LPG Tank - how rusty is unsafe?

[Spearos]

Yes, of course! Out of interest, where's the guide going to be?

[Jon W]

Oh pants mine has just let go have just filled up with hundred litres of gas hopefully the one tank will continue to drain and the other will stay full not sure if they have one way valves or why in them

[Jon W]

Will park it a long way from the campfire tonight then to be safe and let it vent off

[FridgeFreezer]

Wow that's terrifying, I would be worried about sneezing loudly near that never mind driving it about town

[elbekko]

I've moaned a lot about 10-yearly testing of LPG tanks, but damn if that doesn't prove me wrong. How can anyone let it get that bad? Does the MOT not catch that?

[Jon W]

Just to let you know that I am still alive. It vented off for a long time about 24 hours in the end to empty the cylinder. The tanks must run individually with a change over valve or something as the car ran on lpg once the tank stopped hissing. 

Getting it booked in this week for new tank or old tank removed and just run it on the rear tanks if it is sound. Will give the other a close inspection. Its not something I really put much thought into until this thread. I thought they would be mega thick tanks like dive cylinders. 

Wasn't picked up on MOT, only this that was mentioned was the integrity of the side steps as they were rusting. 

 

 

[reb78]

Why dont they galvanise these tanks - like the Calor/Flogas bottles you use on the BBQ etc??? Given where they are placed - often under vehicles in the muck and road salt in the winter it would seem sensible?

[Mo Murphy]

Because that's extra cost to fly-by-night lpg kit manufacturers. They don't care if it rusts just as long as you buy it.

Mo

 

[FridgeFreezer]

1 hour ago, reb78 said:

Why dont they galvanise these tanks - like the Calor/Flogas bottles you use on the BBQ etc??? Given where they are placed - often under vehicles in the muck and road salt in the winter it would seem sensible?

I assume because they are more than sufficient for the safety specs / 10-year lifespan without it, and possibly galving would mask things like weld flaws or pinhole leaks which could be dangerous.

[Cynic-al]

Same as towbars, I had an Isuzu / Witter towbar on my Isuzu, it started going rusty very quickly, I complained on my first two services and the dealer got the bodyshop to paint it, which lasted about 2 weeks each time. When it was about 2 years old I had it shot balsted, hot dipped then powdercoated. From memory the blast and powder coat was about £35+vat and the hot dip was about £6.67+vat. Why witter don't just get them all galvanised I don't know. 

 

My only reservations with glav an LPG tank, and I don't know enough to know if they're valid, would be you would have to bung it to stop the galv going inside and flaking off or reacting with the gas which might make them difficult to sink in the galv, I assume the oil in the gas would be enough to stop internal rusting? Any expansion in the tank might make it flake off, don't know if that's a thing? Guess paint survives it. 

Air receivers only have a visual inspection and a tap with a hammer, x-ray if they're concerned. If I wanted to test one for my own peace of mind I'd fill it with water and take it to 1.5 times working pressure with a hand pump like they do with steam boilers etc.