Guest Tracker Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Ever wondered why some gas bottles seem to last longer than others? Well, let me tell you a little story! When I were a wee lad knee high to a rodent my Dad bought his first caravan and we were off on many an adventure with it precariously hitched on the back of his 997cc Ford Anglia. My Dad was one of the best Mr Fixits that I have ever known and he always carried a little pot of dilute WUL (wash up liquid) and a small paintbrush. Whenever he changed the gas bottle he would get me to brush soapy water on each of the regulator joints to check for leaks. Rarely there was a small leak and he fixed it. Now not so much worried about the risk of fire or explosion but more about losing Gas that I had paid for I adopted the same habit when I bought my first caravan and so the procedure continues to this day. In the old days before we had the dubious 'progress' from low pressure to high pressure pigtails leaks were very rare but even then more common in Propane with it's metal to metal joint than Butane with it's rubber washer seal. These days and even though I thoroughly clean both the regulator pigtail jointing surface AND the inside of the gas bottle tap before connecting small leaks occur with monotonous regularity. I have even had one gas bottle which would not connect leak free on any of my three pigtails. I took it back to the dealer who changed it for another bottle and I wonder if he sent it back to Calor or resold it? Does anyone know the recommended life of these high pressure hoses? The old low pressure used to be two or three years before you ran the risk of low pressure gas seepage through the hose walls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Hi Tracker, I know the all stainless steel ones, as used on the refillables are guaranteed for 25 years but I don't know for the rubber ones. Also I like the connections that are made by Gaslow that have a rubber seal and can be done up/ undone by hand see http://www.gaslow.co.uk/pages/c_s2_4.htm Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Yes Basil I am very tempted to get a couple of those steel pigtails with the rubber nose cones and abolish spanners and bruised and skinned knuckles for ever more! If only I were not so tight fisted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordie01 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 hi i am on my third high pressure pig tail they keep leaking at the crimped joint i always spray with leak detection fluid when i change bottles and regullaly inbetween iwas thinking about going back to a cylinder mounted regulator and low pressure hose connection to van gas pipework Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Tracker - 2007-10-14 7:01 PM Yes Basil I am very tempted to get a couple of those steel pigtails with the rubber nose cones and abolish spanners and bruised and skinned knuckles for ever more! If only I were not so tight fisted! Hi Tracker, why not go the whole hog, and buy a couple of refillable cylinder's as well, when you refill them it's like buy one get one free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 breakaleg - 2007-10-15 3:52 PM] Hi Tracker, why not go the whole hog, and buy a couple of refillable cylinder's as well, when you refill them it's like buy one get one free Now that the IHT threshold has doubled I reckon it gives my son or I the chance to spend a bit more of my cash rather than letting Grasping Gordon waste it, so maybe I just might go all the way (memories!) and buy refillables if only on the basis that it's better I spend it than either of the other two! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayKay Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Steady on there Tracker, memories can be a dangerous thing. Well done on a good thread, I have been thinking about these connectors from Gaslow for a little while now, will have to see how much is in the rattler pocket. John D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Thanks John, I must admit to not being wholly convinced on the cost to benefit ratio of refillables yet. I have not yet been abroad for long enough at any one time when cold enough to outlast my existing 13kg + 6 kg + 907 gaz emergency spare as they will last about 9 weeks in total - and they are all paid for already! I have no problem yet lifting a full 13kg bottle and shuffling them about when changing one as it is all part of the fun in the rain along with emptying a full Thetford cassette! Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp002c784tp002c784tp Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Tracker - 2007-10-15 5:46 PM Thanks John, I must admit to not being wholly convinced on the cost to benefit ratio of refillables yet. I have not yet been abroad for long enough at any one time when cold enough to outlast my existing 13kg + 6 kg + 907 gaz emergency spare as they will last about 9 weeks in total - and they are all paid for already! I have no problem yet lifting a full 13kg bottle and shuffling them about when changing one as it is all part of the fun in the rain along with emptying a full Thetford cassette! Rich Hi Tracker Go the full hog and get two Gaslow re-fillables best thing I have ever done on my previous Motorhome fitting two 6kg bottles fitted with auto. change over cost £350 which included filling the bottles, cost of gas was £9.15 it would have cost me £15 for one 6kg normal exchange. Pay for themselves in no time I have just ordered the same system for my new van. (lol) (lol) (lol) Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 You mean you were daft enough to let the whole lot go with the van? Gee whiz Terry you must be a very wealthy man? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp002c784tp002c784tp Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Tracker - 2007-10-15 7:39 PM You mean you were daft enough to let the whole lot go with the van? Gee whiz Terry you must be a very wealthy man? Hi Tracker was not through choice, got caught in the floods in July whilst on holiday in lovely Evesham, had to escape out of the Motorhome at 04.30 escaped with only a few essentials, it then took us a week to hire a vehicle to get home and were limited what we could retrieve from the Lunar submarine, I wanted to try and recover the gas system but the wife did not fancy traveling home with gas bottles in the rear of a Transit. Terry :D :'( >:-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I'm so sorry to hear of your trauma Terry but I'm afraid given the choice between leaving 300 quids worth of kit or taking the wife home - well gee shucks what a choice to have to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp002c784tp002c784tp Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Tracker - 2007-10-15 8:09 PM I'm so sorry to hear of your trauma Terry but I'm afraid given the choice between leaving 300 quids worth of kit or taking the wife home - well gee shucks what a choice to have to make! Yes Tracker had some big descions to make as we also had fitted at the Peterboro show in April 80watt solar panel Airide and other small goodies only managed to recover a few of the small items. also I manage to get more heat out of the wife than I did out of the Gaslow Terry :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Terry now the heat or is the wet has subsided someone must know the fate of your van and if the insurers paid out a total loss they might be amenable to you buying back some of your goodies at a knock down scrap value price? Nothing to be lost by asking them. If they have sold it on for scrap then the breakers might also be interested in selling you your bits back as it is unlikely that they will want any more that the basic mechanicals as saleable and they might well have no idea the true value of said bits? Gotta be worth a phone call surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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