Guide 4 of 6
LPG cylinders at home
An LPG cylinder belongs outdoors, upright, tested within the last ten years, with its connection checked for leaks with soapy water every time it is connected. That is the short version from Fire Rescue Victoria and Energy Safe Victoria; the details and the sources follow.
Fire Rescue Victoria: if a barbecue catches fire, call Triple Zero (000), and if you can do it safely, shut off the gas at the meter or cylinder.
What is in the bottle
Energy Safe Victoria describes LPG as “a combination of propane and butane gases”, stored as a liquid under pressure. It is heavier than air, so “it can therefore pool in low places and may not disperse easily or quickly”, and it is “highly flammable and easily ignited”.
Know the drill before you grill
Fire Rescue Victoria’s five steps for a barbecue, in its order and in summary.
Check
- The cylinder before you turn it on. Don’t refill or use it if it is damaged, or if it has not been tested by a licensed gasfitter in the last ten years.
- The hose has not deteriorated.
- The connections, every time: tight, O rings not cracked or split.
Test
- Spray the connection with soapy water every time you connect it. “Bubbles will form if gas is escaping.”
- If in doubt, don’t use it: shut off the gas, then either replace the connection or call a licensed gasfitter.
Use
- Outdoors with clear space around it; never inside or in an enclosed area.
- One metre from walls, fences and other property.
- Barbecue utensils and an apron, against oil and burns.
- Never unattended; avoid windy conditions, since wind can blow the burners out and risk a gas leak.
Clean
- Clean the barbecue and remove excess fat after each use.
Exchange
- Swap or buy LPG cylinders only from a reputable supplier.
Energy Safe Victoria’s cylinder rules
Its list for reducing risk when using LPG cylinders includes:
- “Only use LPG cylinders which have been tested within the last 10 years. The cylinder should be marked with the test date.”
- Fill cylinders at authorised filling stations staffed by trained people.
- Use a regulator between the cylinder and the appliance, unless the appliance is a portable type designed for high-pressure gas.
- “Turn the gas off at the cylinder if you suspect a leak.”
- “Only use LPG cylinders in well ventilated outdoor areas – never indoors.”
- Keep the cylinder upright, relief valves clear and facing away from combustible surfaces, on a firm, level, non-combustible base.
And what not to do: fill a cylinder yourself unless trained, connect an LPG cylinder to an appliance designed for natural gas, or use a leaking, damaged or corroded cylinder. It adds: “Never use a flame to locate a leak – use soapy water”, close the cylinder valve when appliances are not in use, and replace the dust cap.
The soapy water test
Energy Safe Victoria’s method, step by step:
- “Use a squeezy bottle filled with soapy water (use dishwashing liquid and water).”
- “Squirt the connection with the suds from the soapy water solution.”
- “Bubbles will form if gas is escaping.”
The newer cylinder valve
Energy Safe Victoria explains that a newer valve, called LCC27, is being introduced on barbecue cylinders “to improve safety and reduce the risk of BBQ fires and accidental gas leakage”. With it, gas will not flow unless the valve is connected to the hose, and when used with an LCC27 appliance connector, “a thermal cut-off in the new appliance connection will stop gas from flowing if there is a fire”.
Older barbecues still connect to the new valve, and cylinders with the older valve may continue to be used while they are phased out at each cylinder’s retest. If your barbecue has the new connection, it says you “must not use an adaptor” to connect it to an old-style cylinder, because adaptors are “an additional leakage risk”.
Carrying, swapping and disposing, in New South Wales
NSW Fair Trading’s rules for transporting cylinders in an enclosed vehicle:
- “Carry and store cylinders upright at all times.”
- “Don’t carry a cylinder greater than 9 kg in an enclosed vehicle.”
- “You can transport up to 2 cylinders (totalling 9 kg or less) at a time in an enclosed vehicle.”
- Secure them upright, preferably in the boot, with a plug firmly fitted in the valve.
It explains why: explosions and fires “can occur when LPG cylinders have been carried or left in closed vehicles”, and sparks can come from a car’s own electrical parts, such as remote locking.
On swapping and refilling, it says to check a cylinder has a valve plug fitted before you accept it, that to be refilled a cylinder “must have a valid 10-year stamp”, though one with a water capacity of more than 100kg “may be extended to 15 years”, and “don’t refill your own gas cylinder”. For disposal, cylinders can go to some gas suppliers, some council recycle centres or approved gas cylinder test stations. In Victoria, Energy Safe Victoria says to take disposable canisters to a waste centre and not to incinerate them, and to ask your local council for disposal details.
Outdoor appliances stay outdoors
Energy Safe Victoria says outdoor LPG appliances “present a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning if used in areas with insufficient ventilation, and should never be used inside”. When camping, it says never to use a gas appliance in a tent, a caravan, a campervan or a canvas-type annex. The carbon monoxide guide explains why.
If a cylinder or tank is leaking, Energy Safe Victoria says most show the gas supplier’s name and emergency contact details. The guide to what to do if you smell gas quotes the regulators’ and networks’ lists.