So nearly caught out by faulty gas bottle

[Paul an Jane MK]

Gas bottle ran out this afternoon, no major problem as we always have a full one as back up.

Get my torch and proceed to swop over pipe to new bottle. Once connection tightened up on new bottle, turned on tap of bottle and load noise of exacaping gas so turned off tap.

Check connection and all solid and good, had a new rubber hose and fitting etc in the spring and some soapy water confirmed all fine apart from connection to bottle.

5pm Saturday night where am I going to get another bottle but thankfully calor website showed a Go Outdoors nearby.

New gas bottle fitted and we have a good gas connection again and can now keep warm again as it is getting fairly chilly.

Thank goodness old bottle ran out early enough before it was too late and we weren’t in the wilds of Scotland far from civilisation.

Presumably damaged during refilling.

In 35 years never had a faulty bottle before and probably won’t happen again but might just hook up new bottle to test in future.

 

[kelpie]

Have only had a van since 2014 . Two faulty bottles this year , both from same supplier. Funnily they said I must be doing something wrong , other than reverse thread what can go wrong. They took up my offer to fit it , guess what , same as yours liquid mix everywhere. Finally got one from their stock that wasn't damaged.
Go Outdoors , if you're passing , are normally a couple of quid less than most , guess where I'll go in the future.
John

 

[KUSKUS]

Recently had the same problem , noticed a distinct smell of gas in motorhome , checked bottle and hoses with soap and water mix and found gas bottle leaking even when turned off ! took it back to supplier and replaced it with a new one.

 

[Just smiffy]

Makes a change to hear about other bottle problems other than refillables.... not that it’s good to have any thing faulty with gas....

 

[Minxy]

It may be that I'm suspicious but could the supplier of the 2 faulty bottles be refilling them themselves rather than returning them to Calor?

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[Paul an Jane MK]

Well that is interesting if other people have had similar problems. The gas was pouring out of the connection, I might as well not have had a pipe connected.

I have used same supplier for 15 years so never had a problem before.

I might have to carry out my threat of testing bottles. I do not fancy getting caught out again and next time timing or location may not work so well in my favour.

 

[magicsurfbus]

The winter they recorded -16C at Manchester Airport, my MH was stored not a million miles away. When I brought it home from storage to air it out, almost an entire 13Kg cyclinder emptied itself onto my drive through a crack (yes crack) in the brass casing of the Gaslow gauge connected to the cylinder valve. I had the Truma heater on inside the MH at the time, but fortunately the vent in the bottom of the gas compartment did its job.

Very low temperatures? Check your Gaslow gauges. Of course it may have had a structural defect, but it was OK before it froze.

 

[kelpie]

It may be that I'm suspicious but could the supplier of the 2 faulty bottles be refilling them themselves rather than returning them to Calor?

We'll never know. I won't name them , a caravan dealer with parts and gas supplies.
Both bottles had a faulty thread about two threads in. I didn't find out until I was away at Loch Ness with the good lady. Made angrier by the midges eating me as I struggled with the bottle. Finally used my empty to exchange at the campsite. Van takes two 13kg bottles.
I'm here , so just an inconvenience .
Either filling Calor bottles themselves , or someone thinks it's funny to damage the threads. The surprising thing was that C and CC charged the same as Go Outdoors
John

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

WhenI was an apprentice, I was taught to briefly (less than one second) crack open the valve on a gas bottle before connecting regulators etc to blast out any foreign bodies that may be lodged in the threads or on the mating face of the bottle connector. I still do this as a matter of course, but with flammable gasses, you of course, have the be cognisant of the potential for ignition, so do it outside, not in your gas locker, and not while you are smoking or near any ignition sources such as BBQs etc otherwise you risk removing your stupid genes from the gene pool.

 

[Sandancers]

It's not unheard of for the high-pressure cylinders containing compressed air or helium ect. to have faulty seats so when connecting a regulator or pipe you can't get a seal.

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[Wagoneer]

WhenI was an apprentice, I was taught to briefly (less than one second) crack open the valve on a gas bottle before connecting regulators etc to blast out any foreign bodies that may be lodged in the threads or on the mating face of the bottle connector. I still do this as a matter of course, but with flammable gasses, you of course, have the be cognisant of the potential for ignition, so do it outside, not in your gas locker, and not while you are smoking or near any ignition sources such as BBQs etc otherwise you risk removing your stupid genes from the gene pool.

Also, by cracking open the valve (briefly) you can check if it's issuing gas or liquid. If liquid - it's been overfilled.........unlikely, but possible.

 

[Janine]

We've had two leaky bottles in the last year. Potential for disaster, methinks!

 

[jockaneezer]

You would have expected it to leak when it was being refilled, unless they don't use a threaded adaptor, maybe they use a quick release clamp with a rubber seal ?

 

[Minxy]

Also, by cracking open the valve (briefly) you can check if it's issuing gas or liquid. If liquid - it's been overfilled.........unlikely, but possible.

Whenever opening the valve though ALWAYS wear protective gloves and keep your face away from it!

 

[PeteH]

LPG, cylinders should be checked over before refill, the operative word being Should!. There are Hoses available which allow refill from bulk tanks. It was not unknown for bottles to be refilled from Bulk Tanks. An awful lot of cylinders are sold by people who are not fully aware of just what they are dealing with. And are therefore less than careful about how they are handled, that is where most damage occurs.

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[Howard H]

This believe it or not happen to us yesterday changed the calor gas bottle set the the heater to gas only then went for a cheeky pint at the on site pub came back an hour later and opened the van up to an overwhelming smell of gas .it was leaking at the connection of the pig tail and the bottle ,damaged threads on the bottle happens a lot now according to the garage where I exchanged it . I think we had a lucky escape .

