Whether you have gas hot water, or just want to keep your house cosy during the winter months, you need to check that your gas bottle is still full. The best way to do this is by using a gas level sensor or smartphone app. Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. Measure the weight of your cylinder on a bathroom scale.
If the cylinder weighs less than its empty weight, it’s time to fill it up with gas.
2. Pour some warm water down the side of the cylinder and feel the temperature change.
When you pour hot water down the side of a gas cylinder, there is a small line of condensation that forms on the steel. This condensation line is the indicator of how much gas remains in your cylinder.
3. Pour a bucket or large jug of hot water down the side of the cylinder and gently run your hand down the side of the cylinder.
This method can give you an idea of how much gas is left in your cylinder, but it is not always accurate. The temperature of the cylinder will affect the amount of water that you pour down the side of it and it can take some time to get an accurate measurement.
4. Use a liquid level gauge for filling cylinders (for example forklift cylinders).
When filling a cylinder with a fixed liquid level gauge, like forklift cylinders, the operator will wait for the hose to fill up before closing the bleeder valve. The nozzle will then be hooked to a pump and turned on. Once the liquid reaches the right level, the hose will be disconnected and the pump will be turned off.
5. Fill a cylinder using the decanting method:
This is the method used by many service stations to refill your gas cylinder. A trained technician connects your cylinder to a larger LPG storage tank. The cylinder is then filled until the bleed screw starts to loosen and some gas leaks out. This is a dangerous way to refill your gas cylinder, as the contents are likely to escape at a high speed.
6. Use a digital scale to refill your gas cylinder:
If you have a gas cylinder, or need to fill one, the safest and most accurate way to do it is to use a digital scale. These digital scales are designed to work with the tare weight of your gas bottle, and they will stop filling the cylinder as soon as you reach that target weight. This will prevent over filling or lost value through under filling.
The advantage of using a digital scale is that the refill is faster, as the refilling LPG supply is pump driven. This speeds up the process, and allows the technician to stop the gas cylinder before it is overfilled.
The digital scale also has a keypad that can be programmed with the exact weight of your gas cylinder, so that it will only fill to that target weight. This method ensures that your gas cylinder will be filled to the correct level and is safe for your household and the environment, as it will not overfill or lose its value.