PHMSA Provides Regulatory Relief for Cylinder Requalification. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has amended the requirements of the requalification periods for certain Department of Transportation (DOT) 4- series specification cylinders in noncorrosive gas service in response to a petition for rulemaking submitted by the National Propane Gas Association. 85 Fed. Reg. 66790 (October 30, 2020).
This final rule authorizes 12-year initial and subsequent requalification periods for volumetric expansion testing and a 12-year initial requalification period for proof pressure testing. This final rule does not modify the existing 10-year subsequent requalification periods for proof pressure testing. In addition, it makes clarifying and conforming edits to the requalification table in § 180.209(a) and the text in paragraph (e).
This final rule provides regulatory relief by reducing requalification-related costs for propane marketers, distributors, and others in non-corrosive gas service without reducing safety.
This final rule is effective November 30, 2020, but voluntary compliance with the changes is authorized as of October 30, 2020.
The result is that LPG cylinders are good for 12 years from the date of manufacture. On the next requalification, if you give the cylinder a visual inspection and mark it with the E after the test date, it is good for 5 years. If you give it a gas proof pressure test and mark it with an S, it is good for 10 years. If you hydrotest it (no mark after the test date) then it is good for another 12 years. Please note that you must have DOT approval to do the retest and there are different approvals for each of these tests. Most of our members that do LPG requalification are only approved to do the 5 year visual.
