The technical term is slightly different, every cylinder will have an expiry date, i.e., the retesting date, post which the usage isn’t recommended.
Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders are made of low carbon steel, complying with the BIS 3196 standards. Approval from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO)
The serviceable age of cylinders depends on a range of factors like:
i) Usage and cylinder rotation
ii) Wear and tear due to impacts
iii) Rusting
iv) Atmospheric conditions
The LPG cylinders have a Statutory Testing Due Date rather than a fixed expiry date. Statutory Testing is done every five years, and in the process, the cylinders are tested for usability and are stamped with the new test due date before being circulated for use.
The test due date is marked on one of three side collars of the cylinder. It starts with alphabets A, B, C or D followed by two digits.
The alphabets stand for quarters. They are denoted as:
A - First Quarter (Jan-Mar)
B - Second Quarter (Apr-Jun)
C - Third Quarter (Jul-Sep)
D - Fourth Quarter (Oct-Dec)
The digits indicate the year till it is valid. So, if your cylinder has the alphanumeric digit as D-23, that means it is due for testing in the last quarter of 2023.
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