Information about the types of gas / propane used for HOTTAP, including what sizes and types of gas are appropriate, different types of fittings & hoses and information about how long each type should last as well as what kinds of other fittings may be suitable.
Australia & New Zealand
What type of gas do I need?
The easiest way to explain it is that the HOTTAP runs on the same gas that your home BBQ does.We use (most commonly) 9kg LPG cylinders. In NZ they are called ULPG but they are very similar.
What gas hose does HOTTAP use? And what is included?
The Gas hose we supply is a standard BBQ style LPG / Propane hose.
All HOTTAPs also include our gas quick disconnect adapter, to allow you to connect your gas to HOTTAP (and other appliances) without the need to tighten the fittings with a spanner and check for leaks at each use.
What size gas tank can I use?
9kg Cylinders
The standard and most common size is a 9kg LPG cylinder, but LPG cylinders are quite common in other sizes right down to around 4kg. Just make sure that the cylinder has a POL connection to attach to the gas hose which is supplied.
2KG Cylinders
Smaller bottles down to around 2kg have also been known to work well but will require adapters to connect to the gas hose we supply.
A common 2kg cylinder will have a 3/8" Threaded outlet, for these you can purchase an adapter like the one in the picture below which will connect to your standard BBQ gas hose. 
The left side thread is 3/8" LH (Left Hand) BSP and the right side is a standard POL Connector (to your gas hose).
How much gas does it use?
A 9kg gas bottle can get up to 15 hours of use and a 4kg up to 7 hours, this is on the gas being set to the highest settings. In summer or warmer climates, you probably won't have the gas set this high. Needless to say, it's a pretty long time!
Connecting to other fittings?
The HOTTAP can be connected to other fittings like a bayonet fitting, however, the only hosing we offer with the HOTTAP is a 1.2m Gas Hose and Regulator (as standard). Any other fittings that may be required to fit onto a bayonet can be sourced from a hardware or plumbing store.
United States
What type of gas do I need?
The easiest way to explain it is that the HOTTAP runs on the same gas that your home BBQ does. This is called a Propane Tank and the standard size is 20lbs but they can also come in smaller sizes.
What gas hose does it use? And what is included?
The Gas hose we supply is a standard BBQ style LPG / Propane hose.
All HOTTAPs also include our gas quick disconnect adapter, to allow you to connect your gas to HOTTAP (and other appliances) without the need to tighten the fittings with a spanner and check for leaks at each use.
What size gas tank can I use?
20 lb Tank
In the United States, you can use a propane tank size right down to around 4.5 lb, the main thing is to make sure it's compatible with the supplied gas hose (it's called a QCC 1 Connection on the bottle side).
1 lb Cylinders:
To use a 1 lb cylinder, you will need a purchase an adapter like this one (Home Depot) or this one (Amazon) which will allow you to use your Joolca supplied hose to connect to the smaller cylinder.
How much gas does it use?
A 20 lbs Tank will yield around 12 hours. It's a little less than the longevity of the Australian Spec unit and that's because we're allowed to have a higher gas flow setting for you. This is a good thing because it means you can get heat more water which comes in handy in cold conditions. Again, this is on the 'high' setting.
Connecting to other fittings?
The HOTTAP can be connected to other fittings like a bayonet fitting, however, the only hosing we offer with the HOTTAP is a 1.2m Gas Hose and Regulator (as standard). Any other fittings that may be required to fit onto a bayonet can be sourced from a hardware or plumbing store.
United Kingdom
Types of gas in the UK
There are two types of gas in LPG gas bottles, Propane & Butane. They are characterised by different colour bottles and confusingly use different gas connections (however, we include a regulator suitable for Standard Propane in our kits. our HOTOTAP will work with either Propane or Butane.
- Bullnose (POL) screw-on for Standard Propane: This is the Regulator (includes hose) that we supply and is suitable for use with Calor & Flogas Propane (Red) Bottles but not including Patio Gas.
- 27mm Clip-on for Patio Gas (Propane): Used on Patio Gas & "Gas Light" (Green) Propane Bottles.
- 21mm Clip-on for Butane: Used on all Calor Butane cylinders (except the small 4.5kg bottle). Also used on the Flogas 7kg & 13Kg gas cylinders charactered by their yellow colour.
- 20mm Clip-on for Butane: Used only on Flogas 4.5kg, 7kg & 13Kg cylinders, The 20mm fitting is characterised by the dark blue bottles
- Screw-on for Camping Gaz: This screw-on regulator is used only for Camping Gaz refillable 1.8Kg & 2.73Kg Butane bottles
Which Regulator & Hose does Joolca Supply?
With our products, we supply option 1, a Standard Propane Regulator (screw-on type, top left of the image below) which is suitable for use with Propane Bottles between 3.9kg - 47kg. These are the Red bottles and are readily available from Flogas and Calor.
Which is the best gas to use?
We recommend the use of Standard Propane over Butane gas in general due to better performance in lower temperatures. We also recommend it over Patio Gas because Patio Gas Refills are often more expensive per the same amount of propane purchased.
Can I use another type of Gas?
Absolutely. Other gas types are safe to use with your Joolca and you are free to do so, but you'll need to purchase a compatible regulator.
Note that you will be able to unscrew the Joolca gas quick connect at the end of your supplied gas hose and reinstall it onto your new gas hose if you purchase a new regulator to suit a different type of gas.
If the regulator & hose you purchase doesn't already come with a 1/2: BSP end fitting, you will need to purchase one. This is the part that the above gas quick connect will attach to. This is an example of the right fitting available to purchase on Amazon UK.
How much gas does it use?
A 9kg gas bottle can get up to 15 hours of use and a 4kg up to 7 hours, this is on the gas being set to the highest settings. In summer or warmer climates, you probably won't have the gas set this high. Needless to say, it's a pretty long time!