When to change Gas cylinder (probably a silly question)

[robtheplod]

Hi All

 

We've had our boat since 2019 and not needed to change the gas cylinder due to not using it all as much as we would like... but, today I was on the boat and noticed the gas smelt quite pungent when using it on the hob or oven. If I turned the hob off it goes, turn the over on it comes back, turn off the oven it goes, so it seems to be the small of the gas itself (not a leak)?  The flame seems ok..... Does this indicate we need to change the bottle over or I've got some other weird issue going on?

 

thank you!

[LadyG]

I think it's near the bottom, give it a good shake. 

[Alan de Enfield]

 

It a 'stench chemical' added to the gas so you can smell leaks - it does tend to concentrate 'in the bottom' of the cylinder and is always a good sign that you have very little (an hour ?) gas left. Be ready to change it.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

Hi All

 

We've had our boat since 2019 and not needed to change the gas cylinder due to not using it all as much as we would like... but, today I was on the boat and noticed the gas smelt quite pungent when using it on the hob or oven. If I turned the hob off it goes, turn the over on it comes back, turn off the oven it goes, so it seems to be the small of the gas itself (not a leak)?  The flame seems ok..... Does this indicate we need to change the bottle over or I've got some other weird issue going on?

 

thank you!

 

Highly likely it will run out very shortly.

 

The smell is the concentration of the additive collecting in the bottom of the cylinder.

Cross post with Alan

[GUMPY]

What you are smelling is the stench mix that is added to the gas to make it stink.

It does indeed indicate that you are near the end of the bottle but could have a day or so  left.

I don't waste gas it too expensive so I wait until the flame goes out on the hob, as it did today, before I change the cylinder.

[David Mack]

11 minutes ago, Loddon said:

 

I don't waste gas it too expensive so I wait until the flame goes out on the hob,

Which is fine. Unless the oven goes out half way through cooking, and you don't notice until the time you planned to eat.

[Machpoint005]

...thereby proving to the OP that really the only silly questions are the ones you don't ask. 

[GUMPY]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

Which is fine. Unless the oven goes out half way through cooking, and you don't notice until the time you planned to eat.

I got caught once many years ago C now keeps her eye on things like that 😎

[PhilR]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the obvious - which is to weigh the cylinder. The empty weight of the gas cylinder will be stamped on the aluminium plate at the top.

Edited March 27, 2022 by PhilR
typo

[Arthur Marshall]

Two gas bottles and an automatic changeover valve?

[GUMPY]

4 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Two gas bottles and an automatic changeover valve?

I have an auto changeover but still turn off one bottle until it's needed, otherwise I would end up with two empty bottles😱

[Slim]

33 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Which is fine. Unless the oven goes out half way through cooking, and you don't notice until the time you planned to eat.

Ham and cheese sandwiches are the answer. (from experiences), note the plural.     😇

[Jen-in-Wellies]

18 minutes ago, PhilR said:

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the obvious - which is to weigh the cylinder. The empty weight of the gas cylinder will be stamped on the aluminium plate at the top.

Which is given in pounds and ounces on an aluminium disk under the valve with Calor cylinders. No idea about other suppliers. A surprising range of empty weights between cylinders of the same capacity.

[Guest]

To get an indication of if we may run out in the not too distant future we use one of these. You need to check when its actually drawing gas with something like the oven or grill.

 

https://www.gasproducts.co.uk/gaslow-adaptor-gauge-propane.html

 

The bonus - no spanner required after initial fitting.

 

And no we have not a problem with leaks before anybody asks.

 

 

[Chris Lowe]

I used to just at the level of the ice forming on the outside of the bottle when in use.

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

I used to just at the level of the ice forming on the outside of the bottle when in use.

 

We find this can work quite well in the warm humid conditions we sometimes get in SW France but less so in the UK.

[PhilR]

45 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

To get an indication of if we may run out in the not too distant future we use one of these. You need to check when its actually drawing gas with something like the oven or grill.

