Gas for mobile food carts: choosing a gas source and staying safe

Pushcarts selling cakes, skewer grill carts and food carts all need a compact, steady flame, in conditions quite different from a fixed kitchen. This article helps cart owners choose gas for mobile food carts, arrange the cylinder and hose, and keep up the habit of checking every day.

How does a stove on a cart differ from a fixed stove?

• Shaking and jolting when the cart is pushed over potholes and kerbs makes cylinders and canisters shift, and joints can easily work loose.
• Sun and heat: the cart stands outdoors for many hours; the pressure inside cylinders and canisters rises with temperature.
• Cramped space: the cylinder, stove, food and spare canisters are squeezed into a few square metres.
• Crowds: customers and children stand right next to the counter.

Mini gas or a 12kg cylinder with a wok burner?

The choice depends on the food you sell and how much heat you need each shift:

Carts that use a cylinder usually choose a 12kg gas cylinder because one person can lift it on and off; dishes that need a strong flame can use a cast-iron gas wok burner via a suitable regulator. VietnhatGas does not sell regulators or hoses; buy ones of clear origin from a gas equipment shop.

Keeping the cylinder steady on the cart

• Stand the cylinder upright in a rack fixed to the cart floor, and add a strap so that it cannot be thrown about when the cart tilts.
• The cylinder space must be well ventilated: do not shut the cylinder in a closed cupboard; if there is a screen around it, leave ventilation openings at floor level, because LPG is heavier than air and any leak will collect in low places.
• Place the cylinder away from the burner and the frying area, with a heat shield between the two.
• Stand the portable gas stove on a flat, non-slip surface and do not use a tray that covers the whole stove.

Carrying the cylinder from home to your selling spot follows the general principles in transporting gas cylinders safely.

Protecting the hose

• Keep the hose just long enough, with a little slack, and do not run it over hot spots, sharp edges or the folding gaps of the cart’s roof or doors.
• Tighten clips at both ends; fix the hose to the side of the cart so that it is not pulled taut when the cart shakes.
• Look along the hose every day; replace it at once if it is hardened, cracked or swollen — for the specific signs, see when a gas hose needs replacing.

When moving and when selling

• Close the cylinder valve and remove the canister from the portable stove before pushing or transporting the cart.
• Avoid the sun: stand in the shade and put a cover over the cylinder area.
• Spare canisters: keep them upright in a separate box, with their caps on, away from the stove and from where customers stand; bring only enough for one session — for how to store canisters, see storing mini gas canisters.
• Change canisters only when the stove is off and has cooled, seating the notch correctly as explained in fitting a mini gas canister to a stove.

Daily checks before each shift

1. Look at the cylinder body, valve, canisters, rack and straps: no dents, heavy rust or looseness.
2. Open the valve and brush soapy water over the joints; if bubbles appear, close the valve and redo the connection, and never test with a flame.
3. Light the burner and check that the flame is blue and burns evenly.

The cart should carry a portable fire extinguisher in an easy-to-reach place, away from the stove; for which type to choose, see fire extinguishers for gas kitchens (VietnhatGas does not sell fire extinguishers). If you smell gas: turn off the stove, close the valve, do not switch electrical equipment on or off, keep everyone away and call the fire service on 114 if it cannot be brought under control.

Frequently asked questions

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.