After having no water until mid day any tips on how to keep our outdoors gas cylinder warm enough to give us hot water early in the morning?

Wooly pullover? (only half joking )

Just put a hot water bottle on it.

Just wrap an old blanket around them, it's as simple as that......

or alternatively you could use a blow torch

I believe Propane is much better than Butane at lower temperatures, i.e. it becomes a gas at a lower temperature than Butane.

Just heard that last night, too... can you safely do a straight exchange butane for propane? ie will the gas boilers ignite exactly the same at changeover/run the same/etc??

Yes I have done it.

I knew a chap in England who used to burn oily rags around the base of his gas bottles. I wouldn't try that.

Never had any issues with cold using propane cylinders

Gas in cylinders is in liquid form. Butane will not evaporate below -1C. So if temperatures below zero expected, use propane.
Pete.

Hi

So where does one buy propane? can I just walk in an "swap" a bottle of butane?

I use a special type of wire that heats up when a current passes through it. Don´t know what it´s called but it uses I think 15 watts per metre.

Davexf

Yes

http://gasbutano.net/glp.htm

http://www.cepsa.com/cepsa/Que_ofrec.../Gas_envasado/

It's all been said, stick to Propane and you'll have no problems in a typical Spanish winter.

Hi

Found the name of the wire that heats up "Cable calefactor 30W silicona" - wonderfull stuff for heating gas bottles etc, also for anti-mould in wardrobes

Davexf

Ok since it's on topic, how do you actually use it ref keeping butano bottles warm? (and any other uses!)