Refillable gas safety in France (1 Viewer)

[Harvard]

Preparing to refill my Gaslow in France and the attendant came over and said that it didn’t comply with safety regulations. He tried to explain what wasn’t fitted but between us couldn’t get to the exact issue. He was pointing to the off valve and the input connector making a bridging motion with his fingers. After a few minutes of chatting he relented and allowed me to fill. Anyone know what he was referring to ?
TIA

 

[funflair]

Hi Kevin and Lyn

Is your filler inside or outside and do you turn off the bottles to fill?

Martin

 

[The Nomad]

Yes. He's referring to the fact that it's illegal to fill anything other than the original factory fitted road fuel lpg tanks of lpg-propelled vehicles from the supply at any fuel station forecourt there.

Lpg is licenced for retail sale only for dispensing as a propulsion fuel, not as a habitation cooking/heating fuel. It's taxed differently to the bottled lpg which is for domestic usage.

Similar laws apply in just about every country across mainland Europe.
But in many cases either the staff don't notice that you're refilling aftermarket habitation lpg tanks/bottles, or don't know that you're committing the offence, or can't be bothered to come out and stop you.

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[Harvard]

Hi Martin, it’s inside ie need to open hatch and no don’t turn off before filling.

 

[Harvard]

Hi Nomad, yes I sort of knew that but had no issues in 4 years of France and Spain. I thought that the new cylinders had resolved the issue.

 

[Minxy]

Its more than likely because your filler is inside and he's trying to tell you it has to be outside AND should be for propulsion only (but we won't talk about that ... ).

After a few occasions in the last couple of years which made our refilling having to be more 'stealth-like' I moved the filler to the outside ... we had an occasion on this holiday a couple of weeks ago in Spain when the pump was having a hissy fit (not literally!) and wouldn't dispense any gas so the shop attendant came out and had a go by messing around putting it back into it's slot a few times and finally got it to work ... no problem at all with us filling though but if the filler point had been inside I'm not sure she'd have let us continue.

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[Just smiffy]

Hi Martin, it’s inside ie need to open hatch and no don’t turn off before filling.

Filler on the outside is better with less issues with attendants, also I think there is opinions that the bottles should be turned off as it can blow the regulator... I always turn my bottles off before I go into a garage to fill with gas...

 

[Harvard]

Thanks all. I speak pretty good French and there seemed to be no question of turning off or an external point mandated. He said I needed a Systeme de Securite and pointed to the control valve and the output from the Cylimder. I’ll try and find a French van with a Gaslow and see what they have and probs etc.
I’m in Spain now and there’s a garage in Cartagena where they fill for you even supplying an adapter, I’m ok for at least a month now and certain I can fill there.

 

[Shrimp]

We moved our filler to external as it’s easier to refill and you’re not opening a locker which can always raise suspicion!
We’ve only been checked once in France and once they saw the Gaslow bottles it was ok.

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[jezport]

He said I needed a Systeme de Securite and pointed to the control valve and the output from the Cylimder.

He probably meant that what is normally considered a secure filling point is one attached the the body of a van externally, and considered one hung on a bracket as yours is, to not be as safe and secure as he thinks it should be.

 

[scotjimland]

It happened to us, and it was a fixed LPG tank on the RV.. attendant came out and looked at it and said "Non.. not for cooking" ..as I had already filled up with diesel she had obviously put two and two together..

when refused just go to the next station.. and don't fill up with diesel first ..

 

[Minxy]

Thanks all. I speak pretty good French and there seemed to be no question of turning off or an external point mandated. He said I needed a Systeme de Securite and pointed to the control valve and the output from the Cylimder. I’ll try and find a French van with a Gaslow and see what they have and probs etc.
I’m in Spain now and there’s a garage in Cartagena where they fill for you even supplying an adapter, I’m ok for at least a month now and certain I can fill there.

Ah ... he MIGHT then be talking about the Secumotion (or whatever it's proper name is!) system which entails a different regulator and anti-rupture hoses ... this is so that if there is an accident and you are travelling with your gas turned on it will stop the gas escaping, obviously if you always travel with it turned off this isn't a requirement.

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