Gas installation do's and don'ts?

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tonkatoy87uk

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Evening.

I'm looking at running Propane gas around the boat. One line but to do 2 jobs, a fridge on one side of the boat and a hob on the other. Both run 37mbar.

currently the hob is plumbed in with copper/hose down one side. Plumbing for the fridge is going to have to T off and go under the floor and up the other side.

Are there do's and don'ts for this regarding marine spec/insurances.

Also looking at putting in a microwave that runs off an inverter. Where is best to put it. I have a choice of 3 places. fixed to the cupboard wall but directly undernieth the radar/chartplotter shelf, or on the inside of the same cupboard but above it is all the wiring for the same, or under the bench next to the gas fridge.
 
Last edited:
tonkatoy87uk said:
Evening.

I'm looking at running Propane gas around the boat. One line but to do 2 jobs, a fridge on one side of the boat and a hob on the other. Both run 37mbar.

currently the hob is plumbed in with copper/hose down one side. Plumbing for the fridge is going to have to T off and go under the floor and up the other side.

Are there do's and don'ts for this regarding marine spec/insurances.

Also looking at putting in a microwave that runs off an inverter. Where is best to put it. I have a choice of 3 places. fixed to the cupboard wall but directly undernieth the radar/chartplotter shelf, or on the inside of the same cupboard but above it is all the wiring for the same, or under the bench next to the gas fridge.
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See the Boat Safety Scheme, chapter7 for guidance on gas installation . https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/180428/bss guide 2005 complete web.pdf

All joints should be accessible.

Note recommended spacing of support clips and protection from chafe

Limit hoses to 1 metre maximum

Each appliance should have its own local isolation valve when there are two or more on the same system.

Fitting a pressure test point would be sensible so that the system can be properly pressure tested.

See https://www.westerly-owners.co.uk/woaforum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9 for details of presure tests .... but this may now be out of date.

This was PBO's offering a few years ago

13zu7o6.jpg
 
Generally speaking caravans stay vertical, boats don't. Also the vents for the fridge tend to need to be close to the fridge itself and be as short as possible: that isn't a good idea on a boat where you can't guarantee not to encounter waves whichever could enter the boat via the vent. That'd put the flame out (yes, the thermocouple would shut off the gas supply but you'd then need to reignite the fridge) plus you'd get water entering the boat.
 
tonkatoy87uk said:
Is there a reason as to why they cant be used? whats the difference to having one in a boat to a caravan?
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In a word - ventilation.

Butane and propane gas are more dense than air, and in the event of an escape the gas will "run downhill". Caravans have floor-level ventilation to allow escaped gas to run harmlessly away into the outside world, where it quickly mixes with lots of air so that it is not an explosive mixture. Boats necessarily do not have any low level ventilation (or else water would come in), so escaped gas stays inside the boat where it mixes with enough air to form an explosive mixture, requiring only a spark to cause an explosion. Typical causes of sparks are electrical equipment being switched on or off.
 
You can get either 12v or 240v ones, but power usage is high so you need a good supply of electricity, either battery for 12v or shorepower, generator or inverter for 240v.

You don't say what sort of boat you have, where it is kept , what type of sailing you do and what sort of usage you anticipate. All of these are important in choosing your method of cooking, type of cooling and power supply . So just asking simple questions like this will just get simple answers. If you are wanting pros and cons and suggestions for what might be appropriate you need to provide far more information.
 
Tranona said:
You can get either 12v or 240v ones, but power usage is high so you need a good supply of electricity, either battery for 12v or shorepower, generator or inverter for 240v.

You don't say what sort of boat you have, where it is kept , what type of sailing you do and what sort of usage you anticipate. All of these are important in choosing your method of cooking, type of cooling and power supply . So just asking simple questions like this will just get simple answers. If you are wanting pros and cons and suggestions for what might be appropriate you need to provide far more information.
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:encouragement:

Can't have to much info.

OP, forget about gas fridges, fit a compressor fridge.
 
Tranona said:
You don't say what sort of boat you have, where it is kept , what type of sailing you do and what sort of usage you anticipate.
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I did wonder if it was a canal boat, where a gas fridge might just about be workable, but he mentions a radar so presumably it's a seagoing vessel of some type.

The fridge in my parents' caravan had a built-in spirit level, such was the importance of getting it precisely vertical. As I understand it, the gas flame has to run up the middle of the separator tube; flames are always vertical, so if the tube isn't then the flame won't be where it's supposed to.

Pete
 
MagicalArmchair said:
and get it checked by a gas safe engineer one you are done.
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In Australia it would be illegal to do it yourself as it must be done by a registered Gas Fitter who will issue you with a compliance certificate. Without a compliance certificate you won't be allowed to enter marinas and you won't get insurance.
 
got round the gas idea and doing it 12v.

Arvor 25 fishing boat. 2 tides at most.
mud mooring with no power
can they be mounted near nav/radar equipment?
more for convenience rather than lots of use.
 
gus said:
An essential to also fit is a gas alarm system which should be active at all times you are aboard presuming you turn off the gas whenever you leave. You want to have an immediate warning of any leakage.
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I turn the gas off whenever I finish cooking ( no fridge ) no way would I have it on all the time I'm onboard - then I've seen a boat - 20' mobo - blow up courtesy of a gas snag, so it's off at the regulator all the time, only on when about to light the cooker - so I placed the gas locker ( yes it does drain overboard in event of spills and is ventilated ) and regulator within easy reach, which of course is not always possible.

I don't know about Propane but for Butane Gaz one should use the Marine ' M ' spec regulator, last I bought was around £30.
 
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