How to check you received full weight
Every cylinder has its tare weight embossed on the collar. Gross weight minus tare weight is the gas you received. Weigh the cylinder at handover and do the subtraction. You are entitled to ask for it to be weighed before you accept it.
Short filling is the most common complaint in this trade, and it is also the easiest to check. It takes one scale and one subtraction.
What is tare weight?
The weight of the cylinder itself, empty. It is stamped into the collar at manufacture along with the serial number and the next-test date.
Because every cylinder is slightly different, the tare is specific to that cylinder — you cannot assume a standard figure.
How do you check the fill?
- Find the tare weight stamped on the collar. Say it reads 15.5 kg.
- Weigh the full cylinder. Say the scale shows 27.3 kg.
- Subtract: 27.3 − 15.5 = 11.8 kg of gas.
If that cylinder was sold as an 11.8 kg fill, it is correct. If the scale had shown 25.9 kg, you received 10.4 kg — you are 1.4 kg short, which is nearly 12% of what you paid for.
A worked example at a glance
| Reading | Value |
|---|---|
| Stamped tare weight | 15.5 kg |
| Gross weight on the scale | 27.3 kg |
| Gas received | 11.8 kg |
| Sold as | 11.8 kg |
| Result | Correct fill |
Are you allowed to ask for it to be weighed?
Yes. A buyer is entitled to ask for the cylinder to be weighed at handover, and a supplier with nothing to hide will do it without argument.
If a supplier refuses to weigh a cylinder in front of you, that refusal is itself the answer.
How common is short filling?
Common enough that it is the single most frequent complaint about LPG supply in Pakistan. It is difficult for a customer to notice without weighing, because a cylinder that is 10% light looks identical to a full one.
What else should you check at handover?
- That the stamps are legible, including the next-test date
- That the valve and collar are undamaged
- That the O-ring or bull nose is present
- That there is no deep corrosion or denting
Weigh first, then check the condition. Both take under a minute together.
Common questions
How do I know if my gas cylinder is full?
Weigh it and subtract the tare weight stamped on the collar. The difference is the gas you received. A cylinder sold as an 11.8 kg fill should show 11.8 kg after that subtraction.
What is short filling?
Delivering less gas than the cylinder was sold as containing. A cylinder 10% light looks identical to a full one, which is why weighing at handover is the only reliable check.
Can I ask the supplier to weigh the cylinder?
Yes. You are entitled to ask for it to be weighed before you accept it, and a supplier with nothing to hide will do it without argument. A refusal tells you what you need to know.
Sargodha Gas has supplied LPG cylinders in Sargodha since 2005. Contact us