Food cooking on a bbq

4 top tips for storing your BBQ gas cylinders safely

It’s that time of the year to get your barbecue gear out of the shed and set it up for the spring and summer months. It’s also that time you start thinking about how best to keep your equipment once it is out of storage, especially gas canisters.

Unlike coal or logs, you must store BBQ gas cylinders safely and responsibly. Here’s a rundown of how to ensure the safety of your cylinders.

1. Store gas bottles outdoors

Ensure that you store all gas bottles outdoors, not in your garage or shed. Having a gas leak in a confined space can be disastrous. However, if your gas bottles are stored outdoors and leak, the gas will safely disperse. A gas leak inside your home can cause a serious risk both to property and people in the area.

2. Store gas cylinders away from heat

It’s only common sense to never store gas canisters near an ignition or source of heat. Barbecues use propellant gas, which is highly flammable. Of course, that’s why it is the best gas for cooking. Ensure, therefore, that you never store it anywhere where it can come into contact with a heat source or ignition.

3. Store gas cylinders in an upright position

Always handle BBQ gas bottles with care so as not to damage the cylinder. One of the best ways of doing so is storing the cylinder in an upright position. Most gas bottles have pressure release valves that let out a little gas if the pressure inside the cylinder reaches dangerous levels. Not storing the cylinder in an upright position can affect how this valve works.

4. Store away from lowered areas

BBQ gases are mostly propane and butane, which are heavier than air. Therefore, when released, they sink to lower areas and displace oxygen. This effectively creates a chamber of air with little to no oxygen and presents a high possibility of suffocation if not detected early.

Wrapping up

BBQ gas is very propellant and must be stored safely and responsibly. Ensure you stay safe when handling such gases and store them appropriately, or else you’ll have more than a barbecue to deal with.