Butane or Propane Gas Bottles: Recalls, Safety and Cold Weather

If you own a Flogas Gold butane cylinder, stop using it now. The Office for Product Safety and Standards recalled these bottles on 10 December 2024 because they were filled with a butane and propane mixture outside the parameters for commercial butane, which raises the pressure inside the cylinder and creates a fire risk¹. The recall covers gold and red butane bottles in 4.5 kg, 7 kg and 13 kg sizes¹. Do not connect the gas, and if a bottle is already connected, disconnect it immediately¹.

For everyone else choosing between butane and propane, the decision comes down to how each behaves in the cold and where the bottle will be used. Both are forms of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), stored under pressure and highly flammable². Butane is the common fuel for indoor cabinet heaters and small camping stoves in mild weather; propane is the usual choice for outdoor use and cold conditions. Whichever you use, the safety rules are the same: store bottles upright and outside, change them in the open air or with doors and windows open, and never bring a bottle indoors unless the appliance is designed to house it².

This page sets out the two recalls that matter to UK households, how to check whether your bottle is affected, what to do with a faulty cylinder, and how to store and change bottles so that a heater keeps you warm without becoming a hazard.

Flogas Gold butane cylinders recalled: stop using them now

The Flogas Gold Butane Gas Cylinder was recalled from end users and withdrawn from the market on 10 December 2024¹. The bottles are gold and red, and were sold in 4.5 kg, 7 kg and 13 kg sizes, particularly through retailers such as B&Q, B&M, Homebase, another local seller or gas dealer¹. The recall was notified by Local Authority Trading Standards under notification number 2411-0181⁷.

The reason for the recall is specific. The cylinders were filled with a mixture of butane and propane outside the parameters for commercial butane defined in BS4250, which results in higher vapour pressure than usual¹. In plain terms, the bottle is under more pressure than its fittings and regulator were designed for. The official notice states that the product does not meet the requirements of The Gas Appliances (Enforcement) and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2018¹.

If you have one of these bottles, the instruction is unambiguous:

Do not use the bottle "just until it runs out". The hazard is present while the cylinder is connected and under pressure, not only when it is being changed. Treat the bottle as unfit for use from the moment you identify it, and arrange collection.

What owners of a recalled cylinder should do

The steps below follow the official recall notice¹. Work through them in order.

1. Stop using the bottle immediately. Do not connect it to a heater, stove or barbecue¹.
2. Disconnect it if it is already connected. Turn the appliance off first, then disconnect the cylinder¹.
3. Store it outdoors where possible. If you must store it indoors, keep it away from sources of heat until collection is arranged¹.
4. Contact Flogas on 0330 041 6629 or at cylinder.recall@flogas.co.uk to arrange collection and a free replacement¹.
5. Do not refill or dispose of it yourself. Refillable cylinders are the property of the gas supplier and must be returned to the distributor or dealer².

A few practical points help. Keep the bottle upright while you move it, and do not roll it or drag it by the valve. If you have more than one bottle, check every one against the description rather than assuming only the newest is affected. If you bought the bottle from a local dealer and cannot reach Flogas, the retailer is a sensible second contact, since recall notices are also publicised through the retailer where the product was purchased⁸.

The Calor 4.5kg butane cylinder recall

Calor issued a product recall with immediate effect in October 2021 on a limited number of 4.5 kg butane cylinders that can release gas from the valve when open and connected. The recall was issued by the company itself rather than through the government product safety database, so it is worth checking Calor's own recall information if you own a Calor 4.5 kg butane bottle of that age.

The hazard is different from the Flogas case. Where the Flogas bottles were over-pressured by a fuel mixture, the Calor issue is a valve that can release gas when the cylinder is open and connected. Both come down to the same practical advice: a cylinder that leaks gas is a fire risk, and a leaking bottle should be taken out of use and returned.

If you are unsure which recall applies to a bottle you own, the safest course is to stop using it, store it outdoors, and contact the supplier named on the cylinder. Do not attempt to test a suspect valve by opening it indoors.

How to check whether your gas bottle is affected

Checking a bottle takes a few minutes and needs no tools. Start with the label and the colour, then work through the notice.

• Match the make and colour. The Flogas recall covers gold and red butane bottles; the Calor recall covers a limited number of 4.5 kg butane cylinders¹.
• Check the size. Flogas affected sizes are 4.5 kg, 7 kg and 13 kg¹.
• Check when and where you bought it. The Flogas bottles were sold between 6 and 22 November 2024, particularly through B&Q, B&M, Homebase, another local seller or gas dealer¹.
• Check the official recall notices. Product recall notices are issued by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, and the retailer where you purchased the product can also confirm⁸.

Recall notices are not only for gas. The same checking habit applies across the home: the Bauer Electric Hot Water Bottle was recalled in March 2025 over a fuse that could allow too much current to flow, with a warning notice issued and the option to return the item to the retailer for a refund⁹. Hunter Price licensed hot water bottles were recalled in November 2023 because certain batches may pose a burns risk due to a weak joint at the top seam¹⁰. MSR Trail Lite and Reactor camping cooking pots were recalled in March 2024¹¹. If you keep a folder or a phone note of the model numbers of the equipment you rely on, checking a recall notice becomes a two-minute job.

