Litro urges consumers not to test gas cylinders at home for leaks
Posted on December 1st, 2021
Courtesy Adaderana
Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. has warned consumers no
Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. today (Dec. 01) warned the consumers not to test their gas cylinders at home using methods such as soap water.
At a media briefing, Director of Sales and Marketing of Litro Gas Lanka, Janaka Pathirathna said people using soap water to test for liquefied petroleum gas leakages poses certain dangers.
The cylinder must remain sealed once it is brought home. the regulator must be fixed soon after the seal is removed. If not, the safety cap must be kept on.”
He urged the general public not to try to open the gas valve and use soap water or insert any sticks into the valve.
Pathirathna requested them to place the safety cap on and call the company’s hotline 1311, if they are having any suspicions regarding a leaking cylinder.
The officials of Litro Gas Lanka who visited the sites where explosions were reported previously have observed that gas leaked from the cylinder hose or the regulator, according to Pathirathna. We observed a regulator was more than 15 years old,” he said adding that two of the most recent incidents reported were due to gas leakage that occurred as a result of putting soap water into the valve of a cylinder that had been used for over one-and-a-half months without any issue.
Speaking further at the media briefing, Pathirathna clarified questions on changing the composition of LP gas. Quoting an expert, he said changing the propane-butane ratio does not cause cylinders to explode even if the valve is removed.
The atmospheric pressure is essential and the composition is not at fault, Pathirathna stressed. We follow the SLS 720 Standard. The standard pressure valve is around 1,000 bars. The pressure does not build up through the changing of the gas composition.”
The pressure level is around 700 bars if the gas composition is 100 percent propane. It will not exceed the standardised pressure levels according to SLS Standards. The cylinder can bear five times of the pressure created by this gas composition.
When asked about the laboratory report provided by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation which concluded that the 12.5 kg gas cylinder has a 50-50 ratio of propane and butane, Pathirathna said the company is yet to receive the document.
t to test their gas cylinders at home using methods such as soap water.
December 1st, 2021 at 6:15 pm
If the gas cylinder is leaking, it is the responsibility of the gas supplier to make it safe. Looks like they are deliberately avoiding their responsibilities and recommending gas users even not to test their supply installations. These big companies are taking the innocent gas users for a ride.!!
December 1st, 2021 at 9:38 pm
“These big companies are taking the innocent gas users for a ride.!!”
Who are the innocent gas users?. We all in SL are (22.5 million), unless you import the cylinders yourself (embassy crowd?).
But the biggest question is which country manufactured this explosive recipe specially for SL users who have suffered many a death and destruction already. There isn’t a single person who has what it takes to put this question to the company concerned. If we know the answer we can guess who is driving SL’s affairs. The rogues who come on TV and say this and that should be tried on Galle Face Green; not in our court system which appears to be corrupt according to Nagananda Kodituwakku.
One venerable monk was seen saying the remedy for all these problems is a takeover by military for 10 years. This is another dangerous anusaasana coming out of a yellow robe!. But one African country solved a similar problem that way:
It was Jerry Rawling’s Ghana. I know our guys who say ‘purasaaram’ about their bravoury at last tiger war are all chicken hearted fellows. Someone like Fony had to be behind them to give them the courage.
December 2nd, 2021 at 8:42 pm
First thing first:
kitchen fires every where and JVP mp asking the gas company responsible to recall all the gas cylinders issued This is not practical. We have seen how a popular TV channel carried out checks on the pressure of randomly picked cylinders, and their readings. if excessive pressure is the cause, then why not the retail sellers to go their customers’ houses and check the pressure of recently issued ones. And if the excess pressure is the cause, they can be trained to release the excess gas on the spot in a safe manner.
However, someone was saying that bigger ratio of Propane (which is more expensive, but 20% increased to 50%) is the cause. Then it is definitely a much more serious concern and can be even a sinister plan to kill people.