Page 68 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

The City & Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1

To extinguish

1 Close the acetylene blow pipe valve first, then close the oxygen blow pipe
valve.
2 Turn off both acetylene and oxygen control valves on the cylinders.
3 Turn the acetylene regulator handle anti-clockwise until it is loose.
4 Open the acetylene blow pipe valve to release the pressure off the
regulator.
5 Close the acetylene blow pipe valve.
6 Turn the oxygen regulator handle anti-clockwise until it is loose.
7 Open the oxygen blow pipe valve to release the pressure off the regulator.
8 Close the oxygen blow pipe valve.

What to do in the event of leakage
If you smell acetylene:
● NEVER use an open flame to check for leaks
● use commercial leak detector solution that is compatible with oxygen and
acetylene to check all equipment connections before starting work
● NEVER use a leaking cylinder.
If the cylinder leaks:
● close the cylinder valve
● label the bottle as ‘leaking’
● remove the cylinder to an outdoor location and post ‘no smoking’ and ‘keep
clear signs’
● call the gas supplier to collect the cylinder as soon as possible.
Safe use of liquid petroleum gas

Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) is the generic name for the family of carbon-based
flammable gases that are found in coal and oil deposits deep below the surface
of the earth. They include:

● methane
● ethane
● butane
● propane.

Of these, generally only two – butane and propane – are commercially available
as bottled LPG. Plumbers regularly use propane when soldering copper tubes
and fittings.

Commercially available propane
Propane has many uses, from camping to industrial processes, and is available in
a variety of cylinder types and sizes. The colour of propane bottles is signal red.
Propane turns from its liquid state to a gas, in other words it boils, at −42°C,
whereas butane boils at −4°C. This means that propane can be used when the
p Figure 1.34 Commercial outside temperature is much colder – a distinct advantage when working on a
propane cylinder construction site in the winter.

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