Refilling Bottles at LPG/Auto Gas stations - OK or not? (1 Viewer)

[VXman]

Fitted my new Gaslow bottle today with external fill point. Went to the local Shell to fill up. Interestingly I noticed it says 'no filling of portable gas bottles'. Carried on anyway and no one said anything. Is this an issue at UK garages?

 

[GJH]

Fitted my new Gaslow bottle today with external fill point. Went to the local Shell to fill up. Interestingly I noticed it says 'no filling of portable gas bottles'. Carried on anyway and no one said anything. Is this an issue at UK garages?

It is an issue at some places and is to try to prevent filling of Calor &c bottles which should not be user refilled.
As your Gaslow system is fixed, rather than portable, you should be OK.
In 9 and a half years we have never had our Alugas system challenged.

 

[marchie]

Fitted my new Gaslow bottle today with external fill point. Went to the local Shell to fill up. Interestingly I noticed it says 'no filling of portable gas bottles'. Carried on anyway and no one said anything. Is this an issue at UK garages?

I think 'portable' means as in lifts boot lid and removes free standing refillable bottle, rather than a refillable cylinder that is replenished via a fixed external filling point. But more knowledgeable/experienced Funsters will be able to quote chapter & verse.

Steve

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[Spriddler]

I've never had any problem. A Gaslow cylinder isn't classed as portable.

 

[tonyidle]

I've never had any problem. A Gaslow cylinder isn't classed as portable.

In fact despite the shape it is a tank and used as such.

 

[Googlebot]

I have had safefill refused a couple of times.

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[denisejoe]

I have had safefill refused a couple of times.

Safefill can be removed to be refilled and thus is a portable bottle, isn't it?

 

[tonyidle]

I have had safefill refused a couple of times.

That is designed to be portable and to the uninitiated it will look as though you're filling a standard bottle.

 

[denisejoe]

I have had safefill refused a couple of times.

Try morrisons they were partners with safefill a while ago

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[62272]

As marchie says they mean someone turning up with an individual gas cylinder and trying to fill it (not professionally fitted outfit with all the safety paraphernalia (we hope!)). We have gaslow and never had a problem at any LPG filling point in UK or in EU.

 

[marchie]

As marchie says they mean someone turning up with an individual gas cylinder and trying to fill it (not professionally fitted outfit with all the safety paraphernalia (we hope!)). We have gaslow and never had a problem at any LPG filling point in UK or in EU.

I had a problem refilling at Morrisons, but that down to my ineptitude and inexperience, culminating in the Kiosk Staff Member shouting over the tannoy that I would need to return the hose to the holster because it had timed out ... And you have to go to the Kiosk to pay for all LPG purchases, so I had to do the 'Walk of Shame'. But I am quite brazen, so was not in the slightest ashamed, I provided the cabaret for the other motorists ...

Steve

 

[CazPaul]

I filled my underslung tank today at BP station, managed to get in 27 litres

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[VXman]

Safefill can be removed to be refilled and thus is a portable bottle, isn't it?

Well so can Gaslow in that sense. I must admit I went for Gaslow for the external fill point as it looks less like you are filling a bottle but in essence it is no different.

 

[Lenny HB]

Only ever been challenged in Portugal, I pointed at the external filler and told them it was a tank.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Filled up our gaslow system with in locker fill point mainly at Shell and a Repsol garages but also at morrisons, never a problem.

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[Spriddler]

As marchie says they mean someone turning up with an individual gas cylinder and trying to fill it

E.g. a caravanner with the cylinder in the car boot.
(Mind you, I often take a can from the boot to fill with petrol which could be just as hazardous).

 

[autorouter]

Gas cylinders of any type should not be filled over 80% because of various reasons including thermal expansion of the LPG leading to rupture. Ordinary calor-gas type cylinders are filled at a depot by trained personnel. They are not filled beyond the 80% level. They have no method of limiting the fill volume other than the personel training.

Gaslow, Gasit and Safefill cylinders have an internal float valve that cuts off the filling hose when the 80% level is reached. Forecourt staff probably can't recognise a valved cylinder from an unvalved one, so management goes for the failsafe option of banning all cylinders that look vaguely like a standard calor-gas type.

 

[Richard n Ann]

The SafeFill ones say SAFEFILL on them very clearly, which I think is a good idea, although it won't be long before people are selling stick on ones on ebay

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[jockaneezer]

Out local Calor depot refused to fill my Gaslow system a few years back, their loss, I changed to Flogas for all my workshop gas and might have cut up their cylinders to make wood burners and a charcoal retort.

 

[Off da Grid]

Out local Calor depot refused to fill my Gaslow system a few years back, their loss, I changed to Flogas for all my workshop gas and might have cut up their cylinders to make wood burners and a charcoal retort.

