And now the bloomin' Gaslow cylinder won't fill !!

[Spriddler]

Aaargh! Getting ready for a trip at Easter one of my sons trod dog poo into the hab carpet . After clearing that up and scrubbing the carpet I went to my usual filling station and waited to use an LPG pump that had just been used for gas by another m/homer.
Cylinder valves closed (as they should be), pump meter zeroed, fitted the gun fine, clip locked, held down the pump button...….nothing. The pump gauge didn't move and no leaking vapour. Removed gun, spurt of vapour and frosting on gun. Replaced gun in pump. Repeated the whole process three more times then gave up.
One cylinder is empty and the other only about 1/4 full. I've filled them goodness knows how many times in the past 4 years without a problem. It has the standard U.K. filler arrangement and I haven't inadvertently left a 'foreign' adapter screwed to it. In any case I doubt that a U.K. gun would lock onto a foreign adapter.
I don't know how many non-return valves there are in the 'Fill' circuit but assume there's either a non-return valve at the filling assembly in the outside panel or one on the cylinder, or maybe at both positions. I guess I'll have to call Gaslow Techy help tomorrow. Very frustrating

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

If you try another lpg pump somewhere else, you may find it will work. Happened to me. Wouldn't fill in one garage, went to another place and it was OK. Don't know why.

 

[Lenny HB]

One way valve in each bottle where the filler pipe goes in an one in the inlet. If it is a valve must be the one in the inlet or you would have been able to fill one cylinder.
Might be worth giving it a prod with a blunt instrument may just be sticking.

 

[Allanm]

On some pumps I have used, filling starts within a few seconds, others, I have waited up to 30 seconds before the filling starts.

 

[Spriddler]

If you try another lpg pump somewhere else, you may find it will work. Happened to me. Wouldn't fill in one garage, went to another place and it was OK. Don't know why.

Ta. It was a 22 mile round trip to my nearest and I'll have to check for another. The gas pump at the Shell station 1 mile from home wasn't replaced when the site was refurbished a couple of months ago.
The pump today worked O.K. for the guy before me (I chatted to him whilst he was filling his) but I'll try another when the frustration has subsided!

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[Jo662]

I

On some pumps I have used, filling starts within a few seconds, others, I have waited up to 30 seconds before the filling starts.

I have had the same, it sometimes feels like ages and then it just kicks in and starts filling.

 

[DerryW]

Are you absolutely sure the bottles are as you say/think 1 empty the other 1/4 full. I had the sane issue only to find both bottles were almost full. Never apricated how little gas is used for cooking and heating in a mororhome.

 

[nicholsong]

Ta. It was a 22 mile round trip to my nearest and I'll have to check for another. The gas pump at the Shell station 1 mile from home wasn't replaced when the site was refurbished a couple of months ago.
The pump today worked O.K. for the guy before me (I chatted to him whilst he was filling his) but I'll try another when the frustration has subsided!

I wonder if the guy in front of you had gone shopping before paying therefore the cashier had not yet re-set the pump, or the cashier had forgotten to do so. Did you ask?

Geoff

 

[Silver-Fox]

I wonder if the guy in front of you had gone shopping before paying therefore the cashier had not yet re-set the pump, or the cashier had forgotten to do so. Did you ask?

Geoff

OP said pump zero’d

 

[Spriddler]

I wonder if the guy in front of you had gone shopping before paying therefore the cashier had not yet re-set the pump, or the cashier had forgotten to do so. Did you ask?

Thanks, but yep, the pump had been reset.....

Cylinder valves closed (as they should be), pump meter zeroed, ...…..

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[Spriddler]

Are you absolutely sure the bottles are as you say/think 1 empty the other 1/4 full.

Ta. Yep; one ran out last Oct in France and I swapped (manual changeover) to the second one for 4 days for heating, fridge and some cooking.
The Gaslow gauges on the cylinders seem to be relatively accurate - well, accurate enough to register whether full or nearly empty.
It makes me think that being unused since last Oct the non return valve in my filling point might have stuck.

