Bigger bottles cost less per kilo but are heavier to move. Pick the largest one you can handle where it lives.
| Use | Usual size |
|---|---|
| Small barbecue, pizza oven | 5kg patio gas or 6kg propane |
| Family barbecue, patio heater | 10kg patio gas or 11–13kg propane |
| Motorhome or touring caravan | 6kg or 11kg propane, 7kg butane in summer |
| Indoor cabinet heater | 13kg butane (check the heater) |
| Catering van, site heater, roofing torch | 19kg propane |
| Home heating, range cooker, commercial kitchen | Pairs of 47kg propane on a changeover valve |
| Forklift truck | 18kg FLT propane (liquid offtake only) |
How long will it last?
Divide the cylinder's energy by the appliance's burn rate. A kilo of propane holds about 13.9kWh. A 3kW patio heater on full uses roughly 0.22kg an hour, so an 11kg bottle gives about 50 hours. Most heaters do not run flat out, so you will usually get more.