Changing A Calor Gas Bottle.

[Pav]

Hi Everyone,

 

Bit embarressing this, but may be useful for a few fellow thickies........

 

Today was the first time I have ever changed a calor gas bottle.

Now don't laugh, but I had no idea that the thread was a left hand one.

 

I did not have a spanner to fit so I scrounged one. Luckily Alan seems to have grasped that I am not the brightest person regarding 'Boaty' things, and told me about the thread has he handed me the spanner.

 

Thank goodness he did because I would probably still be struggling now! Thanks Alan.

 

Although this is something that is obviously common knowledge to majority of you, there may be, like myself, a few more 'Thickies' out there, who will be grateful to have this pointed out to them prior to carrying out their first bottle change.

 

Regards,

Pav.

[carlt]

I went to see my sister, once, and, as I arrived I found my brother-in-law dangling from a scaffolding pole, which was sticking out of his mini-van bonnet, to get added leverage.

 

"Changing the clutch?" says I.

 

"Yes but the nut just won't move!" says he (expletives deleted).

 

"Left-hand thread." says I, walking indoors, chuckling and shaking my head.

 

What I didn't tell him was that, the reason I knew this was because my Dad found me battering a spanner with a lump hammer, under the bonnet of my Minor, some time before and said:

 

"Changing the clutch?"........

Edited October 13, 2008 by carlt

[Tim Lewis]

I went to see my sister, once, and, as I arrived I found my brother-in-law dangling from a scaffolding pole, which was sticking out of his mini-van bonnet, to get added leverage.

 

"Changing the clutch?" says I.

 

"Yes but the nut just won't move!" says he (expletives deleted).

 

"Left-hand thread." says I, walking indoors, chuckling and shaking my head.

 

What I didn't tell him was that, the reason I knew this was because my Dad found me battering a spanner with a lump hammer, under the bonnet of my Minor, some time before and said:

 

"Changing the clutch?"........

 

 

Saw something similar a few years ago when I witnessed a normally very mechanically minded friend wielding a scaffold pole attached to a large spanner failing miserably to get the wheel nuts off the rear wheel of a twin rear wheel WRG transit van.

 

A few days later a notice appeared on the van saying 'these nuts are left hand thread!'

 

Tim

Edited October 13, 2008 by Tim Lewis

[alan_fincher]

A bit like those not "in the know" trying to remove the pedals on a push bike. Strangely they can usually get one off, but start stripping the flats away trying to remove t'other.

[Machpoint005]

Is this why my grandad (many, many years ago...) told me if a nut wouldn't budge, to try and tighten it first?

[Liam]

A few weeks ago, the same thing happened. I heard this banging which went on for about 5 minutes. Eventually I got off the boat to see what the noise was... there was an older bloke, bashing hell out of his gas spanner (the wrong way).

 

I was careful with what I said (nosey parkers and all that, who stick their nose in when you're busy trying to do a job) about it being an opposite thread but he dismissed my comment. The banging continued until his lady friend returned - whose boat it was. As soon as she walked up she said "what are you doing, do it the other way!"

 

The look on the blokes face was a picture

Edited October 13, 2008 by Liam

[tempest]

Being a non-mechanically minded girl, I naturally always manage to try and turn a nut the wrong way. When changing the gas bottle for the first time myself recently I was really trying to be careful (visions of explosions before my eyes) and thought through the "righty tighty lefty loosy" thing and smugly proceeded to tighten the nut on the bottle. BF was greatly amused

[AndyM]

"righty tighty lefty loosy"

 

Superb!!!

My wife will definately relate to that!!

[steelaway]

Excellent - I must remember that one!

[dove]

"righty tighty lefty loosy"

 

Superb!!!

My wife will definately relate to that!!

 

Yes, my mates wife related to it too, and went a said on waterworld. Seven women on the BCN challenge.

[down the north]

Love it,

just picked meself up off the floor,,, ( is it the same if the bolts upside down ???? )

[sociable_hermit]

The wheel nuts on Giulia Sprint GTs were 'handed'. Until about 1973, that is, when Alfa decided to change them to all right hand thread.

 

I had a 1965 car.

 

Unfortunately someone in South africa had rebuilt it in the 1980s using 1970s parts....

[Richard T]

This is off topic but Pav it was good to see the article on your boat saga in Canalboat. I followed your posts with interest last year and its good to see that you got the boat you wanted. Now enjoy it!!

[PaulG]

Hi Everyone,

 

Bit embarressing this, but may be useful for a few fellow thickies........

 

Today was the first time I have ever changed a calor gas bottle.

Now don't laugh, but I had no idea that the thread was a left hand one.

 

Don't worry, mate, you're not the first one, and you won't be the last. When I first bought my boat I spent literally months periodically spraying WD40 on a "seized" union, and hours kneeling on the foredeck with my @rse in the air swearing and taking the skin off my knuckles.

 

Eventually I cut the pipe off and heaved the cylinder out of the locker.

 

It was only then that I noticed the cuts machined into the hex of the union, which identify it as a left hand thread.....

[NBMike]

It would probably be prudent, after attacking your gas bottle left hand nuts with gusto, to splash a little leak detector fluid over the joint to ensure you haven't 'ovalled' the nut.

Mike

[DHutch]

, ( is it the same if the bolts upside down ???? )

Of cause it is!

- Infact i only use it when im upside down.

 

When the right way up i find it just happens naturally including gas fittings being lefthanded, but by the time your side down getting cramp in your left foot and two knuckles worth of skin down, even i find it becomes worth the effort of working out which is my right hand to double check im still battering hell out of it the right way!

 

 

Daniel

[RichardN]

Hi Everyone,

 

Bit embarressing this, but may be useful for a few fellow thickies........

 

Today was the first time I have ever changed a calor gas bottle.

Now don't laugh, but I had no idea that the thread was a left hand one.

 

I did not have a spanner to fit so I scrounged one. Luckily Alan seems to have grasped that I am not the brightest person regarding 'Boaty' things, and told me about the thread has he handed me the spanner.

 

Thank goodness he did because I would probably still be struggling now! Thanks Alan.

 

Although this is something that is obviously common knowledge to majority of you, there may be, like myself, a few more 'Thickies' out there, who will be grateful to have this pointed out to them prior to carrying out their first bottle change.

 

Regards,

Pav.

http://www.calor.co.uk/regulators/index.htm is worth a look

[SteveE]

http://www.calor.co.uk/regulators/index.htm is worth a look

 

OK, brilliant, but why don't they just stamp 'LH thread' on the bottle or the regulator?

SteveE

[Big Steve]

Once sheared two studs off a handed hub before I twigged they might go the other way!

[ditchcrawler]

Saw something similar a few years ago when I witnessed a normally very mechanically minded friend wielding a scaffold pole attached to a large spanner failing miserably to get the wheel nuts off the rear wheel of a twin rear wheel WRG transit van.

 

A few days later a notice appeared on the van saying 'these nuts are left hand thread!'

 

Tim

I have seen the wheel studs wrung off like that, he had done two before I came along with the dog and pointed out his problem