Can I store gas cartridges in a building or in the cellar?

Gas cartridges filled with propane, butane or a mixture of both LPGs are especially popular outdoors. You can use the handy cartridges to operate gas barbecues, camping stoves, blowtorches or camping lanterns. But where should you store them, and how should you dispose of them?

If you often spend your leisure time outdoors, you may have already used the practical gas cartridge. As we mentioned at the beginning, campers, barbecue cooks etc. can use the cartridges for a wide variety of purposes.

Piercing and screwing

The cartridges themselves are just as diverse as the ways in which they can be used. As well as the pierceable cartridge, the cartridges with the screw-on connection are also very popular. Modern pierce connections have something called a gas-lock system which prevents unburned gas from escaping when the connection is loosened. The standard specifies that the outflow volume must not be greater than 70 cm³/h during a period of 3 minutes.

Aside from the different connections, cartridges come in a wide range of filling weights. Smaller cartridges usually have contents or around 200 grams (see image); larger cartridges have around 300 grams and higher. This can vary greatly between manufacturers.

Important regulations

In spite of this, the regulations for storage are the same for all of them. These regulations are defined in worksheet G 612 (A) from the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW). Under point 6.6 you will find the most important information for storing gas cartridges.

Storage ban in…

It is forbidden to keep cartridges in the following rooms or places:

• Under ground level
• Bedroom
• Stairway
• Hall
• Pedestrian or vehicle thoroughfare in a building (and the direct vicinity)

These prohibitions do not rule out the general storage of cartridges in buildings, of course. However, we recommend storing small LPG tanks outdoors or in well ventilated rooms. If you store them outdoors, however, you must ensure that the cartridges are protected against unauthorised access.

A maximum of two

It doesn’t matter whether you’re storing them in the building or outdoors, you can store a total of two gas cartridges (including empty ones) at home, but only one per room. And this is very important: Like gas cylinders, gas cartridges should only be stored and used in an upright position!

Temperature

Finally, another note about the storage temperatures or general environment: It’s best to store them a sufficient distance away from heat sources. At least far enough away that the cartridges will not heat to over 50 degrees Celsius.

If you pay attention to these storage and setup tips and regularly check the system for leak-tightness, you are acting extremely responsibly and will have years of fun with the various applications.