A guide to reading the lines stamped on the carry handle of a gas cylinder: owner, manufacturing standard, manufacturer, month and year of manufacture, tare weight, working pressure, serial number and what to do when the text is faded.
Every gas cylinder has a few lines of letters and numbers stamped into the steel of its carry handle. Being able to read the gas cylinder handle markings tells users who the cylinder belongs to and how much the empty cylinder weighs; dealers, filling stations and inspectors also rely on them to do their own jobs properly.
The mandatory information for a cylinder — the owner’s name, manufacturing standard, manufacturer, month and year of manufacture, tare weight and working pressure — is stamped on the carry handle (collar) together with the serial number. The handle is not a pressure-bearing part, so stamping it does not affect the cylinder body; stamped characters remain legible when the paint has aged and are harder to erase than a stick-on label.
This is the gas trader that owns the cylinder, not necessarily the manufacturer; it shows which network the cylinder belongs to and where it should be exchanged or returned. Under current regulations, cylinders belonging to another trader must not be filled without lawful consent — see should you buy used gas cylinders.
The number of the standard to which the cylinder was made; for VietnhatGas cylinders this is TCVN 6292:2013, with reference to ISO 22991. It is the technical basis for inspecting the cylinder.
These show who made the cylinder and when its service life began. If a batch has a problem, this is the starting point for tracing it back to the production records; dealers use this date to know how long the cylinder has been in circulation.
The weight of the empty cylinder: a 12kg cylinder is usually about 13.5 – 15kg and a 45kg cylinder about 38 – 42kg depending on the model, so always use the figure on that particular cylinder. Subtract the tare weight from the weight shown on the scale to get the actual amount of gas — the steps are in how to check a gas cylinder’s weight.
The pressure the cylinder is designed to withstand in normal use. This is a specification of the cylinder, not the pressure of the gas going to the stove — that is determined by the regulator. Whether a cylinder passes or not is confirmed by pressure testing and inspection.
Each cylinder’s unique code, linking it to its production batch and its inspections. How serial numbers work together with batch codes and QR labels is explained in LPG cylinder traceability.
| Reader | Lines to check | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| User | Owner, tare weight | Make sure you receive a cylinder of the brand you are buying; weigh it yourself if you suspect it is short of gas |
| Dealer | Owner, serial number, year of manufacture | Collect the right cylinders, manage them by serial number, keep track of inspection due dates |
| Filling station | Owner, tare weight, inspection mark | Fill only permitted cylinders, fill to the correct weight, reject overdue cylinders |
| Inspection body | All of them | Check against the records, weigh the cylinder, record the results |
Cylinders in circulation also carry a mark showing the result and date of their periodic inspection; its form and position follow the regulations and the applicable standard. Users only need to remember that the cylinder must be within its inspection date — details in periodic inspection of gas cylinders.
Other points to check when receiving cylinders are covered in how to tell a compliant LPG cylinder.
Because steel thickness, specifications and valves differ from model to model.
The lines stamped during manufacture stay the same; inspection only adds a mark showing the result and the next due date, as required by regulations.
No. You only need to see the brand you are buying, legible text and a cylinder that is within its inspection date.
VietnhatGas manufactures 12kg gas cylinders, 45kg cylinders and other capacities to TCVN 6292:2013, with all mandatory information and the serial number stamped on the handle. Send a request on our quotation page.
Written by the VietnhatGas technical and sales team — a batch manufacturer of LPG cylinders. This content is for reference; regulations and standards may change, so please check the current texts.
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