Smell of gas in van ⚠️

[Basildog]

So a customer presents their van to us yesterday with what they thought was a possible overfilled refillable gas cylinder.
Turns out a dealer fitted system had a leaking filler hose as they decided in their wisdom (or perhaps lack of it ) , to install the filler. In the side of a panel van conversion, using poor quality fittings and not vented to outside with vent hosing as required, at least 4 litres of LPG in liquid state into the void between the outer and inner skin , so approximately 1,000 litres of LPG in vapour state

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Good job they weren't smokers

 

[nicholsong]

What is the procedure for a professional to dispose of that?

Presumably first action is to evacuate the site?

 

[Brains]

I cant see what the problem is!

 

[Brains]

So a customer presents their van to us yesterday with what they thought was a possible overfilled refillable gas cylinder.
Turns out a dealer fitted system had a leaking filler hose as they decided in their wisdom (or perhaps lack of it ) , to install the filler. In the side of a panel van conversion, using poor quality fittings and not vented to outside with vent hosing as required, at least 4 litres of LPG in liquid state into the void between the outer and inner skin , so approximately 1,000 litres of LPG in vapour state

Does the Dealer, or more the point, the Dealers Fitter have a name ?

Surely an issues like this is a criminal offence, imagine it had gone off in say the Channel Tunnel, potentially hundreds could be killed.
Somebody should be prosecuted.

As an aside I have just had to deal with a case, all sides see as a complete accident, but caused by someone not taking due care and attention.
The accused has been sentenced to 7 years.

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[gus-lopez]

but caused by someone not taking due care and attention.

It wasn't an accident then?

 

[oldiesontour]

What had failed and why... might be a lesson for others

 

[Brains]

It wasn't an accident then?

It wasn't deliberate either, and I'll guarantee it's something nearly all of us have done at some point in our lives, just normally is does not have consequences.

 

[nicholsong]

Basildog

I have just had another thought. Why did the liquid LPG not 'gas off'? Maybe it was high % butane and the temperature was very low?

Or am I talking rubbish?

Explanation please.

 

[Orion]

Basildog

I have just had another thought. Why did the liquid LPG not 'gas off'? Maybe it was high % butane and the temperature was very low?

Or am I talking rubbish?

Explanation please.

It did - eventually - same scenario that occurs with LPG leaks in boats, being heavier than air it settles into the bilges and can’t go anywhere else. Ditto for the van bodywork with no lower vents to atmosphere. Add an ignition source and … kaboom.

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[Abacist]

That was a very close call then!

 

[Spriddler]

- same scenario that occurs with LPG leaks in boats, being heavier than air it settles into the bilges and can’t go anywhere else. Ditto for the van bodywork with no lower vents to atmosphere. Add an ignition source and … kaboom.

I had to modify my sailing boat as the two 12v batteries were also in the keel.

 

[nicholsong]

It did - eventually - same scenario that occurs with LPG leaks in boats, being heavier than air it settles into the bilges and can’t go anywhere else. Ditto for the van bodywork with no lower vents to atmosphere. Add an ignition source and … kaboom.

Basildog in his OP said that the vehicle was presented to him with 4 litres of liquid LPG in a void, with photograph, so it had not gassed off by then.

 

[Just smiffy]

Come on boys and girls…. We all know that dealers are all fully trained “professionals”…

 

[pagey]

Come on boys and girls…. We all know that dealers are all fully trained “professionals”…

Only at taking your money

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[Odd-no-more]

Basildog in his OP said that the vehicle was presented to him with 4 litres of liquid LPG in a void, with photograph, so it had not gassed off by then.

LPG cannot be liquid at atmospheric pressure so it would be vapour

 

[PeterCarole29]

So a customer presents their van to us yesterday with what they thought was a possible overfilled refillable gas cylinder.
Turns out a dealer fitted system had a leaking filler hose as they decided in their wisdom (or perhaps lack of it ) , to install the filler. In the side of a panel van conversion, using poor quality fittings and not vented to outside with vent hosing as required, at least 4 litres of LPG in liquid state into the void between the outer and inner skin , so approximately 1,000 litres of LPG in vapour state View attachment 871903View attachment 871904View attachment 871905

I would be very interested to know what a ventilated hose is and looks like for future reference. Is it a term refering to any sort of extended drop vent or a specific product

 

[Stoosal]

I would be very interested to know what a ventilated hose is and looks like for future reference. Is it a term refering to any sort of extended drop vent or a specific product

Something like this……?

