Fixed LPG tanks – Gastore and others

We have recently been made aware of a couple of incidents, from customers, who have fixed LPG tanks fitted to their vehicles.

These have manifested themselves as an unexplained release of gas from the tank, which is clearly very disconcerting for those around.

Investigation plus advice from valve manufacturers has shown that the pressure relief valve on the tank, which is set at 27Bar, has been activated. The valve is a safety device to stop internal pressures become dangerously high. Pressure that under normal operation would only be seen in a ‘vehicle fire’ situation and so then enabling a controlled release of the gas.

Further investigation has also determined these valves activating in this manor will almost certainly have been caused by overfilling of the tank.

The tank is designed to cut off when being refilled at 80% and so leaving a space to enable expansion and vaporisation to take place.

When filling the tank, the pump will automatically cut off when the 80% is reached.  This applies to ALL refillable LPG tanks and in line with current regulations. R67.01,  EN1949:2000 etc.

It is very important that when your filling an LPG tank to respect the pump when it cuts off, no ‘topping up’ ‘Squeezing a little more in’ or ‘aiming at the next round number’ as we all do with our diesel and petrol tanks.

Thank you for reading this.