How long will a 9kg gas bottle last on a Heatlie BBQ?

Got a big cooking session coming up and not sure if 1 gas bottle is enough to get you through? As a rule of thumb, always have a backup. However, you can fairly easily estimate how long a gas bottle will last on a Heatlie BBQ. 

A 9kg gas bottle contains 17 litres or approximately 417 Megajoules of energy. The more megajoules your BBQ allows to flow through to the burner, the more heat it will generate. Consult the below table to see how long your gas bottle will last.

Product	MJ/Hr	9kg Bottle Duration
BBQ 1150	76	6 hours
BBQ 850	42	9 hours
BBQ 700	36	13 hours
BBQ 1150 Flame Failure	74	5.5 hours
BBQ 850 Flame Failure	42	9.5 hours
BBQ 700 Flame Failure	34	12 hours
IGE 850	38	11 hours
IGE 600	25	16 hours

What does this mean for your Heatlie BBQ?

Heatlie BBQs employ a much more efficient cooking system than your regular grilled BBQ. As the energy leaves the gas bottle and converts to flame in the burner, it makes 100% contact with the flat plate. In a grilled BBQ, so much of that heat is lost into thin air as it escapes through the openings in the grill. 

Gas usage varies heavily on other external factors as well. Ambient air temperate, wind and how much food is on the plate can all have an effect on how easily the cooking plate heats up and stays hot.  

BBQs with flame failure installed will have slightly altered gas outputs, thus the different values compared to standard. 

How do I know how much gas I have left in the tank?

Other than picking it up and giving it the weight test, or using a scale, you can pour hot water down the side and feel to see where the cold spot is. That's the level of your gas and you should notice condensation around the area too. 

You can also invest in a gas safety valve. These will not only tell you how much gas is in your tank, but they will act as a leak-proof shut off too for extra safety. 

Check out our blog on gas safety tips for more info.