DOE warns vs refilling butane canisters

AUTHORITIES have warned the public against buying refilled butane canisters for r home cooking needs.

Refilled butane canisters may explode, causing fire and injuries, said Antonio Labios, regional director of the Department of Energy 7 (DOE-7) in a news forum yesterday of the Association of Government Information Officers (Agio).

The use of butane-fed cooking stoves has become popular because of increasing prices of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG).

A butane canister which is being sold in 250-gram canisters is only intended for outdoor use and not for indoor purposes.

It is made of a tin metal sheet and has no welded joints. Most of the butane canisters in the market are imported from Korea and meant for one-time use only.

Rey Maleza, a staffer of the Energy Regulatory Management Division of DOEm said that under the Philippine National Standard (PNS) of butane, the canisters are only allowed for single use which means it is non-refillable.

Some enterprising parties are doing buisness refilling butane canisters with LPG.

“The danger lies in the pressure. If the canister which is only made of tin can no longer hold the pressure, it will explode. If it’s near heat, it can burn down the house,” Maleza said.