Gas problem with Fridge (Dangerous?)

[QFour]

I have a 12 year old Gaslow system

If your Gaslow system is 12 years old the tanks need testing every 10 years so they are 2 years out of date. If you have done it already .. Good on You .. Our Swift was like that with a gale blowing in from above the fridge door. The Laika and now our Carthago seem to have a sealed area at the back of the fridge so you don't get any fumes inside.

 

[Markd]

There is no legal obligation on private individuals to have lpg bottles retested.
I don't think any individual would be able to arrange that anyway.
Both Gaslow and Gasit accept that individuals do not have to retest or replace their bottles at any specific time.

 

[mfw]

There is no legal obligation on private individuals to have lpg bottles retested.
I don't think any individual would be able to arrange that anyway.
Both Gaslow and Gasit accept that individuals do not have to retest or replace their bottles at any specific time.

Maybe not - but the garage or wherever fills it will have a responsibility if something goes wrong - and if they are found to be allowing people to fill out of test bottles ( easier just to stop selling LPG that is what i would do even if only 1 person was caught ) - and that is not including insurance problems - personally i wont mess around with out of test bottles - seen 2 yr old diving cylinders fail test due to pillar valve problems - lot more pressure - and they do a lot of damage to property and people if they explode - just check out diving bottle explosions you should find interesting reading

 

[in h]

At 12 years old you need a new Gaslow cylinder. Might not be the cause of the problem but could invalidate your insurance

Gaslow R67 11kg Refillable Cylinder No.1

The NEW Gaslow R67 11kg Refillable Cylinder is designed for installation in your caravan/motorhome locker They can be filled using the Gaslow Filler Kit at thousands of LPG stations across the UK and Europe Features automatic 80% shut off valve, over pressure relief valve, filter, excess flow...

www.gaslowdirect.com

"After 10 years you must return your cylinder to Gaslow who will exchange it and charge a replacement fee. "

Basically, I call this out as dishonesty. They say
"You may wish to carry on using your cylinder past its working date, this is a decision that only you can make"
which is the only relevant part of that page.
If the cylinder is undamaged and not rusty, there is no reason why you can't carry on using it indefinitely. It will not invalidate your insurance.

 

[mfw]

May just be over cautious here but if i chanced an out of date cylinder and it caused a fire - i would not argue with the insurance company if they refused to pay out - my choice to risk an out of date bottle so i would have to pay the consequences - all really would depend on whether the insurance company could prove it was out of date though

 

[in h]

There is no legal requirement to test or replace a cylinder at any age, so "out of date" isn't possible.

 

[Markd]

It's up to you of course.
Whilst it would probably be easy to check the stamped test-expiry date on a bottle after a fire unless the insurance company specified that only in date bottles could be used they can't argue that you should have done something that the law doesn't require you to do.
I did insure my motorhome with one company that required an in test extinguisher or they would refuse the claim. As most extinguisher manufacturers say annual check that effectively means new every year as inspection is about the same cost as a new one unless you get P50 extinguisher. I only spotted it after I bought and so had to move a one year old extinguisher from the van into my garage to back up the CO2 extinguisher already there!
Since then I've always checked with insurance company before buying.
I have found a guy who will recertify 3 extinguishers for £20 if he can fit it in with other jobs so may take that route if I need it.

 

[in h]

unless the insurance company specified that only in date bottles could be used they can't argue that you should have done something that the law doesn't require you to do.

Even that would fail. The law has a "reasonableness" test. An insurance company making an unreasonable demand, such as adhering to inapplicable regulations, would not stand up in law.

 

[Markd]

Probably the same for an extinguisher - many are guaranteed for 5 years.
I would think that would mean that you wouldn't really need to ditch for 5 years.
When I suggested that to the broker he said NO.
However it was just the broker's 'boy on the phone' rather than the underwriter.
Whilst I could have made an reasonableness argument after my van had gone up in smoke (not that I'd actually thought of that) for the sake of £25 I just bought an extinguisher and have avoided them since.
Maybe I should be naming and shaming?
Personally I would rather avoid using a firm that required me to do something I didn't need to do than argue with them for months after they refused to pay out.
Of course this is hypothetical as we don't know if there are companies requiring in test lpg bottles in private motorhomes.

 

[mfw]

Probably more likely to have pillar valve fail than the bottle anyway but it is the inconvenience if something does happen - i take chances with things but i am also prepared to take the consequences of my action - saves a lot of stress and worry - generally get caught out in the end anyway - it can only get better from a worst case scenario anyway

 

[in h]

I would have thought that valve failure would be related to how much it was used, how much it was abused and the storage conditions.
The age of the bottle wouldn't be a major factor.

 

[Markd]

In any event failure of the bottle is likely to be 'gradual' rather than catastrophic so the gas will just 'gently' leak out and because our lockers are bottom ventilated it will dissipate into the atmosphere.
If we're about we'll smell it and take appropriate action.

 

[Tim120]

I'm lucky enough to have not been asked about a fire extinguisher as a condition of insurance if I was the reply would be along the lines of,
the date on it makes no difference to me, I'll be at a safe distance on the phone!

I do think pressurised cylinders irrespective of their contents should be tested at specified intervals.