Is the gas bottle empty?
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Do gas bottles not come with wee plasitic caps these days? Cap on full, regulator on in use and cap off empty.
I have a simpler version - on the boat is un use and being taken off the boat is empty.
I have a simpler version - on the boat is un use and being taken off the boat is empty.
John.edwards
Well-Known Member
pour hot/near boiling water down the outside of the cylinder. due to temperature differential the steel below the liquid gas level will feel cooler and in humid conditions displays a condensation while the steel above the level feels warmer and does not. the condensation line indicates the gas level.
http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/353-how-much-gas-is-left-in-the-gas-bottle
http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/353-how-much-gas-is-left-in-the-gas-bottle
John.edwards
Well-Known Member
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
Bathroom scales.
Place a full gas bottle onto the scales and set the reading to the gas content in Kg on the scale. As you use the gas the scale will show how much gas in Kg is left in the bottle.
Place a full gas bottle onto the scales and set the reading to the gas content in Kg on the scale. As you use the gas the scale will show how much gas in Kg is left in the bottle.
geem
Well-Known Member
Our bottle is an 18 litre capacity refillable bottle (LPG Car places) that is see through. you can see at a glance how much gas you have. costs 69p per litre to fill. we have it mounted in a s/s cradle off the back of the boat. Wife made up a nice acrylic canvas cover for it. no problems with vented gas lockers.
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
To answer a few queries - the gas locker is shared with the para anchor and its gear so getting at the bottles is a major upheaval. The bottles are connected to twin tails on the regulator with non-return valves. I always keep them both connected in case one of the valves leaks. There is no changeover valve, I simply open the tap on the (Calor propane) cylinder in use. The reason for wanting a system is to ensure I turn on the right bottle when arriving at the boat. The worst scenario would be using both so that when one runs out the other is also nearly empty.
I guess tags etc to clip onto the cylinders would do the job.
I guess tags etc to clip onto the cylinders would do the job.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
That's what I use, laminated cards, one says Full on one side and Empty on the other. The other one is single sided and says In Use!
KISS !!
rotrax
Well-Known Member
I always abreviated empty to MT-my mate Jim who built most of the old works tubular steel bronze welded Lola's for Eric Broadly showed me that one!
pathfinderstu
Well-Known Member
Cant see what all the fuss is about. have two when one is empty change over and replace empty.
Not sure about this but I heard that there is a certain amount of water added when they are filled.
Not sure about this but I heard that there is a certain amount of water added when they are filled.
Iliade
Well-Known Member
As someone previously mentioned, you need one of these: http://www.thecalorgascentre.co.uk/...currency=GBP&gclid=CMOYkKHvoL4CFQblwgodMBwAGQ
It will tell you which bottle is in use and, by logic, whether the other one is full or empty.
When you leave the boat, probably/maybe best to turn off the unused bottle first then the in use one, or it may switch if you have a leak...
It will tell you which bottle is in use and, by logic, whether the other one is full or empty.
When you leave the boat, probably/maybe best to turn off the unused bottle first then the in use one, or it may switch if you have a leak...
Andrew G
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I have to bite. Two cylinders (9kg) , one takeoff to the stove/barby etc. The cylinder with the takeoff connected is either empty (therefore change it to the other) or in use. The other cylinder is either empty (hence fill it) or full. If you can't tell the diference between full and empty get a bigger set of bottles . . .
It is not a good idea to have so much **** above the cylinder that you can’t reach the valve in a hurry (and its not “legal” here) but I’d only worry about the practicalities. Having said that, I have a box of fishing gear etc on top of mine. Enjoy your day, Andrew
{edit - the system added the **** above, I am not offended but I actually used the word begining with "C", ending with "P" and interspersed with "RA" - cheers, A}
It is not a good idea to have so much **** above the cylinder that you can’t reach the valve in a hurry (and its not “legal” here) but I’d only worry about the practicalities. Having said that, I have a box of fishing gear etc on top of mine. Enjoy your day, Andrew
{edit - the system added the **** above, I am not offended but I actually used the word begining with "C", ending with "P" and interspersed with "RA" - cheers, A}
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Rigger Mortice
N/A
If they did that the bottle would gradually fill up over time.
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Gas bottles are supposed to be secured in their locker so you can't just reach in and feel the weight. If you have 2 bottles and you've come down to the boat for the first time in a few weeks, how do you remember which one is in use so you don't end up part-using both?
The valves on mine are easily accessible but to lift them out requires a lot of gear to be shifted.
The valves on mine are easily accessible but to lift them out requires a lot of gear to be shifted.
Wooden Boat Fittings
Well-Known Member
I have a system that has two gas bottles semi-permanently fixed in their locker as you describe, each with its own control knob, and joined via a manifold with an in-line switch. Assuming both bottles start off full, then I have a removable plastic key-tag with "Full" written on it attached to the one I'm not using. The in-line switch is set to the other, and both control knobs are turned off. The position of the in-line switch (left open) and the existence of the key-tag, tell me which bottle I'm currently using, and I go on using it (via its control knob) till it's empty. Then I reverse the in-line switch, remove the empty bottle, get it filled and replace it, transfer the key-tag to that bottle, and keep on using the other one until it too becomes empty, when the cycle repeats.
I also purge the remaining fuel in the line once the cylinder's control knob has been turned off by burning a jet until the flame expires.
By the way, this is for the motorhome, not a boat. I wouldn't use LPG on board without considerable thought as to gas locker design, gas-line plumbing, bilge ventilation, etc, and for me it's not been worth the bother -- a meths stove works fine.
Mike
Andrew G
Well-Known Member
I leave the one which is in use connected, with the tap turned off. It's not hard to loosen the hold down strap enough to lift a bottle to check empty vs full. Andrew
(Just noticed your post #27. That clarifies it.)
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Davegriff
Well-Known Member
Water in a pressure vessel can be very dangerous, causing corrosion and weakness. Water enters gas bottles as condensation when users dont close the valve when changing an empty bottle. The plastic sealing plug should also really be re-inserted.
pathfinderstu
Well-Known Member
Your probably right ..but who does it? I have never heard of that before or seen any safety instructions to do so.
single
Well-Known Member
Not read all the posts but i have two.I only ever turn on the one nearest the hatch.When that runs out i move bottle two to that position and replace the empty at next convenient time. (they are both connected so if i'm cooking its only a quick switch)
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
I read about this on another thread. Apparently the bottles are simultaneously full and empty until you open the locker lid to look, at which point they turn into a cat. 
