Last updated: 25 September 2026
Every few months a WhatsApp forward goes round telling people their gas cylinder has an “expiry date” and that using one past it could make it explode. The forward is half right. There is a date on your cylinder, and it does matter for safety. But it isn’t an expiry date, and reading it takes about five seconds once you know where to look.
Where to Find the Code
Look at the top of the cylinder, just below the metal ring you use to lift it. That ring is joined to the body by three vertical metal strips. On the inner side of one of those three strips, you’ll find a short code painted or stamped, something like B-27 or C 28.
It’s usually painted in black or white and can be faded, so tilt the cylinder slightly towards the light if you can’t read it. Check all three strips if you don’t spot it on the first.
What the Letter and Number Mean
The letter tells you the quarter of the year:
| Letter | Months |
|---|---|
| A | January to March |
| B | April to June |
| C | July to September |
| D | October to December |
The number is the year, in two digits.
So:
- B-27 means April to June 2027
- D-26 means October to December 2026
- A-25 means January to March 2025
That’s the whole code.
It’s a Test Due Date, Not an Expiry Date
This is where the forwards get it wrong.
LPG cylinders don’t expire the way a medicine or a packet of milk does. What that code actually shows is the statutory testing due date, the point by which the cylinder has to go back for a safety test.
Cylinders are made from thick steel and built to last many years. But because they hold gas under pressure and get knocked around during delivery, they’re pulled out of circulation at regular intervals, roughly every five years, and tested. The test checks the steel for weakness, the valve for leaks, and the body for dents or corrosion. A cylinder that passes gets a fresh due date painted on and goes back into use. One that fails is scrapped.
So a cylinder with an old date isn’t a bomb. It’s a cylinder that has missed its scheduled check-up, and that’s still a good enough reason not to accept it.
What to Do If the Date Has Passed
Compare the code to today’s date. If the quarter and year on the cylinder are already behind you, it’s past its test date. For example, if you’re reading this between July and September 2026, anything marked C-26 or later is fine, while B-26, A-26 or any earlier year is overdue.
If a cylinder that’s past due is delivered to you:
- Don’t accept it. Point out the code to the delivery person and ask for a different cylinder. They normally carry several.
- If they have no other cylinder with them, ask them to take this one back and bring a replacement. Note down the code and the date.
- If the delivery person refuses, call your distributor straight away. The number is on your cash memo.
Distributors aren’t supposed to send out cylinders that are overdue for testing, so this shouldn’t turn into an argument. Most delivery staff will swap it without fuss once you show them the code.
If you find an old date on a cylinder already in your kitchen
It happens, especially with a spare cylinder that’s been sitting unused for a long time. Don’t panic and don’t drag it outside. Keep using it normally if there’s no smell, no hissing and no visible damage, and when it’s empty, hand it back as usual. It’ll be tested when it returns to the bottling plant. If you want it swapped sooner, ask your distributor.
Five Other Things to Check at the Door
The date is one check. While the delivery person is standing there, it takes another thirty seconds to do the rest:
1. The seal
The plastic cap on the valve should be intact and sealed. A broken or missing seal means someone could have tampered with the cylinder. Refuse it.
2. The weight
You’re paying for 14.2 kg of gas. Near the collar you’ll find the cylinder’s own empty weight, called the tare weight and usually marked as TW. Add 14.2 kg to it, and that’s what a full cylinder should weigh. If you suspect short filling, you have the right to ask for the cylinder to be weighed before you accept it.
3. The O-ring
Inside the valve opening there’s a small black rubber ring. It seals the joint between the cylinder and the regulator. If it’s missing, cracked or out of place, gas can leak the moment you fix the regulator. Ask the delivery person to check it, or replace it, before they leave.
4. Physical damage
Look for deep dents, bulges, heavy rust or damage around the valve. Minor scratches and paint chips are normal. Anything that looks like it has changed the shape of the cylinder isn’t.
5. Smell
Before you connect the regulator, lean in and sniff near the valve. If you can smell gas from a sealed cylinder, don’t take it.
Quick Answers
Do LPG cylinders really have an expiry date?
No. They have a statutory test due date. After it passes, the cylinder is supposed to be tested before it’s filled and sent out again.
What does C-28 mean?
The cylinder is due for its next test between July and September 2028.
Is it dangerous to use a cylinder past its test date?
It isn’t automatically dangerous, but it has missed a safety check it was meant to have. That’s reason enough to ask for a replacement when it’s delivered.
Can I refuse a cylinder at delivery?
Yes, if it’s past its test date, the seal is broken, it’s visibly damaged, or it smells of gas.
Where is the tare weight written?
On the collar area, near the test due date. Look for “TW” followed by a number in kilograms.
Ten Seconds at the Door
Code on the collar strip, seal on the valve, O-ring in place, no dents, no smell. It sounds like a lot written out, but once you’ve done it twice it becomes a glance, and it’s the one moment when refusing a bad cylinder costs you nothing.
Show this to whoever usually receives the delivery at your home. The check only works if the person at the door knows to do it.
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