Latest Calor Press Release on Calor Lite

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  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2019 #182

    Likewise, I run a 10kg gaslight but smaller are available. Purchased a few years back at my local hire company and now exchanged at my local(ish) Flogas depot, reasonable cost at approx £32 per exchange, and nearly always on EHU so lasts a good 2/3 years.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2019 #183

    In my previous motorhome I was able to accommodate a 10kgs Gaslight plus one Calor Lite. However the locker on my new motorhome is smaller and officially only accepts two 6 kgs Calor type cylinders. I have not yet tried the Gaslight as initially I thought it to big but will give it a go in the new year. I am almost resigned to the fact that I will have to change over some time to the heavy 6kgs Calor cylinder. I just wish that Calor made it easier to swap between the two types rather than Lite to heavy but not the other way round. I don't think I use enough gas in a year to warrant the installation of a refillable system.

    David 

  • PR1
    PR1 Forum Participant Posts: 96
    edited January 2020 #184

    Popped into the local Calor supplier today to exchange my Calor Lite!

    He had nearly 100 in stock, and said the rest of their depots also had plenty!

    I thought there was a shortage!

  • Hedgehurst
    Hedgehurst Forum Participant Posts: 576
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    edited January 2020 #185

    Wow - where?

    (Visions of a stream of happy campers blocking their doors!)

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited January 2020 #186

    Happy at paying £26-£28 for £7.50 worth of gas. It takes all sorts, I suppose.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2020 #187

    I am almost resigned to the fact that I will have to change over some time to the heavy 6kgs Calor cylinder.

    Why David? Are you a heavy user? 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #188

    On the surface that looks quite persuasive. However, if like a lot of people, including some motorhomers, who use about one gas cylinder a year to purchase the equivalent Safefill refillable cylinder it would take nearly 8 years to recoup the investment. How many of us know we will still be enjoying our hobby in eight years time?

    David

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #189

    With the amount of gas we use, and the initial cost of installation ,it will take many years to break even against calor cylinders ,we have two  calor light one in use and one on "standby", and am not expecting to need to change over  (unless long power outage on a site)untill the end of this year,it has been on since Jan 2019,and when a replacement is needed ,the nearest supplier is probably the site we are on at the time,,so as far as we are concerned there is never any other method that is attractive 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #190

    I like Alsortscool

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #191

    I don't think it is very likely we will recoupe the cost of the refillable system we had fitted in our MH, as we don't do enough off grid. However, it is very convenient. No more waiting for a cylinder to be empty before refilling. Plus we can park up and run the fridge without worrying about gas use. Also useful over there, as we would have been more wary of using non EHU Aires if we kept the Calor, in case we ran out. Taken as part of the cost of our brand new Hymer the extra was not that noticeable.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2020 #192

    For me it makes economic and practical sense CY

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited January 2020 #193

    Does not the up front cost [£178 for Safefill 10 kg] and the amortisation of that in what is limited to ten years for composite bottles, what 15 for steel, not also come into the real price paid?

    In my case the BP exchanges are dilvered to the door, so mileage charges are zero, another cost. A refill would involve driving many miles, and the options are disappearing here. Our brickwall.

    Some will win some will not on a financial basis alone.

    I suppose "it takes all sorts" as you said, those who do the sums, those who selectively do them.

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #194

    the up front cost [£178 for Safefill 10 kg] and the amortisation of that in what is limited to ten years for composite bottles, what 15 for steel,

    Who checks how old one's bottle(s) might be after the 10 years?  How would they be re-certified for another, perhaps, 10 years?

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2020 #195

     There are doubtless some for who it makes economic sense as high users. Some like Steve who wish to use aires or park off site during the day and have the fridge on gas, would find it convenient. In my case I find it easier to drive my 3.9kg bottle to a site reception on most sites. I  can only recall two occasions when a 3.9kg was not available when required. And only one of those where I felt it necessary to drive offsite to get one. That was at Southport for our annual long December stop where temperatures probably did not rise over zero for an extended time with -14c overnight. I wanted to maintain a spare in case of power failure

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited January 2020 #196

    My personal suspicion on recertification, having a faint and fading idea of what the company paid, albeit military, is the set up cost including proper documentation system and double transportation, would way way overtake the wholesale product cost.

    Consequently IMO they would set up a destruction scheme along with an attractive repurchase offer; there must be some getting very close or the wrong side of requiring recertification.


    Re checking, that presently is down to the owners.

    Here I have my doubts things will be done in a safe way and some owners will ignore best practice with these pressure vessels, till and if something literally goes bang somewhere. The whole bottle or more likely IMO its surounding area if simply a leak.

