• EN
  • DE
  • LPG Leisure Time
  • LPG Everyday
  • Liquid Media & Tank Management
  • General
  • About GOK
  • Product sales
  • Menu Menu
  • EN
  • DE
Suche
You are here: Home1 / Blog2 / LPG Leisure Time3 / Gas Regulator, Gas Cylinder & more4 / Why do LPG cylinders ice over?

Why do LPG cylinders ice over?

8. July 2019/in Gas Regulator, Gas Cylinder & more, Gas Regulator, Gas Cylinder & more, General, LPG Everyday, LPG Knowledge, LPG Leisure Time

Inhaltsverzeichnis

  • Why does the ice crust form?
  • A fiasco waiting to happen
  • How does the cylinder ice over?
  • Countermeasures Part
  • Countermeasures part 2
  • Absolutely out of the question
Approximate reading time: 4 minutes

No matter whether you’re camping, in your caravan or motor caravan, barbecuing or operating the heating: A question that comes up again and again is, why ice forms at the withdrawal of a gas cylinder, or why the cylinder ices over completely. The answer is simple thermodynamics.

Who hasn’t already seen this on a gas cylinder: the famous and notorious ice crust around the propane gas cylinder? It seems to appear out of nowhere and can be a real nuisance. If you don’t happen to have a reserve cylinder at the ready, or if you don’t know a few tricks, you might have to stop your gas supply completely.

Why does the ice crust form?

To put it simply: Because the gas volume required by the gas equipment exceeds the evaporation capacity of the gas cylinder. Depending on influence factors such as filling level and size of cylinder or ambient temperature, the cylinder sometimes ices over sooner, sometimes later – in many cases, of course, it doesn’t ice over at all.

A fiasco waiting to happen

This is what a potential worst-case-scenario would look like: The gas barbecue has an output of 25 kW. This corresponds to a requirement of roughly 1.9 kg/h LPG. Now, you want to have it running for over an hour on full power with a 5 kg gas cylinder which is almost empty when the temperature outside is low.

If you’re planning to do this, you should keep the local pizza delivery number handy, because the gas cylinder is very likely to ice over in a short time.

Wer bei eisigen Temperaturen grillen möchte, sollte den Zustand der Flasche besonders im Blick haben und aufpassen, dass diese nicht vereist.

If you’re keen to have a barbecue in icy temperatures, you should pay particular attention to the state of the cylinder.
© Rudolf Jaeger GSV

How does the cylinder ice over?

Transforming the liquid propane-butane mixture in the cylinder to the desired gaseous state requires heat. The gas, and therefore the LPG cylinder, cool down when gas is withdrawn. Heat is taken from the surroundings via the cylinder coat and used to make the gas boil.

The greater the quantity withdrawn from the gas cylinder, the greater the requirement of heat energy. The LPG cools quickly and draws more and more heat from the environment. This first causes the formation of condensation at the barrier between the gas and the atmosphere, i.e. the gas cylinder.

If the connected gas equipment continues to draw so much gas, the temperature in the LPG drops below 0 degrees Celsius, and so does the outer wall of the cylinder. The water transforms into an ice crust. At some point, the gas can no longer evaporate in the volume required. As a consequence, hardly any gas, or no more gas whatsoever can be drawn by the device.

Selbst wenn die Sonne scheint und das Thermometer über 25 Grad Celsius anzeigt, kann es durchaus sein, dass die Gasflasche trotzdem einfriert.

Even when the sun is shining and the thermometer is showing above 25 degrees Celsius, it can still be the case that your gas cylinder freezes.

Countermeasures Part

If you categorically wish to prevent icing, you should always balance the output of the connected gas equipment with the withdrawal volume of the gas cylinder. In this blog article, we clearly presented the withdrawal volumes of different cylinder sizes.

If the withdrawal volume from a single cylinder cannot cover the energy demand of the gas equipment, a multiple cylinder system might be a good idea.

<strong>Wem die Gasflasche ständig einfriert, der kann mit einer Mehrflaschenanlage der Vereisung vorbeugen. Hier abgebildet: eine Vierflaschenanlage</strong>

If the gas cylinder freezes constantly, you can prevent it from icing over by using a multiple cylinder system. Pictured here: a four-cylinder system

Countermeasures part 2

If you aren’t able to do that, but are permanently reliant on your gas supply, we recommend a reserve cylinder. If one cylinder is iced over, you stop the gas supply briefly, switch to the reserve cylinder and the operating cylinder gets a rest.

Something else you can do: Fill a bucket, small tub or basin with hot water and place the gas cylinder inside it. But this is not a permanent solution, just a short-term one. This is why we recommend using a larger cylinder or a multiple cylinder system or having a reserve cylinder close to hand.

Wer die Eiskruste von der Flasche entfernen oder verhindern möchte, das die Flasche vereist, kann die Gasflasche ins Wasserbad stellen. Eine Dauerlösung ist das jedoch nicht.

If you want to remove the ice crust from the cylinder or keep it from forming, you can set up the gas cylinder in a water bath. But this is not a permanent solution.
© Pixabay

Absolutely out of the question

Please never think about using gas cylinders indoors because of the higher ambient temperature – if the system is not expressly designed for this.

“The cylinder needs some heat, so I can heat it up a little bit with an open flame…” – please do not think about this under any circumstances. You also shouldn’t think about lying the cylinder down to reach the liquid phase of the propane-butane mixture. The gas cylinder must always be upright.

  Can I keep the LPG cylinder lying down when using it?

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://www.gok-blog.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Titelbild-Vereiste-Gasflasche.jpg 375 675 GOK Media https://www.gok-blog.de//wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GOK-BLOG-Logo.svg GOK Media2019-07-08 07:00:402022-04-12 15:47:18Why do LPG cylinders ice over?
You might also like
Why is a butane or propane gas cylinder never filled to 100 percent?
Are there pressure regulators with two or more connections?
What components do I need to operate gas equipment in the caravan and motor caravan while driving?
What is to be taken into account when operating gas-powered outdoor heaters, radiant heaters, patio heaters at home and in the commercial industry/hospitality industry?
How can I measure the filling level of a gas cylinder?
What withdrawal volume do I get out of one gas cylinder?
  • Search

  • Filter

  • Category

  • Reset all filters
Approximate reading time: 8 minutes

Information regarding technical systems

This blog will never ask members of the public or unqualified persons to make changes to or fiddle around with technical systems themselves.

In accordance with the Industrial Safety Regulation (BetrSichV), a qualified person must take care of a system which requires monitoring.

A qualified person is someone who has the specific specialist knowledge required. This knowledge is gained by way of a professional apprenticeship, corresponding professional experience or current occupational activity.

Please note that the texts are based on information, regulations and standards for Germany. Please always check the rules and regulations in the relevant country of destination and consult specialists if necessary.

Regler- und Armaturen-Gesellschaft mbH & Co. KG

Address

Obernbreiter Straße 2-18
97340 Marktbreit / Germany

Phone: +49 9332 404-0
Fax: +49 9332 404-49

Email: info@gok.de
Website: www.gok.de

Quick selection

  • LPG Leisure Time
  • LPG Everyday
  • Liquid Media & Tank Management
  • General
  • About GOK
  • Product sales
  • Legal notice
  • Image sources
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookie settings
Scroll to top