Fill Gas Bottle – Fill Up Gas Bottle – Refilling at LPG Fill Station
Gas bottle refilling is done in two ways: you can fill gas bottle by weight using digital scales or fill up gas bottle by decant refilling, using the bleed screw.
To fill gas bottle or bulk LPG tank, it can also be done by a metered tanker.
We’ll look at the details of how to when you fill up gas bottle and the pros & cons of both methods of how to fill gas bottle …
Fill Up Gas Bottle – Refilling at LPG Fill Station
You fill up gas bottle through the main valve.
As previously mentioned, LPG filling can be done in two ways – fill up gas bottle by weight or refilling by decanting.
LPG filling or refilling by weight involves inputting the tare weight (empty weight) and the desired amount of gas to fill up gas bottle into a digital scale.
The other method to fill up gas bottle is referred to as ‘decanting’, which is how to fill gas bottle at servo or refilling at LPG fill station.
When doing LPG filling by weight, the filling hose is controlled by the scale, which shuts it off when the appropriate weight is achieved.
To fill up gas bottle by decanting, a small vent screw is opened which allows gas to vent when the gas in the bottle reaches the full refilling level.
The venting gas is the refilling operator’s cue to stop the LPG filling and close both the vent screw and main valve, when they fill up gas bottle.
How to Fill Gas Bottle at Servo – LPG Fill Station – Video
Disclaimer: This video on How to Fill Gas Bottle is only a supplement and refresher for those who have completed the Elgas decant refilling training course. It is not the complete training course and other training materials apply. Refilling by decanting must not be attempted by untrained individuals.
Current Inspection Date Required to Fill Gas Bottle or Refilling
No matter which of the LPG filling or refilling methods are used to fill up gas bottle, refilling must be done with a current inspection date.
It is the responsibility of the refilling technician at the LPG fill station to check the inspection date stamped into the neck ring of the gas bottle before they fill gas bottle.
An LPG fill station cannot fill up gas bottle when out-of-date until they are re-inspected and stampedwith a new inspection date.
Fill Gas Bottle Using Digital Scales
Using digital scales helps ensure proper and safe gas bottle refilling, based on weight.
When the total weight equals the empty weight plus the appropriate gas bottle refilling weight, you can completely fill gas bottle.
The scales are set for each individual LPG filling, based on its empty (tare) weight, as well as the desired weight to fill gas bottle. (see image)
How the Scales Work for Refilling
The tare weight (empty weight) is stamped into the neck ring by the bottle manufacturer.
The operator inputs the tare weight of the gas bottle into the scale’s keypad.
After inputting the weight to fill gas bottle, the technician connects it to the LPGsupply.
The LPG filling or refilling is automatically stopped by the digital scale, after reaching the target weight.
This ensures very accurate gas bottle refilling and avoids dangerous overfilling or lost value through under filling.
The LPG gas bottle refilling accuracy achieved is why the use of digital scales is the preferred method to fill gas bottle.
Not surprisingly, this is how major suppliers, like SWAP’n’GO®, fill up gas bottle (fill propane tank).
Faster Way to Fill Gas Bottle with Carousels at LPG Fill Station
A side benefit of using scales, at an LPG fill station, to fill gas bottle is speed.
The LPG filling line can be pump driven for faster gas bottle refilling.
This is not possible with decanting at an LPG fill station, as the operator might be too slow to stop the gas bottle refilling process.
This could result in dangerous overfilling.
Digital scales and pump driven LPG filling also allow for the use of high speed carousels to fill gas bottle, like the SWAP’n’GO carousel in the accompanying image.
In fully automated LPG fill station plants, with LPG filling carousels, even the keypad step can be automated (see image above).
The carousel digitally reads an RFID chip on the cylinder that contains the tare weight, as well as the rest of the manufacturing specifications to fill gas bottle.
LPG Decanting Procedure to Fill Gas Bottle at Servo – LPG Fill Station
Decanting is the process seen if you have ever watched them fill gas bottle at servo or LPG fill station.
To transfer LPG gas from one cylinder to another, you use the decanting method.
After connecting the gas bottle to a larger LPG storage tank, the trained operator begins to LPG filling process until some gas starts leaking out of the loosened bleed screw.
The refilling operator at the LPG fill station is supposed to stop fill gas bottle as soon as liquid LPG starts coming out of the bleeder opening.
The liquid LPG escaping is unmistakable, as it looks like a white cloud.
This intentional venting of gas into the atmosphere, when you fill up gas bottle, is avoided with the digital scale method.
Decanting can also result in either overfilling or underfilling the gas cylinder, as well as correct gas cylinder fill, depending on the gas bottle and the operator filling it.
For example, if the operator is slow to stop the process when the liquid LPG starts to bleed out, the gas bottle could easily become overfilled.
As previously mentioned, overfilling a gas bottle is a significant safety hazard.
