LPG Tank Questions from Clare Casalis' "Cheap LPG heating for your home" article

groovyclam

In Clare Casalis' MSE article entitled "Cheap LPG heating for your home"

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cheap-lpg-for-heating-your-home/

She states:

"Your tank will need to be professionally tested every 10 years

An LPG tank is classed as a 'pressure vessel', and so has to be tested and formally certified by an LPG gas tank specialist every 10 years.

In addition, your LPG tank's regulator (the device that controls the flow of gas from the tank to your home) should be replaced every 10 years. If in doubt, get in touch with your supplier. Bulk LPG tanks typically have a shelf life of around 30 years, after which it'll need to be replaced.

Check if the maintenance of your tank is the responsibility of your supplier, as it might save you money on servicing and repairs."

Yet in Clare's article there is no source stated for these requirements. I do not doubt that these may indeed be formal requirements yet where is Clare getting this knowledge ?

Which body, institute or law is stating this needs to happen ?

Who, if anyone, is wandering around the country checking these requirements are being met ?

Or does this only arise if a tank causes a fire/injury or death and it comes to light a breach of these maintenance requirements were the cause of the fire/injury/death ?

If that is the case, are these rules attached to some law of criminal negligence ?

Please can Clare or someone at MSE tell us LPG tank owners where these requirements Clare has stated originate from and how they are enforced.

I am also aware, as a long time LPG tank owner, that our 2-year contracts for LPG supply involve a "Tank Maintenance Charge". How does this responsibility of the LPG supplier "integrate" with the requirements Clare is telling us tank owners we have to adhere to every 10 years ( i.e. a new regulator and a "pressure vessel test" ) ?

Woodstok2000

LPG Tank Testing

Here you go.

And more detail on who has to comply with what here:

Tank Ownership

QrizB

us LPG tank owners

Almost all UK domestic LPG customers don't own their tanks; they rent them from their supplier.

From what you say about having a "tank maintenance charge" it sounds as though you're in this group.

In which case, this is mostly your supplier's responsibility rather than yours.

Which body, institute or law is stating this needs to happen ?

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2451/contents

And/or the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/128/contents/made

If that is the case, are these rules attached to some law of criminal negligence ?

If you do own your tank, and it fails due to negligence, you could be looking at 2 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

Plus, if it causes damage, injury or death, you'll be on the hook for civil liabilities for the consequences.

groovyclam

Thank you QrizB and Woodstok2000 for getting back to my post. I have also asked the same questions of my LPG supplier company's engineering reps ( "The Tank Service Charge Team" ) and got some information back.

I will be reading what everyone has contributed over the next day or so and come up with what I think Clare should have put into her document as to make clear where, what and whose responsibilities these requirements fall upon and thus what the duties of the tank "owner" ( whereby I mean the person who originally got the tank installed on their property by an LPG company for their LPG to be delivered into ) actually are. And what it means for them if they breach there requirements.

Even though I have been "owning" an LPG tank for 20 years and had several LPG supply companies collect "Tank Service Charges" Clare's comments in her article came as a complete surprise to me and I feel new LPG tank "owners" ( or even long-term tank "owners" ) need making aware of these facts very clearly so they are not in breach of safety laws or liable for prosecution.

I certainly do not recall Calor in 2006 going through this legislation with me when I first had my tank installed by them - they just wanted the tank installed A.S.A.P. so they could start filling it up with LPG and taking my money.

groovyclam

I feel this is another reason we need a representative body for the LPG consumer ( NOT THE LPG SUPPLY COMPANIES ) whereby all our rights, AND RESPONSIBILITIES are explained to us clearly and concisely. And what we are at risk of if we DO NOT keep up with our responsibilities as tank owners.