Propane bottle gauge.

JA is correct, weight stamped on the ally disc is in lbs and ozs.

I have a record of the 13kg gas size weighing 27.5kg when full.

Emgee

Kiwi's have the best idea you take your bottle to the filling depot, place on the scale and dial in the tare weight shown on the bottle add gas to the full level/weight and pay for the amount added. You can top up anytime! No guessing how long before you run out or changing your bottle with gas still in thus wasting it.😊

I use the small Primus 2000 size bottles a lot, and keep 2 of them. When one runs out I start using the full one and get the empty one filled up in the meantime. I weigh these small bottles on the kitchen scales and it is a good indicator of how much is left. Having a spare means I don't get caught out.

I have a larger 3.9kg bottle that I do not use much yet. I'll get a spare one when I start boiler making in earnest.

Steve

On our first camping trip in Scotland I was worried that our Gaz cylinder would run out. Since it had tare and full weights stamped on it I thought it would be a good idea to buy a little spring balance to check it. So we went into a big hardware store and they didn't have anything but suggested we tried the fishing tackle shop. There I found a neat little Spring balance that would weigh up to 28 lbs, just the job. Stamped on it there was a brand name..."Gazweigh"!

Later on I developed an ultrasonic handheld gadget for a client, which had a piezo transducer you pressed against the side of the bottle. Based on a standard industrial level gauge the idea was if you were below the gas liquid level the ultrasound would pass through the fluid and bounce back from the far side of the cylinder with a significant delay. It seemed to work but we found that with many gas bottles it gave false readings because the sound rattled around the metal of the bottle and gave similar delays even if you were above the gas level. I discussed this with a metallurgist who wasn't surprised, he said that the average gas bottle was a "metallurgical dog's dinner". Shame really, it would have been a nice product for people depending on bottled gas. At one point I visited a gas stockist to try it out on a range of "empty" bottles, he told me he was able to keep his house warm and cook with what was left in the empties!

John F

I think the same can be done in the US but in the UK most gas bottles do not have a float type cut-off that allows 100% safe self filling. Calor who are the prominent player in the bottled gas industry make a fortune just refilling bottles, the prices charged per litre of gas is astronomical, but then they do collect empties and deliver the filled bottles back to the distributors !!!!! The cost of a re-filled 6kg bottle is very high when compared with the 13kg.

There are some very expensive re-fillable bottles available but are not always welcomed at the gas pump for refilling, even with an external inlet point, some motorhomes have gas storage tank facilities as gas converted cars so don't experience difficulty filling.

Emgee

Further to JohnF's bit above, here in NZ when the (9 kg) container is due for it's 10 year test, just take it to a depot that does exchange cylinders. That system doesn't work with my workshop cylinder which is a 5kg one.

Ian S C

We use 19kg propane bottles for household cooking and smaller ones for hobbies etc. Yes very expensive, esp. since our enlightened government decided cooking was a leisure activity and put full VAT on them. Usually we can get gas for a few days after the liquid has gone. In cold weather a kettle of hot water will often get some more cooking time, no need to wast any. We do always have a spare in case.

Just one additional point, the mass stamped on the cylinder is the mass of cylinder only and does not include the cylinder valve. The gas company will fill the cylinders by weighing the cylinder and valve, and noting the additional mass increase due to liquefied gas.

Regards,

Gareth

I wanted a couple of gas bottles some years ago and rather than pay for the bottle up front I managed to get some that had been dumped. One of them was butane but I managed to swap it for a propane bottle just for the cost of the gas. Interestingly my local dump now want £6 for you to leave an unwanted cylinder with them!

When I sold Calor gas years ago, the Fire Brigade used 19kg propane cylinders for portable floodlights and blowtorches. They were required to have a full cylinder on board at all times, and even if the cylinder had only been used for five minutes, it had to be changed! We used those cylinders for the heating in the shop!

Easy way to check gas level in bottle is to pour boiling, or near boiling, water down the side of it. Wait a few seconds and run your hand down the side of the bottle where you poured the water. Above the liquid level line will feel warm or hot. Below the liquid level line will feel cool.

That's the official checking method recommended by our local gas company who supply the gas to our house in 45kg bottles. They recommend it for the larger bottles and smaller BBQ bottles. I've tried it and it works.