Your Guide to Safely Utilising LPG this Winter


Author: Kirsty Stocker   Date Posted:27 July 2022 

 

Whether you’re relaxing at home or out for an adventure, you deserve to feel warm and cozy! Here’s how to do so safely. 





Just because the warm weather has come to an end, that doesn’t mean having fun with family and friends also has to end. 

If your family is anything like mine, some of your best memories might have taken place around a barbeque, or around the outdoor heater out the back. 

Here at Tentworld, we want to ensure that you can continue to make these precious memories safely. 

 

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Carbon Monoxide

A common question we get asked is: ‘can I use my portable Gas heater/stove indoors?’ Our heaters are great for warming up spaces and our stoves are well suited to all of your on-the-go cooking needs, however, they can only be used in well-ventilated areas. These products produce carbon monoxide which can be hazardous as it has no odour. Using these products in an enclosed space (for example caravan, tent, car, mobile home) may cause death.

It is easy to mistake our heaters and stoves as being suitable for indoor use due to their compact size, but we definitely advise against using them in spaces that do not offer proper ventilation. Enclosed spaces promote the creation of carbon monoxide, and that is no good!

According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, ‘carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by burning gasoline, wood, propane, charcoal or other fuel’ (Mayo Clinic, 2015). This makes it an extremely dangerous substance that is largely undetectable until it is too late. 

When carbon monoxide enters into and builds up in one’s bloodstream, poisoning takes place (Mayo Clinic, 2015). This occurs when the air you breathe is dense with carbon monoxide and it starts to replace the oxygen in your red blood cells (Mayo Clinic, 2015). Signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include:

  • Dull headache
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Shortness of breath
  • Confusion
  • Blurred vision
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Death

We have a number of products available on our website that require gas to operate, whether that be propane or butane. It is important to always conduct research when looking to make a purchase of any kind and to practice caution while enjoying your purchases. 

 

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Gas Leaks

As well as Carbon Monoxide, you should be cautious of gas leaks when utilising one of our many gas-operated products. If you are running gas in an area that has poor ventilation, it can cause the oxygen you breathe to deplete which then can cause nausea, dizziness, and possibly asphyxiation. 

A good way to practice caution would be to do safety checks if you suspect that your gas-operated product may have a leak. 

The Queensland Government, on their Emergency Service and Safety webpage, suggests that you should go through the following steps in order to determine whether or not a product is safe to use:

  • Place a good amount of detergent in a spray bottle with some water and combine.
  • With the gas turned on, lightly spray the mixture onto the product (gas bottle/cylinder etc.)
  • Look for bubbles anywhere from the cylinder to the connection point.
  • If you see any bubbles, you have a gas leak. Note the point of the leak and turn the gas supply off immediately.
  • Do not use the gas system until the leak has been fixed.
  • Once you have completed your check, wipe the soapy water off with clean water (Queensland Government, 2018). 

 

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Transporting Gas Bottles

As well as needing to know how to safely use gas bottles, it is important to know how to safely and securely transport them. On the aforementioned government website, you can find information on how to do just that. When transporting gas cylinders:

  • Do not carry a cylinder greater than 9kg in an enclosed vehicle.
  • You can transport up to 2 cylinders (of 9kg or less) at a time in an enclosed vehicle.
  • Secure each cylinder upright in the vehicle, preferably in the boot, with a plug firmly fitted in the POL valve (Queensland Government, 2018).

 

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Changes to Pay Attention to

You may have noticed a few changes when you have gone to purchase a LPG gas bottle recently. This is because, ‘from 1 April 2022, all barbeques and gas-operated appliances manufactured after this date must be sold with new and improved fittings or connections’ (EnergySafe Victoria, 2020). 

Don’t stress just yet! Despite the change, you won’t need to go out and replace all of your barbeques and gas-operated appliances. The new fitting, referred to as a LCC27 fitting, ‘will safely and easily connect to the hose on your existing appliances’ (EnergySafe Victoria, 2020).

‘The LCC27 fitting was designed and introduced specifically to improve upon safety and to reduce the risk of fires and leaks when using LPG gas cylinders’ (EnergySafe Victoria, 2020). 

EnergySafe Victoria have advised that ‘cylinders with the current valves – Type 21 (POL) – may continue to be used. These valves will be phased out over a ten-year period as each LPG cylinder is due for a retest or ten-year change over’ (2020).

For a more detailed explanation of the information above, please feel free to have a read of LCC27 What is it? Why is it better?

 

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While browsing our large range of products, please keep in mind that we do not currently stock any heaters that are suitable for indoor use.

This information may seem scary, but we certainly do not mean to deter you from getting out and enjoying quality time with loved ones. It is super easy to have fun and stay safe when using gas, especially when all the information you need is just a click away on our website!

If you’re ever in doubt, you are more than welcome to get in contact with us or visit us in store and a member of our friendly staff will be happy to lend you a helping hand!

 


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