Gas Cylinders - the Hazards

Here is a list of the places selling propane now that the petrol stations don't carry it:

http://www.woqod.com.qa/net/eng/business/shafafstores.aspx

Hi Ajigojide,

the purpose was to have an enthusiastic debate on the pros and cons of gas vs electricity and to cover/ explore all aspects.

various contributors have highlighted positive and varied aspects of gas. very few takers for electricity. the same is reflected when you look for ceramic cookers/ hobs.

will summarize it later this week.

look forward to hearing from you.

Hi Mary and Bob Penn,

on the gas prices and based on two links found on QL

- http://www.qatarliving.com/the-qatar-guide/utilities-and-services/gas

- http://www.qatarliving.com/discussion/cooking-gas-price-hike-in-qatar-03aug2006

your assistance to my query posed on this link would be much appreciated.

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/2402187

thank you!

hi fellow QLers:- slightly off topic but I'd appreciate knowing what needs to be done to dress down your appliances (refrigerator/ washing machine/ dish washer) prior to moving to another apartment.

thank you in advance.

found some useful info on the exxonmobile site on LPG

-Characteristics

http://www.exxonmobil.com/AP-English/about_who_profile_lpg_characteristics.aspx

-Why use LPG

http://www.exxonmobil.com/AP-English/about_who_profile_lpg_why.aspx

-LPG safety tips

http://www.exxonmobil.com/AP-English/about_who_profile_lpg_safety.aspx

look forward to a lively debate from home users, and also those who are interested in chemistry/physics/the environment/ etc. in exploring the pros and cons

yes thanks for the detailed explanation.

several things explored namely:-

1. carbons and hydrocarbons

2. alkanes vs alkenes

3. atoms and elements

4. elements and bonding

5. gas laws (Charle's/ Boyle's/ Guy-Lussac/ etc.)

Please let me know if anything has been missed out.

Hi HGL,

to clarify that

"temperature extremities" = unbearably hot and humid conditions.

didn't mention air cons anywhere.

hth.

thanks Mary!

MD...point no. 1 as you have put it was in response to your opening sentence "not sure why Qatar Housing Board doesn't ban gas cylinders considering the potent mix of gas and the temperature extremities"....:)

I used Shop and Ship. The brand is First Alert

what brand was it - do you have the link by any chance?

did you use dhl or some other courier?

also was it considered an import?

thanks Mary!

There are different price points, read the reviews fromother purchasers. Mine cost about USD25 each

Most fires in Qatar are due to electrical faults...

BB was the electricity fault in one of their food outlets? Thought that it took place in the kids play area.

Villagio is proof Electricity is more dangerous than Gas in Qatar...

2. Moreover cooking using gas is very helpful where change of temp can be instantaneous which may not be possible for electric cooking ranges etc.

on 2-

I think it is more than possible with the ceramic top range. With the electric ones I agree with you. It takes a while and when it does get on with it; it takes so much time to get off again.

Hi HappygoLucky,

wr2 your comments

1. As the houses are all air conditioned the explosion due to excessive temperatures do not arise, if that is of any concern.

on 1-

if this is the case then gas explosions do not seem to be contained particularly in high rise buildings which would definitely need to be air conditioned given the weather extremes inherent in the gulf region.

neither are they contained in apartments of smaller buildings.

therefore how did you arrive at the connection between air conditioned units and explosions being compressed due to the presence of air conditioned units?

Ajigojide it's been a long time since Chem class; so could please explain the liquified petroleum gas under "substance identification" as methane is ch4 and as the formula is bit hard to read and understand; it's hard to understand what c3h4 or c2h4 is.

thanks!

Mary how much did they cost?

Hi Ajigojide,

Just hope that lots more people take part and that those questions are answered; particularly those who are interested about their Environment and their families.

Those in the 1-insurance business; 2-home owners using gas/electricity 3-engineers in fire and safety 4-building owners could add a great deal of enlightenment to this topic.

Just like you I hope that "Collective Responsibility" does pretty much happen.

p.s. on a side note; please let us know when you set your group up. Thanks!

As the houses are all air conditioned the explosion due to excessive temperatures do not arise, if that is of any concern. Moreover cooking using gas is very helpful where change of temp can be instantaneous which may not be possible for electric cooking ranges etc. (a necessity for my, Indian, style cooking). Also on a gas stove any type of vessel is ok unlike electric plates which need flat bottomed ones. My current place provides electric cooking range and I hate it...:((

I ordered the smoke detectors from Amazon

installation of smoke detectors.

it would be useful to know where you sourced the smoke detectors from and how much it cost.

3

who is liable therefore, in the event of an accident- the expat who purchased the lpg/gas cylinder or ?

4

what happens in buildings where piped gas is present

5

what happens if there is a fire due to an electric fault?

Hi Ajigojide,

The link is informative- thank you.

