Sharpie
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Hmm, all that I could discover was https://www.gaslowdirect.com/Cylinders/Further-Information/Does-the-cylinder-need-to-be-recertified
Which refers to "an inspection". Which I had thought might actually be an inspection, maybe replace some o-rings or any other parts required to re-life it, then give you back your own cylinder with a new date on it, not just scrap it and sell you a new one with a small discount.
Much as e.g Calor and CampingGaz do behind the scenes with theirs when they are returned, I've seen ones many decades old, which have been refurbished, maybe a new valve and paint, and a new aluminium disc stamped with that date.
With CampingGaz in say Spain and Portugal you need to be wary, if it doesn't have an unbroken factory seal that looks correct, maybe badly rusty and dinged up, it has probably been re-filled locally repeatedly for pennies then sold at full price. Maybe correctly, maybe not, underfilled not so bad, overfilled, easily done, could be quite bad. I've come across that several times and walked away.
Still, even the earliest Gaslows weren't going to expire until 2019, so maybe they haven't thought it through and don't actually have a procedure in place, nor intend to. Do any of the others ? Is it a legal requirement for private ownership ? Or may I just keep on using it with fingers crossed until I pop my clogs then pass it down to my inheritors ? Or should I flog it on Ebay to some unsuspecting punter after ten years and use the cash to buy a new one ?
How long does a fibreglass bottle last, not just in theory but in reality, and it can degrade. BP dumped their fibreglass cylinders some years ago and sold them off to Flogas. I wonder why, perhaps they were simply getting old and needed replacing, rather than re-lifeing like a steel one.
I do know that my steel scuba cylinders can last indefinitely with good care and the required regular inspections, but the one small fibreglass/carbon one has a definite lifetime.
Even Calor got it wrong with the early 6kg Lites, all were recalled early on, that must have cost them, and they have since de-emphasised them, no longer a current product but there are still some around for exchange, I'm guessing that they weren't proving durable.
www.calor.co.uk
As for underslung lpg tanks, I wonder what the rules are, they have to live in far more harsh conditions, ok it might have been given a lick of underseal but that might also just conceal problems developing beneath. I think the theory is that most vehicles reach end of life at ten years and are then scrapped, along with the tank, which hopefully is designed to last at least that long.
Another interesting Gaslow statement, https://www.gaslowdirect.com/R67-Statement
Specifically the bit about valve shrouds. I merely observe that GasIt now fit shrouds (they don't have the chunky multivalve used by Gaslow and Alugas that has apparently undergone special R67 impact tests as a system together with the cylinder, and does not require the shroud), but say that the user may unscrew the shroud if the installation requires it. As with an Alugas. And are disparaging about the R67 standard, but then they don't have it. Hmm again.
Which refers to "an inspection". Which I had thought might actually be an inspection, maybe replace some o-rings or any other parts required to re-life it, then give you back your own cylinder with a new date on it, not just scrap it and sell you a new one with a small discount.
Much as e.g Calor and CampingGaz do behind the scenes with theirs when they are returned, I've seen ones many decades old, which have been refurbished, maybe a new valve and paint, and a new aluminium disc stamped with that date.
With CampingGaz in say Spain and Portugal you need to be wary, if it doesn't have an unbroken factory seal that looks correct, maybe badly rusty and dinged up, it has probably been re-filled locally repeatedly for pennies then sold at full price. Maybe correctly, maybe not, underfilled not so bad, overfilled, easily done, could be quite bad. I've come across that several times and walked away.
Still, even the earliest Gaslows weren't going to expire until 2019, so maybe they haven't thought it through and don't actually have a procedure in place, nor intend to. Do any of the others ? Is it a legal requirement for private ownership ? Or may I just keep on using it with fingers crossed until I pop my clogs then pass it down to my inheritors ? Or should I flog it on Ebay to some unsuspecting punter after ten years and use the cash to buy a new one ?
How long does a fibreglass bottle last, not just in theory but in reality, and it can degrade. BP dumped their fibreglass cylinders some years ago and sold them off to Flogas. I wonder why, perhaps they were simply getting old and needed replacing, rather than re-lifeing like a steel one.
I do know that my steel scuba cylinders can last indefinitely with good care and the required regular inspections, but the one small fibreglass/carbon one has a definite lifetime.
Even Calor got it wrong with the early 6kg Lites, all were recalled early on, that must have cost them, and they have since de-emphasised them, no longer a current product but there are still some around for exchange, I'm guessing that they weren't proving durable.
CalorLite Gas Bottles | LPG Gas Cylinders | Calor Shop
CalorLite gas bottles have limited refill stock available through our network of retailers. Click here to find out more.
www.calor.co.uk
As for underslung lpg tanks, I wonder what the rules are, they have to live in far more harsh conditions, ok it might have been given a lick of underseal but that might also just conceal problems developing beneath. I think the theory is that most vehicles reach end of life at ten years and are then scrapped, along with the tank, which hopefully is designed to last at least that long.
Another interesting Gaslow statement, https://www.gaslowdirect.com/R67-Statement
Specifically the bit about valve shrouds. I merely observe that GasIt now fit shrouds (they don't have the chunky multivalve used by Gaslow and Alugas that has apparently undergone special R67 impact tests as a system together with the cylinder, and does not require the shroud), but say that the user may unscrew the shroud if the installation requires it. As with an Alugas. And are disparaging about the R67 standard, but then they don't have it. Hmm again.
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