Gas

[Yellows11]

Hi just brought a new gas bottle so it's definitely full but when I turn on I can't get any gas to get though the caravan? Only thing I can think of is the regulator but how would I know??

 

[Woodentop]

Er, have you tried turning the cylinder on when disconnected from any pipe?

 

[Hutch]

Pigtails with non return Valves have been known to stick closed.
Are the individual shut off valves to cooker , water heater and fridge in the open position.

 

[littlebasher]

If there's gas in the bottle (and its coming out when not connected to anything), but nothing coming out of an appliance (say, the hob)..

And all the gas valves are in the open position

In my experience that's likely the regulator as you suspect. I've been through many in my time.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

There have been a few instances of Calor bottles not gassing off correctly.
As stated above try turning it on when disconnected. You may have to take it back and get it exchanged.

 

[ProfJohnL]

There have been a few instances of Calor bottles not gassing off correctly.
As stated above try turning it on when disconnected. You may have to take it back and get it exchanged.

I have worked in the industry, and I have never been aware of a Calor supplied gas bottle 'gassing off' incorrectly. There have been cases where Butane was being used in low ambient temperatures, there have been instances of regulators getting oiled up, and I have seen a couple of cylinders where the brass valve was mechanically too stiff or damaged.

Please can you provide any details of the incidents you report?

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Certainly. We were using 15kg butane bottles in a domestic heater and it would light, run for around 10 seconds then go out. Spoke to the dealer who asked me to bring it back and he would swap it.
When I got there the Calor delivery guy was there. Talking to him he claimed to have 3 more like it on board.

 

[Dustydog]

Certainly. We were using 15kg butane bottles in a domestic heater and it would light, run for around 10 seconds then go out. Spoke to the dealer who asked me to bring it back and he would swap it.
When I got there the Calor delivery guy was there. Talking to him he claimed to have 3 more like it on board.

Last winter my workshop butane gas cylinder would run for a few seconds and cut out . Sub zero temps causing “icing “. Must get round to changing it to Propane👍.The issue only happened when the cylinder was less than a quarter full. Not sure I know what “gassing off” means? A local dialect?

 

[Buckman]

Last winter my workshop butane gas cylinder would run for a few seconds and cut out . Sub zero temps causing “icing “. Must get round to changing it to Propane👍.The issue only happened when the cylinder was less than a quarter full. Not sure I know what “gassing off” means? A local dialect?

If I remember correctly, isn't a term used on oil rigs to allow the oil to come to the surface?

 

[Hutch]

If I remember correctly, isn't a term used on oil rigs to allow the oil to come to the surface?

I think you are thinking about , Flaring,

 

[Buckman]

I think you are thinking about , Flaring,
View attachment 4604

Isn't that the same as gassing off. I am not sure where I hear the term, but thought it was to do with oil rigs?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Last winter my workshop butane gas cylinder would run for a few seconds and cut out . Sub zero temps causing “icing “. Must get round to changing it to Propane👍.The issue only happened when the cylinder was less than a quarter full. Not sure I know what “gassing off” means? A local dialect?

"Gassing off" is actually how LPG cylinders work. Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) in side the cylinder has to boil (Gass Off) to produce the gas vapour we use.

If the liquified gas is not warm enough it wont boil - its the exactly the same process as boiling water, if its not warm enough it won't boil to produce steam (which is a gas)

Liquified Butane need to be above about -1C to boil at normal atmospheric pressure, but in a cylinder its held under pressure to realistically it needs to be about about 2C or more to boild and produce butane gas.

One of the problems is , the heat energy need to phase change the Butane has to come from the mass of the liquified gas, so as the energy is used it actually cools the liquified gas, and if it cools it too much, the remaining liquified gas won't be warm enough to vapourise any more gas.

The liquified gas will normally pull heat in through the walls of the cylinder. if the ambient temperature is too low, there won't be enough heat transfer to vaporise the gas.

A full bottle of gas has a greater surface area in contact with the liquified gas, so it will manage to collect more ambient heat energy to keep the liquified gas boiling than a part used cylinder using gas at the same rate

Most users are not necessarily familiar with the technicalities of how LPG cylinders actually work, so they often incorrectly describe a butane cylinder as freezing, when in fact the the gas hasn't frozen (ie turned to a solid) its still liquified, but its simply not warm enough teo allow it to boil and "gass off"

 

[ProfJohnL]

"Gassing Off" and "Flaring" do not mean the same thing, but they can be related.

Gassing off implies a the production of a gas (not necessarily a flammable gas) from a product or process.

Where a waste oe excess gas is flammable there may be a reason to burn it rather than leave it to disperse by itself. In which case it may be Flared Off