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,669 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #197

    Hi everyone,

    At long last, I have managed to secure a reply from Calor with regards to a replacement for Calorlite, and it's not good news.....

    Hi David, thank you for the message, In realtion to your query the 6Kg Lite Cylinder is gradually been phased out of circulation from our filling plants as we are no longer producing the Lite cylinder, therefore we have limited availability of the Lite cylinder(s) within the Calor network.
    Please be assured Calor have not taken this decision lightly to phase the cylinder out, our experience with the Calor Lite and its lack of longevity indicated the need for the cylinder to be better designed to withstand the rigours of transportation and refilling. There has been a number of investigations and projects made in to various alternatives with the potential for another light cylinder, however the investment involved in redesigning the filling plants and processes to accommodate a new composite bottle would be significant and to recover the investment cost would require a premium on any cylinder price. This is something we would not wish to impose on the Calor network.
    Calor continue to regularly review the cylinder range, though I have been assured at this point we will not be replacing the Calor Lite with another composite cylinder. I appreciate this is not the response you would be hoping for, though I can confirm that Calor do still provide the 6Kg Propane Cylinder and the 3.9Kg Propane Cylinders, both of these cylinders are interchangeable with the Lite Cylinder. The Calor Lite has a full weight of approximately 10.2Kg, the 6Kg Propane has a full weight of 16Kg and the 3.9Kg Propane has a full weight of approximately 10K. Kind Regards Andy.

    Best wishes to all

    David

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #198

    Thanks for posting that. So carrying two bottles in steel is a weight penalty of 11.6 kilogrammes (26.6lbs from 1st February).  I wish I could shed two stone of my weight!

    I note they do not quote the per kilogramme cost in relation to the three sizes.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #199

    Interestingly  calor  say it would mean a "premium"on a  new type of composite cylinder that is not something that"we would not wish to impose on the calor network"? They seem to forget that's just what they did with the calor lite cylinders undecided

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #200

    +1wink

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #201

    Perhaps they are talking more about the initial introduction of the cylinder. When I went from heavy to light there was no charge, apart from slightly more expensive gas, even when there was a charge for swapping, I think it was only about £5. They may well want to go down the line of a new agreement. Given that now there is the option of refillables, I can't see many wanting to part with £40/50 on a new contract. I suspect they can see themselves loosing money as there will not be enough take up.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #202

    When we changed it was pointed out to us that the lite had a surcharge to cover cost of production ,,and that was 1 week after the introduction,  no mention of "more expensive gas?"undecided

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #203

    The "Lite" additional costs were really only bourne by the leisure customers and not the far far greater number of commercial users.

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,669 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #204

    I think I might give some more thought to Safefill, or even think about taking smaller bottles of calor.  Either choice is an expensive option.  Not sure if I really use enough gas to merit Safefill...

    David

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited February 2020 #205

    You could always consider Flogas. 5Kg composite bottle is just under 2Kg lighter than a Calorlite. You'd still be paying rip-off prices for LPG though

  • heddlo
    heddlo Forum Participant Posts: 872 ✭✭
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    edited February 2020 #206

    We have, briefly, looked into Safefill but like you David it doesn’t work out cheaper for us as we don’t use enough gas to justify the initial cost. Then trying to find a supplier! 

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,669 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2020 #207

    I think I'll investigate that too CY.  Thanks for the reminder of Flogas 

    David

  • bandgirl
    bandgirl Forum Participant Posts: 440
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    edited February 2020 #208

    We don’t use much gas, except for cooking, and one 6kg Calorlite lasts us for ages.  We always keep one in use and a spare.  Had looked into some alternative options when we needed to replace a cylinder in June last year, but did manage to get a new Calorlite replacement.  I had concluded the best alternative for us when the Calor supply dries up will be Gaslight.  There’s a supplier about 18 miles from home and, given our usage, would be feasible to get replacements between holidays.

  • bandgirl
    bandgirl Forum Participant Posts: 440
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    edited February 2020 #209

    Further to my last comment, it seems that there aren’t any 5kg Gaslight cylinders in stock, so having only the 10kg available may not make it a viable option, weight wise.  We’ll have to see.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited February 2020 #210

    We use around 6kg a year and two 3.9kg propane at 10kg a piece does us fine for carrying

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited February 2020 #211

    This does stack up with other hints I have noted that the Gaslight 5 kg seems to be disappearing, even "out of stock" via them online:


    https://www.flogas.co.uk/shop/cylinders/flogas-gas-cylinders/5kg-gaslight


    I was seeking to add a 5 kg as a lighter spare than another 10, to be carried when my in use 10kg might be critically low.
    Do any of us know anything solid on this seeming demise of the 5 kg version?