Gas leak?

[Vara]

When I open gas locker and turn on gas always get a whiff of gas, doesn't seem to last, got Alde bubble tester no bubbles, been over all the unions with bubble liquid, no bubbles, gas detector in bilge no alarm.

What should I do next?

 

[Elessar]

When I open gas locker and turn on gas always get a whiff of gas, doesn't seem to last, got Alde bubble tester no bubbles, been over all the unions with bubble liquid, no bubbles, gas detector in bilge no alarm.

What should I do next?

throw a match in. If nothing happens, all is safe.

 

[nigelmercier]

...gas detector in bilge no alarm. What should I do next?

Move the detector out of the bilge, unless you are 100% certain it will never get damp.

 

[Vara]

throw a match in. If nothing happens, all is safe.

Dont allow matches or cocktail sticks on the boat after a near catastrophic cockpit drain blockage many years ago
Will use a lighter.

 

[Vara]

Move the detector out of the bilge, unless you are 100% certain it will never get damp.

Its a hand held detector after unsatisfactory experience with various built in jobbies.

 

[lw395]

I suspect the regulator is letting a bit out as you turn it on?

 

[winsbury]

The bubble tester will only show a leak if it the leak is somewhere after the tester in the chain of connections. A very slight leak prior to the bubble tester would therefore be my guess, if its building up in the locker with the main tap on the bottle turned off then its probably the seal to the bottle or the tap itself that's at fault, this could be so slight as to not show up on a soapy water test but sufficient for a nose to detect once its built up for a while. I presume the gas locker vents overboard in which case the gas detector in the bilge wont be triggered even if there is a leak near the bottle itself so that doesn't necessarily mean there isnt a leak.

 

[VicS]

When I open gas locker and turn on gas always get a whiff of gas, doesn't seem to last, got Alde bubble tester no bubbles, been over all the unions with bubble liquid, no bubbles, gas detector in bilge no alarm.

What should I do next?

Regulator ????? Less than 10 years old?

Hose??? Less than 5 years old?

Sealing washer on bottle joint renewed when new bottle fitted?

Check around bottle valve with hh detector when next turning on the gas


.

 

[Vara]

Regulator ????? Less than 10 years old?

Hose??? Less than 5 years old?

Sealing washer on bottle joint renewed when new bottle fitted?


.

Yes, yes, no.

will talk to supplier.

while your there V, an earlier post suggested regulators may give off gas, I only smell gas when it is turned on at bottle, after that there is no smell at all, so could a regulator leak a bit of gas when pressurised? My research of construction would suggest not.

 

[Pye_End]

My regulator gives a small squirt of gas wen switched on, and has done from new. Cheap caravan shop type rather than marine expensive one.

 

[Scubadoo]

My regulator gives a small squirt of gas wen switched on, and has done from new. Cheap caravan shop type rather than marine expensive one.

+1 My original regulator always let off a very small amount of gas when first turned on and when I replaced (when it was 10yrs old) with a new regulator, it does the same. If you look at the reg you see a small pin hole and is part of the design. I always thought this was normal, but happy to be corrected.

 

[pampas]

Pin hole is for diaphram air equalsation to atmosphere.

 

[VicS]

Yes, yes, no.

will talk to supplier.

while your there V, an earlier post suggested regulators may give off gas, I only smell gas when it is turned on at bottle, after that there is no smell at all, so could a regulator leak a bit of gas when pressurised? My research of construction would suggest not.

I'd not expect any gas to escape from the regulator. It should be contained by the diaphragm.


BTW when I referred to the sealing washer it was to the washer between the regulator, or HP hose if the regulator is bulkhead mounted, and the bottle outlet valve.
( Butane ) The plastic caps on the bottles when you get them have a brand new washer in them. Take that out and fit to your hose connector or regulator.

I assume the same applies to the washer on the cap of camping gas bottles as well.


Maybe you have a small leak from the bottle valve gland. Not normally noticeable except when operating the valve. That would ( should) be cured when the bottle is changed.

 

[Richard10002]

Even if the pipe is less than 5 years old, it might still have decayed or cracked, particularly at the ends where it joins the boat piping, and the regulator. Worth a close inspection. Could even be a slight burr on the bit of the regulator that goes into the bottle valve.

 

[Vara]

I'd not expect any gas to escape from the regulator. It should be contained by the diaphragm.


BTW when I referred to the sealing washer it was to the washer between the regulator, or HP hose if the regulator is bulkhead mounted, and the bottle outlet valve.
( Butane ) The plastic caps on the bottles when you get them have a brand new washer in them. Take that out and fit to your hose connector or regulator.

I assume the same applies to the washer on the cap of camping gas bottles as well.


Maybe you have a small leak from the bottle valve gland. Not normally noticeable except when operating the valve. That would ( should) be cured when the bottle is changed.

Thanks Vic, this has only happened, since the bottle was changed, so that could well be the problem, just about ready for another change so I wii check after that.

Why isn't the washer issue better known, having changed hundreds of bottles over the years have never been aware of it.

 

[Bilgediver]

When I open gas locker and turn on gas always get a whiff of gas, doesn't seem to last, got Alde bubble tester no bubbles, been over all the unions with bubble liquid, no bubbles, gas detector in bilge no alarm.

What should I do next?

Make sure that when you open the valve on the Calor cylinder you break with tradition and open the valve all the way till it stops. These valves are double seated and if the valve stem seal leaks then it will continue to leak till the valve is seated in the open position...Maybe you have a valve that leaks a wee bit untill the valve is fully open.

 

[maby]

Every boat we've ever owned smelled of gas in the gas locker. Our current boat is virtually new and always smells in the locker. The previous boat also smelled of gas in the locker from the day it was delivered from the factory. The seal between the regulator and the cylinder is less than perfect and the locker is small - a tiny amount of gas will be very noticeable.

 

[VicMallows]

Pin hole is for diaphram air equalsation to atmosphere.

Yes, and if the diaphragm is even a tiny bit pervious (or has a minute hole) any gas accumulated above it will be expelled in one sudden burst when you turn the cylinder on, which you may smell. Any subsequent seepage is likely to be so small that for all practical purposes it is undetectable.

 

[Momac]

I had the same issue with a Campigaz regulator. A new regulator cured it.
.

 

[VicMallows]

Why isn't the washer issue better known, .

Sorry, but ever since buying my first 10lb (as it was then) bottle about 1970 it has seemed automatic to keep the spare washer provided. To this day it puzzles me that caravan shops actually SELL the washers for around 50p.