 

[Spriddler]

Just as a follow up........
I spoke to a very helpful and knowledgeable Louise at Gaslow today. In short she said that:
- Highly unlikely that either of the non-retun valves in the filling circuit have stuck shut. It has never been reported to them anyway.
- There shouldn't be any delay in the pump starting to deliver gas after the button is pressed and held.
- Most filling stations have relatively small tanks and their pressure can drop to the level where it's insufficient to open the filler point or cylinder non-return valves.
- She suggested trying a different garage. Trouble is that there is only one (where I went originally) within 25 miles of me (I'm 10 miles North of Brighton).
I looked on MyLPG, FillLPG, DriveLPG, GetLPG, Autogas, and a couple of other sites and found 14 which were supposed to have LPG pumps. In spite of the searched sites being listed specifically as auto LPG stations out of the 14 'hits' only 5 actually had LPG pumps (all between 25 and 40 miles away). 2 of the listed stations had recently removed theirs and 6 had NEVER had LPG pumps at any time. 2 didn't answered my phone call and at one the foreign (Asian I think) guy couldn't understand what I was asking for.
I'm feeling rather smug that when I installed the system 4 years ago I decided on one refillable and one exchangeable Calor cylinder.
I still have to find out why the Gaslow cylinder wouldn't fill.

 

[9526]

You could ask the garage when they are due a delivery, then try again.

we had a really sssslllllloooooowwwww fill up at a garage in Portugal (Tunes) it was unbearably slow, but we returned after a cpl of weeks and all was well.

could be a similar issue

 

[TerryL]

We've occasionally filled up at a builders merchant who has an LPG pump - as it's not for automotive use we only pay 5% VAT too.

You could see if there is a Calor supplier near you - sometimes they have an LPG pump and MAY let you use it.

 

[Spriddler]

You could ask the garage when they are due a delivery, then try again.

Yep. I have decided to at least leave it a few days and try again, but good idea to give them a call re next tanker delivery, although the (foreign) staff don't seem very interested or informed about anything other than taking your fuel payment.

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[Badknee]

I used to use a FloGas depot and a local bottled gas Co. check out if any of the private hire lads/lasses are running on lpg.

 

[Petersbees]

Had my cylinders fitted today. Went to fill up at nearest garage, my first attempt couldn’t get it to work, saw the attendant and he said it had timed out, return gun to pump, waited a few seconds and it refilled straight away no problem. Just saying maybe it had timed you out

 

[tonyidle]

Most filling stations have relatively small tanks and their pressure can drop to the level where it's insufficient to open the filler point or cylinder non-return valves.

That sounds reasonable except that (I would have thought) it isn't only storage tank pressure that needs to open the non-return valves - the pump should do it anyway. Otherwise the pressure in a half-full Gaslow cylinder would always prevent the one-way valves opening given that, in Winter at least, pressure in the cylinder will be higher than in the tank.

 

[Wagoneer]

I used BP at Pease Pottage, M23, recently. Couldn't get pump to work. Reported it to office......guy came out and sorted it. He didn't appear to do anything different from what I was doing !!!

 

[ceejayt]

If you try another lpg pump somewhere else, you may find it will work. Happened to me. Wouldn't fill in one garage, went to another place and it was OK. Don't know why.

I get this occasionally, despite everything appearing okay the gas won’t flow. I guess it is all about tolerances. I just move on and go so,where else. Always works the next time.

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[Spriddler]

Had my cylinders fitted today. Went to fill up at nearest garage, my first attempt couldn’t get it to work, saw the attendant and he said it had timed out, return gun to pump, waited a few seconds and it refilled straight away no problem. Just saying maybe it had timed you out

Not that. I've filled mine numerous times over the past 4 years and I tried three more times without any delay between attempts. As I mentioned in my original post the pump was running (frost on the gun) and there was a pressured vapour blast each time I took the gun off to retry, and the pump had been reset by the cashier.

