JayKay Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Has anyone used these magnetic gas level indicators before and if so do they work ? The ones that I have seen are on the Halfords website and if they work would seem to be a cheap answer to the problems of "How much is left in the cylinder". John D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 John I think that you need one of these. I cannot remember where you get them from but I remember that it was Derek that told me about them . Questions questions its never ending in this game . Our friends just asked us the same how do you tell how much is left . We could only tell him about this gadget . sorry john should of said I dont know about the Halfords ones . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 JayKay - 2007-11-12 12:26 PM Has anyone used these magnetic gas level indicators before and if so do they work ? The ones that I have seen are on the Halfords website and if they work would seem to be a cheap answer to the problems of "How much is left in the cylinder". John D. I bought one. I can never seem to get a decent reading so to me they are as much use as a chocolate fireguard :D Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza454 Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 JayKay - 2007-11-12 12:26 PM Has anyone used these magnetic gas level indicators before and if so do they work ? The ones that I have seen are on the Halfords website and if they work would seem to be a cheap answer to the problems of "How much is left in the cylinder". John D. Hi JayKay,Don't waste your money - they don't work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 I carry two gas bottles, both permanently connected to the regulator by a 'T' piece. As long as you remember to only turn one bottle on at a time, so that only one bottle at a time runs out, it is a simple thing to pop out of the van (preferably in the dark, usually whilst raining and, wearing only jimjams and slippers) open the locker and turn the empty bottle off and the spare bottle on - in that order. Takes about a minute and is much easier than having to disconnect and reconnect, which can then be done at leisure when you remember to get a new bottle. There's no waste either as the bottle will well and truly run dry and we tend to treat the gas running out at the worst possible time not as a chore but as one of the very many and varied joys of camping! Gaslow do a dial gauge but in my experience that too is not a lot of use. In fact anything that is hidden away in the gas locker is not a lot of help in my view? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Ah but Rich what do you do when you have been away not used all the bottle then you decide to go away again like me. Now you are left with knowing you have used that first bottle but not knowing how much you have used ?. Now say like me you want to go to France in Dec and we would nt go with anything less than the two 13kg you never know . now you are faced with knowing you have used it but how much have you used . Do I leave that bottle at home go and get another or chance taking a bottle a thrid full ?. Or do I take my 6kg with me ?.. that cost nearly as much as my 13kg and really is not worth it I was caught out there ? which is it ? to be sure :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9withdogs Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Tracker - 2007-11-12 3:08 PM I carry two gas bottles, both permanently connected to the regulator by a 'T' piece. I remember you putting one of those in my van - but when it went for it's habitation check the garage removed it *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayKay Posted November 12, 2007 Author Share Posted November 12, 2007 Hi all, Many thanks for your comments, looks like Halford's answer is a no no. Michele, That "Nivogaz" thingy does it weigh the cylinder so that you calculate the contents? Thanks for changing your avatar, much better than them white tree's. J9, I reckon that your indicator thingy was "misplaced" so that the engineer could have another look at your pins when you went back to enquire of it's whereabouts, also do you put your feet in curlers every night in order that you can get into those shoes ? John D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 There are motor caravaners that say they can tell the liquid level by touch and can feel where he liquid level is by the change in temperature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 A quick physics lesson. LPG is stored under pressure as a liquid. When you draw gas off the gas pressure reduces slightly and the liquified gas "boils" to produce more gas. In doing this the liquified gas temperature actually reduces slightly giving a defined demarcation in temperature between the gaseous gas and the liquified gas and this is what these magnetic gauges are supposedly going to detect. Problems are that: A. the temperature difference is relative to the amount of liquified gas "boiling" and this is directly relative to the amount of gas being drawn off. As most motorhome usage is relatively small there will be a minimal difference in temperature making it quite hard to detect through a steel cylinder. If anyone has seen some of the commercial space heaters that use bottled gas you might well have noticed the lower part of the cylinder displaying condensation or even frost. This happens because the gas fired heater is drawing significantly larger quantities of gaseous gas than would be the norm in a motorhome. B. This type of indicator only works when you're actually drawing gas off as that is the only time there is any real temperature difference and you need to go out to your gas locker and view it. Personally I have no experience of these type of gauges but I doubt if they're much use in real life. