Industrial Propane Cylinders - Forklifts, Mowers and Floor Buffers
Propane cylinders are commonly seen on forklifts and alongside buildings and warehouses in storage racks for use on lift trucks and propane floor buffers. Increasingly, these cylinders are used to power propane mowers. These propane cylinders are either exchanged in a bottle swap program or filled from a bulk propane delivery truck. A scale is not required to fill these types of propane cylinders which is why a bulk delivery truck can deliver into these cylinders at the consumer site.
Industrial Propane Bottles/ Forklift Cylinders Operation
Propane powered forklifts primarily use 33 pound cylinders as their fuel source and are equipped for liquid service. Because the cylinders are designed for liquid service, they have to be placed properly on the lift truck to operate correctly. Improper cylinder installation can result in loss of power and eventually complete loss of engine functionality. Although industrial propane cylinders are within the 4-40 pound class, they do not require OPD valves in order to be refilled. When a 33 pound forklift cylinder is properly mounted on a lift truck, it will generally provide around 8 hours of continuous operation.
Understanding Industrial Propane Cylinders
Industrial Propane Cylinder Parts - Explaining the connections and fittings on industrial and LP Gas forklift bottles. These parts are uniform on all 20, 33 and 40 pound industrial propane cylinders.
Mounting (Installing) Forklift Cylinders - Proper mounting of forklift cylinders ensures full utilization of the bottle. Learn about both correct and incorrect installation of LP Gas lift truck cylinders and why proper mounting is important.
Propane Forklift Cylinder Valves - Cylinder service valves on forklifts control liquid flow to the lift trucks LP Gas engine system. This valve sometimes causes confusion and frustration for lift operators after the service connection is made. Learn about the details of this valve and troubleshooting the leaks that may form on propane forklift valves
Industrial Propane Cylinder Capacities and Weights
The table of dimensions below consists of average industrial propane cylinder capacities and weights. These figures are not precise cylinder measurements but rather approximate figures for both steel and aluminum industrial gas bottles. Contact the cylinder manufacturer for exact dimensions and measurements.
| 20# Steel | 20# Aluminum | 33# Steel | 33# Aluminum | 43# Steel | 43# Aluminum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (gallons) | 4.7 | 4.7 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 10.3 | 10.3 |
| Weight (empty) | 26.5 lbs. | 19.5 lbs. | 35 lbs. | 23 lbs. | 40 lbs. | 27 lbs. |
| Weight (full) | 46 lbs. | 40 lbs. | 69 lbs. | 56 lbs. | 83.5 lbs. | 70.5 lbs. |