Gas bottle level indicator recommendations

[ProfJohnL]

When we had the caravan we use to carry two propane one 6kg and 3.9kg and had a fitted inline gauge a good safely device .but we always use electric hook up on site

Why or how is an inline gauge a "good safety device?

 

[Buckman]

Why or how is an inline gauge a "good safety device?

"Safety" device that make you feel safe from running out of gas.

 

[Jaydug]

Truma used to sell a device that would measure the depth of the liquid left in a bottle using ultrasonic sonar techniques.

I fitted the Truma device two or three years ago. As Truma stopped producing the Sonatic, Magnum Motorhomes bought up the remaining stock and sold them cheaply on their Ebay site. It works very well with the percentage of gas shown on the panel. You can read about the fitting in my blog
PS - You'll need to scroll down to item No 24.

 

[Challenger]

Gaslites are jumping on the bandwagon for the cost of gas. A 5kg £35.
A 6kg calor (heavy) £26.75. but more realisticly £29.
I see you can get calorlites refilled on Ebay for £25.

Homebase are the ones 'jumping on the bandwaggon' . They are by far the most expensive !

 

[otherclive]

Homebase are the ones 'jumping on the bandwaggon' . They are by far the most expensive !

They are £35 for 5 Kg at a local department store. But still a bargain compared to blue Camping Gaz. R904 1.8kg at £39.99☹️

 

[Beachball]

Why or how is an inline gauge a "good safety device?

Well it design to automatic shut off should there be a major gas leak and can be use to test for smaller leaks ,and to me that a no brainer in my book .

 

[JTQ]

Well it design to automatic shut off should there be a major gas leak and can be use to test for smaller leaks ,and to me that a no brainer in my book .

Some confusion here IMO?
A gauge can't shut off a major gas leak, only measure something, there must be other than just a "gauge" involved to do the automatic isolating function described.

 

[Beachball]

Some confusion here IMO?
A gauge can't shut off a major gas leak, only measure something, there must be other than just a "gauge" involved to do the automatic isolating function described.

That one of the reasons i brought it and in forty two years never had any problems with propane gas cylinders and it made me feel safe .

 

[Beachball]

if i remember on my caravan it had a GasStop inline gauge for propane cylinder that also serves other purpose for example it designed to automatically shut off that was the reason i got it for the peace of mind

 

[ProfJohnL]

Thank you for adding the extra detail which now makes sense.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Thought the magnetic ones were a bit cheap.
Think i will go down the gaslite bottle route ,seems to be the best option.

The theory behind them is sound, and when fitted and used correctly they can provide an easy to see temperature differential between the vapour and liquid layers when the bottle is supplying gas. No batteries required.

However, if you can tolerate the inconvenience of running out of gas from time to time, why have an indicator? Apart from weighing the bottle, none of the methods I have seen can be totally relied upon to give a consistently precise indication of when all the liquefied gas has been evaporated, and even to obtain the accuracy needed to check by weighing requires the bottle to be disconnected from the pigtail or regulator.

Consequently, if when using a single bottle system, if you rely on any type of indicator, there is a good chance you'll change the bottle before it's really empty.

If you can accommodate the weight, you would be best served by having an automatic change over valve which should indicate which bottle it's emptied.

 

[Mandarin]

We have an autochanger valve, easy to see if one bottle has run out as the valve shows red.

Incidently we also switched to flogas lite being fed up with searching for calor, although more expensive we use about one bottle a year so no big deal, and being lighter we can carry two bottles with less weight.

 

[RogerL]

The problem is all these devices mean you must still go outside and check.
All a waste of money. As the cylinder runs out whilst in use you get a warning. Smell and flickering flame. Out you go and swap cylinders. 😜

Our Lunar came with the automatic changeover regulator which switches to the full cylinder when the other empties - problem is you still need to go outside and check otherwise both cylinders get emptied !!!

 

[Buckman]

Over the years we have had two auto changers partly fail on us. With both as we had only one bottle connected, it "leaked" through the end not connected. To resolve the issue I fitted a plug on the connection that was not connected to a gas bottle.