The Coronavirus of Fake/Substandard LPG Cylinders and appliances in Nigeria

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• Author: Muyiwa Ige(LPG Stakeholder and Consultant)

It’s now an open secret and very embarrassing situation for many respectable Nigerians, that the country has emerged as one of the favorite dumping grounds for manufacturers of fake and substandard goods.

It just appears that the importers of fake/substandard LPG Cylinders and other accessories are totally oblivious of the valid adage that says that the man who’s busy throwing stones recklessly in the market square should think twice and desist from the irresponsible act, because even members of his family can be fatally hit in the head, which may eventually force them to board the dreaded one-way flight out of planet earth.

The unpatriotic acts of these importers of fake and substandard LPG cylinders notwithstanding, the ghastly reputation of LPG as a highly flammable pressurized fluid should be sufficient to ginger all LPG users in Nigeria, who are unwilling to prematurely exit the land of the living in tragic fashion via LPG Cylinder explosion, to ensure that they only purchase certified, standard LPG cylinders at all times.

Substandard LPG Hose, Regulator and Valve

Hose

A new LPG Hose that is already showing visible signs of crack or one that cracks/ruptures within a few months of use is ‘gallantly’ substandard.

Regulator

Also, a brand new LPG regulator that still allows the flow of gas after it has been turned off is convincingly substandard. Soapy water can be used to check for leakage on the body of a regulator that has already been connected to a filled LPG cylinder and turned on. Bubbles observed on any part of the regulator indicate leakage, implying that the regulator has tough quality questions to answer.

Valve

A beautiful substandard LPG valve posing as an original valve can be easily exposed by dropping soapy water into the hollow top of a camping or standard valve. For Util, Nido and Cut valves, the soapy solution is applied in the valve outlet. Bubbling or foaming from the hollow top or outlet indicates leakage and this qualifies the valve to be designated as substandard.

Locally-made fake/substandard LPG Cylinders

The 3KG capacity cylinder is without doubt the most commonly produced fake /substandard cylinder. Identifying one is relatively easy, as the poor finishing job done on the cylinder usually gives it away. Unlike the imported ones, the shape is not perfectly cylindrical and the welding work on the cylinder is usually rough. An equally simple way to know a fake locally-made cylinder is its weight. An empty original cylinder weighs between 3.5-5.5kg, depending on its quality and designation; while an out rightly fake empty cylinder weighs between 2.5-2.9KG.

The higher thickness/quality of the sheet used in the fabrication, heat treatment done on the cylinder and top-class quality of welding, are the outstanding features(all lacking in fake cylinders) that make an original cylinder what it is

Imported Substandard Cylinders

One needs more that a visual inspection to confirm if an imported cylinder is a substandard one because it usually looks aesthetically impressive. Cylinder empty weight confirmation is one of the best ways to know the quality level of an imported cylinder

Typically, a standard empty 3KG cylinder should weigh at least 3.5KG. Therefore an imported cylinder that weighs 3.0-3.1KG is substandard.

Leak test is another good way of ascertaining if an LPG cylinder is standard or substandard. Soapy water can be applied on all the welded joints, valve and valve perimeter of a new cylinder filled with air or gas. If bubbles are observed on any point or area, leakage is confirmed; leading to the inevitable conclusion that the cylinder is a substandard one.

Some higher level substandard LPG cylinders that ‘excel’ at this stage of pre-use scrutiny, usually get exposed within six months of use when the paint starts to peel off and serious corrosion of the cylinder sets in.

A standard cylinder will never undergo serious corrosion within two years of use.

Substandard LPG Cookers and Burners

Any glass Table-Top LPG cooker that shatters within two years of use is ‘excellently’ substandard.

A stainless Table-Top cooker that has an unusually light weight, can be said to be substandard. It’s very obvious that the sheet of such a cooker will cave in before long under the weight of cooking pots.

Brand new stainless/glass Table-top and Standing LPG cookers that produce yellow flame instead off the normal blue, are not of the highest quality, to put it mildly.

A new LPG Cooker that its spark ignition system packs up just after a few weeks of use is definitely substandard.

Any new camping burner that ‘dares’ to still release gas after its control has been locked is substandard. Also, a new brand new burner that leaks gas at the control or one that burns partially and not round about the cap, is substandard.

Closing Remarks

Since the mystery surrounding fake/substandard LPG Cylinders and appliances has been effectively unraveled, the wonderful people of Nigeria do not need to make the awful mistake of purchasing them again.

The Standard Organization of Nigeria(SON), in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, should do more to fight the coronavirus of fake/substandard LPG cylinders and accessories in Nigeria, to a standstill.