How Much Gas is Left in the Gas Bottle?
Including "How To" Video
Checking the level of remaining gas, in a gas bottle, is an easy process.
To make sense, it helps to also explain how LPG works…
How to Check Gas Bottle Level
The short version:
1. Use a jug of hot tap water from your home - More is better.
2. SLOWLY pour the hot water down one side of the gas bottle.
Be careful not to scald yourself!
3. A line of condensation may appear, indicating the gas level. If not:
4. Wait a few seconds and then run your hand down the same side of the gas bottle, where you poured the water.
5. You should feel a change of temperature at the level of the gas.
6. If you feel no difference, the gas bottle may well be empty.
Read more on why this works and for tips & tricks to make it even easier…
Did You Know that Your LPG Boils?
LPG is stored under pressure, as a liquid, in a gas bottle. It turns back into a gas by 'boiling' into gas vapour. This happens at the very low temperature of -42°C. To boil, the liquid LPG draws heat from the steel walls of the gas bottle. This, in turn, makes the gas bottle feel colder than the ambient temperature.
At the Same Time You Can Get Ice on Your Gas Bottle
The gas bottle gets even colder when you are actually using the gas. Under the right conditions, when you are using gas very rapidly, ice can even form on the gas bottle!
Pressure Gauges Don't Work for LPG
With compressed gas bottles, like scuba tanks, pressure drops as the compressed gas is used, so a pressure gauge will indicate the remaining gas level. However, LPG is not compressed gas, it is liquefied gas. The vapour pressure varies with temperature but not with the level of gas in the bottle. As LPG is a liquefied gas, the vapour pressure inside the cylinder will remain the same from full until the last of the liquid LPG is vapourised. So, if your are trying to determine the level of LPG remaining, pressure gauges don't work.
It's All a Matter of Touch
So, we use this to tell how much gas is left in a gas bottle. How? Well, we pour hot water down the side of the gas bottle to heat the steel. The steel above the level of the gas will retain the heat longer than the steel below the level of the gas. This makes it feel warmer above and cooler below the gas level. The point at which you feel the temperature change is the level of the gas inside the bottle.
How to Check How Much Gas is Left in Your Gas Bottle
This test works with either 45kg home gas bottles or BBQ gas bottles:
1. Do NOT use boiling water, as you would risk scalding yourself.
Water from the hot water tap of your home should work fine.
2. Using care, SLOWLY pour the hot water down one side of the gas bottle.
More water is better, as it will make it easier to feel the difference in temperature.
3. A line of condensation may appear, indicating the gas level. If not:
4. Wait a few seconds and then run your hand down the same side of the gas bottle, where you poured the water.
5. You should feel a change of temperature at the level of the gas.
If you feel no difference, the gas bottle may well be empty.
Quick Tip: The test works even better during or after you use one of your LPG appliances.
For example, if you have LPG hot water, do the test right after somone takes a shower.
How Full is Full?
Also, please remember that gas bottles are designed to be full at 80% or just over 3/4. This allows for the natural expansion of the gas during warmer temperatures. For safety reasons, NEVER open the valve on an unattached gas bottle to check for remaining gas, even if you think it is empty.
8 Tips for Never Running Out of LPG Gas Again!
We know that there is nothing more inconvenient than being out of home LPG gas.
Here are a few handy tips, if you are a Tarrants Home Gas customer, to help you avoid running out:
1. Always order gas as soon as the first bottle runs out. Don't wait until the gas bottles are both empty or near empty. Follow this advice and you are virtually assured to never run out of gas.
2. Remember to order sooner, rather than later, during the busy winter season.
3. Remember to check your gas bottles more often in cold weather, especially if you use a gas heater or gas log fire. Even your water heater has to work harder in cold weather, as the incoming water is colder.
4. Having additional house guests can also increase your usage if you have gas hot water. Remember to check more often so both you and your guests avoid cold showers!
5. If you only have one gas bottle attached to your home, you may wish to consider adding a second gas bottle. A second bottle solves the problem and is particularly wise if you use your gas for hot water and/or heating.
6. Remember to increase how often you check your gas bottles if you install additional gas appliances.
Follow these tips and you should enjoy using of your gas appliances without interruption.
Tips courtesy of Elgas(c)