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gas bottle

Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 16:38

dags666

hi does any body know of how to tell how much gas is left in a lpg gas bottle. they say you can weigh them on a bathroom scale ,if so what would say a 9 kg bottle weigh empty or i heard you can pour hot water on the side of them. it would be handy i a bit tired of taking bottles back with gas in them because you like to know they are full when you go camping
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ThreadID: 39996 Replies: 10
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AnswerID: 208185   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 16:46

Alan H (Narangba QLD) replied:

Tip hot water down the side and you will see a condensation mark indicating where the liquid level is.
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Reply 1 of 10
FollowupID: 468128   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 17:38

Member - Robyn J (QLD) posted:

You can also run your hand down along the bottle after you have poured boiling water donw the side of the bottle. Where the bottle is cold to touch there is gas and where the bottle is hot it there is no gas. Used this method for many many years with both the camper and campervan.
Cheers
Jenkie
FollowUp 1 of 1
AnswerID: 208186   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 17:00

wazzaaaa replied:

I was shown by my late father in law 25 years ago how to gauge how much gas is left in the bottle and it works for me. Pick up the bottle and open the valve slightly to let a small amout of gas escape and tilt the bottle on it's side until white liquid escapes, take note of the angle of the bottle imagining you have a bottle of liquid, if it is horizantal and liquid escapes it is roughly half full more or less and you can guesstemate. Another option is have two bottles and when one is empty use the other one, then when you have a chance fill that one for the next run out.
Wazzaaaaa
Reply 2 of 10
FollowupID: 468144   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:20

Shaker posted:

Good system for non-smokers!
FollowUp 1 of 3
FollowupID: 468147   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:24

wazzaaaa posted:

Your going to die from smokin anyway just maybe a little earlier
Wazza
FollowUp 2 of 3
FollowupID: 468153   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:48

wazzaaaa posted:

While on my father in law, he was a jazz musician and lived life to the full going to frazer island twice a year staying at yidney rocks cabins fishing for taylor when they were there in numbers and even before there was a regular barge running there. He taught me to fillet fish and worm as well as a lot of other things and was a mans man, the point is he had his first heart attack at 52 while playing his weekly game of squash and was so scared of having a heart bypass ( the thought was he could fight this all by himself as he had done all his life and he thought he knew better anyway) that by the age of 58 a bigger attack took his life. What I am trying to say is always learn from what others have to say even if pride gets in the way.
Wazzaaaaa
FollowUp 3 of 3
AnswerID: 208189   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 17:08

hoyks replied:

The bottle should have a Tare weight stamped around the top somewhere, so if you had scales that were accurate enough, weigh it and take that number off will tell you how much is in it. My 9kg bottle weighs 8kg by that.

Not much help, but I used to work at a rural supplies place and did filling. We would weigh the bottle, fill it, then weigh it again and only charge by the kg which was handy if you were only after a top-up. Not many places do that any more.

Reply 3 of 10
FollowupID: 468360   Submitted: Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 20:31

Trevor R (QLD) posted:

Hardware store in Tully FNQ still did it this way, last time I was up that far. Should be the norm as far as I am concerned.

Trevor.
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AnswerID: 208191   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 17:16

Bilbo replied:

Wazza,

I'm afraid that I have to tell you that the method described is dangerous. People do get away with it, but on the odd occasion they get burnt, badly burnt.

The reason is that LPG in a gas bottle is liquid. Inside the bottle is a short dip tube. It's not long enough to go into the liquid, but if you tip the bottle and liquid does then enter the dip tube, it can get trapped in the dip tube by vapour locking.

The next time you come to use the gas stove, you get a slug of liquid propane coming out. That liquid propane goes into the burner and expands at a great rate ( I can't remember the exact expansion factor but I think it's 60 times for propane). We'll say 60 times for this discussion. So instead of a whisp of gas at the burner you get about 60 times that whisp.

AND WHOOMPAH. It blows up in yer face.

My mate's wife got caught just like this on a Gibb River Road trip. They never did complete thier trip around Oz as she spent 2 weeks in hospital and several months with skin grafts.

This is the reason it is illegal to carry an LPG bottle in any other position except UPRIGHT.

Acetylene bottles are OK to ship on thier sides as they are not liquid but merely compressed gas. Same with oxygen.

Take care,

Bilbo
Remember - "Tomorrow is todays best labour saving device!"
Reply 4 of 10
FollowupID: 468125   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 17:21

macca172 posted:

I was taught at trade school that Acetylene cylinders are to be transported upright on their bases at all times?
FollowUp 1 of 9
FollowupID: 468126   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 17:25

wazzaaaa posted:

Thanks for the heads up on that bilbo that is the first I heard of that so up till now I must of been lucky, not knocking my father i law but he did mean well
Wazzaaaaa
FollowUp 2 of 9
FollowupID: 468133   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:07

Bilbo posted:

Macca,

It doesn't make much difference, in this context, how you transport oxy & acetylene cylinders as they are both compressed gas inside.

However, it is always safer to transport 'em upright and secured as that way they can't roll and snap the brass fitting at the top of the bottle. It's fun,fun,fun when they snap off!!