Gaslow LPG Filler Vent Pipe & Fittings

The Gaslow LPG Filler Vent Pipe and fittings 01-4171 is used when you have to pass an LPG filler hose through a void in a vehicle. Using this kit safely removes any LPG that may leak from the filler fittings through to atmosphere, making your vehicle safe. This kit can be used on any vehicle...

www.gaslowdirect.com

 

[Pausim]

Basildog in his OP said that the vehicle was presented to him with 4 litres of liquid LPG in a void, with photograph, so it had not gassed off by then.

I think he said 4 litres had leaked into the space, I don’t think he meant that it was still in that form.

 

[nicholsong]

I think he said 4 litres had leaked into the space, I don’t think he meant that it was still in that form.

Re-read Basildog's OP. It says

"at least 4 litres of LPG in liquid state"

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[lorger]

Last year we had an issue with our filler hose and it wouldn’t let me fill the Gaslow bottles, until this point I didn’t realise we had a fault. Once sorted the bottles filled no problem, if this hose was faulty would the same not happen?

 

[dunnah01]

I would be very interested to know what a ventilated hose is and looks like for future reference. Is it a term refering to any sort of extended drop vent or a specific product

When I fitted in my cars the filler pipe to the internal boot tank had to be in a separate corrugated plastic pipe that was sealed at the inside end and vented to the outside at the other end. Any leakage in the filler pipe vented to the outside.
Motorhome tanks are usually sealed from the hab area so no separate venting of the filler pipe is required but if the install has some pipework inside it must still be sealed and vented to outside..

 

[Pausim]

Re-read Basildog's OP. It says

"at least 4 litres of LPG in liquid state"

Yes he said it leaked 4 litres in a liquid state but he didn’t say it remained a liquid after leaking. I read it to be a way of quantifying the size of the leak, not a comment on what remained after the leak. He went on to say that was about 1000 litres in vapour form. A leak in the filler hose would initially be in a liquid state because this is how it is stored and pumped.

 

[pappajohn]

I don't understand how you can have liquid LPG in a cavity which is not airtight.... IE: in the side panel of a pvc with a massive hole.

 

[A S R]

I’m so glad I went to Basildog for my refillable system install!
At least I know it was done correctly.

P.S. I still want a bigger tank! Shame there’s nowhere to mount it under the van.

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[Lenny HB]

I’m so glad I went to Basildog for my refillable system install!
At least I know it was done correctly.

P.S. I still want a bigger tank! Shame there’s nowhere to mount it under the van.

They used to put gas tanks on the roof during the war.

 

[A S R]

They used to put gas tanks on the roof during the war.

No room up there! Gonna be full of high power solar panels soon!
I could put one in the garage but the motorbike has dibs in there.

 

[TonyEmm]

I think he said 4 litres had leaked into the space, I don’t think he meant that it was still in that form.

I think he did! However, IIRC, going back to schoolboy physics and chemistry, LPG cannot be in a liquid state at normal temperatures unless pressurised. Propane ‘boils’ at around -40deg…

 

[TonyEmm]

So a customer presents their van to us yesterday with what they thought was a possible overfilled refillable gas cylinder.
Turns out a dealer fitted system had a leaking filler hose as they decided in their wisdom (or perhaps lack of it ) , to install the filler. In the side of a panel van conversion, using poor quality fittings and not vented to outside with vent hosing as required, at least 4 litres of LPG in liquid state into the void between the outer and inner skin , so approximately 1,000 litres of LPG in vapour state View attachment 871903View attachment 871904View attachment 871905

I hate to argue with you but, that simply isn’t possible. Propane boils at around -43deg C and even butane boils at below 0deg C!
I’ve no doubt there was a leak but, it simply could not be of the scale you refer to, unless in the Arctic/Antarctic!

 

[activecampers]

I would be very interested to know what a ventilated hose is and looks like for future reference. Is it a term refering to any sort of extended drop vent or a specific product

I installed a "boot" and pipe which goes behind the filler into the gas locker, which is then sealed/lipped and a bottom vent hole external - so any leak from filler, fittings to bottle is captured and vented.

the pic shown looks b**dy awkward to get to, tighten and check, and any leak would go into the van and where it wants rather than a set path to exit.

£10-15 in bits - why omit it?

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