LPG. ...a very unexpected change of Tack.

[oldgit]

New boat came with two (full) of these posh refillable bottles .........only in nice boaty blue colour.
Some have expressed an opinion that changing the boat was a bit extreme.

Red for Propane.? Blue for Butane ?

What is the procedure for refilling and where does one carry this out.
Now have two very empty and prehistoric old style 4.5K butane bottles clogging what used to be a "garage" but is now a repository for boaty stuff from 3 or 4 previous boats,that might come in handy one day.
Other notable contents include a very knackered glass fibre dinghy, a "spare" inflatable, a double kayak a set of spare props, a spare gearbox and under it all what might possibly be a car of some description.

 

[sarabande]

Looks as if you have to use a special gas (LPG not petrol) pump at a fuel station. Morrisons are going for the market here.

cylinder-instruction-leaflets.pdf (safefill.co.uk)

If the cylinders become popular I guess that an adaptor for a POL connector will become available to allow you to fill from a large propane bottle at home.

 

[sarabande]

I object to a statement on their website

"The refilling of rented gas cylinders is illegal and could see you prosecuted for theft; it’s also extremely dangerous. Quite rightly the industry has serious concerns about this practice and wants to stamp it out. "

Not true as far as I know.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I object to a statement on their website

"The refilling of rented gas cylinders is illegal and could see you prosecuted for theft; it’s also extremely dangerous. Quite rightly the industry has serious concerns about this practice and wants to stamp it out. "

Not true as far as I know.

There’s a technical issue here and one that we’re investigating at the moment.

Gas cylinders that can be refilled need to have a safety system in place whereby they can only be filled to 80%. Some garages might turn a blind eye to people filling cylinders without the safety feature but some garages just say no to all cylinders being refilled even though cylinders with the safety feature should be refilled. (The easy option and it saves training forecourt attendanto be able to recognise the difference between the cylinders.)

I assume that you can only buy the safety cylinders and that they’re not available for ‘rent’. Therefore the implication is that bought cylinders should not be refilled.

We are currently investigating exactly which refillable cylinders can and cannot fit into our gas locker so this is a hot topic in our household

 

[sarabande]

I agree that a space needs to be left in the head of the cylinder to prevent surging of liquid gas into the regulator and appliance through bottle movement or gas ' boiling' when in use, but for simple systems, i.e. large propane bottle decanted into smaller one, then it's a matter of decanter's knowledge and skills, to stop when at the 80% or thereabouts by weight or wall temperature . That's how I deal with propane to propane (orange bottles) about 5 or 6 times a year.

While the Safefill bottles offer a number of safety features, they are purchased outright and not rented, so if anything goes wrong with the devices inside, you are a bit stuck. Price for the 7kg version is £210 at the moment at e.g. gas stores and caravan shops, with the 5kg being in very very short supply for months.

For the new and increasing generation of bottled gas users who may not have the skills or inclination to manage the process, then a safety feature is needed. Standard Calor propane or butane do not presently have such a feature. I gather the Morrison's refilling stations will only accept bottles with the right connector for their dispenser for safety bottles such as Safefill.


These sites offer multi-source and destination kits for most DIY (decant it yourself) systems:-

GAS IT Bottles kits with Bluetooth or Mechanical gas level indicators - GAS IT Leisure Gas Bottles, Gas Cylinders and Gas Tanks - Catering, Motorhome, Campervan, Caravan, Farrier and Road Repair Refillable Gas Solutions.

Gas Cylinder Adapters - Official Gaslow Website for LPG Refillable Cylinders & Components (gaslowdirect.com)

 

[oldgit]

.............actually both my bottles are Grey. !
The new boat was berthed in Guernsey and frequently went to France.
They must have some protocol for refilling over there ?

 

[Slowboat35]

I see no "change of tack" with someone selling empty gas containers at over £200 apiece.
All I see is the most cynical side of Ripoff Britain hard at work taking advantage anywhere it can as usual.

Not impressed.

 

[Aquaboy]

you need to leave a space in the cylinder for expansion of the liquefied gas, its not compressible and can hydraulically burst the cylinder if the temp. goes up

 

[Tradewinds]

When in NZ they would not refill my Calor propane bottles as they were considered unsafe (therefore, illegal) - it was the only place I visited that was impossible to get my Calor tanks filled. I had to buy new NZ propane tanks. As I recall, they had a pressure relief valve that would 'burp gas' every now and again - safer? go figure. Aquaboy, I've never heard of a cruising yacht's gas cylinder bursting due to over-pressure (happy to be corrected).