# Lpg Gas Bottle Testing



## pokolbinguy (11/10/08)

G'day folks,

I know this has been brought up before but I am buggered if I can find the thread it was in previously...no amount of google searching has brought up any results....or maybe im just going crazy.


Anyway we have 5 x 9kg lpg bottles (we use them for farm gas guns and bbq ....thus the volume) and a couple of smaller camp bottles (one is approx 4.5kg and the other maybe 2kg)....anyway most of them are out of test date. 

Anyway I was hoping to get the ones that are out of date tested and re-filled as they are older styles and better quality than the new crap Chinese ones.

Also if I buy new ones I will only have to pay to get rid of the old ones.

Anyway does anyone know:

1. Where in the Newcastle area I can get these tested?

2. How much does this generally cost??? I have a feeling the cost of testing is close to the cost of buying a new cylinder? 

Anyway any help would be great.

Cheers, Pok


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## Frank (11/10/08)

Take them to your local "Swap and Go" or equivalent at your local servo. The console operator will swap them staight over for tested ones, they never check. Your refill might cost a bit more, but you will then have tested bottles. 
Make sure you grab the bottle with good taps and don't appear to be that old. Once you have a "swap" bottle you can still fill it up where ever you have been, as per normal. 
You dont have to have the comnpany "swap" bottles to exchange, just has to be the same size.
Try one... plead ignorance if they challenge you. B)


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## wakkatoo (12/10/08)

pretty sure swap'n'go or some other equivalent actually advertises that they accept out of date cylinders. Only restrictions (i think) are that it has to have its valve guard, no excessive rust etc etc.


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## Carbonator (12/10/08)

pokolbinguy said:


> Anyway I was hoping to get the ones that are out of date tested and re-filled as they are older styles and better quality than the new crap Chinese ones. The crap powder coating on the ones you get these days flakes off very soon after you get them home
> 
> Also if I buy new ones I will only have to pay to get rid of the old ones. Scrap metal yards and waste transfer stations accept them for no payment
> 
> ...



Council kerbside cleanups are a good source of the old galvanised ones, like this fine specimen, stamped in 1967;




Easiest thing you could do is get a forklift bottle and transter lead made-up. Put the fork bottle in the back of the ute and fill it at the servo, go home and fill your small bottles.


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## blackbock (12/10/08)

Not from Newy Polk, but the places that supply gas (with the exception of swap-n-go type places) will usually know where to get them tested, sometimes they even have a testing service. If the cylinder itself is in good order, the most they would do is replace the valves anyway. Since you want to keep the good old cylinders, I reckon it's probably worth it to get them tested.


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## katzke (12/10/08)

Not sure how they do it there. Last time I had a tank tested here in the USA was before the new valve requirement, say 15 to 20 years ago. The new valves are a different thing all together. Here you take the tank to one of the gas suppliers. The ones that sell the gas to other places. The guy looked at it filled it and got out the metal punches and whacked a new date in it. Kind of got me that I had to pay for such a thorough inspection. Now with the new valves they change the valve and I am sure do the same thing along with checking for leaks. I have bigger then the standard bar-b-q tanks on my travel trailer so can not swap them out. Cost was just a bit less then a new empty tank for the valve and fill at that time.


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## white.grant (12/10/08)

A quick search of the yellow pages lists a few, there's Boots Great Outdoors in Broadmeadow and G & C Cylinder Inspect at Wakefield which might be a bit closer for you. There'll be others

cheers

grant


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## Guest Lurker (12/10/08)

Quote of the swap and go site

What sort of gas bottle can I swap?

You can swap any brand of gas bottle that is up to 9kg in size. You can swap a medium gas bottle for a large gas bottle and Elgas SWAPnGO will even swap a gas bottle that is out of date (out of test) and cannot be refilled.


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## pokolbinguy (12/10/08)

Guest Lurker said:


> will even swap a gas bottle that is out of date (out of test) and cannot be refilled.



I got a quote from them ages ago regarding this and it was extremelly expensive. Something like $50-60


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## jyo (23/5/11)

Pulling up an old thread here  
Went to fill my bottle up on the weekend (was going to be my first Pils) and discovered it was out of date...
Just wondering, do Bunnings really accept out of date bottles, and does anyone know how much for a swap?
Cheers guys, John.


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## Doogiechap (24/5/11)

jyo said:


> Pulling up an old thread here
> Went to fill my bottle up on the weekend (was going to be my first Pils) and discovered it was out of date...
> Just wondering, do Bunnings really accept out of date bottles, and does anyone know how much for a swap?
> Cheers guys, John.


Bloke I don't know about Bunnings but some swap an go Servo's accept out of date cylinders (Woolies Southlakes as an example). It's worth a phonecall first to confirm.
Cheers
Doug


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## Wolfy (24/5/11)

jyo said:


> Just wondering, do Bunnings really accept out of date bottles, and does anyone know how much for a swap?


Yes, if not BBQ Galore do, they even suggested to SWMBO that they swap the out of date bottle over (at no charge) when she went to get ours refilled.
Interestingly the newly swapped and in-date bottle is also stamped "Customer Owned".


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## stux (24/5/11)

I normally just swap n go my bottles every few years

I've very rarely had someone check the date


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## petesbrew (24/5/11)

Swap & go... usually the guys in the servo just give you the key, and don't bother checking so it's a great way of keeping your bottle in date. well worth the ripoff once in a while.

Gas refill wise, The BP on North Rocks Rd, across from North Rocks Westfield, are doing refills for $15.99.


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## QldKev (24/5/11)

I know the big green shed will swap out of dates up here


QldKev


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## jyo (24/5/11)

Good stuff. Cheers for the help fellas.
I have never had _anyone_ check the bottle, yet last weekend the pimply faced dude who was about to refill checked it...


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## woodwormm (24/5/11)

big green shed will swap out of date no probs. it is the policy of the swap ppl to take them regardless of date....

anyone trained in filling should ALWAYS check the date first, even on a good looking bottle...

few years back the gas saftey ppl in Adelaide used to do random checks on refillers, using an attractive looking lady 'customer' and a new looking bottle with an old date on it! lots of places got stung....


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## spog (24/5/11)

peeled the swap'n'go label off a bottle on the weekend,the bottle was dated 07,84 could'nt find any recent test stamp on it,must trade it this weekend..cheers....spog...


Stux said:


> I normally just swap n go my bottles every few years
> 
> I've very rarely had someone check the date


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