How much LPG in my bottle

[Colin McCourt]

I need some education/confirmation from “those who know” about how much LPG is contained in a Flogas bottle I have had for about 20yrs! (Yeh, I know. )
The bottle says it has a net weight of 4.5kg. I hope this is the empty weight. I have weighed it and it weighs 9.9kg, giving a difference of 5.4kg. I believe that 2 litres of LPG weighs 1kg (almost) so by my reasoning I have 10.8 litres of LPG. Am I correct?
I am asking this as I am travelling in Finland for three weeks in June/July starting in the extreme north (having filled up in Sweden) and heading south ending up in Helsinki. I am concerned that I will run out of LPG which is vital for my cooking, but more so for the fridge. I hope I don’t need heating, but you never know. I am thinking of taking this bottle to use with my Cadac outside, to save the two 11kg GasLow bottles I have on board. Am I being over cautious?

 

[pappajohn]

Net weight is the weight of the contents (LPG), not the container.
Tare weight is the weight of the empty container.
Looks like you have under 9ltrs.
To find the tare weight you need to weigh an empty bottle as it's not on the label.

 

[Colin McCourt]

Net weight is the weight of the contents (LPG), not the container.
Tare weight is the weight of the empty container.
Looks like you have under 9ltrs.
To find the tare weight you need to weigh an empty bottle as it's not on the label.

I have the figure of 6.2 on the bottle. Is this the Tare weight?

 

[JockandRita]

As well as working out the capacity using the net and tare weight figures, stand the cylinder alone, and slowly trickle a jug of warm to hot water down the shoulder of the cylinder. once completed, using the back of your hand, (more sensitive than the palm), feel the temperature difference down the cylinder, at the point where you applied the water. The level at where it changes from warm to cold, indicates how much liquid is left in the cylinder.

I have the figure of 6.2 on the bottle. Is this the Tare weight?

The Tare weight is the weight of the cylinder minus the weight of the gas. It should be marked "Tare" weight.
I strongly suspect the 6.2Kgs to possibly be the the "Full" or "Gross" weight, ie, that of the cylinder and the gas.

HTH,

Jock.

 

[Colin McCourt]

As well as working out the capacity using the net and tare weight figures, stand the cylinder alone, and slowly trickle a jug of warm to hot water down the shoulder of the cylinder. once completed, using the back of your hand, (more sensitive than the palm), feel the temperature difference down the cylinder. The level at where it changes from warm to cold, indicates how much LPG is left in the cylinder.

The Tare weight is the weight of the cylinder minus the weight of the gas. It should be marked "Tare" weight.
I strongly suspect the 6.2Kgs to possibly be the the "Full" or "Gross" weight, ie, that of the cylinder and the gas.

HTH,

Jock.

I weighed the bottle and it was 9.8kg

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[JockandRita]

I weighed the bottle and it was 9.8kg

How does that weight compare with those stamped on the cylinder Colin?

Jock.

 

[Colin McCourt]

How does that weight compare with those stamped on the cylinder Colin?

Jock.

There is a figure of 6.2 printed on the bottle. Don’t know if this is the weight of the bottle when empty.

 

[JockandRita]

Colin, the figures you are looking for are embossed.stamped into the collar, the neck, or the base of the cylinder..................in the absence of an aluminium plate around the valve assembly, and not the painted figures.

Jock.

 

[pappajohn]

The painted figures are immaterial.
Only stamped or plated figures apply.
Those numbers are probably used by flo gas internally for such as stock control.
With stamped details the only accurate way to check is to weigh the empty bottle.

To use that bottle you need a butane clip on regulator, a propane regulator won't fit.

 

[JockandRita]

I eventually managed to find an example of what you should be looking for Colin.

Jock.

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[Colin McCourt]

View attachment 1021768

Colin, the figures you are looking for are embossed.stamped into the collar, the neck, or the base of the cylinder..................in the absence of an aluminium plate around the valve assembly, and not the painted figures.

Jock.

Thanks Jock. Just been out to the garage and found this on the collar. It looks like the Tare weight is 6.2kg so with an all up weight of 9.9kg it looks like I have approx 7.4 litres of LPG.
Many thanks for your help.

 

[Basildog]

View attachment 1021768

Colin, the figures you are looking for are embossed.stamped into the collar, the neck, or the base of the cylinder..................in the absence of an aluminium plate around the valve assembly, and not the painted figures.

Jock.

Many cylinders have the tare weight painted on just like this one .

 

[pappajohn]

Many cylinders have the tare weight painted on just like this one .

Pretty pointless then.
Paint rubs off.

 

[Basildog]

Thanks Jock. Just been out to the garage and found this on the collar. It looks like the Tare weight is 6.2kg so with an all up weight of 9.9kg it looks like I have approx 7.4 litres of LPG.
Many thanks for your help.