 

https://www.gasproducts.co.uk/gaslow-adaptor-gauge-propane.html

 

The bonus - no spanner required after initial fitting.

 

And no we have not a problem with leaks before anybody asks.

 

 

That looks a decent bit of kit, but how does the claimed leak detector work?

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, PhilR said:

That looks a decent bit of kit, but how does the claimed leak detector work?

 

You turn the gas off at the cylinder and if you have a leak it drops into the red. If you don't it will stay in the green for a given period. I would need to double check what that time period is.

 

I honestly have no idea about how reliable it is though. I bought it primarily for the level gauge and the ease of fitting.

[PhilR]

3 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

You turn the gas off at the cylinder and if you have a leak it drops into the red. If you don't it will stay in the green for a given period. I would need to double check what that time period is.

 

I honestly have no idea about how reliable it is though. I bought it primarily for the level gauge and the ease of fitting.

Thanks. Probably not as accurate/reliable as a bubble tester but it should give an indication of a significant gas leak

[TheBiscuits]

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

Which is fine. Unless the oven goes out half way through cooking, and you don't notice until the time you planned to eat.

 

Oven? Oven?

 

I used to have a Morco instantaneous gas water heater feeding the shower.

 

The gas bottle prefers to run out when you are in the shower, especially when you are soaped up.  Extra brownie points for in January when it's raining!

 

I don't have a Morco anymore!

[MtB]

4 hours ago, Loddon said:

I have an auto changeover but still turn off one bottle until it's needed, otherwise I would end up with two empty bottles😱

 

^^^This ^^^

 

Auto-changover valves introduce an unnecessary degree of complexity and STILL don't solve the problem of unexpectedly running out of gas. They make it worse in fact as they fool you into a false sense of security and when you run out of gas with auto-changeover, all it means is you can be certain you really have run out of gas in both bottles. The whole point of two bottles is to have one in reserve for when you run out and auto-changeovers stupidly defeat this sensible plan. 

 

Rant over.

[nicknorman]

4 hours ago, MtB said:

 

^^^This ^^^

 

Auto-changover valves introduce an unnecessary degree of complexity and STILL don't solve the problem of unexpectedly running out of gas. They make it worse in fact as they fool you into a false sense of security and when you run out of gas with auto-changeover, all it means is you can be certain you really have run out of gas in both bottles. The whole point of two bottles is to have one in reserve for when you run out and auto-changeovers stupidly defeat this sensible plan. 

 

Rant over.

The point of auto-changeover systems is that you have to check for the red flag on the regulator from time to time, which indicates the first cylinder is empty - and then replace the cylinder obvs.

 

If checking for the red flag from time to time (depending on how much gas you use) is “too difficult” then I’d agree auto changeovers are a bad idea. But if you have the discipline to check it regularly, it means you will never run out of gas at an inconvenient moment.

[robtheplod]

Thanks everyone.. pleased that's what it is, will get this changed over as about to do a two week cruise in a few weeks!

 

 

[Arthur Marshall]

6 hours ago, MtB said:

 

^^^This ^^^

 

Auto-changover valves introduce an unnecessary degree of complexity and STILL don't solve the problem of unexpectedly running out of gas. They make it worse in fact as they fool you into a false sense of security and when you run out of gas with auto-changeover, all it means is you can be certain you really have run out of gas in both bottles. The whole point of two bottles is to have one in reserve for when you run out and auto-changeovers stupidly defeat this sensible plan. 

 

Rant over.

If you have a general idea as to how often you need to change bottles, it isn't a problem. You just check every couple of weeks, heft the bottle in use to gauge how empty it is and then keep an eye on it. There's then plenty of time while you're on the second bottle to get a new one. I've never completely run out of gas in thirty years, both living on and leisure.

[Murflynn]

I always rock the cylinder from side to side and it is easy to feel the weight of the "gas" as it slops around.  When the slopping is hardly evident it is time to have a replacement cylinder at the ready.