Your post got me thinking on various issues:-

1

with respect to "smoking" it would be a good idea to ban it in public areas of residences. This way it protects expectant mothers and doesn't force feed smoke to those who don't want to smoke. It would take care of errant butts left all over the place.

2

don't think that expats are covered by default with home insurance unless you go for it yourself with AXA etc. or the company provides that in your package- so how do you deal with co-expats in residences using gas- a bit tricky I should think

You get the QAR400 back when you turn the cylinder back in when you leave. It's the same as the deposit you pay on the 5 gallon water bottles.

It isn't difficult to install the smoke detectors by yourself.

BobbPenn did you mean 400QR for a woqod cylinder or for them red ones?

Not sure about electric power being cheaper unless fellow QLers who do not have it included in their rental contracts state what approx costs are to use electric power.

I am simply not interested in gas only because it's unbelievably expensive. Over 400QR for a cylinder with the regulator? That's crazy considering Qatar is one of the biggest gas exporter in the World.

Of course it's cheaper to use electric power, because it's already included in the rent.

Did you get this done by an external company or did your landlord fit it in for you?

So far as I know, there are no gas detectors in kitchens anywhere in the gulf as the "norm" there are heat detectors - which are useless as smoke will kill you before heat will - that's why I bought smoke detectors and installed them throughout my home including the kitchen and the hallway outside my bedroom

Hi Flor1212, if you have any idea about the pros and cons of why electric or why gas then I'd be delighted to hear from you.

So far all I've found is gas cookers with very little options on the ceramic front. Plus the fierce prices on the plate/ceramic cookers is heavy. Add to that the bills - that is a put off.

With gas cookers, the food tastes diff; is faster. Of course the consequences of defective valves; leaks etc. makes it difficult to consider.

That said most fires are due to electric faults.

So it certainly isn't an easy discussion to say the least.

Hi Mary, sorry about the delay in getting back.

Yes I will indeed visit a Woqod station and find out.

Having detectors really should be the norm, particularly in a kitchen where a fire is most likely to occur.

I buy my refills from a little corner shop in Mansoura. I doubt if the gentleman there would be able to tell me about safety/valves etc. in English.

You could try a Woqod station that provides cylinders

No kitchens have detectors to my knowledge.

If you fear that much about gas cooking, then go for electric cooking!

Hi Jon, I'm a big fan of the AGA cooking range [the coal fired one] and if everyone who started any discussion on QL to compare one service with another was accused [:)] of working for the service that they preferred - then there wouldn't be any point in having a discussion.

Please feel free to have a constructive debate.

Thanks for your cooperation Jon :-)

Hi IlikeQL, thanks for the input on LPG cylinders as well in addition to the gas ones.

When you mention 40ltrs of water to = 1kw of power; do you mean seawater as in desalinated water or ?

The Eco-conservation angle does bug me no doubt.

Hi Mary Catherine,

Could you please give me the name of the company that delivers gas cylinders? I'd like to find out about the cylinders [sizes, safety valves, info pack, etc]

Just wondering if most kitchens here are fitted with detection?

As much as the economic feasibility would entice me to switch to gas; I'm a bit concerned with the ability of gas to blow up as opposed to an electrical cooking range. Plus with my parents and family on the way; I wouldn't like to take the risk.

Still I'd like to do an evaluation to have some value add conversation.

Im sure you work for an electrical kitchen appliance company :-)

On the other side gas do have its draw backs but there is no point in banning such a product when there are its own merits and demerits. Its an individual choice.

I have not heard that the gas cylinder is exploded due to heat. The gas cylinders are designed to withsatnd + 50 C temperature.It is LPG and when burnt with air, some CO2 gas may form but it gets diluted in atmosphere rapidly.

40 liters of water required to make 1 kW of power. Conserve water, use LPG

I buy the standard sized cylinder and swap it out when needed when the gas truck comes around.

I suppose you could register, I have 2 cylinders, one in use and the other either empty waiting for the next gas truck visit or full ready to be hooked up.

If your kitchen is too small to accommodate the cylinder, I guess electric is the way to go.

The gas is "scented" to warn users if there is a leak.

The cylinders are fitted with regulators to prevent leaks.

Given the quality of electrical installation and the wires/outlets/etc. used. I'll take my chances with gas.

Tks Mary/Richard/Azar

No doubt gas is cheaper than electricity but while gas is generally cheaper, it does have a couple of downsides.

1-With gas your house is more likely to explode.

2-And the byproducts of gas combustion from ovens and heating are unhealthy to breathe, and can actually kill pet birds.

in order to have a proactive comparison with gas cylinders here are a few Q's:-

1. do they come in sizes or is it just one size fits all?

2. does it mean that you require to register as you do in case of getting water

3. how does one store it particularly if the kitchen is poky

4. is the kitchen equipped with detection

5. is there any form of safety

electricity is not expensive but do you know where it came from. gas is much cheaper than electricity. the price of electricity is controlled by government.

I like cooking with gas rather than electric