Over-pressure: why a faulty cylinder is a fire risk

LPG is stored under pressure and is highly flammable³. A small leak can produce a large volume of highly flammable gas, and because the gas is heavier than air it collects near the floor or ground and can be ignited at a considerable distance from the source of the leak¹². That is why a gas smell near the floor of a room matters even if you cannot see or hear anything wrong.

Over-pressure makes this worse in a specific way. Regulators are designed for a maximum inlet pressure of 7.5 bar; if that is exceeded, it could lead to leakage of joints, failure of components, or gas and flames being emitted from the appliance itself¹. The Flogas notice puts the same point plainly: should the inlet pressure of the regulator exceed the design pressure, this could lead to leakage of joints, failure of components or gas or flames to be emitted from the appliance itself⁷.

Most portable heater accidents do not start with a faulty cylinder at all. They happen because gas leaks while people are assembling appliances or changing cylinders or cartridges¹². That is the moment to be most careful: check the connection, test it with soapy water, and never lean over the regulator while opening the valve.

Butane or propane: how each bottle behaves in a UK home

Portable gas heaters use LPG, such as butane or propane³. The two fuels behave differently in the cold, and that difference decides which bottle suits which job.

The pressure figure is the one to remember. At 15 degrees C the pressure is about 1.5 bar for butane². As the bottle cools, the pressure falls, and a butane appliance that worked well in September can become weak or fail altogether on a frosty morning. Propane holds up better in the cold, which is why it is the usual fuel for outdoor winter use.

There is also a placement rule that catches people out. Do not use butane cylinders indoors unless the appliance is specifically designed to house the cylinder, such as a cabinet heater, or a specific cylinder housing is provided². Do not use propane cylinders indoors except when necessary for work processes, or for short periods when propane cylinders may be used inside by trades people such as plumbers². A gas bottle in a living room is not a substitute for a proper heater.

For the wider choice between fuel types, see Portable Heaters: Electric, Gas and Paraffin Types Explained and Paraffin or Bottled Gas Heaters. If you are choosing a bottle and regulator from scratch, Bottled Gas for Heaters and Stoves: Butane, Propane and Regulators sets out the fittings.

Storing gas bottles safely

Storage is where most household gas incidents are prevented or caused. The fire and rescue services are consistent on the basics.

• Store upright and outside whenever possible⁶.
• Keep bottles out of direct sunlight and off balconies¹⁴.
• Never store them in basements, under stairs, or in cupboards containing electric meters or equipment⁶.
• Keep them away from sources of heat and ignition³.
• Turn the gas off at the bottle when it is not in use¹⁵.
• On a boat, store cylinders upright where any leaking gas will flow overboard, preferably in a suitable, vapour-tight, self-draining locker¹⁶.

The reason for the outdoor rule is the weight of the gas. A leak indoors collects at floor level and can reach an ignition source across the room¹². Outdoors, or in a locker that drains overboard, the gas disperses.

If you keep a spare bottle for a heater, treat it as you would any other pressurised fuel: upright, outdoors, secured so it cannot fall, and away from anything that could spark. For more detail, see Where to Store Gas Cylinders at Home.

Changing a bottle without creating a leak

Changing a cylinder is the single most common moment for a gas leak, so slow down and do it in the right place¹².

1. Turn the appliance off and the tap off before changing the cylinder¹⁷.
2. Change the bottle outdoors where possible. If you must do it indoors, open windows and doors for ventilation³.
3. Keep the change away from sources of heat and ignition¹⁴.
4. Check the connection with soapy water. Brush soapy water around the joints and watch for bubbles; tighten to fix, but do not overtighten¹⁹.
5. If you find a leak, take the heater and cylinder into open air and do not use them until the faulty part has been replaced¹².
6. Change gas bottles only when completely empty where the appliance guidance says so¹⁷.

A bubble tester or leak detection fluid does the same job on a boat or caravan installation¹⁶. The principle is the same everywhere: test the joint, do not rely on smell alone.

Where to report a faulty gas bottle and get help

If you smell gas or suspect a leak, the first call is the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999⁴. The same number covers a carbon monoxide emergency or a struck gas pipeline, even if there is no obvious leak⁵. If you think a gas appliance is leaking carbon monoxide, call the free National Gas Helpline immediately on 0800 111 999²⁰.

For a faulty appliance rather than a leak, contact a Gas Safe registered engineer¹³. For a recalled cylinder, contact the supplier named in the notice: Flogas on 0330 041 6629 or cylinder.recall@flogas.co.uk¹. For a product safety concern about a bottle you believe is faulty but not recalled, the Office for Product Safety and Standards and the retailer where you bought it are the routes to use⁸.

Keep the number somewhere you can find it in the dark, and make sure everyone in the household knows it. For the wider picture on gas and heating failures, see Gas and Heating Failures: A Household Guide and Home Emergencies: Fire, Carbon Monoxide, Gas Leaks and Burst Pipes.