Acetylene bottles in the home workshop

Hello everybody, some help would be most appreciated. I have an oxy-acetylene welding/cutting setup in my home workshop. I have been told that it is illegal by somebody who possibly doesn't know what they are talking about. If anybody has the definitive answer on this I would be most grateful.

Phil

I have been a customer of BOC for decades. I have never had any difficulty obtaining gas or equipment. Undoubtedly, there will be restrictions in a workplace, but AFAIK, there are none at home. If there were restrictions in the domestic setting, I doubt that they would have made deliveries.

Quite right Chris

No restrictions that I'm aware of, I was advised to let my local Fire Officer know I have them, and also my home/workshop insurer

I'd check whether your house insurer is happy (if the workshop is part of the cover). Having seen what a kerfuffle it is when you get an acetylene 'fire' I would rather keep it outside. It isn't actually a fire. In very rare events acetylene can start to decompose inside the bottle, producing lots of heat, and potentially exploding. The only thing the fire brigade can do is keep it cool by spraying water on it until its all over. Google HSE acetylene.

Edited By duncan webster on 05/09/2023 19:08:52

+1 on making sure your insurance company knows and it does not affect your cover.
It's surprising in the UK how many activities you can carry out "in" your own home as a hobby that would require lots of paperwork if done in the course of business.

For acetylene, as long as you are not making it, filling cylinders, compressing it to more than 0.62 BAR Gauge or using it at more than 1.5 BAR Gauge (the pressures in a cylinder and a fittted regulator don't count) you are OK. See:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1639/

This has practical guidance:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg327.pdf

Transporting it is another matter, again check insurance. HSE have an interesting video that includes the planned rapid dissassembly of a old Fiat van.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/acetylene-research.htm

Robert.

It's definite that they don't know what they are talking about!

I have oxy-acetylene, argon and propane cylinders at home. The first three are in the workshop and the propane cylinder lives outside. All welding, silver soldering and gas heating is done outside. If i have the oxygen cylinder from my glider at home it lives in the house along with the parachute.

As a private individual one is entitled to transport a small acetylene cylinder in ones personal transport provided ventilation is provided, in other words open the window.

Andrew

Like Andrew I have all the kit and have had for 50 years. There is always someone who knows better than we do? And often tries to make trouble. Noel.

Hi Philip, I've never heard of having oxy-acetylene equipment at home to be illegal. However, you may need to let your insurers know, which may put what you pay to them increase. The important thing though, is to make sure that all your equipment is safe and maintained correctly, and if you do have a fire you will need to let the fire brigade know exactly where it is, otherwise they will just let it burn while your keeping neighbours property as safe as possible, and you or your insurers may have to pay costs incurred for the exclusion zone and any damage caused to other peoples property, that may well result. Maintaining your equipment means testing your equipment at least once a year and logging the results, and also replacing out of date components, like regulators and flashback arresters. There is no law to say you have to do maintenance, but if you do get a fire and property gets damaged, and people get injured, and a court case ensues, and you have no evidence of keeping your equipment maintained, you could find yourself on a negligence charge. Acetylene is the most explosive gas there is, and you really don't what to be anywhere near it, if it does explode.

Regards Nick.

My house insurance (Sydney, Australia) has a clause about not storing gas cylinders inside the house. Fire fighters will not enter the house if they know there are cylinder inside and catastrophic if they did enter and one exploded.

Our government rules for transporting oxygen and acetylene cylinders. Ensure cylinders are fixed and secure before starting your journey, in an upright, vertical position and separated from the driver's compartment. Ensure valves are protected from accidental opening. Unload cylinders as soon as you reach your destination. Never store acetylene cylinders in an unventilated vehicle.

My insurance company told me that the bottles had to be 50 mtrs from any habitable homes & were on a concrete floor.

Steve.

Let’s be sensible, here. I know nowt about the rules for acetylene, but….

Location may make a difference to the rules/laws. You have not provided that information.

As above, there may be a difference between a discrete workshop building and one which is part of your habited house. Again, you have not provided details.

Most certainly, butane bottles within the house, in the UK is permitted. Propane is not (because of the higher pressures involved). All calor-fuelled cookers, etc must have the bottles sited outside.

Non-flam gases are permissible - lots of oxygen cylinders are used for people with breathing difficulties. Soda-stream bottles have been in existence for decades, some fire extinguishers contain CO2, some even run bars in their homes!

However, in any case, your house and contents insurance may be negated (if you think you are insured) unless the company is aware and the policy adjusted to include the risk.

If you transport acetylene cylinder laying down it MUST be stood upright for an hour before use to allow gas to settle.

Hi Kwil, actually if the acetylene has been lying down, it must be stood upright for not less than the same amount of time, up too a maximum of 12 hours before use, this is to prevent acetone being forced out when the valve is opened. Preferable, they should always be transported and stored upright.

Regards Nick.

I see from Andrews post that he keeps the oxygen cylinder from his glider in the house when at home, I wasn’t aware that gliders could reach altitudes where oxygen would be required, it’s 50 years since I did any gliding, things must have come a long way since then if gliders now go that high. Dave W

Current BGA guidance is to use oxygen above 10000ft, although I have been to 14000ft without. My oxygen system is constant flow, 2 or 4 litres a minute, whether you need it or not. The cylinder capacity is 630 litres and 137 bar when full. The highest I've been in a thermal was 16000ft, in the Alps. When I went to put the mask on the rubber economiser bag failed, so I ended up sticking the low pressure pipe from the regulator in my mouth. The highest I've been in wave is 23000ft, over Cheviot in Northumberland.

Andrew

Nick,

HSE indg 327 dated 2014 states 1 hour (to allow acetone to settle). "Obviously" more than this safer but not required by HSE.

Unless you can find a later advice.

K

Hi Kwil, I was quoting what is in my BOC oxyfuel gases safety awareness and inspection workshop courses, however, BOC, as it is now says they should be stood upright for a minimum of one hour, section 7, 7.2 of BOC safety Data Sheet re; acetylene dissolved in product name search.

I therefore stand corrected, but the reason for standing them before such use is the same, and if I was still working with acetylene, I would probably be happier with the old standard.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 06/09/2023 15:31:08

The simple response to somebody who says that something is illegal is to ask them to cite the relevant statute.

(Edited to undo "autocorrect" yet again!)

Edited By Chris Pearson 1 on 06/09/2023 15:55:10

All I can say Andrew is Wow that is some gliding, I am in awe. Dave W