How to Fill Forklift Cylinders
Forklifts, or industrial lift trucks, are commonly designed to run utilizing liquid propane. There is the choice to have cylinders delivered to your facility, or to have refueling capabilities on location. Operators who are working with forklifts that use propane should be correctly trained to handle highly combustible substances.
1 Personal protective equipment must be put on prior to refueling. Thick leather gloves must be worn in order to prevent liquid propane from coming into contact with the hands. The liquid is extremely cold and could lead to severe burns. Other protective equipment consists of goggles and a full face shield. A fire extinguisher must always be close at hand.
2 Before doing something else, you must first shut down the forklift. Make certain there are no lit cigarettes and no open flames in the area. Remove the protective cap on the fill valve and attach the fill line securely to the fill valve. When the fill line is in place, open the bleed valve with caution. A hissing noise is normal when the valve is open, but make certain it is air escaping - not propane.
3 Open the fill valve on the fill line slowly. Look around the connections and make sure that there are no leaks. Then open the valve more and let the propane enter the tank. Check the tank during refueling; when it is full, the bleeder valve will emit a spray of white gas. Totally turn off the fill valve first before closing the bleeder valve. Slowly take the fill line out of the tank. A small amount of gas which is escaping at this time is normal. Make sure to screw the protective cap back onto the fill valve. Inspect all the valves in order to make certain they are totally closed. Now, your truck is refueled and ready to be used.