Cheap gas can be the most expensive purchase you ever make. Here's what actually goes wrong with counterfeit and illegally refilled cylinders — and why licensed supply matters.

Danger 1: Underfilling

Roadside refillers eyeball the fill — you pay 13kg price for 10kg of gas. Worse, you've no recourse: the seller has no fixed address.

Danger 2: Overfilling

The opposite problem is deadlier. LPG expands with heat — a correctly filled cylinder leaves vapour space. Overfilled cylinders have none. On a hot Nairobi afternoon, internal pressure can exceed the cylinder's rating — a rupture risk no home should carry.

Danger 3: Contamination

Decanting drags moisture, rust particles, oil and old fuel residue into your cylinder. Contaminated gas burns dirty — clogged burner jets, sooty flames, and long-term valve damage.

Danger 4: Untested Steel

Factory refilling includes cylinder inspection — dents, corrosion, valve integrity get checked before filling. Illegal refillers skip all of it: a cylinder due for retirement gets filled anyway and sent out.

Danger 5: Valve Tampering

Decanting rigs connect to cylinders crudely — valves get forced, seals damaged. A compromised valve leaks slowly for weeks; you discover it by smell, hopefully.

How to Keep Your Home Safe

  1. Licensed sellers only — EPRA-licensed dealers like PataGas.
  2. Sealed, branded cylinders only — run the 60-second verification.
  3. Never accept poured gas — exchange systems exist precisely to keep the chain licensed.
  4. Report the sellers — EPRA tracks illegal refillers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How common is this problem really?

Common enough that EPRA runs enforcement operations regularly — thousands of illegally refilled cylinders are seized in Kenya periodically.

Is a hand-refilled cylinder always underfilled?

Almost always — they lack factory weighing equipment. But under/overfilling both happen, and both are bad.

Does genuine gas actually cost much more?

A genuine refill costs ~KSh 300–500 more than a suspicious street deal — the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.

Every cylinder we deliver is factory-filled and sealed. No decanting, ever. Order genuine →