Thursday, Apr 08, 2004 at 15:29
This is one of the things that I have noticed since moving here 3 years ago. Compared to NZ the average service station forecourt atendant has a very casual aproach to LPG.
In NZ the first thing you have to do is sign a register which asks for your name adress an telephone number (amazng the number of "Richard Cranium's" live in NZ whose adress is c/o
Parliament House Rd and telephone number 111 :-))
Then the attendant dons rubber gloves, safety goggles and checks the bottle
test date/expiry date and tare weight. The m/t bottle is then put on a set of electronic scales and an earth strap attached. Then the LPG fill hose is attached and a soapy solution brushed on to
check for any leaks. The releif valve is cacked and the LPG flows in. Once the vapour is escaping out of the relief valve it is shut off. The LPG hose is disconnected and the valve re-soaped to ensure no leaks.The weight of the gas is recorded electronically and sent to the cashier where you only pay for the gas you receieved, not what the capacity of the tank .
At my local 'servo' here a even Hills,
Sydney, it goes like this.
I put my LPG cylinder (which may acualy not be completely /t) onto the concrete beside the LPG tank. I then go into the 'servo' and ask for my LPG tank to be flled to which he says "Can't you fill it? It's not difficult" I of course say "No thanks, I would like you to fill it". Reluctantly the person extracts himself from the chair that has all but moulded itself to his bum and ambles out to where my tank sits waiting. It is put onto an m/t plastic milk crate and the LPG hose attached and the pressure relief valve opened and the gas allowed to go in. At this point the 'attendant' stops attending and returns to his chair in the office where his bum again makes contact with the
seat. Meanwhile I have moved 5mtrs up wind. Why? Because the next time my 'attendant' will emerge is when the LPG vapour and by now some of the liquid has been flowing out of the releif valave for some time, even though I have been into the office to tell him about it (se why I am now up wind)
He ambles over to the cylinder, closes the valve, unscrews the LPG ftting and walks back to the office.
I in turn have had to pick up the cylinder and take it over to the
water tap to wash off the yellow deposit from the LPG vapour that is now running down the side of the tank.
Once I have put the flled tank into my 4b I go into the ffce to pay where I pay for 9kg of gas, regardless if there was still .5kg in when we started or not.
Not a crticism just pointing out the 'subtle' differences. :-)
AnswerID:
53695
Follow Up By: Member -Bob & Lex (Sydney) - Thursday, Apr 08, 2004 at 17:37
Thursday, Apr 08, 2004 at 17:37
Nice story, but why didn't you just turn it off yourself ?
FollowupID:
315390
Follow Up By: KiwiAngler - Thursday, Apr 08, 2004 at 18:16
Thursday, Apr 08, 2004 at 18:16
Because:
I didnt have:
Training
Safety glasses
Rubber gloves.
I am paying for someone to fill it for me.
How's that for starters.
FollowupID:
315397
Follow Up By: 10 Para (Qld) - Friday, Apr 09, 2004 at 09:24
Friday, Apr 09, 2004 at 09:24
Just what i have been talking about, i think that i have found the answer went down the the local camping store and grilled the operater yesterday and was told that inside all australian gas bottles there is a brass dropper and he showed it to me when the bottle gets filled it will only allow it to be filled to 80% so that explains it, also grilled him the cold vapar escaping after filling and he said that no way would it form ice and have any effect on causeing a leak in the bottle.
Regards
FollowupID:
315426
Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Apr 10, 2004 at 06:34
Saturday, Apr 10, 2004 at 06:34
Don't you just love Australia !!!!!!!!!!!
We spent some time in NZ coming back from an around the world trip. Declared a wooden monkey which we had received a present in Africa. B....y hell !..the rigmarole we had to go through with at least a dozen people with mobile phones and very stern looking and explaining the complicated rules. Anyway, got the monkey back out of quarantine on our departure. Same hassle.
Arrived in
Sydney and declared the monkey again. "Yeah, no worries mate......that is a very old borer hole in the wood...cheers"
No criticism..them are the facts....:-)
FollowupID:
315484
Follow Up By: 10 Para (Qld) - Saturday, Apr 10, 2004 at 07:14
Saturday, Apr 10, 2004 at 07:14
Spent most of the last 20 years travelling the world playing golf and the what with the mad cows thing and sars there's only about 2 countrys left now that i don't mind waiting around to be
check and that's Australia & New Zealand, you think the monkeys bad try impoting a car to Australia
mine is is still on the docks been there since 3.00am Wednesday and i am told that we might get it next Friday, i even had it all steamed cleaned before it was shipped and it's only coming from NZ not bloody Africa. Between the 2 countrys its hard to choose a good balance is 6 in NZ for the summer and 6 Months in Australia for the winter that means your in NZ for the fishing season and in Australai for in weather that you can travel in, although there are overall less restrictions in NZ than in Australia, anyway both great place and we should all help to protect them.
FollowupID:
315488