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[Dusty]

I may be a little paranoid, but I can't help thinking that I'm being done by my propane gas delivery company.

I have 47kg propane gas bottles delivered. They usually last about 4 weeks each. Last one only lasted about 2 weeks.

Would it be possible to half fill them or am I being just paranoid. I am going to keep a check in future.

Would the companies fill them themselves, or do they rely on a thrid party?

Anyone any ideas?

Thanks Dusty

[waspy]

They can be half filled. As for being filled by a third party i'm not sure.
Get your bathroom scales out & weigh them, but before the delivery guy leaves.

[ScottieMV6]

Where are you getting the propane from?

I know this is probably obvious but could it be that you have used more because it has been cold?

I worked for BOC for 8 years and it has been known for companies to part fill cylinders before.

[Dusty]

Where are you getting the propane from?

I know this is probably obvious but could it be that you have used more because it has been cold?

I worked for BOC for 8 years and it has been known for companies to part fill cylinders before.

It seemed far lighter on delivery,but I did not think much more about it.
I think that it was part filled.

[Dusty]

They can be half filled. As for being filled by a third party i'm not sure.
Get your bathroom scales out & weigh them, but before the delivery guy leaves.

If I weigh an empty cylinder,then a full one should weigh 47 lbs plus the weight of an empty cylinder.

Do I have that right Pete.

[Ken T]

They can be half filled. As for being filled by a third party i'm not sure.
Get your bathroom scales out & weigh them, but before the delivery guy leaves.

If I weigh an empty cylinder,then a full one should weigh 47 lbs plus the weight of an empty cylinder.

Do I have that right Pete.

47KG more surely!. I got caught with an empty laser toner cartridge. I weighed an empty one and a full one, so I can now check any I buy.

Ken

[Dusty]

They can be half filled. As for being filled by a third party i'm not sure.
Get your bathroom scales out & weigh them, but before the delivery guy leaves.

If I weigh an empty cylinder,then a full one should weigh 47 lbs plus the weight of an empty cylinder.

Do I have that right Pete.

47KG more surely!. I got caught with an empty laser toner cartridge. I weighed an empty one and a full one, so I can now check any I buy.

Ken

Yes sorry Ken my mistake. I meant 47kg.
Its not something you would normally think of but sometimes they do seem light on delivery.

[waspy]

They can be half filled. As for being filled by a third party i'm not sure.
Get your bathroom scales out & weigh them, but before the delivery guy leaves.

If I weigh an empty cylinder,then a full one should weigh 47 lbs plus the weight of an empty cylinder.

Do I have that right Pete.

47KG more surely!. I got caught with an empty laser toner cartridge. I weighed an empty one and a full one, so I can now check any I buy.

Ken

Yes sorry Ken my mistake. I meant 47kg.
Its not something you would normally think of but sometimes they do seem light on delivery.

There should be a gross weight on the cylinder which by the looks of things, it's 47kg. They shouldn't weigh any less

[Kevin Wood]

47kg is the weight of the gas when full. On the metal collar round the valve at the top there is some sort of code indicating the empty weight of the cylinder, IIRC. Add 47kg and this is how much it should weigh full.

So, a new cylinder should weigh 47kg more than an empty one.

Kevin

[Vamps]

Just a thought and cant remember the technical termanology but remember that propane uses warmth to produce the vapour and in very cole weather you may not get all the gas out of the bottle if your usage is high. Pour some hot water over the cylinder and watch the difference.

[Kevin Wood]

Just a thought and cant remember the technical termanology but remember that propane uses warmth to produce the vapour and in very cole weather you may not get all the gas out of the bottle if your usage is high. Pour some hot water over the cylinder and watch the difference.

Good point. You have to boil the propane off the liquid in the cylinder. If you're using it at a high rate under cold conditions there might not be enough ambient heat to do so. Usually the cylinder will frost up in that case as the boiling liquid extracts heat from the environment (a good way to tell how full the cylinder is - try feeling for the liquid level if there's no frost / condensation). Propane is not too bad in this respect though. It boils at -40 deg c under ambient conditions. Butane is a real pain in the cold though.

I have experience of a central heating system that was fired by 47Kg propane cylinders located outside and never had problems with the cold. I'm sure we saw temperatures down to -6 or 7.

Another possibility: do you have an automatic changeover valve that selects the cylinders automatically? Could it be that it's switching over early so you're changing cylinders prematurely? Could also be related to icing, since the pressure will drop off if the cylinder ices up.

Kevin

[Vamps]

Just a thought and cant remember the technical termanology but remember that propane uses warmth to produce the vapour and in very cole weather you may not get all the gas out of the bottle if your usage is high. Pour some hot water over the cylinder and watch the difference.

Good point. You have to boil the propane off the liquid in the cylinder. If you're using it at a high rate under cold conditions there might not be enough ambient heat to do so. Usually the cylinder will frost up in that case as the boiling liquid extracts heat from the environment (a good way to tell how full the cylinder is - try feeling for the liquid level if there's no frost / condensation). Propane is not too bad in this respect though. It boils at -40 deg c under ambient conditions. Butane is a real pain in the cold though.

I have experience of a central heating system that was fired by 47Kg propane cylinders located outside and never had problems with the cold. I'm sure we saw temperatures down to -6 or 7.

Another possibility: do you have an automatic changeover valve that selects the cylinders automatically? Could it be that it's switching over early so you're changing cylinders prematurely? Could also be related to icing, since the pressure will drop off if the cylinder ices up.
Kevin

I have this on the caravan, it may change over at night but a sunny winters day can get several more days of use, I just change it back through the day, always have a full cylinder out of two so can afford to squeeze out what I can without worry of not having any gas, it just keeps changing back when it gets cold again.

[Dusty]

Thanks for all your replies.

We switch off the extra cylinder so we know exactly when the changeover occurs. If you leave them both connected you can't tell how much you are using.

I'm sure you are right about the cold weather having something to do with the gas usage.

Thanks

Dusty

[Vamps]

Thanks for all your replies.

We switch off the extra cylinder so we know exactly when the changeover occurs. If you leave them both connected you can't tell how much you are using.

I'm sure you are right about the cold weather having something to do with the gas usage.

Thanks

Dusty

What are you running? that would cut off the gas when the first seems empty..... :-/

[Dusty]

Thanks for all your replies.

We switch off the extra cylinder so we know exactly when the changeover occurs. If you leave them both connected you can't tell how much you are using.

I'm sure you are right about the cold weather having something to do with the gas usage.

Thanks

Dusty

What are you running? that would cut off the gas when the first seems empty..... :-/

We turn the valve off on top of the cylinder so no gas came come out until we turn it on. Downside is you have to go out in the cold to turn the cylinder on.. but at least we know when one finishes and another one starts.