowance.
0
