Outdoor gas bottle cabinet, features and main characteristics

The operation of gas cylinders must be carried out in compliance with safety regulations. According to her, gas cylinders are undesirable to be placed inside residential premises. For their safety, it is recommended to place them in special metal boxes, and a cabinet for a gas cylinder outdoor for these purposes is best suited.

Purpose and features

The installation of gas storage tanks, most of the gas equipment indoors is not recommended. Sometimes this is allowed, but it is necessary that the height of the ceilings be at least 2.2 meters, and there must be ventilation windows in the room.

Cylinders are located mainly on the street either because of the impossibility of observing such conditions, or because of the reluctance to spend the usable area on the placement of gas cylinders, or because of increased safety.

In this case, street cabinets for a gas cylinder perform several functions at once:

protects gas tanks from all types of solar radiation: from infrared (thermal) to ultraviolet;
It is an additional level of protection against intruders who decide to steal gas-balloon equipment;
protects others from the possible consequences of detonation of a container with gas - both from an open flame and from fragments;
protects gas equipment from mechanical damage and moisture;
serves as a convenient storage place.

The design of the cabinet can be single or double, the doors of which are locked. This kind of design will limit outsiders' access to equipment. Similarly, a cabinet for two gas cylinders can have one or two-door execution.

The hole for the gas line (hose) is traditionally located on the back of the cabinet; sometimes it can be placed on the side wall. In some cases, the holes are partially extruded on all three walls, and the consumer himself chooses through which one he will start the hose.

The cabinet has special ventilation holes located in its upper and lower parts. They are needed to prevent gas accumulation in the event of a leak. Door hinges are located inside the cabinet. The cabinet can be located on a platform made in the form of racks, special supports or legs.

Cabinets for storing gas cylinders of small sizes can be either solid or collapsible. Larger cabinets are mostly collapsible. They are easier to transport, and the assembly process is quite simple.

Materials of manufacture

As the material of manufacture, sheet steel with a thickness of 1 to 1.5 mm is used. This may be a large thickness, but it leads to a significant weighting of the structure.To prevent corrosion, as well as to give the cabinet for gas cylinders a more aesthetic appearance, it is painted with polyester (or powder) paint. Such painting provides good resistance to all atmospheric factors: temperature and humidity.

Propane cylinders are painted in red, cylinders with other gases in “their own” colors; for example, oxygen is blue, helium is brown, and so on. Sometimes the cabinet is painted in the same color as the cylinders in it. On cabinets with dangerous gases, warning signs are placed, with inert gases - their names are written.

Shape and size

Existing models of cabinets differ, first of all, in terms of the height of the cylinders stored in them. Cabinet heights of 1 and 1.5 meters are considered standard, since a standard gas bottle has a height of 0.96 or 1.37 meters. However, manufacturers do not adhere to such norms and the size of the cabinets can lie within wide limits: from 1 to 1.3 meters for small cylinders and from 1.4 to 1.5 meters for high cylinders. As a rule, the additional volume in cabinets is used to accommodate gearboxes and other equipment.

But as for the width and depth, there are already more stringent requirements. For one cylinder, the dimensions of the “floor” are 0.43 by 0.4 meters, the cabinet for two gas cylinders has dimensions of 0.43 by 0.8 meters.

Thus, the design is a parallelepiped with dimensions from 1x0.4x0.43 meters for one low balloon to 1.5x0.8x0.43 meters for two tall ones. A single cabinet can weigh up to 50 kg, and the weight difference between a single and a double product of the same model can reach up to 30 kg.

Posting Rules

When installing the cabinet, the following rules must be observed:

the cabinet should be placed no closer than 5 meters from the entrance to the basement;
the location of the cabinet is desirable on the side of the building where the amount of sunlight is minimal;
the cabinet is installed on a small (not less than 100 mm) foundation, the dimensions of which exceed the dimensions of the base of the box.

What to look for when choosing

Like any functional product, a gas cylinder cabinet requires a comprehensive analysis in terms of consumer properties. Therefore, the choice should be guided by the following rules.

Verification of compliance with the requirements for the volume and number of storage places

You must make sure that the declared characteristics of the cabinet for storing gas cylinders are true. This applies, first of all, to its capacity and also to its dimensions.

The volume itself may not mean anything, since there are several sizes of cylinders that differ in height. Therefore, for example, two cabinets of the same volume can be used to store a different number of different containers with gas. If you need a cabinet for two gas cylinders - this must immediately be agreed with the manufacturer or seller.

Compliance with essential safety features

The main purpose of the cabinet is to increase safety during operation of the cylinder. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that the structural strength, in particular, the wall thickness, meets the required standards (at least 1.0 mm).The hinges on which the door walks must be strong enough and not have any backlashes or deflections in or out.

The design of the moving parts (door and lock) must be such that it is problematic to break the door with a crowbar or crowbar or "push" into the structure. This allows you to immediately check it not only for durability in an explosion, but also for its resistance to cracking by attackers.

It will not be superfluous to have additional security features inside. For example, a special chain holding containers with gas. The design of the castle should be simple and at the same time reliable. It should be problematic to open without the use of special technical means.

Maintenance of cylinders

The cabinet must protect the contents not only from intruders, but also from adverse environmental conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that these functions are performed in full and the manufacturer has taken care of this.

Since almost all products are delivered disassembled (they are called: SHGR - gas-cylinder collapsible cabinet), it is necessary to make sure that after assembly the functions of dust, dirt and moisture protection will be fulfilled. In this case, it is necessary to check the assembly quality of the cabinet for the gas cylinder, the degree of fitting of the elements of its design and the absence of possible gaps. An additional advantage will be the presence of rubber or silicone seals that prevent rattling in windy conditions.

You must make sure that the design has a stand, that is, the level of the bottom wall does not lie on the surface, but is raised a few centimeters above it. A mandatory requirement is the presence of ventilation holes located in the floor or at the bottom of the side walls, but their location may be different: sometimes the holes in the bottom are preferable to the side ones.

Durability and aesthetic issues

Since the cabinet is made of iron alloys, protecting it from corrosion is an important issue. Therefore, when choosing it, attention should be paid to the quality of painting the product. The surface of the metal should be covered with an even layer of paint, without any foaming, chips. It should not be scratched or rusted.

The cabinet is a rather bulky design element, sometimes it may not fit perfectly into the interior of the garden or cottage. This is especially true if a cabinet for two gas cylinders is located in the country. In this case, painting it in some acceptable color for the customer can help.