Gas Safety - explosion in van in Bristol

[SimonB]

This story has just been on the local BBC website and local TV.
A van with a gas bottle in it exploded this morning in a residential area of Bristol. A man was slightly injured in the blast.
The other details are not yet available as to how the gas ignited but it looks like a fairly newish Transit.
When I get any more details I'll update the post.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-39742493

 

[SimonB]

Update on above story.
There are better pictures and more information on the BBC site now and it seems that the cylinder was in the back of the van and was leaking, it exploded as the driver got out and opened the door.
"A van driver and passers-by had an "unbelievably lucky escape" when a gas explosion tore apart his vehicle."

 

[T6 CFO]

Off to check gas turned off.


Mike

 

[Hotel California]

Thats why in a California SE / Coast / Ocean the botlle itself is in a sealed container with a outlet underneeth the verhicle.
The piping to the coocker and the coocker itself can be faulty in the end also but if dooing it by the book the valve must be closed in the sealed container if the gassystem is not in use....
I know many beach owners carry a botlle in the rear but if i had to drive arround with a gasbottle for sevral days and sleep in the verhicle i probally buy me a sealed container to put the botlle in while not in use.
Just recent there was a post by someone smelling gas when screwing off the lid from the sealed container in his SE or Ocean , can't remember...
I have had this also once or twice.
A few weeks ago i could get 2 x 907 and 2 x 904 botlles still halffull at a cheap price from the dump. I putted them in the rear of my Renault Kangoo and had only a 15min drive home and already i could smell gas , seems one of the botlles leaked at the botlle itself without anything screwed on...putted it outside in the garden to let it vaporade to empty , i use thatone to give in return when i get a refill.

Gas always means precaution!

 

[Amarillo]

I know many beach owners carry a botlle in the rear but if i had to drive arround with a gasbottle for sevral days and sleep in the verhicle i probally buy me a sealed container to put the botlle in while not in use.

I've been looking for such a container, but they are not cheap:
http://www.socal.co.uk/toolbox/gasboat/locker-boxes/gasboat-campingaz-twin-cylinder-locker-box.html

However, after reading this story, perhaps they are not so expensive.

 

[andyinluton]

I used to carry a spare 907 cylinder to run the bbq off, I stopped when i found a newly exchanged spare was had a small leak from a faulty seal & the carry handle/ plug had been cross threaded. I ended up swapping it into the cali gas locker so that at least the gas would leak under the van as we were driving rather than into the van.

I would carry any spare in a bike rack box rather than in the van.

 

[MattBW]

Probably ignited the gas by the interior light coming on... that is often all it takes.

 

[CYCLOPATH]

Thats why in a California SE / Coast / Ocean the botlle itself is in a sealed container with a outlet underneeth the verhicle.
The piping to the coocker and the coocker itself can be faulty in the end also but if dooing it by the book the valve must be closed in the sealed container if the gassystem is not in use....
I know many beach owners carry a botlle in the rear but if i had to drive arround with a gasbottle for sevral days and sleep in the verhicle i probally buy me a sealed container to put the botlle in while not in use.
Just recent there was a post by someone smelling gas when screwing off the lid from the sealed container in his SE or Ocean , can't remember...
I have had this also once or twice.
A few weeks ago i could get 2 x 907 and 2 x 904 botlles still halffull at a cheap price from the dump. I putted them in the rear of my Renault Kangoo and had only a 15min drive home and already i could smell gas , seems one of the botlles leaked at the botlle itself without anything screwed on...putted it outside in the garden to let it vaporade to empty , i use thatone to give in return when i get a refill.

Gas always means precaution!

Some of the bottles I have been given at exchange have obviously been painted....and i myself handed in a really rusty old one that I was given. Not surprising the seals fail.....a bit scarey
I think I will now always turn off at bottle when I drive, and is left

 

[Annik]

This is why I:

Always turn my gas off at the bottle when not in use
Never buy the cheap bottles on eBay that have been refilled in someones back shed

 

[Hotel California]

@CYCLOPATH , you should think Campinggaz tests them before they go back in circulation , the problem is imo. you can not get the money back just returning a empty botlle so many used botlles end up in a shed , garage , cellar and starts to rust .
I know a campingshop in the Netherlands where they do take empty botlles and you get a voucher in retour to by new things. They will not give the full amount in retour but stil a fair price , can't remember exact but if i recall ,
I traded in 3 empty botlles that i got very cheap at a boothsale last year and got myself a full 904 as spare ...
Just few weeks ago i got 4 botlles (as sayed above ) very cheap and sold one for 10€ at the factoryvisit meet to a member and now i still got 3 left to trade in for another full 904 .

@Amarillo , i would try and look for a round container with screwing lid , you see them in campingstores for instance to keep things dry in the cayak.

 

[Hotel California]

This is why I:

Always turn my gas off at the bottle when not in use
Never buy the cheap bottles on eBay that have been refilled in someones back shed

the cheap botlle you just trade in for a new full one so i would not worry...refill the botlles yourself is not advised indeed .

 

[andyinluton]

The faulty cylinder I had was given as an exchange refill at a petrol station on the way home from a trip. It didn't have a regulator screwed onto it & it was still leaking, normally the plug/carrying handle would have provided a further seal but the threads had been crossed & it was impossible to tighten the handle or even a regulator sufficiently to stop the gas escaping.

 

[SimonB]

Another update from the BBC site

The explosion woke people in homes in Linden Road and Cranbrook Road, in the Redland area of Bristol, and debris was spread for 30m around the site. This is about a ½sq mile in area.

It is believed the driver was going away for a "rugby weekend" and had earlier loaded a gas barbeque into the van.

