How to check and change over your 45kg gas cylinders

If your property uses LPG, you’ll typically have two 45kg gas cylinders attached to the gas line outside your home.

Your gas supply is drawn from one gas cylinder at a time. When one gas cylinder empties, a changeover valve will allow you to switch to the other gas cylinder and continue to use gas. This changeover valve may be either manual or automatic.

How to use a manual changeover valve

A manual changeover valve has a painted lever that can be rotated from left to right.

When one gas cylinder empties, the flow of gas to your home will stop. At this point, you’ll need to turn off your gas appliances and go out to your gas cylinders.

Your manual changeover valve will be pointing to the gas cylinder that was most recently in use.

To restart the gas supply to your home, you will need to:

Turn the valve on the empty gas cylinder clockwise to the ‘off’ position.
Turn the changeover valve towards the full gas cylinder.
Turn the valve on the full gas cylinder counter-clockwise into the ‘on’ position.
Turn your gas appliances back on. You may need to relight the pilot light on your hot water system.

Gas should then be successfully flowing to your gas appliances.

We recommend that you order a replacement gas cylinder as soon as one is empty.

How to use an automatic changeover valve

An automatic changeover valve will tell you which of your gas cylinders is in use and if one of your gas cylinders is empty.

The automatic changeover valve will automatically switch from the empty gas cylinder to the full cylinder. In most cases, a gauge will turn red when a gas cylinder is empty.

You’ll need to keep an eye on this gauge to know when to order a replacement gas cylinder.

We recommend that you order a replacement gas cylinder as soon as one is empty.

How to check how much gas is in your 45kg gas cylinder

If you’d like to check how much gas is left in your gas cylinder, you can use a hot water test.

To perform a hot water test:

Boil water in a kettle and allow it to cool slightly.
Turn the gas cylinder off, and gently pour the water down the side of your gas cylinder.
Wait for 15 seconds, then carefully feel the cylinder from the bottom up.
The gas cylinder will feel cooler below the gas level and warmer above it. The level of gas inside the cylinder is at the point where the temperature changes.

How to check if your 45kg gas cylinder is leaking

If you think there is an issue with your gas cylinders or your gas is running out too fast, you can perform a soapy water test to check for a gas leak.

To perform a soapy water test:

Add some soap or dishwashing liquid to the water, then slather the soapy water over the cylinder valve and the changeover valve connection point.
If a leak is present, the soapy solution should form new bubbles.
Tighten the changeover connection valve and repeat the soapy water test.
If think you have a gas leak, you should contact our emergency LPG line on 1800 093 336 and follow the instructions here.