Signs to Watch Out for in your Gas Cylinder, How to Know Expiry Date

Considering that every home nowadays has a gas cylinder and uses it on a daily basis, it is necessary to draw everyone's attention to the usage and how safe it is using it.

Properties worth millions indeed have been lost to gas cylinder explosions and even deaths of many but some of these could well be avoided.

Below are a few signs to watch out for in your gas cylinder:

1. Ensure that you do not buy used gas cylinder

2. Be mindful of the expiry date. The expiry of LPG cylinder can be found on one of the metal strips that connect the body of the cylinder to top ring (handle).

On the inner side of the strip, you will see the alphabets from A to D painted along with a number. The alphabet represents the month it expires while the number indicates the year.

A year is divided into four quarters namely:

A – January to March

B – April to June

C – July to September

D – October to December

So for example, your cylinder has ‘B19 painted on the metal strip. The alphabet B represents month June and 19 indicates the year 2019.

3. Make sure your cylinder is not more than 5 years. Keep track of the date of purchase so you can dispose it off.

4. Make sure you keep your cylinder straight (vertically) and not any other way.

5. Do not drop, roll or drag gas cylinders.

6. Ensure that you close the cylinder valve and replace dust caps as at when due.

7. Confirm and double check that you are using the right cylinder.

8. Confirm that the valve is protected by a valve cap or collar, or that the valve has been designed to withstand impact if the cylinder is dropped.

9. Store your gas cylinder in a dry, safe place on a flat surface in the open air. If this is not reasonably practicable, store in an adequately ventilated building or part of a building specifically reserved for this purpose.

10. Be sure that the gas cylinder is not close to any flammable object or any other source of ignition

11. Avoid storing gas cylinders so that they stand or lie in water.

12. Ensure the valve is kept shut on empty cylinders to prevent contaminants from getting in.

13. Do not keep cylinders close the walkways or anywhere such that vehicles that impact on them or they are hit by other moving objects.

14. Cylinders containing flammable gas should not be stored in part of a building used for other purposes.

15. Where appropriate, fit cylinders with residual pressure valves (non-return valves) to reduce the risk of backflow of water or other materials into the cylinder during use that might corrode it (e.g. beer forced into an empty gas cylinder during cylinder change-over).