In article , Donal
wrote:

"Peter Wiley" wrote in message
. ..
In article , Donals Dilemma
wrote:

On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 23:02:33 -0000, "Donal"

Right. Basically cylinders fall into 2 categories. 9kg & less, you can
own and get filled anywhere without paperwork, as Oz says, long as
they're in test.

I think that you have both cleared up my confusion.

Here, we take an empty gas cylinder to the shop and exchange it for a full
one. So the legal responsibilities for the cylinder lie with the gas
supplier. Every time that we get a refill, we actually get a different
cylinder.

I assume that you keep the same cylinder through it's life???

Yes. Recently a cylinder exchange system has started up where you can
do as apparently you do, but it's a recent innovation.

[snip]

It's also illegal
to do your own gas pipework for reticulated town gas, BTW, and for good
reason - lotta idiots and the people they kill will probably not
include themselves, unfortunately.

If you did your *own* pipework, then any resulting fatalaties would probably
only include you, or your immediate family. This would have nothing to do
with the government(IMHO).

You assume the place is never sold or that any faults manifest
themselves during the original ownership. Not necessarily the case
unfortunately. It's possible - stupid, but possible - to use lead based
solder (yorkshire fittings) to make your own gas pipework. This solder
can degrade over time, or crystallise. A gas leak may occur years
later.

If a problem only affected the person who did it or their immediate
family, I wouldn't have any real probs with the outcomes. Stupidity and
carelessness have always been punishable until recently. Now it seems
these traits are rewarded.

PDW