 

[Minxy]

Reading this thread has made me so glad we have refillables!

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Converted to refillable earlier this year. No regrets. New Autosleeper being picked up at the week-end. Factory fitted underslung tank. How sensible is that. Saves making a gas locker during manufacture. DUH! Why aren’t more manufacturers doing this?
My only critisism is that A/S have fitted the filler in the opposite side to the diesel filler! I see a modification coming up.

 

[Hedgewitch]

We have two Calor Lite bottles in the caravan. One of them leaks very, very slightly even when completely turned off. Local supplier absolutely not interested even though he sold it to me. Suspect this is why Calor will not be supplying the Lite bottle in future, I'm guessing they know there is a problem which is why production has been discontinued.

 

[Stretto Boy]

New Autosleeper being picked up at the week-end. Factory fitted underslung tank. How sensible is that. Saves making a gas locker during manufacture. DUH! Why aren’t more manufacturers doing this?
My only critisism is that A/S have fitted the filler in the opposite side to the diesel filler! I see a modification coming up.

Our A-S is the same. Genuine question : why is that a problem? Is it because you envisage more manoeuvring at a garage if you fill up with gas and diesel at the same time? I always fill up at with gas at a local gas specialist company, so not a problem for me. I guess A-S must have their reasons for doing it this way. Perhaps to do with the routing of the filler pipe around the diesel and fresh water tanks?

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[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Yes. Two trips to the cashier or risk being recorded as a “drive off” by the cameras on forecourts if you move from one pump to another before paying for the first tank full.
Do you know whose system is fitted(gasit, gaslow etc)?

 

[PeteH]

Our A-S is the same. Genuine question : why is that a problem? Is it because you envisage more manoeuvring at a garage if you fill up with gas and diesel at the same time? I always fill up at with gas at a local gas specialist company, so not a problem for me. I guess A-S must have their reasons for doing it this way. Perhaps to do with the routing of the filler pipe around the diesel and fresh water tanks?

I suspect there may be a bit of Psychology here. Wether or not true?, there is then an incentive NOT to be refuelling at the same time as re-gassing?. It`s not exactly the right operation(s) to practice "multitasking"?.

 

[Stretto Boy]

Yes. Two trips to the cashier or risk being recorded as a “drive off” by the cameras on forecourts if you move from one pump to another before paying for the first tank full.
Do you know whose system is fitted(gasit, gaslow etc)?

I didn’t think about paying, although surely the cameras will record that you didn’t leave the site before paying and you will have a receipt.

It’s Gas It on mine, so likely to be the same on yours.

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Who would do that? I have driven petrol / LPG cars in the past and the fillers are always adjacent. However, you would fill one tank first, then the other without the need to move the vehicle and risk being clocked as a “drive off”

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

The cameras are often automatic and driven by software. Software is not often intelligent enough to discriminate when a vehicle leaves the site ir just moves off the pump. Why then go through the inconvenience of having to prove you actaull paid, to the policeman who follows up on it?

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[Stretto Boy]

Who would do that? I have driven petrol / LPG cars in the past and the fillers are always adjacent. However, you would fill one tank first, then the other without the need to move the vehicle and risk being clocked as a “drive off”

But in cars you don’t have all the water tanks underneath which might - just my thought - impede the routing.

 

[jockaneezer]

But if you don't pay for your derv until you've gassed up, you're depriving someone else of using the derv pump ?

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Is this the 5 min argument or the 10 min argument?

At LPG pumps such as ASDA Shell etc petrol and diesel are at the same “island”. If I am filling diesel followed by Autogas, how am I depriving anyone anything? If I fill with Diesel am I supposed to then pay for it, leave the filling station and wait for a “respectful” period while someone else gets his fuel, even though he followed me in? Why does he have priority? Am I at a station with only one derv pump? This is taking queuing rules to another level. Sorry jockaneezer, not disrespecting your comment but be practical. All petrol/lpg drivers do it this way.

 

[Minxy]

But if you don't pay for your derv until you've gassed up, you're depriving someone else of using the derv pump ?

I don't quite understand that logic, if the pumps are adjacent to you so you don't have to move to use both, it is actually not depriving anyone as you'd still need to be there, regardless of if you paid after each one (which would just take more time) or until after both were done.

If, however, you mean that by eg filling up with diesel, then moving but not paying until you'd filled up with gas, that also doesn't work as the pumps usually reset to zero quickly so the next person can use them whilst you are in the queue to pay.

If that's not what you mean then please enlighten me as I can't actually see a problem with either of those situations.

 

[gus-lopez]

Who would do that? I have driven petrol / LPG cars in the past and the fillers are always adjacent. However, you would fill one tank first, then the other without the need to move the vehicle and risk being clocked as a “drive off”

that's why you always ask for receipts even paying cash.
Why are both needing filling at the same time ?

Is this the 5 min argument or the 10 min argument?

At LPG pumps such as ASDA Shell etc petrol and diesel are at the same “island”. If I am filling diesel followed by Autogas, how am I depriving anyone anything? If I fill with Diesel am I supposed to then pay for it, leave the filling station and wait for a “respectful” period while someone else gets his fuel, even though he followed me in? Why does he have priority? Am I at a station with only one derv pump? This is taking queuing rules to another level. Sorry jockaneezer, not disrespecting your comment but be practical. All petrol/lpg drivers do it this way.

look on the bright side here the gpl pumps are so far from any of the other fillers you need a bus to the pay desk. One place I used I couldn't even find it ,had to ask to be told it was at the entrance about 100m+ away.

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