One woman who lives nearby, but did not want to be named, said the man was "one unbelievably lucky guy".

 

[SimonB]

A lot of people above have been concerned about bottles they have bought from Ebay, etc. Even the so called, reptable suppliers can be suspect. I bought a red plastic sealed one from Calor in Bristol. It was only when I came to use some months later it I noticed a dink in the brass sealing ring that the valve screws onto. I used it for one weekend as I didn't have another bottle. I had to screw the valve on really hard to make a good seal. I tested it with water to check there were no leaks and only used it sparingly.
I took it back to Calor on the following Monday nearly full. But they wouldn't exchange for a full one, it so I traded it in for a refilled one and asked them to ensure it didn't go out again until a new brass ring was put onto it.

I still wonder if they did.

 

[Richardmk]

@CYCLOPATH , you should think Campinggaz tests them before they go back in circulation , the problem is imo. you can not get the money back just returning a empty botlle so many used botlles end up in a shed , garage , cellar and starts to rust .
I know a campingshop in the Netherlands where they do take empty botlles and you get a voucher in retour to by new things. They will not give the full amount in retour but stil a fair price , can't remember exact but if i recall ,
I traded in 3 empty botlles that i got very cheap at a boothsale last year and got myself a full 904 as spare ...
Just few weeks ago i got 4 botlles (as sayed above ) very cheap and sold one for 10€ at the factoryvisit meet to a member and now i still got 3 left to trade in for another full 904 .

@Amarillo , i would try and look for a round container with screwing lid , you see them in campingstores for instance to keep things dry in the cayak.

Not sure whether it still applies, but ship's distress flares, made by Schermuley or something similar, used to be supplied in watertight, screw tipped containers with a rope handle, and could be scrounged from ship's chandlers. These exactly fitted the circumference of the 907 bottle and was about 5ins taller which left room for the spare regulator.

Used one in a Reims conversion for around 10 years, and it went with the van when sold.

If anyone near to Leeds wants a good condition cylinder with gas, I have a spare.

Richard

 

[Redpanda]

This incident was just Up the road from me and we all certainly felt the explosion throughout the house. Given me something to think about when we get our campervan, will be triple checking. Seeing the van was quite a sight, the driver was very lucky.

 

[Esandar#1]

Another update from the BBC site

The explosion woke people in homes in Linden Road and Cranbrook Road, in the Redland area of Bristol, and debris was spread for 30m around the site. This is about a ½sq mile in area.

It is believed the driver was going away for a "rugby weekend" and had earlier loaded a gas barbeque into the van.

One woman who lives nearby, but did not want to be named, said the man was "one unbelievably lucky guy".

I know the chap this happened to, as my lad used to play football with his lad. He was lucky and yes it was a cylinder for gas BBQ in back of van. He's ok but could have been a disaster!!! Van looks like someone has made a shoddy attempt at a roof conversion! Anymore got any Michael Caine quotes?

 

[MattBW]

Work mode:

Gas is a funny one, below 4% content of gas in air it will not ignite. Above 15% gas in air it also will not ignite.

Between those levels though a tiny spark will be enough. This is why if you ever report a gas emergency you will be told to open your windows and doors and not switch anything electrical on or off.

The smell though can be detected below 1% so you should never have a leak you can't detect.

That was today's boring fact of the day

 

[Yorkie]

I've been looking for such a container, but they are not cheap:
http://www.socal.co.uk/toolbox/gasboat/locker-boxes/gasboat-campingaz-twin-cylinder-locker-box.html

However, after reading this story, perhaps they are not so expensive.

I too have been looking for a sealed container for my spare bottle but even the one in your link is not sealed so it would only hold a little gas until the box filled and then would overflow.

A waterproof box which fits under the back seat, that's what we need. Perhaps the shop could find and stock one!

 

[WelshGas]

I too have been looking for a sealed container for my spare bottle but even the one in your link is not sealed so it would only hold a little gas until the box filled and then would overflow.

A waterproof box which fits under the back seat, that's what we need. Perhaps the shop could find and stock one!

I've been looking for such a container, but they are not cheap:
http://www.socal.co.uk/toolbox/gasboat/locker-boxes/gasboat-campingaz-twin-cylinder-locker-box.html

However, after reading this story, perhaps they are not so expensive.

http://www.kiravans.co.uk/campervan-cookers-sinks/gas-locker-for-camping-gaz-907

Completely sealed, no openings.

 

[Kmann]

Is it really such a big problem to carry the extra gas bottle in the car? Well, I am aware that it can leak, explode if in a car accident. But I must believe that if you are hit that hard, you might have a lot of other trouble.

I think the handle provided with the bottle gives sufficient protection against leaking - it has a rubber seal on it? During our summer trip, we saw the campingaz bottles around. Mostly stored inside. I guess they would not do that if they tend to leak. And the gas is not difficult to smell.

Am I to lasseiz faire?

 

[T6 CFO]

I carry a 904 as a spare and for the BBQ lIke you with the handle in place. Store it in the most padded place I can. Also like you if a collision ruptures it I suspect that will be the least of my problems.
Will probably pick up an LPG warning sign.


Mike

 

[Hotel California]

If the botlle should leak you will smell it ....if you get the time to smell....the one in the original post above did not have time to smell it .
If the verhicle is filled with gas and the door ignites a light....

One reason more to turn off the interieur automatic doorlights....​

 

[MattBW]

Which is why its good to put them in a sealed container of some kind, even if they leak the gas will not be ignited by a spark. You can get a safe for a lot of money, although even a plastic container with a air seal on the lid would be good enough.