Bilbo

Remember - "Tomorrow is todays best labour saving device!"
FollowUp 3 of 9
FollowupID: 468135   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:22

wazzaaaa posted:

Hey but how bout my seciond option that one I thought up all by myself
Wazza
FollowUp 4 of 9
FollowupID: 468136   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:24

Kiwi Kia posted:

I seem to remember that acetelyene is actually disolved in acetone or something similar and is not just a compressed gas.
FollowUp 5 of 9
FollowupID: 468142   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:07

Max - Sydney posted:

Bilbo - acetylene is not a compressed gas - as Kiwi Kia said, its dissolved in acetone and a good way to have an unpleasant time is to let acetone in the valve & subsequently escape & explode. Bad as liquid lpg getting out.

Best rule - keep them all upright unless you have been trained.

Wazza - all the fancy techniques are fine - you can even get strips of temperature sensitive tape to stick on the side of the bottles at most camping & caravanning stores. Bit easier than the hot water test but same principle. I find it just as easy to tap the bottle with the handle of a screwdriver. It "rings" where there's gas and "thuds" where there is liquid. Gives a reasonable indication of whether the bottle is nearly full or nearly empty.

Carrying a second bottle (even a small one) is the best way to not waste gas, because almost nobody weighs before and after any more. I've given up and use swap cylinders - bit dearer but much easier to get a full one.

Max
FollowUp 6 of 9
FollowupID: 468143   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:19

wazzaaaa posted:

Hi Max, the thing I don't like about swap and go is I lose my gal cylinder and get a painted one. As we go up the beach several times a year rust is a problem and I have seen 4 year old bottles rust to the point they are unsafe at the retest place near me at capalaba in brisbane. Some times I can get 9kgs filled for $14.90 when on special so as I have 4 bottles I am always looking out for specials.
Wazzaaaaaaaaa
FollowUp 7 of 9
FollowupID: 468179   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 21:23

Bilbo posted:

Wazza,

",,,,,,,,,,,Hey but how bout my seciond option that one I thought up all by myself
Wazza,,,,,,,,,"

That is the safest option Wazza ;)

Bilbo


Remember - "Tomorrow is todays best labour saving device!"
FollowUp 8 of 9
FollowupID: 468215   Submitted: Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 07:50

Member - Brian H (QLD) posted:

Expansion is 270 to 1 :) and yes testing the level by tipping over in not and real good option at all.

Acetylene cylinders should also be transported upright, not that i see a lot of that happening.

Brian
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AnswerID: 208204   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:25

The Rambler( W.A.) replied:

Instead of a 9kg. bottle carry two 4.5 kg. bottles.When the first is empty you go onto the second and have the first one filled whenever you can.That way you are using all the gas you pay for and also is a bit of peace of mind if one bottle has a leak or other problem.

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Reply 5 of 10
FollowupID: 468138   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:31

wazzaaaa posted:

Hey come on I think I read that some where else
FollowUp 1 of 3
FollowupID: 468146   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:23

Shaker posted:

That's our system too, much better than one 9kg bottle.
FollowUp 2 of 3
FollowupID: 468149   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:26

wazzaaaa posted:

Only bad thing about 2 x 4.5 kg bottles is it costs more to fill
Wazzaaaaa
FollowUp 3 of 3
AnswerID: 208205   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:26

Wayne-o replied:

I'd have to say that all these methods are simply fantastic, but i really think that the simplest and most surefire way to know how much is in your gas bottle, is to, wait for it, buy a GAUGE!!

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Reply 6 of 10
FollowupID: 468196   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 23:58

Bware (Tweed Valley) posted:

Well where's the fun in that Mr Spoilsport? LOL

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FollowUp 1 of 1
AnswerID: 208234   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 20:30

kimprado replied:

Dags

In my experience the best way to gauge the remaining volume in a cylinder is to ignore the problem until the gas runs out at the most inconvenient moment.

Usually, well adjusted people learn a lesson from this. I happen to be an exception!

Regards

Kim
Reply 7 of 10
FollowupID: 468476   Submitted: Monday, Dec 04, 2006 at 12:43

Pajman Pete (SA) posted:

A mate of mine went one better than that. We were to have a big barby at his house one Saturday evening. Being a bright bloke he thought "Ah, must get some gas."

So he chucks the cylinder in the back of his car and while on the other side of town swaps it over at a Swap and Go.

That afternoon we flash up his BBQ and chuck the meat on. 5 minutes later we are out of gas.

The trick at Swap and Go is to swap your empty bottle for one of their full ones, not someone else's empty!


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FollowUp 1 of 1
AnswerID: 208243   Submitted: Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 21:16

Bilbo replied:

I seem to remember that you could be right about the acetone is acetylene bottles,,,,,,

I haven't used oxy/acet for a long time.

Anyway - don't tilt LPG bottles.

Gettin' old.

Bilbo
Remember - "Tomorrow is todays best labour saving device!"
Reply 8 of 10
AnswerID: 208273   Submitted: Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 06:37

dags666 replied:

thanks for your help i would buy a gauge if i could transfer from one bottle to the other, i have 5 bottles for different applications when we go camping 4 weeks at a time double island fraser etc. most gauges are inline not like a tyre gauge where you check at various stages any way thanks dags
Reply 9 of 10
AnswerID: 208423   Submitted: Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 21:17

Biglinz replied:

aussie disposals sell a device that magnetically sticks to the side of the bottle and can be transferred from bottle to bottle as needed. Been gonna get one and try it but now you have reminded me to go get it. Cost was about 6 bucks.
Reply 10 of 10