What is a switching gas regulator?

	Gas switching regulators are used in many situations where more than one cylinder is required, such as in caravans, holiday homes and boats. They usually control two to four cylinders. The regulator is usually mounted on the bulkhead (side wall) of the gas cabinet and connected to two or more cylinders. When one cylinder is empty, the switching regulator switches to standby supply to ensure continuous gas flow.
	There are two types of switching gas regulators: Manual - you make changes yourself with a lever Automatic - the regulator switches to another cylinder
	In the manual version, when one cylinder is almost empty, you yourself turn the lever to switch the feed to another.
	The automatic type changeover regulator senses when the gas is low and switches to a new tank at that point.
Manual or automatic - which is better?
	The manual governor allows you to control the cylinder shifting yourself. This means you can save money by making sure the tank is completely empty before switching. A manual regulator is also cheaper to buy than an automatic one. However, the risk of gas shortage is higher than with an automatic system.
	The automatic shift control will do the shifting for you, which is especially handy if you run out of gas in the middle of the night or in bad weather. On the other hand, many people feel that the regulator switches too early, wasting some of the gas left in the first bottle. And if you forget to keep track of your usage, you might just end up with two empty tanks instead of one.
	If you already have a manual override regulator, you can convert it to an automatic by adding an auto override head that screws into your existing fittings. This will depend on the make and model of your regulator.
	Previously, in caravans and motorhomes, shift controls were attached directly to the cylinders. However, in 2003 the law in the UK changed to require them to be permanently secured to a bulkhead or wall. The regulator should be located above the cylinders, and not at the same level with them. This is to reduce the risk of condensed LPG, oily residues, or other contaminants entering the regulator from the reservoir.
	Although you can connect cylinders to a switching regulator yourself or add an automatic switching head to a manual system, UK law requires only a qualified gas safety engineer to install or repair this type of regulator. This is because it is a permanent fixture and all gas pipes must be pressure tested after installation.