Calor Gas has recalled all 6kg CalorLite cylinders made between 2008 and 2011 on safety grounds. This is a major recall because there are thought to be around 170,000 of these cylinders in use in Britain. Calor stresses that there have been no incidents or accidents involving the public to date, but the firm urges you to check your gas bottles.
The recall is due to concern that gas could escape from these cylinders due to a ‘potential material defect’ that might deteriorate over time.
Motorhomes and caravans are the most likely places to find CalorLite cylinders. Alternatively you may have Propane cylinders in 6kg or 19kg in your ‘van – the 47kg Propane cylinders are more for static caravans. CalorLite is popular because it is 50 per cent lighter than previous cylinders of the same dimensions, which helps keep the payload under control.
New CalorLite cylinders are safe. Only the CalorLite cylinders made between certain years are affected, so if you have a 2008, 2009, 2010 or 2011 6kg container, take it back to a CalorLite retailer immediately for a replacement. There are more than 2,100 stockists in Britain and you can find your nearest location at just by clicking here. Simply tick the Calor Lite Stockist box and put in your location to get a selection of stockists, with their distance from you listed, along with a handy map.
For instance, in London we found 10 CalorLite stockists, from the Wandsworth Calor Centre to the Crystal Palace Caravan Club. Calor Gas stockists near Birmingham include the Birmingham Calor Centre in Smethwick and branches of Go Outdoors, such as the one in Wolverhampton.
Whether your 6kg CalorLite cylinder is empty or full, the stockist will replace it free of charge with a safer 6kg CalorLite cylinder.
To find out if your container is one of those being recalled, check the writing stamped around the circumference of the base. You will see ‘Property of Calor Gas Ltd’ and then two letters, two numbers that denote the year of manufacture, then a letter. So if your cylinder has AP 10 B, for instance, that means it was made in 2010 and is part of the recall – 08, 09, 10 and 11 are all part of this safety recall.
At the bottom of the base ring, there are more letters and numbers revealing the date of manufacture. It might say 2010/09, for instance, ie 2010 in the ninth month.
At the top of the container, there’s a shiny metal disc around the valve. This is the cylinder tare disc. If your 6kg CalorLite cylinder has already been recalled, tested and pronounced safe for use, then you will see a little hole has been punched into the tare disc. It’s a 5.5mm diameter hole and if you see that, it means you don’t need to return your cylinder, even if it is dated 2008, 2009, 2010 or 2011.
The recall notice was issued on 15 September and we highlighted it on our social media channels and on the forum. If you have any questions about the recall, please ring Calor’s dedicated customer service helpline on 0800 783 4141.
Please share the news with your friends to keep them safe.
To find out if your container is one of those being recalled, check the writing stamped around the circumference of the base