How to find LPG cylinder’s expiry date? : Is a mail Hoax

Now a days an email hoax is floating around the globe telling about how to find expiry date of cylinder. The matter of the mail is like:

Be Alert…..

For Safety in your Home Today as was passing by the cylinder distributor in our colony a cylinder with A07 was found. The photograph is attached hoax mail showing picture of cylinder Photograph details : “A” stands for the first quarter i . e . January to March . “07” stands for the present year 2007. We all were still confused with the terms used above. A-07 indicates the expiry life of cylinder and not the GAS filled in it. This cylinder should not be used and returned to the gas dealer. Expired Cylinders are not safe for use and may cause accidents. All concerned should take necessary steps. Other Valuable Information : Have u ever heard about LPG gas cylinder’s expire date. I also didn’t know. How to find LPG cylinder’s expiry date? Very important information. Most of us do not know this. I came to know today from the gas stockiest, because here one accident occurred. Do you know that there is an expiry date (physical life) for LPG cylinders? Expired Cylinders are not safe for use and may cause accidents. In this regard please be cautious at the time of accepting any LPG cylinder from the vendor. Here is how we can check the expiry of LPG cylinders: On one of three side stems of the cylinder, the expiry date is coded alphanumerically as follows A or B or C or D and some two digit number following this e.g. D06. The alphabets stand for quarters – — A for March (First Qtr) — B for June (Second Qtr) — C for Sept (Third Qtr) — D for December (Fourth Qtr) The digits stand for the year till it is valid. Hence D06 would mean December qtr of 2006. UR kind cooperation will save life of many people and create awareness among the public. Please do not accept the cylinder if the date has already expired...

Don’t Forward this mail. It may create a problem for you and also for the person who is receiving the mail.

The Truth

Date shown in the cylinder is not the date of EXPIRY of PHYSICAL LIFE of the CYLINDER .

The digits stand for the year when the cylinder is due for Statutory testing. Hence D06 would mean that the particular cylinder is to be taken for the next Statutory Testing by December 2006.

From Indian IOL corporation site:

On one of three vertical stay plates (side stems) of the LPG cylinder, the date is coded alpha numerically as A or B or C or D and a two-digit number following this e.g. D06. The alphabets stand for quarters – A for Qtr. ending March (First Qtr), B – Qtr. ending June (Second Qtr), C-Qtr. ending Sept (Third Qtr), & D for Qtr. ending December (Fourth Qtr). The digits stand for the year when the cylinder is due for Statutory testing as explained above. Hence D06 would mean that the particular cylinder is to be taken for the next Statutory Testing by December 2006.In any case, this is not the date of EXPIRY of PHYSICAL LIFE of the CYLINDER .It is further clarified that, during service, every empty LPG cylinder when it comes from the Distributor to the Bottling Plant for filling, is checked for its condition including the marked date for Statutory Testing due. Cylinders due for testing are segregated and sent for testing.

Every cylinder after its filling with LPG is checked for correctness of its weight and soundness, before despatch to the Distributors. Every care is taken to ensure that cylinders which are safe for use are only sent to our Distributors for further distribution. It means if a customer gets a cylinder in June 2006 with marking as B06, it does not indicate that the physical life of the cylinder has expired. It only means that this cylinder is due for Statutory testing by end June 2006.

See: http://www.iocl.com/Products/LiquefiedPetroleumGasFAQ.aspx#21