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 John D: Magnetic gas-level indicators may have some useful value when the gas cylinder is very small capacity (eg. a little Campingaz container) - otherwise not. I've got one and, if you want to experiment, then PM me with your address and I'll post it to you. As I never give anything away that might have possible value to me, you can tell how genuinely useless this gadget is! The only 'external' system that will provide an immediate accurate reading of the contents of a gas bottle is Truma's "Sonatic" product, but that is limited to a very restricted range of bottle sizes and types (and it ain't cheap either). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 michele - 2007-11-12 4:25 PM Ah but Rich what do you do when you have been away not used all the bottle then you decide to go away again like me. Now you are left with knowing you have used that first bottle but not knowing how much you have used ?. Weigh an empty bottle on the bathroom scales and keep a note of its weight. When you want to find out how much gas is in a bottle, weigh it and take off the weight of the empty bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 derek500 - 2007-11-13 8:53 AM michele - 2007-11-12 4:25 PM Ah but Rich what do you do when you have been away not used all the bottle then you decide to go away again like me. Now you are left with knowing you have used that first bottle but not knowing how much you have used ?. I have three bottles so I can always have two full ones. When we go abroad I take off the part used and replace it with a full. When we get back I replace the empty one with the part used and replace the empty one with a new one. I make a note of when we start a new bottle and as we know roughly how long a bottle lasts, according to experience and weather conditions, I generally have a rough idea of how much is in the bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 J9withdogs - 2007-11-12 3:33 PM Tracker - 2007-11-12 3:08 PM I carry two gas bottles, both permanently connected to the regulator by a 'T' piece. I remember you putting one of those in my van - but when it went for it's habitation check the garage removed it *-) Did they say why? Did they hand you back the bits? That system has worked safely for us for nearly 50 years (to include touring caravans) so did you ask them if it contravenes some rule? It would be interesting to know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Derek, Truma tell me they have withdrawn their system - which was never sold in the Uk anyway. Mel E ==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9withdogs Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Tracker - 2007-11-13 9:17 AM J9withdogs - 2007-11-12 3:33 PM Tracker - 2007-11-12 3:08 PM I carry two gas bottles, both permanently connected to the regulator by a 'T' piece. I remember you putting one of those in my van - but when it went for it's habitation check the garage removed it *-) Did they say why? Did they hand you back the bits? That system has worked safely for us for nearly 50 years (to include touring caravans) so did you ask them if it contravenes some rule? It would be interesting to know? Yes they did hand back the bits and I've just shown them to Dave Newell who couldn't see anything wrong with them apart from the fact that they are 'non-standard' *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 JayKay - 2007-11-12 8:46 PM Hi all, Many thanks for your comments, looks like Halford's answer is a no no. Michele, That "Nivogaz" thingy does it weigh the cylinder so that you calculate the contents? Thanks for changing your avatar, much better than them white tree's. J9, I reckon that your indicator thingy was "misplaced" so that the engineer could have another look at your pins when you went back to enquire of it's whereabouts, also do you put your feet in curlers every night in order that you can get into those shoes ? John D. I believe that it does I think its caliberated for certain size bottles . I suppose it deducts in a visable scale. I hope Derek see this and he can help more I do think that they are purchased in France ? But i honestly cannot remember sorry. I have looked for the thread but I cannot even remember what that was called not much help am I :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
