jdc
Well-known member
At home after a fantastic few days sailing and I was lighting the gas hob to make a cup of coffee. A sudden thought: 'did I remember to turn off the gas on the boat?'
It then struck me as odd that I worry about turning off the boat's gas but happily leave the house's gas on all the time - I can't remember when I last turned it off. So why the difference between the marine and the domestic situation?
Gas explosions do occur in houses, between 26 and 41 per year according to the HSE - leat's call it 40 for simple arithmetic - but there are 27.8 million households, an unknown but quite high proportion with gas, say 20 million. Hence 1 explosion per 500,000 years per house.
To be avoided of course, but a small risk compared to quite a lost of things: my risk of dying from natural causes is about 1%, a 5000 x greater risk.
So are boats significantly more in danger of gas explosions than our homes are? Some possible factors:
- boats mostly have a bilge so escaped gas can 'collect' (but what if you've a cellar or basement in the house?)
- most homes use methane which its lighter than air rather than LPG (actually my house uses bottled propane)
- boat installations are so much flakier (are they? I have my doubts)
Or is it a hangover from earlier times and unnecessary today. Any ideas?
It then struck me as odd that I worry about turning off the boat's gas but happily leave the house's gas on all the time - I can't remember when I last turned it off. So why the difference between the marine and the domestic situation?
Gas explosions do occur in houses, between 26 and 41 per year according to the HSE - leat's call it 40 for simple arithmetic - but there are 27.8 million households, an unknown but quite high proportion with gas, say 20 million. Hence 1 explosion per 500,000 years per house.
To be avoided of course, but a small risk compared to quite a lost of things: my risk of dying from natural causes is about 1%, a 5000 x greater risk.
So are boats significantly more in danger of gas explosions than our homes are? Some possible factors:
- boats mostly have a bilge so escaped gas can 'collect' (but what if you've a cellar or basement in the house?)
- most homes use methane which its lighter than air rather than LPG (actually my house uses bottled propane)
- boat installations are so much flakier (are they? I have my doubts)
Or is it a hangover from earlier times and unnecessary today. Any ideas?