Safety is a big consideration when you hit the road, whether you travel alone, as a couple or with a bunch of kids, like we do. As bush camping enthusiasts, we rely heavily on LPG for our cooking, running our Coleman hot water service and keeping the Dometic fridge ticking over. However, LPG comes with dangers and we know people who have been involved in horrific accidents, due to undetected gas leaks. I think we all know the unpleasant smell of gas and the worry in wondering where on earth it’s coming from.
After years of travelling, we decided it was about time we purchased a safety Gasfuse, just before a six-week trip to South Australia. We bought the product at the local Bunnings for $36.98 but you can also find it at BCF and Ray’s Outdoors.
Installation is quick and easy as the pocket-size device fits snugly between the gas bottle and the gas regulator. The fuse fits all cylinder sizes with a POL valve, which is the most common valve in Australia. You turn off the gas bottle, remove the regulator, hose and appliance. Now you’re ready to screw the Gasfuse into the gas bottle. Tighten the Gasfuse to the bottle using a spanner as doing it by hand won’t get it tight enough. Now insert your regulator, hose and install the appliance, making sure the appliance is switched off. Turn the gas on, press down the gauge a couple of times to prime the Gasfuse and you’re back in business.
So how does it work? Basically, the Gasfuse acts like an electrical circuit breaker at home, automatically and instantly turning off the supply of gas when a leak is detected or the regulator fails. The fuse has been designed in such a way that the internal flow dynamics power a mechanical shut-off apparatus which is independent from external power.
The added bonus is that the German made visual gas gauge tells you how much gas is left in the bottle, taking the guessing out of when to refill thus saving you money on unnecessary refills. There are three readings: High, Gas and Low, to inform you what is happening inside the gas bottle. Once the gauge is Low, you have about one hour of gas left before you need to refill.
In addition, this nifty device has an inbuilt tilt switch, which causes the supply to be shut off in case the bottle falls or wobbles excessively. All in all, this small bit of equipment plays a very important role and has the potential to save lives.
Gasfuse has won two gold medals for safety and a silver and bronze for the environment. It is considered ‘the best innovative mechanical gas safety valve shut off.’
Looking back I don’t know why we didn’t buy this safety device much sooner. Safety must always come first and for a mere $40 it is worth its value in gold.