When choosing a gas installation, you can not forget about its key element, which is certainly a tank. The tank will store our cheap fuel, which is a mixture of propane and butane. Should you be guided when choosing? Which features should be the most important for us and what type of cylinder should I choose? In today's post we will try to bring you this difficult choice
Fit the LPG tank to your needs
There is a huge choice on the market both of gas tank manufacturers and the models themselves. How do you choose the right one for your driving style and car model?
LPG tanks can be divided into two most popular types:
toroidal tanks, models are characterized by a circular appearance resembling a car tire. That's why their place is most often in the place of the spare wheel.
cylindrical tanks, characterized by the shape typical for the most-known cylinders, placed most often in the trunk in a lying position, the most rare choice is their standing position.
The place of installation of the gas cylinder can not be any.
The regulations in detail explain the possibilities of assembly of the LPG tank. They determine the possibility of installing a cylinder both in the trunk of the car and under it. Of course, while maintaining all aspects affecting safety during eg road collision.
Toroidal tank
First, the place of assembly, it plays a key issue in the selection of the tank. If you want the tank to be perfectly protected, it is worth choosing a toroidal model hidden under the floor of the luggage compartment. However, this is associated with some cons, which are worth remembering. The first important element is its capacity. Certainly the size of the tank is limited by the luggage compartment area prepared for the spare wheel. Model chosen by users of passenger cars who cover small or medium distances every day. With this choice, the range of the road limits us, which we can overcome on one fueling.
It is much less common to install such tanks under the car floor, it is influenced by maintaining the proper distance of the tank from the road surface, and the protection of all elements of the installation, with particular attention to the parts supplying fuel to the engine. External tanks are used for such installations.
Another aspect that we must remember when choosing this type is that we need to find a safe place for a spare wheel. In connection with the fact that the dedicated place in the trunk occupies the tank, the most common is the floor of the boot equipped with a safety net or fastening cables. It also affects the trunk volume itself, which is reduced by about 50 liters.
Cylindrical tank
In the case of this type of tank there is much greater freedom in choosing the size of the tank for the propane butane mixture. That's why it is chosen by people who care about long-range on one tank. In addition to passenger cars, drivers of cars, buses and vans prefer these models. They are available in capacities from approx. 25 liters to even 140 liters. The larger the tank, the longer it is, so it is worth asking the fitter about the maximum length that fits easily into the trunk of the car. When choosing such a tank one should take into account the additional cost of several dozen zlotys per rack together with fastening straps. It is very important to choose a frame adapted to the length of the tank. It can not be loose because it would affect travel safety.
Interesting fact: On the market there are also LPG tanks with a large capacity of up to several hundred liters, but they are designed for trucks.
Cylinder approval
The approval allows us to use the cylinder for 10 years, after this period the cylinder should be replaced or an extension of the current approval should be considered. Cylinder life can be up to 20 years, but it is usually exchanged before that period.
Approval should be carried out each time, during the presence of a car in a road accident or when importing a car from abroad.
Manufacturer selection
When choosing a producer, it is worth checking what technologies have been used in the production of a particular model. The thickness of the sheet or the type of coating used may affect the safety of use. It is also worth checking the maximum working pressure with which our tank can work.
The last element that distinguishes the products of different manufacturers is the way of fixing the multivalve. It is worth asking the editor how the type will be suitable for our installation.
