What is Cylinder Sweating and How to Tackle this Issue

Many times, you might have seen the phenomenon of cylinders with droplets being formed at the surface of the cylinders, especially in hotels/restaurants. You have been puzzled as to how it happens, and you wonder why is my gas cylinder sweating. There are no water sources around to explain the same.

What is the phenomenon of why LPG cylinder gets cold?

We will explain to you what that is and why it happens. That phenomenon is called cylinder sweating.

LPG stored in a cylinder is in a liquid state. In a VOT or vapour off-take installation, the liquid evaporates naturally due to the natural vaporization phenomenon. The rate of natural vaporization is low and thus works well for small installations. However, when the usage of LPG increases, this method of vaporization is not sufficient in comparison to the rate of conversion (liquid to gas). This causes water droplets or an icy coating on the cylinder.

In simple terms, if the rate of LPG withdrawal is more than the designed rate, gas cylinder sweating happens, and in extreme cases, it can lead to the formation of icing on the cylinder surface.

Why does it happen?

Now that you have understood what cylinder sweating is, you must also understand why it is happening in your restaurant kitchen.
The reason is simple. It is due to the improper design of the cylinder manifold in the kitchen area. When the LPG company does not factor in any extra burners that might be added or expect a smaller number of cylinders to handle a large number of burners, this issue props up.

What to do if a cylinder sweats?

Plug unconnected pigtails

Use cylinders intermittently

Blow dry air at the bottom level

Lay separate high-pressure line

Increase air circulation in the cylinder cabin

Increase the number of cylinders in manifold

Is gas cylinder sweating dangerous? Not exactly, but here are a few tips on what not to do if a cylinder sweats.

Heat it using flames

Submerge it in hot water

Keep it enclosed in a cabinet

How to tackle the issue?

The only way is to understand the consumption patterns and design a manifold factoring in all the requirements. The idea is to increase the LPG withdrawal rate more than the actual withdrawal rate. 

With over 2 decades of experience in the LPG industry, our team of experts will be available at your reach to address the cylinder sweating issues.

For further information, you can get in touch with our team of experts or your franchisee at the earliest.

Frequently asked questions:

Is it safe to use a sweating gas cylinder?

Cylinder sweating is not a safety hazard, but you should certainly contact our team as soon as possible.

What is sweating gas?

The formation of an ice coating or water droplets on an LPG cylinder's outer surface is called cylinder sweating. Usually, LPG cylinder sweating happens at hotels and restaurants.

Is cylinder sweating normal?

No, it is not a normal phenomenon. Cylinder sweating happens when the rate of withdrawal exceeds the normal amount.