 

[Spriddler]

That sounds reasonable except that (I would have thought) it isn't only storage tank pressure that needs to open the non-return valves - the pump should do it anyway. Otherwise the pressure in a half-full Gaslow cylinder would always prevent the one-way valves opening given that, in Winter at least, pressure in the cylinder will be higher than in the tank.

Agreed.
I do wonder what causes the pump to stop when the cylinder is 80% full. Maybe there's a float inside the cylinder that rises and causes the 'fill' non-return valve at the cylinder to close.
Maybe the pump shuts off when it senses that it has reached a pre-set, rising, delivery pressure......

 

[Spriddler]

I used BP at Pease Pottage, M23, recently. Couldn't get pump to work. Reported it to office......guy came out and sorted it. He didn't appear to do anything different from what I was doing !!!

Thanks, I'll give that one a go. It was one of two pumps within 20 miles of me but no answer there when phoned to check if they really did have one.

 

[Wagoneer]

Thanks, I'll give that one a go. It was one of two pumps within 20 miles of me but no answer there when phoned to check if they really did have one.

The LPG pump was out of commission for a while last year but is now up and running again. I last visited mid-January.

 

[Mike800966]

Had a similar problem with my old Gasit cylinder, although the guage showed empty the cylinder would not accept any gas.
Spoke to Autogas in Thirsk and the problem was that the plastic "log" 80% float had come off the input valve so the arm had risen inside the cylinder and stopped the cylinder from accepting any gas.
Had to dump the cylinder in the end but they were 8 or so years old.
I should think Gaslow are similar internally, just hope they look at it sympathetically The other point already mentioned is that the fill pressure may not have been high enough to open a non return valve
Mike

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[Gromett]

On some pumps I have used, filling starts within a few seconds, others, I have waited up to 30 seconds before the filling starts.

I was just coming on to say this. One garage I was at I waited a minute+ and nothing happened. I went in and the woman behind the till said, "Sorry, no point switch it on for you, the pump is frozen".
In most stations, they have to turn it on inside, and if the lady has popped to the loo etc...

 

[Gromett]

Spoke to Autogas in Thirsk and the problem was that the plastic "log" 80% float had come off the input valve so the arm had risen inside the cylinder and stopped the cylinder from accepting any gas.

That sounds back to front to me. The float is there to lift the arm that actuates the valve. If the float came free, it would have floated to the surface and the arm would have dropped lower opening the valve. And to be honest the thought that the float could come free scares the living Sh&t out of me???

 

[Mike800966]

The float was like a yellow plastic chipolata! that was laying in the bottom of the cylinder!
The short brass arm had come out of the triangular? operating plate up at the valve and the valve had closed probably because it had lost the lift from the sausage. Float is perhaps a confusing word in this instance as its not hollow like a toilet ball valve float, thereby stopping the cylinder from filling. Failing safe I should think.
Mike

 

[tonyidle]

Agreed.
I do wonder what causes the pump to stop when the cylinder is 80% full. Maybe there's a float inside the cylinder that rises and causes the 'fill' non-return valve at the cylinder to close.
Maybe the pump shuts off when it senses that it has reached a pre-set, rising, delivery pressure......

It's a simple float that shuts a valve - you can see one in action on the Gaslow stand at shows but all tanks have the same arrangement.

 

[tonyidle]

That sounds back to front to me. The float is there to lift the arm that actuates the valve. If the float came free, it would have floated to the surface and the arm would have dropped lower opening the valve. And to be honest the thought that the float could come free scares the living Sh&t out of me???

It shouldn't be as dramatic as it sounds. All tanks, whether cylinder-shaped or not, have a Pressure Relief Valve which wouldn't open at pumping pressure. So the tank would fill close to 100% & the PRV would operate as temperature rose. If you were driving away from the fuel station at the time the PRV operated you would be unaware of it - the gas would disperse via the drop holes in the locker & would be rapidly diluted by airflow. Parked up & using gas it's unlikely the PRV would operate. Overfilling is dangerous because of release by the PRV but it's designed to be undramatic and as safe as possible.

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