8.5kg Gas Bottle Only 7.8kg

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

Parks

wort jockey
Joined
24/9/07
Messages
1,929
Reaction score
658
After getting my new 40kg scales for my grain I thought it would be cool to monitor the gas usage on my 8.5kg gas bottle via weighing before and after boils etc.

So I was surprised when the bottle was empty the difference was only 7.8kg. That's 10% less than I should have had. The empty weight I measured was about 20 grams difference to the stamped "E.T" figure which I guess is "Estimated Tare" once they add the tap to the bottle.

So I guess I really hope this was a once off...

Does anyone else out there monitor their use like this? Anyone else had an issue?

Also, I have sent an online enquiry to Bunnings who I expect will look further into it (with Kwik Gas). I'll post the result of that if/when it occurs.
 

Nick JD

Blah Blah Blah
Joined
4/11/08
Messages
7,322
Reaction score
456
I used to get my CO2 bottle filled at a firey place but stopped when the price crept up from $15 to $20 to $25. :angry:

So I started doing swappers at CB and I get soooooo many more kegs out of a bottle now.

Underfilling is probably pretty common in compressed gases.
 

mikec

Well-Known Member
Joined
29/1/12
Messages
784
Reaction score
127
When your bottle was filled, was it cold?
I believe you need to get it down to freezing temps to get it to fill properly.
Warm gas takes up more space, so you end up with less in there when it is "full".
 

Parks

wort jockey
Joined
24/9/07
Messages
1,929
Reaction score
658
When your bottle was filled, was it cold?
I believe you need to get it down to freezing temps to get it to fill properly.
Warm gas takes up more space, so you end up with less in there when it is "full".

It was a Kiwk gas swap from Bunnings.
 

Parks

wort jockey
Joined
24/9/07
Messages
1,929
Reaction score
658
I used to get my CO2 bottle filled at a firey place but stopped when the price crept up from $15 to $20 to $25. :angry:

So I started doing swappers at CB and I get soooooo many more kegs out of a bottle now.

Underfilling is probably pretty common in compressed gases.

Common or not, it's against the Trade Practises Act to sell an 8.5kg bottle with less than 8.5kg in it.

At the moment I have a concern that their systematically ripping people off as a means of balancing the fact these bottles are about half the price they were a few years back.
 

herbo

Well-Known Member
Joined
10/7/08
Messages
151
Reaction score
11
It was a Kiwk gas swap from Bunnings.

Go to somewhere like BBQ's Galore and get them to fill it. Then you can watch them doing the fill. I'm not an expert but assume when the gas starts to spew out the top relief valve it's full. These fills are cheaper than swap and go too. $20 at out local BBQ's galore.

Only use swap and go when your cylinder is out of date.
 

Parks

wort jockey
Joined
24/9/07
Messages
1,929
Reaction score
658
Go to somewhere like BBQ's Galore and get them to fill it. Then you can watch them doing the fill. I'm not an expert but assume when the gas starts to spew out the top relief valve it's full. These fills are cheaper than swap and go too. $20 at out local BBQ's galore.

Only use swap and go when your cylinder is out of date.
Up here it's cheaper and Bunnings and Masters who are having a price war. Pretty much $20 at both places near me, for swap n go.
 

Maheel

Well-Known Member
Joined
19/1/10
Messages
1,921
Reaction score
179
there is a place near craftbrewer that fills LPG's for $20
they have a sign out

on the main drag (middle of the block) just before the left into that other road that goes past the bus deopt
 

mikec

Well-Known Member
Joined
29/1/12
Messages
784
Reaction score
127
It was a Kiwk gas swap from Bunnings.
Sorry I assumed you were talking CO2.
Although thinking about it, same concept should apply.

And if it's a swap'n'go, you'd hope they have some form of quality control.
 

Smokomark

Well-Known Member
Joined
30/9/11
Messages
536
Reaction score
93
there is a place near craftbrewer that fills LPG's for $20
they have a sign out

on the main drag (middle of the block) just before the left into that other road that goes past the bus deopt



It's BBQs Galore
Redland Bay rd
Capalaba
 

Parks

wort jockey
Joined
24/9/07
Messages
1,929
Reaction score
658
there is a place near craftbrewer that fills LPG's for $20
they have a sign out

on the main drag (middle of the block) just before the left into that other road that goes past the bus deopt

If I lived near CB I wouldn't have $20 to spend on gas...

:lol:
 

woodwormm

Well-Known Member
Joined
4/6/10
Messages
1,065
Reaction score
60
i often think the swap n go bottles feel light when i get them... i tell myself it's a different bottle with a lighter tare weight.

most of the time i try and go to the local servo to get it filled. local, independant, friendly and i can watch it be done and tell em if it's wrong (i'm trained in gas bottle filling and used to do it at the green shed back in the day... )
 

Helles

Well-Known Member
Joined
29/3/11
Messages
696
Reaction score
108
Bunning fill a 9kg with 8.5kg of gas
I think these a sign somewhere there
8.5 kg cylinder probally the same @ 8kg of gas
 

nathan_madness

Well-Known Member
Joined
7/5/12
Messages
385
Reaction score
104
I noticed the other day that Masters (Tingalpa) in now wanting $21.45 for a swap and go.

I now go to TLS Capalaba my brother is the manager there and he fills them full (till the gas starts coming out the overflow) for $19.99. So if you are in the Capalaba region drop past and see him.
 

woodwormm

Well-Known Member
Joined
4/6/10
Messages
1,065
Reaction score
60
Bunning fill a 9kg with 8.5kg of gas
I think these a sign somewhere there
8.5 kg cylinder probally the same @ 8kg of gas

here's the deal... they're all the same cylinder an 8.5 is actually a 9kg but due to the idiot factor and the fact you can actually over fill a bottle and some idiot got a little scare... and OH&S and society in general it is actually only legal to fill a bottle to within 95% of it's max (ie 8.5 in a 9kg vessel...) bottles are supposed to be filled by weight, ie at a fill station like swap n go, not until the liquid is spewing out like we all do when filling a bottle...

can you imagine a half retard at bunnings (twas me a few years back) bothering to put a bottle on the scales and fill to a prescribed limit rather than til it's visibly full with liquid spewing out? i can't. same reason shade cloth will be prepacked only soon.. every extra metre i gave out was sending them broke! (hehe nothing will send them broke but you get the idea)
 

Droughtmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
4/9/11
Messages
118
Reaction score
4
worked on the filling dock with a gas company and filled fukn 1000's of them there filled like someone said b4 to a weight and the gas is shut off there all done with weights and mesures credentials as well ya aint getting ripped off ,,well at the time of the fill anyway its all done like ya and certified by ya relavent agencies that measure ya fuel for ya car and ya supermarket weights ect ..was a prick of a job and i hated the smell of the shit so i was out of there after a month
 

Midnight Brew

Well-Known Member
Joined
23/3/09
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
772
You canadians up north get em cheap. I find $25 at supagas is the cheapest i can find here in eastern suburbs of melbourne
 

dougsbrew

Beer Sloth
Joined
14/1/11
Messages
711
Reaction score
67
lucky buggers 30 bucks up here. we are probably one of the only states having taxis running on petrol becoz the gas costs too much.
 

Droughtmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
4/9/11
Messages
118
Reaction score
4
but u had cheap fuel for so long compared to everyone else .
wonder what they cost to refill at ucla
 
Top