View attachment 1021840

Tare weight is the painted on 6.2 kg .

 

[dunnah01]

20 year old cylinder

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[JockandRita]

Many cylinders have the tare weight painted on just like this one .

Well Charlie, it's the first one I've seen, and whilst I appreciate it makes it easier for the consumer and refilling point, to identify the tare weight of the cylinder...............

Pretty pointless then.
Paint rubs off.

I have to agree with John.

20 year old cylinder

Yep, I noticed that as well...............but like Calor, I'll bet Flogas haven't got a clue about the whereabouts, or the age of that cylinder either.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[bobandjanie]

I think your being over cautious although Auto gas isn't available in Finland it's available in the countries you will pass through, I know this information through watching vanlife from Finland.

Vantastic

Couple quit jobs, started living and now travel for eternity We are a minimalist couple living happily off the grid in a tiny camper van since 2016 and we are searching for simplier life. We hope to inspire you to live a life by your own rules, to live a lifestyle of more adventure, to go after...

youtube.com

Bob.

 

[Colin McCourt]

The painted figures are immaterial.
Only stamped or plated figures apply.
Those numbers are probably used by flo gas internally for such as stock control.
With stamped details the only accurate way to check is to weigh the empty bottle.

To use that bottle you need a butane clip on regulator, a propane regulator won't fit.

Thanks Pappajohn. I already have all the connections as I have used it with my cadac already.

I think your being over cautious although Auto gas isn't available in Finland it's available in the countries you will pass through, I know this information through watching vanlife from Finland.

Vantastic

Couple quit jobs, started living and now travel for eternity We are a minimalist couple living happily off the grid in a tiny camper van since 2016 and we are searching for simplier life. We hope to inspire you to live a life by your own rules, to live a lifestyle of more adventure, to go after...

youtube.com

Bob.

I know it’s everywhere else as I have already traveled the other Nordic countries. It was just whether my two 11kg bottles would last three weeks in Finland. I can fill up in Karuna before I enter Finland. I am away 7.5 weeks in total.

 

[nicholsong]

I need some education/confirmation from “those who know” about how much LPG is contained in a Flogas bottle I have had for about 20yrs! (Yeh, I know. )
The bottle says it has a net weight of 4.5kg. I hope this is the empty weight. I have weighed it and it weighs 9.9kg, giving a difference of 5.4kg. I believe that 2 litres of LPG weighs 1kg (almost) so by my reasoning I have 10.8 litres of LPG. Am I correct?
I am asking this as I am travelling in Finland for three weeks in June/July starting in the extreme north (having filled up in Sweden) and heading south ending up in Helsinki. I am concerned that I will run out of LPG which is vital for my cooking, but more so for the fridge. I hope I don’t need heating, but you never know. I am thinking of taking this bottle to use with my Cadac outside, to save the two 11kg GasLow bottles I have on board. Am I being over cautious?

View attachment 1021712

Where in the MH will you carry the Flogas bottle?

 

[Colin McCourt]

Where in the MH will you carry the Flogas bottle?

In a box in the rear garage

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[bobandjanie]

I think you will be OK especially the time of year you will be there, we leave Spain May with a Spanish bottle and one refillable the Spanish is backup and only used when the refillable is empty or we are heading home and get back to Spain in October and probably fill the bottle twice the whole trip, we don't need heating and some of the times it's refreshing to have cold showers if your concerned I would get something like this. Bob.

 

[meanders]

One thing to beware is that Butane freezes at a higher temperature than propane and Autogas. You may find it will not gas off in Finland. You also need a different fitting and possible pigtail for the cylinder. Personally taking up payload carting a part cylinder, with all the issues and questions you will have carrying it on the tunnel or ferry, to my mind makes it more trouble than it's worth and and I would leave it behind and just ensure I enter Finland with full Gaslow's. If really desperate you could buy a bottle in Finland with the appropriate fittings.

 

[Colin McCourt]

I think you will be OK especially the time of year you will be there, we leave Spain May with a Spanish bottle and one refillable the Spanish is backup and only used when the refillable is empty or we are heading home and get back to Spain in October and probably fill the bottle twice the whole trip, we don't need heating and some of the times it's refreshing to have cold showers if your concerned I would get something like this. Bob.

View attachment 1022191

One thing to beware is that Butane freezes at a higher temperature than propane and Autogas. You may find it will not gas off in Finland. You also need a different fitting and possible pigtail for the cylinder. Personally taking up payload carting a part cylinder, with all the issues and questions you will have carrying it on the tunnel or ferry, to my mind makes it more trouble than it's worth and and I would leave it behind and just ensure I enter Finland with full Gaslow's. If really desperate you could buy a bottle in Finland with the appropriate fittings.

Good point. Thanks for that.