Gas Cylinder Testing

Yep, Same here, 2 years ago i took a bottle in that was well & truly out of date and rusty around the valve, the Servo owner mentioned the date, he said it doesn't matter. Handed me a brand New bottle that i have had refilled a few times.
About 40 odd bucks, the price varies from place to place, seen as low as $27.

Are the Swap-n-Go bottles the right grade for caravanning? Or are they only suitable for home barbecues?

Motherhen

Hi Motherhen
Is there a difference? I thought there was only one australian standard for all gas bottles, not a separate one for caravans and BBQ's.
I understand that gas bottles are available with different outer surface coatings but have not seen any regulations stating that what must be used where.
Please correct me if wrong.
Chris

Hi Chris - you're partly right -

Australian Gas Bottle Standards

In Australian Standard AS 2469 - 2005, the categories which are stamped (numbers 1 to 4) in a circle on the top of the cowall surrounding the valve assembly on gas bottles are as follows:

1 Hot Dip Galvanizing

2 Abrasive blasted + inorganic zinc rich coating + organic zinc rich coating.

3 Sprayed Zinc Coating

4 Red oxide or polyester powder coat.

The numbers refer to the rust proofing treatment of the steel, not the thickness of the steel. Obviously, the thickness of the treatment will vary eg hot dip galvanising is thicker than powder coating.

The Australian Standard requires all gas bottles manufactured in carbon steel to have a wall thickness of 1.75 mm and be tested to a minimum pressure of 320 Mpa.

The only exception is gas bottles manufactured in stainless steel are to have a wall thickness of 1.5 mm, and be tested to a minimum pressure of 360 MPa.

Stainless steel would probably be the best for caravan usage, but they are likely to be quite expensive. So, when exchanging gas bottles, the number 1 in the circle should be preferred. The number 2 bottles should be the minimal treatment for caravan usage. The number 3 and the powder coated type with number 4 in the circle should be restricted to home use.

Mh

Have a look HERE for the appropriate code for your lpg cylinder's use.

When my bottles get close to out dating I go with the Swap & Go replacements , but make the effort to select a bottle with the correct code, and one with a recent manufacture date stamp. I don't just let the attendant hand me any one.

G'day MH....beat me by a whisker LOL Wish I could send some of this rain your way.

HI Fred

Hope your not needing webbed feet and floaties over there. I'll take a "raincheck" for May-June and onwards thanks.

Cheers

Mh

Nice one guys.

The very first bottle that I swapped was an empty 5 year old of mine for a full out of date bottle from the swap shop. I was a bit thoughtless and did not see the date until I had used it a few times. It's people like that service station owner and those that hand over out of date bottles that make my blood boil. This bottle that I ended up with was refused when I took it back. The bloke had all the right in the world to do so as the seal had been broken. My fault.

We took it to the local LPG depot and got it emptied, tested, dated and filled again.

Luckily we were not somewhere remote.

You live and learn.

Phil

The servo owner is not to blame. he hands his empties to the delivery truck and takes his replacements.
The servo owner should mark the empty ones that are oit of date so the company can take the appropriate action.

Pays to check though ...

You may be right there mate.

The lesson is to check when buying.

We have two that are almost full and way inside the date limit. These days we do not use the high pressure bottles. Where do you carry then? A real nuisance. We use those small low pressure cylinders. At least you are allowed to carry them in the car and on the trains. We changed when we went to the Kimberley and took the car up on the train. Technically LPG bottles are not allowed in the car when on the GSR trains. That's when we changed and haven't gone back. Heaps less weight in the car also including less weight for the stoves.

Phil

Expands 272 times ,,, http://www.elgas.com.au/welcome-to-elgas/common-questions..
760 is a LOT of gas.

http://www.elgas.com.au/welcome-to-elgas/common-questions

My mistake Desray your right it is helium with a 1/760 expansion ratio oxygen is even higher.But the radiant heat from LPG is amongst the highest.
For those that are interested Google BLEVE there is some good youtube footage on boiling liquid gas explosions.
Stan

Hi Michael,
I took particular notice of the grade of the gas bottles for general sale in Big W some months back and they were grade 4. The cheapest and nastiest ones you can get.

On the other hand their swap and go ones were grade 2. I thought "put that one in the back of your head Bruce for future reference".

I have swapped good grade one bottles in the past for grade 2 because they were out of date before I found out about the grades on this site. Now I check them as the grade 2 bottles do rust after a while.

As a personal preference I would have tested a grade 1 bottle rather than swap it away, so to speak.
Grade 1 bottles are not that easy to come by from my experience whereas once they were the only ones available.

Cheers, Bruce.

Hi Bruce.
A gal bottle is certainly the way to go.
Cheers.
Vince