LPGC wrote: Mon Jan 06, 2025 10:36 am
How will using the bottle filling adapter not raise alarm at a forecourt? I mean won't they still see you filling a bottle? If instead of the direct connection to the bottle the filler was fitted on the outside of the vehicle with a pipe running between that filling point and the bottle on the inside of the car the forecourt would assume you were filling your vehicle autogas tank not filling a bottle so wouldn't raise alarm. You could easily change the filling adapter to work like I've said.
Autogas is still a phenomenon here in South Africa, and petrol attendants (forecourt operators) - a job that people still have here, are interesting to interact with when one refills. I think the fact that they are using the nozzle to fill the gas bottle will put them at ease - if questions are raised, I'll explain it as a "Jerry can", especially for the Subaru that runs the autogas tank. I have a 2nd vehicle which isn't fitted with an autogas tank but rather runs off standard LPG bottles.
One of the major reasons I'm not running a pipe is with the very short connector in between, when removing the nozzle, there is minimal left over gas in the refilling system. A 1m pipe holds quite a lot of smelly gas which freaks people out as they only think EXPLOSION.
Oh....it is common practice to exchange an empty bottle for a full bottle, namely anything 9kg and above. The refilling is an option, especially for smaller capacity like the 7kg and below.
I do exchange bottles when traveling i.e. in towns where the refilling is done slowly and it's easier to exchange. I'm just picky as in most cases, the exchange bottles is dusty or sticky with cooking oil residue which is a bad idea especially when I have to put the bottle in the boot of the car and it potentially touches our clothing.
An example of pricing. The bottles below 9kg, most customers would wait for these to be refilled, and the regulation does allow resellers to transfer gas whilst the customer waits in the foyer of the establishment.
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Hloni wrote: Mon Jan 06, 2025 9:02 pm
Autogas is still a phenomenon here in South Africa, and petrol attendants (forecourt operators) - a job that people still have here, are interesting to interact with when one refills. I think the fact that they are using the nozzle to fill the gas bottle will put them at ease - if questions are raised, I'll explain it as a "Jerry can", especially for the Subaru that runs the autogas tank. I have a 2nd vehicle which isn't fitted with an autogas tank but rather runs off standard LPG bottles.
One of the major reasons I'm not running a pipe is with the very short connector in between, when removing the nozzle, there is minimal left over gas in the refilling system. A 1m pipe holds quite a lot of smelly gas which freaks people out as they only think EXPLOSION.
Forecourt attendants aren't supposed to allow you to refill a standard (without 80% fill limiter) bottle here.
A vehicle LPG filling point should have a built in one-way valve. If you ran a pipe from an external vehicle filling point to your bottle inside the car you wouldn't vent any gas when disconnecting the fill gun from the filler.
I started to write that you could use one of the combined liquid and vapour ports that you and Gilbert mentioned attached to the bottle and connect the fill pipe to the vapour port, engine to the liquid take off port... then I realised that since the bottle won't have any of the safety features such as a fill limiter or electronic shut off valve you could use a single port valve on the bottle and T the fill pipe to the same pipe that feeds the engine lol.
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I suppose this is all an experimental process for me, and I'm trying my level best to keep safety in mind. Being unfamiliar with the full law/regulation regarding LPG, I'm applying common sense (which I know ain't common to the common man) to most of the iterations. I think ideally I should be running a forklift bottle as an alternative to an Autogas tank where I know I definitely cannot refill the autogas tank, however refilling that bottle would be problematic as the fittings aren't standard, and I cannot exchange that at many of the LPG resellers in towns when I'm traveling across the country. Pre-filled 9kg bottles are sold at many service stations as I alluded in a different update.
I don't think you'll have any problems with safety. You know what you're doing, if I was in your location and couldn't easily source a proper autogas tank I'd do the same as you're doing.
Full time LPG installer
Servicing / Diagnostics / Repairs to all systems / DIY conversion kits supplied with thorough tech support
Mid Yorkshire
2 miles A1, 8 miles M62, http://www.Lpgc.co.uk
Twitter https://twitter.com/AutogasSimon
07816237240