If you live in Almuñécar, or its surrounding areas, chances are you use Butano (Butane bottle) for some sort of heating. Butane is by far the dominant fuel used for heating in Spain. It is much more common than say propane, and as such, this post will cover the HOW and WHERE to obtain replacement butane cylinders.
What’s Butane Used For?
The information covered in the post is related to Butane is used in a number of home applications. The most common ones are:
- Hot-Water Heater – It’s very common to have on-demand water heaters, and the fuel source for these is typically butane.
- Stoves – If you’re lucky enough to have a gas stove, it’s likely using butane.
- Space Heater – While it’s not terribly cold here in Almuñécar, there are a few times when it’s necessary to break out an estufa (space heater) to warm up a room or living area. While there are electrical varieties, butane powered heaters are more common. Read more about portable heaters in Spain.
- BBQ – While charcoal/carbon barbeques are very popular, the fast heat, and easy cleanup of a gas-fired barbeque is appealing. A BBQ gas bottle will provide a lot of cooking time!
The Butane tank (or Bombona Butano), tanks themselves are of the 12.5 Kg variety. They can be quite heavy when full, and surprisingly light when empty, so be careful, and lift with your back.
If you are interested in obtaining a different size bottle, then you should contact your preferred supplier and ask what sizes they offer. We have all of the contact information at the bottom of this post.
What’s the Difference between Butane and Propane?
The obvious one is the chemical difference. Propane is C3H8, while Butane is C4H10. The extra Carbon and Hydrogen atoms means Butane is more thermally efficient (more energy per unit of volume). The other difference comes down to the freezing point. Butane does not work well in very cold environments (below freezing). As it doesn’t get down to freezing in this area, Butane is the most frequently used heating fuel. End of the science lesson.
Who and Where Are the Butane Providers?
There are two Butane providers in Almuñécar and La Herradura: You may visit their offices, call them for delivery or just walk up to the truck on the street.
- Repsol Gas Bottles– Located at the main roundabout in Almuñécar on the N-340. This gas/petrol station carries replacement bottles. Repsol provides the orange-colored butane cylinders. Click here to see our Repsol directory listing, including delivery information.
- Cepsa Gas Bottles
- Cepsa provides the silver-colored butane tanks.
- Granada Costa–
Located on the corner of Avenida Costa del Sol and Avenida Europa. (looks like they have moved, I don’t know new location) Cepsa en Almuñecar 620 400 231 - La Herradura – Along Highway N-340 Km. 308, near the main stop light. This gas/petrol station carries replacement bottles.
Requirements for Obtaining a Refill
It’s simple to do it yourself
Bring in an empty tank/bottle, pay for it, take the full tank, and you’re on way. They have full tanks ready to go, so it’s not necessary to wait for them to refill your existing tank. And since the cost of the standard 12.5 Kg bottles is regulated by the government, the price is very inexpensive.
Cost
The cost of a replacement tank varies between 13 and 17 Euros, so it’s really a good bargain.
Delivery
If you don’t have a vehicle, or don’t have the ability to bring a bottle to the refill to them, the good news is that both Repsol and Cepsa deliver right to your door! It’s as easy as a phone call (the delivery numbers are listed below). Be sure you are calling the correct butane delivery service. Do you have the orange butane canister (Repsol) or the silver butane canister (Cepsa)?
Requirements for Obtaining a New Butane Bottle
Maybe your apartment only has a single bottle, and you would like to add an additional one. Or perhaps, you don’t have any service at all. In this case, it’s more complicated, and you’ll need to sign an agreement with one company. Typically, the maximum number of bottles that they allow a single residence to have is 3, which should be enough for even a large family for an extended period.
Since obtaining new service or bottles is outside the scope of this post, the recommendation is to contact your preferred provider, and ask what those requirements are. Expect to provide your address, your identification (NIE, etc.), phone number etc. The contact information for the providers is listed below.
There’s also another possibility for obtaining an additional tank, but I would only use this as a temporary option. It is possible to find one at the Sunday Market (secondhand), the secondhand goods shop along Avenida Costa del Sol, the Buy/Sell/Swap groups on social media, and Milanuncios.
Be careful when purchasing a secondhand tank! Look for any sort of valve damage or dents which may indicate a potential leak. A leaky butane bottle is a serious risk, so exercise caution!
How long does a bottle of butane last?
That depends on a number of things, so I’ll cover the things that cause your usage to vary. Our experience deals with using butane for an on-demand water heater, a space heater, and a barbeque.
Water Heater – Since the temperature of the water provided by the city can vary quite a bit between seasons, we find our butane (and water) usage goes up considerably during winter. The city water supply coming into the apartment is colder, and it takes longer to heat up. There’s also the tendency to take longer showers/baths in wintertime.
During the summer, a family of four (two adults and two teenagers) use one tank roughly every 3 – 4 weeks. During the winter, one tank will last a little more than two weeks.
Space Heater – It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes it does get cold in Almuñécar. Cold enough that bringing out the space heater is a necessity. Usage is only perhaps 10 days out of the year, but it does help warm up a room.
It would take a significant amount of usage to go through an entire tank. We normally put the half-empty tanks in the space heater (as it’s easier to move around).
BBQ – We typically use our barbeque more during the summer months than in winter, but a butane gas cylinder should last a long time.
The recommendation is to always have a spare tank if you have the space. Waking up to a cold shower is no fun!
Reference Information
If you’re interested in more information about obtaining butane, propane, or natural gas, the Selectra’s Bombona Butano website is a very good resource. They can help you with almost any of your needs for gas at your home.
Terms and phrases that are used in Spanish:
- Botella de butano – Bottle of butane or butane gas cylinder
- Bombona de butano – Bottle of butane
- Bomba de Butano – Bomb of butane
- Precio – Price
- Quiero pedir la entrega – I want to order delivery
You can ask what the price of the tank is prior to purchasing a refill by asking:
¿Cuál es el precio de la bombona de butano?
The great news is that obtaining butane (either in person, or through home delivery) is very easy. Most of this information applies for anyone wanting butano in Spain. Stay warm!
Contact Info: Detailed information in our business directory
| Repsol | Cepsa | |
|---|---|---|
| Address for Refills | Av. Salobreña, 1 (N-341) | Avenida Costa Del Sol, 5 Highway N-340 Km. 308 |
| Phone Number (Refill) | 958 630 575 932 209 026 | 620 400 231 |
| Website | Repsol | Cepsa Almuñécar |
If you are looking for more information on the various utilities available in Costa Tropical (gas, electric, water, etc..) please view our directory for contact information.
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