empress Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 We had one once! I think it came as a freebie with a magazine, could it have been MMM? As Dave said it only worked when one had gas in use. We threw it away. Empress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Here are some links to earlier forum comments on gas-level measuring: http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1914&posts=12 http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=8151&start=1 http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=8233&posts=14 It may well be (as Mel E advises) that Truma has now withdrawn Sonatic, although it was still being advertised (in German bottle-size format) in the Truma(UK) product-catalogue dated 1/8/2006 and it was definitely available in the UK in the early-2000 years in GB bottle-size format (ie. Calor 6kg/7kg). I came across a comment recently suggesting that, at some stage, Sonatic had been fitted as standard to Compass Rallye caravans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Anyone having difficulties judging how much Gas is left in their cylinders, maybe interested in my thread (today) "Calor Gas cylinders" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 JayKay - 2007-11-12 8:46 PM .............Michele, That "Nivogaz" thingy does it weigh the cylinder so that you calculate the contents? .................... John D. Nivogaz is French and, as indicated, is for 13Kg bottles. It is a balance device, and the bottle must stand with one edge of its base on the balance platform, the opposite edge resting on a firm surface, with no support anywhere between. It will register empty (vide) when the load on the balance platform is around 7KG (half the weight of an empty 13Kg bottle at around 14Kg) and plein (full) when that weight is around 13.5Kg (half the weight of a full 13 Kg bottle at around 27Kg).Different bottles have slightly different empty weights so the device would need a bit of tweaking to be accurate at the lower end of its scale. However, its biggest drawback is that the floor of the gas locker must be more or less perfectly level - since any slope will shift the centre of gravity of the bottle and so distort the readings - and the bottle must be completely free standing (gas tail excepted - provided it has adequate slack) - meaning it has to be freed away from any of its transport lashings - to give accurate results.Possible, but hardly handy!I still think the simplest arrangement is an auto changeover valve with visual indication. When one bottle empties that valve switches to the reserve without interrupting the supply, and all you have to do is peep inside the locker from time to time to see when the indicator shows this has happened. The empty bottle can then be turned off and removed at leisure for replacement, without interrupting the supply on the reserve bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayKay Posted November 18, 2007 Author Share Posted November 18, 2007 Many thanks to you all for your comments on this thread, I tried one of these magnetic gas level indicators this weekend and yes you are right they are impossible to read, not even the wife could read it and she has far better eyesight than me as my ears will testify. I will have to bite the bullet and invest in an auto change over system. Once again thanks for your input. John D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 JayKay - 2007-11-18 10:13 PM I will have to bite the bullet and invest in an auto change over system. Once again thanks for your input. John D. John If its not too late, have a look at the manual changeover ones...you still connect both bottles, but switch over yourself when the first one runs out. I also have a 'tag' on the one in use so that I remember which one to turn back on when the gas has previously been turned off. Works a treat, and just a minute to turn the switch to the other bottle when necessary. I always replace the empty one immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Keith T - 2007-11-18 10:36 PM JayKay - 2007-11-18 10:13 PM I will have to bite the bullet and invest in an auto change over system. Once again thanks for your input. John D. Be VERY aware that it is easy to run out of gas completely with an automatic system. As you will not know when it changes over you will have no idea how much gas you have at any one time? I have heard it said that it changes over before the first bottle tuns out and it would be a bit of a bummer to hand bottles back to Calor with gas left in them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Tracker - 2007-11-19 10:18 AM Keith T - 2007-11-18 10:36 PM JayKay - 2007-11-18 10:13 PM I will have to bite the bullet and invest in an auto change over system. Once again thanks for your input. John D. Be VERY aware that it is easy to run out of gas completely with an automatic system. As you will not know when it changes over you will have no idea how much gas you have at any one time? I have heard it said that it changes over before the first bottle tuns out and it would be a bit of a bummer to hand bottles back to Calor with gas left in them! Now, with this I do not agree! I have now had two auto-changeover valves of different makes. Both, as I stated, gave clear indication when the reserve bottle had come on line. Unless you have the Truma Drivesafe system installed, you should shut off the gas when you drive off, so need to stick your nose in the gas locker from time to time, so there is no reason to get caught out. It seems to me that the only folk who may risk running out are those who never look in their gas lockers, or possibly those who use very small butane cylinder in cold weather!I have not heard the claim that the changeover is premature, except in the case of butane cylinders being used in very cold weather - which is a problem with butane and not the changeover valve. I have not experienced premature changeover with either system I have used. There will inevitably be a small residual pressure in the "empty" cylinder at the point of changeover, since the changeover is pressure implemented, but the volume remaining is negligible and of insignificant value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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