Yes funny how they turn them selves into wood burners and bbq’s

 

[swiftsteve]

I always take my safefill bottle in the car and take it from the boot to refill. No one has ever said anything. I usually fill at the same she'll station.
I've ordered another safefill, but as I've got to wait ages for it I've ordered an adapter to fill my spare calor bottle. I'm just going to do it, I can't see them refusing payment if they catch me. I used to refill calor bottles twice a shift when I worked in a factory operating fork lifts, so I can't see how it is less safe than filling a plastic cylinder.

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[Stealaway]

it I've ordered an adapter to fill my spare calor bottle. I'm just going to do it, I can't see them refusing payment if they catch me.

That is so dangerous.
All refillable battles have a safety valve specify designed to stop you over filling them
How do you know you have not overfilled the calor bottle?

 

[Lenny HB]

I've ordered an adapter to fill my spare calor bottle.

That is really stupid, dangerous & illegal.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

I always take my safefill bottle in the car and take it from the boot to refill. No one has ever said anything. I usually fill at the same she'll station.
I've ordered another safefill, but as I've got to wait ages for it I've ordered an adapter to fill my spare calor bottle. I'm just going to do it, I can't see them refusing payment if they catch me. I used to refill calor bottles twice a shift when I worked in a factory operating fork lifts, so I can't see how it is less safe than filling a plastic cylinder.

The trouble is it you may well get away with it but the next guy coming to fill a safefill bottle may be challenged or refused because some person used an adaptor to fill a calor bottle which is dangerous both to the person and the people around the forecourt filling up.
It's the use of these adaptors which is causing issues at LPG fill stations and resulting in them shutting down or refusing motorhomes the chance to fill legitimately.
But I don't suppose you really care about the consequences as long as you fill your calor bottle.?

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[Tonks]

Well so can Gaslow in that sense. I must admit I went for Gaslow for the external fill point as it looks less like you are filling a bottle but in essence it is no different.

I wondered about that. Currently use a 907 bottle, but was considering replacing it with the equivalent Gaslow bottle. Which would need removing from my gas locker to fill. A further reason for my hesitation is that the nearest LPG supplier to me is 35 minutes away, and currently 'out of service' for LPG... So I fear that investing in a refillable cylinder could be a costly error of judgement. I replaced my 907 cylinder a couple of weeks ago (probably part full still) when I had a gas flow problem in the van, so I've got about a year's supply on board presently.

 

[swiftsteve]

The trouble is it you may well get away with it but the next guy coming to fill a safefill bottle may be challenged or refused because some person used an adaptor to fill a calor bottle which is dangerous both to the person and the people around the forecourt filling up.
It's the use of these adaptors which is causing issues at LPG fill stations and resulting in them shutting down or refusing motorhomes the chance to fill legitimately.
But I don't suppose you really care about the consequences as long as you fill your calor bottle.?

What issues exactly? Why is it more dangerous than a safefill bottle? As I said our company had a large tank from which we filled the forklift bottles every day with no issues, even lying horizontally (the bottle not me).

 

[swiftsteve]

That is really stupid, dangerous & illegal.

But why though? Give me an example. How do they refill them at calor?

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[Stealaway]

But why though? Give me an example. How do they refill them at calor?

By an accurate weigh scale or a specifically metered connection?
They only fill them to a fixed percentage depending on the size of bottle ---- never full
A truck bottle is on its side so it will deliver liquid gas to the engine - you only ever want the gas.

 

[Spriddler]

But why though? Give me an example. How do they refill them at calor?

I know nothing about the safety aspect but chatting to the yard man at a main Calor refill centre 40 miles away which I had to go to just before last Christmas (there was none at my local depot) he said every returned cylinder was purged with compressed air to ensure that it was empty of gas, the cylinder valve tested for leaks then pressure tested before refilling with an automatically measured exact amount of gas appropriate to the cylinder size. They then stamped a new alloy neck collar with the date, tare and gross weights. Most were also resprayed.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

What issues exactly? Why is it more dangerous than a safefill bottle? As I said our company had a large tank from which we filled the forklift bottles every day with no issues, even lying horizontally (the bottle not me).

There are no safety devises built into the calor bottles unlike the safefill and gaslow that both have an internal float valve that cuts off at 80% fill level. It is very difficult to overfill these as opposed to a calor type bottle that has no safety float to stop an overfill.it relies on the person filling to have checked the weight of the bottle and to only put in a known volume of lpg . Accidentally overfilling doesn't allow for any expansion of the LPG and can result in spillage and potential bursts.
I think if you do some research the problems of fires at LPG stations are predominantly the result of filling unsafe bottles with similar adaptors.
You must remember that the LPG business undertake lots of health and safety precautions and legislation.I am sure they prohibit the filling of calor type bottles for safety reasons,rather than just because calor doesn't allow it,,but there again you probably know better having filled forklift truck bottles

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