Leaking calor gas cylinder

[cindersailor]

Bought a new cylinder (4.5 Kg) at the start of my cruise this year as the second one was only half full. When I came to need it it was empty! I know that it was full when I bought it and that the valve was tightly closed, so I can only assume it was leaking. Fortunately stored in a draining gas locker, but if not would have been very worrying. Has anyone had a similar experience?

 

[Talulah]

Bought a new cylinder (4.5 Kg) at the start of my cruise this year as the second one was only half full. When I came to need it it was empty! I know that it was full when I bought it and that the valve was tightly closed, so I can only assume it was leaking. Fortunately stored in a draining gas locker, but if not would have been very worrying. Has anyone had a similar experience?

I wonder if someone swapped it over for their empty one.

 

[ffiill]

I once bought a 19 kg propane for cooking at home luckily stored outside.
It had a damaged sealing taper which let gas out.
On another occasion I ended up with one full of water instead of gas.
Then there was the nicely resprayed and retested one which clearly had spent its life on a fishing boat such that the metal ring stand on the bottom of the bottle was little more than rust.

 

[VicS]

Bought a new cylinder (4.5 Kg) at the start of my cruise this year as the second one was only half full. When I came to need it it was empty! I know that it was full when I bought it and that the valve was tightly closed, so I can only assume it was leaking. Fortunately stored in a draining gas locker, but if not would have been very worrying. Has anyone had a similar experience?

I cannot remember the details but I have some recollections of similar, ie leaking new cylinder, having been reported on here before.

 

[cindersailor]

I should perhaps have added that for some reason I checked the cylinder mid cruise and suspected that it was not quite as full as when purchased so retightened the valve. So I am confident that the culprit was not simply a loosely tightened valve.

 

[sarabande]

loads of other similar issues...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=l...nnel=fflb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=QcO7U6CCHI_R8geQzIGwBQ


Use washing up liquid to see if the cylinder head/valve is leaking, if you are confident that the piping is OK.

 

[Pasarell]

I cannot remember the details but I have some recollections of similar, ie leaking new cylinder, having been reported on here before.

I started a thread on this about this time last year. Bought a replacement cylinder that had just been refurbished. New paint and nice new valve. Connected to the boat system and used for cooking something and an hour or so later the gas alarm went off. After the initial panic I disconnected the cylinder but could hear, and smell, gas coming out of the tightly closed valve. I put the cylinder out on the pontoon for the night and started the job of clearing gas out of the boat. The following morning I returned the cylinder and exchanged it for another newly refurbished one. Connected it to the boat but with a lot more attention to what was happening! Exactly the same problem except that it did not get to set the alarm off. Returned the cylinder. Shortly afterwards the supplier came down to my boat with a new hose, connector, regulator and another new cylinder. He replaced my hose and connector then connected the new cylinder and this time didn't have to listen carefully. Gas was hissing out as you turned the new valve on. It turned out that Calor had a batch of faulty new valves that they had been fitting to cylinders as they were refurbished.
My gas locker drains overboard after a previous owner of the boat fitted one to replace the original drain into the centre cockpit. Part of my investigation in the morning was to find why the gas had drained into the cockpit then down through the companionway into the boat. There was a neat plug of sealant in the bottom of the gas locker that had been blocking the original drain. When the first cylinder leaked it must have been draining gas both overboard and into the cockpit.
Now my locker drain into the cockpit will never allow gas through again, and whenever I fit a new gas cylinder I check all the connections with soap solution before using it.
Very impressed with the sound volume of my gas alarm!

 

[cindersailor]

Thanks Pasarell. Following VicS's prompt I searched back through the forum and found your earlier thread. I do not think mine is the same problem as this cylinder was never connected to a regulator and the valve never opened, it simply sat there and slowly discharged itself. I must say that I am very impressed by the response of your supplier who clearly takes his customers' safety very seriously - well done him! I fear that if I turn up to the garage where I bought mine with an empty cylinder claiming that it mysteriously emptied itself I may get a skeptical reception, but I suppose I should try. At the very least I will ensure that I whereever I exchange it for a full one knows that it needs checking.

 

[Lakesailor]

Take a trigger spray bottle (like you get kitchen cleaner in) filled with water and Fairy Liquid (other detergents are available) and test the bottle before buying.
I keep one in the garage for checking tyre bead leaks.

 

[yoda]

Yes! I was lucky and caught it before much gas had escaped. Mine was also in a gas tight and draining locker. I now check that the valve is firmly shut and the dust cap tight. Also worth making sure nothing can fall on the valve and knock it.

Yoda