With only one more camping trip left for us this year thoughts are turning to storage of all our gear. We've got a 4.5kg Calor Gas cannister, a C Gaz C206 in a lantern, another in a single burner stove, a coleman 500g in a black cat heater and also a spare C206 cannister. Considering this stuff is not going to be used for some length of time where would be the best place to store them. We tend to keep everything in the garage but would the extremes of our British winter have any adverse effect in them? Is it safe for pierceable cartridges to be kept connected to the appliances for such a period?
Propane gas has a freezeing level of about -43 where as Butane is -0 so depending on which gas it is I would keep it from freezing, but in your garage would probably be sufficient. someone else may tell you more about it
It can get pretty cold in a front locker of a caravan if the weather is bad but it never affected our gas cylinders. Nor did it harm the Campingaz lamp I have which takes a 206 size canister which I keave attached.
------------- Caz
If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, just keep going till you go round the bend.
You can store your gas in the garage quite safeley. The temperature is irrelavent if you are not using your appliance. Gas cannisters become unstable in excessive heat, and I feel confident you aint going to get any excessive heat in this country in winter, well, after this summer we haven't had any excessive heat anyway. Dont worry. Johno.
The garage probably will be best from another point of view too: a garagedoor usually leaves quite some space underneath, plus there will be other vents as safety against petrol fumes. Other places do not always have that. The ventilation is an absolute necessity for safety reasons in case of leaking gas cannisters/bottles.
So from a ventilation point of view would it be best to keep the appliances that have got gas cannisters connected to them, out of their box packaging?
In theory maybe even that, but I doubt whether you should go that far. I suppose that having one or two small holes in the bottom would be sufficient if you want to do something about the box. Normally a carton box will not be really gastight. A plastic crate could well be.
Maybe Johno knows.
The main point of ventilation of closets and rooms where you store gas bottles and/or cannisters is that the room may get filled with gas and (id there also is some air) will ignite as soon as there is one spark caused by e.g. switching the light on, or unbolting a metal bolt etc. As butane and propane are heavier than air they sink to the bottom, so they will sink to the floor and normally can exit under the garage door. Having only upper ventilation still would be dangerous, as the bottom half of the room may fill up with gas. Having both upper and lower is perfect: creates a good current.
Just one point to those with basements. Please do not store any gas cylinders in the basement. If it should leak it will sink to the floor and as there is no ventilation at that level will gradualy fill the room up. Garages will be fine for storage. I have yet to see a gargage door that does not let a draft in so any leak will be easily dispersed.