We have four LPG bottles bottles one for house cooktop, second for the outdoor BBQ, the third for the motorhome & the fourth as a spare.

Catchelot wrote: bazza wrote: About that time the Motor Caravan Ass magazine arrived  I am not sure about the gas issues, but when I read above with your Caravan Ass magazines, I wonder whether your campervan and caravan parks are actually a rouge for your sunseeker, nudist, swap a blue hair as it were... bit of a worry you are Bazza!

I have been known to sit a near empty bottle in a large tub of warm water to assist the bottle in giving up its gas...
They don't like the cold...
And I have heard of gas going stale..or something..

pjc wrote: but problem started when filling at petrol station,surely their gas would be a high turn over so stale gas in their tank shouldnt be a problem??

pjc wrote: Thank "Bazza"We have been refilling when bottle felt 1/2 full and then find the bbq wont ignite unless using match.Think I will run bottle out from now on.If I fill up at the gas testing station in Mahia Rd Manurewano problem but problem started when filling at petrol station,surely their gas would be a high turn over so stale gas in their tank shouldnt be a problem??

reel crayze wrote: We have had the same thing when we were away in the caravan.. a very weak flame when the bottle felt like it was was 1/3 full... mind you it may of had something to do with the temp... it was minus 5 or 6

Winter? Frosty morning?
 Or a tank that is too small for the amount of lpg the appliance draws?
 LPG is pressure is directly related to the ambient temp.
 Hence Dave's  put in a warm bucket water type of soln.

If the tank is too small, say a 2.5kg tank on a bench heater, it will start of well, then slowly coool down as if the tank is near MT.
 Reason is as you draw off the lpg , the volume in the tank increases, and the temp of the tank/liquid inside decreases ( as it a frosty morning) and the pressure decreases.

 The other issue maybe the type of tank fitting.
Most these days have a fitting that is 'spring loaded'. As you screw the regulator hose in, gets to the 'O' ring sealing, pushes the spring loaded valve open to allow gas flow.

Do not over tighten brass fittings
 If these have been over tightened, the threads and seal surfaces get distorted and can stop the spring loaded valve from opening.

And last is the regulator.. is it the correct regulator for the appliance .. check the regular specs stamped on it match the requirement specs on the appliance.

Then lets say up gave a regulator to small, a frosty morning, and fittings that have been abused... or any 2 of these, let alone 3... you will have issues for sure.

As to hard lighting and do have gas... the mixture of gas to air at the point of ignition combines with ambient temp are all critical to ignition.
On a frosty morning it maybe harder to ignite, may need bigger flame to momentary 'heat' the air at point of ign... and a breeze moving air will change the air to fuel ratio.

Side note here.. LPG has a far narrower air to fuel ratio % to ignite in than say petrol.. outside this ratio it will not ignite at all.

I spent over 40yrs working with automotive lpg and 5yrs lpg as a propellant.

Propane has a specific gravity of .495 whilst butane is .601 (both as liquid) so the butane naturally ends up below the propane if stored for any length of time.

Dagwood wrote: Slight thread drift! -  We've just bought a house with a couple of 45kg for the hot water and hob. Does anyone own their own cylinders and get these filled or does everyone just use a delivery company? It's been a devil of a job trying to compare rates between companies..

New law a couple of years ago means the filling company cannot fill your bottle unless you can transport it upright. 

I'd love to hear the answer Dagwood.