So I wanted a spare gas bottle for the BBQ...

Discussion in 'Renovation & Home Improvement' started by Depreciator, 10th Dec, 2015.

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  1. Wall Street

    Wall Street Well-Known Member

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    OMG I've been misled my whole life!!!

    I just tried to save the 90 bucks for a brand new bottle and constantly run to the servo in the middle of the barbies!
     
  2. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    I now have a spare.
     
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  3. Random Username

    Random Username Well-Known Member

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    But it doesn't give them an extra "free" bottle as they swapped a full one for it............

    The bottle count would be the same, no?
     
  4. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Swap and Go have built up much of their inventory from people with a 'foreign' bottle that they have had for a few years swapping it for a Swap and Go one instead of refilling it. Swap and Go encourage it. That's why on the signage they say people can swap any brand of gas bottle and on their web site they say they welcome bottles that are overdue for testing. It's a clever business model - imagine a business where people donate a proportion of your stock.
     
  5. Peter_Tersteeg

    Peter_Tersteeg Mortgage Broker Business Member

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    Thank goodness LPG tanks aren't 'high pressure'. Here's what happens when a scuba tank is ruptured (they're significantly higher pressure than LPG, but at least the contents aren't highly flammable).

     
  6. Phantom

    Phantom Well-Known Member

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    My old neighbour from Monterey somehow managed to ignite his bottle on a Sunday arvo whilst cooking pork chops. It didn't fly around like the scuba one..but unleashed a fierce flame about 4-5 metres long. Was scary because you didn't know if it was ever going to explode or just continue as it was..By the time the fire brigade came, the flame had fizzled out and the gas was all but gone. Suffice to say, the old man neighbour didn't eat Pork chops for dinner. :confused:
     
  7. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Probably an old bottle he had hanging around forever. When you think about it, Swap and Go actually perform a useful public service by taking out of circulation unsafe bottles. I am pleased that I was able to contribute in a small way to their endeavours.
     
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  8. Peter_Tersteeg

    Peter_Tersteeg Mortgage Broker Business Member

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    My first BBQ was home made as a student at uni. I got one of Dad's old industrial portable gas burners, rigged it into a stand, put a hotplate on it, connected it to the gas bottle...

    Blew the hot plate off with flames a few meters high. Revised my plans and bought a regulator. Worked a treat after that. :)
     
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  9. Random Username

    Random Username Well-Known Member

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    Swap and Go check bottles when returned to them for refilling.
    The real danger here is when the servos refill them themselves, bypassing Swap and Go and send them back out without checking them.
     
  10. Phantom

    Phantom Well-Known Member

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    I took an old bottle back to be filled as spare for my BBQ. Took it to a big name servo and they rejected it saying it was more than 10 years old and needs to be certified as safe before filling again. But I'm sure that some places wouldn't check them.....more likely a private servo.
     
  11. Travelbug

    Travelbug Well-Known Member

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    Years ago I wanted a sewing machine (i've since come to my senses). anyway a shop had a special- bring in your old machine in and get $100 off. I didn't have an old machine. hubby said- "look I can go and find an old machine at the tip and give it to you and you'd just have to go to the trouble of taking it back to the tip. Give me the $100 off and it will save you the trouble". LOL it worked.
     
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  12. WattleIdo

    WattleIdo midas touch

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    This thread is right up there with that one about 'white lies' starring Mr Mindset who talked an old lady into selling her house well below market value.
     
  13. Corey Batt

    Corey Batt Well-Known Member

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    I'm one of those tightwad pedants who has a relatively new bottle so I just go and get it refilled at Mitre 10 when it runs out - only costs ~$18 if I remember correctly.

    Would rather not swap my shiny bottle for a trashed one from a back alley! :D
     
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  14. Travelbug

    Travelbug Well-Known Member

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    What!! These stories compare to some scumbag ripping off an old lady??
    Really??
     
  15. inertia

    inertia Well-Known Member

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    Why are people getting all up in arms about this? It is exactly the model that Swap N Go have implemented, and is actually safer than getting a gas bottle refilled at a servo (as others have mentioned, not all servo staff check for compliance before filling).

    Swap N Go refurb the bottle and make sure they are certified. Returning an off-brand gas bottle takes it out of circulation until it is recertified (and painted in pretty Swap N Go colours).

    If Swap N Go was feeling all put out about this, they wouldn't permit swapping off-brand bottles. Considering how long they have been around, I'm happy to trust that they've done the numbers on the cost/benefit of accepting off-brand bottles. We do not need to defend their business model for them. Afterall, it is actually cheaper to refill an empty bottle than to swap it out.

    Cheers,
    Inertia.
    - who has a servo with Swap N Go bottles about 100m away. Handy for mid-bbq bottle swaps.
     
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  16. Andrew H

    Andrew H Well-Known Member

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    this is an entertaining thread! And people think SWAP - N- GO dont have this all figured out!
    $18 is expensive for gas, remember we are the end user and all these arguments are catered for in their business model.

    carry on....
     
  17. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    That LOL owns Swap n Go.
     
  18. Paul@PAS

    Paul@PAS Tax, Accounting + SMSF + All things Property Tax Business Plus Member

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    Aldi $29.99 (empty of course.)
     
  19. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Bunnies and masters weren't much more expensive - just add gas and you're still miles ahead.

    By the way Elgas owns swap n go (not some little old lady).
     
  20. Westminster

    Westminster Tigress at Tiger Developments Business Member

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    And this is why Macgyver takes his fuel tank to the servo fills it up at $1.50 or so a litre.