Gas valve loosened

[Colin K]

Hello,
Last week on board I had to change my calor gas bottle. Temperature was -1 when I did it but as always I tightened it with the force of Gus the Gorilla. And all was good.
Went on board last night and was greeted with a smell of butane. Before turning on any lights and not searching for the hatch with a naked flame !! I checked the gas locker and found my new bottle empty. Glad the locker is vented.
The valve which I tightened to an inch of its life last week in the cold weather was loose. I wonder if this is a common thing? Cannot think why the metals are all simular. Any thought appreciated.

Cheers, Colin.

 

[Norman_E]

One possible scenario. When you brought the new gas bottle to the boat the bottle was below the freezing point of water, but you took it in your car where the temperature in the boot was a bit higher and condensation froze to form a thin film of ice inside the threaded socket where you fit the regulator, so that you actually tightened it onto ice, which later melted allowing gas to escape.

 

[pvb]

Is the rubber seal intact?

 

[RichardS]

Hello,
Last week on board I had to change my calor gas bottle. Temperature was -1 when I did it but as always I tightened it with the force of Gus the Gorilla. And all was good.
Went on board last night and was greeted with a smell of butane. Before turning on any lights and not searching for the hatch with a naked flame !! I checked the gas locker and found my new bottle empty. Glad the locker is vented.
The valve which I tightened to an inch of its life last week in the cold weather was loose. I wonder if this is a common thing? Cannot think why the metals are all simular. Any thought appreciated.

Cheers, Colin.

Have you over-tightened and partially stripped the thread? Removable gas connections should only need to be nipped-up to obtain a perfect seal. If a lot of tightening is required the mating surfaces / rubber seal, depending upon the connection type, are damaged and need to be dressed/replaced.

Richard

 

[VicS]

Hello,
Last week on board I had to change my calor gas bottle. Temperature was -1 when I did it but as always I tightened it with the force of Gus the Gorilla. And all was good.
Went on board last night and was greeted with a smell of butane. Before turning on any lights and not searching for the hatch with a naked flame !! I checked the gas locker and found my new bottle empty. Glad the locker is vented.
The valve which I tightened to an inch of its life last week in the cold weather was loose. I wonder if this is a common thing? Cannot think why the metals are all simular. Any thought appreciated.

Cheers, Colin.

Puzzled by the reference to " the valve" which you tightened. Small (4.5kg) Calor butane cylinders have their own valve to which you should connect the regulator, or the high pressure hose if the regulator is bulkhead mounted.
Larger cylinders have clip on regulators that fit without the use of tools

Perhaps you meant "regulator" rather than "valve" ??

You should check the condition of the black sealing washer in the regulator or hose connector replacing it if necessary. (There is a myth that says you can use the red washer in the black cap fitted to the bottle but Calor say not to do this).

When not in use the cylinder valve should be closed.

https://www.calor.co.uk/gas-bottles/regulators/butane-regulator-guide

 

[solent clown]

did you mean propane, or are you talking about the ickle butane bottles where the valve screws directly into the top?

 

[Leighb]

Unlikely to be the same problem, but a few years ago we fitted a new gas bottle- large red propane- and within a minute of turning on the gas alarm sounded.
Was in fact a faulty cylinder which leaked as soon as it was turned on. There had been a number reported apparently.
On that type the union is metal to metal LH thread and needs to be absolutely clean and not over tightened.

 

[syc1]

Hate to ask, but are you sure it's the same bottle? Or did some one swap their empty for your full and leave it loose?

 

[pvb]

Hate to ask, but are you sure it's the same bottle? Or did some one swap their empty for your full and leave it loose?

The OP said "Went on board last night and was greeted with a smell of butane."

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

One possible scenario. When you brought the new gas bottle to the boat the bottle was below the freezing point of water, but you took it in your car where the temperature in the boot was a bit higher and condensation froze to form a thin film of ice inside the threaded socket where you fit the regulator, so that you actually tightened it onto ice, which later melted allowing gas to escape.

Not entirely plausible; the mechanical pressure exerted on the ice by the tightening would have melted it.

 

[Colin K]

Hello,
Thanks for the replies. Yes its a calor 4.5kg butane and yes Vic you are right its the regulator that screws on (sideways) with an anti clockwise thread. My bad valve is on top.
The threads are ok I took it apart and reseated it. I forgot to say the seal is new I keep some spares in the locker. When I changed the cylinder I changed the seal. I wonder if the seal was as stiff as a witches finger as it would have been at -1 deg and I would have tightened it in its stiff state! Perhaps it softened up when everything got back to sensible temperatures and "gave" a bit of slack?
Bottle off every visit I guess good practice really ��

Cheers. Col.

 

[VicS]

Hello,
Thanks for the replies. Yes its a calor 4.5kg butane and yes Vic you are right its the regulator that screws on (sideways) with an anti clockwise thread. My bad valve is on top.
The threads are ok I took it apart and reseated it. I forgot to say the seal is new I keep some spares in the locker. When I changed the cylinder I changed the seal. I wonder if the seal was as stiff as a witches finger as it would have been at -1 deg and I would have tightened it in its stiff state! Perhaps it softened up when everything got back to sensible temperatures and "gave" a bit of slack?
Bottle off every visit I guess good practice really ��

Cheers. Col.

Maybe if the seal was cold and stiff and your fingers were also cold and stiff you did not fit the new seal properly.

 

[Colin K]

Maybe if the seal was cold and stiff and your fingers were also cold and stiff you did not fit the new seal properly.

Its not the only thing that was cold and stiff that night. Good job I had water on board.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Its not the only thing that was cold and stiff that night. Good job I had water on board.

I also had some bits of cold equipment last night, sadly nothing terribly stiff

 

[Caladh]

I also had some bits of cold equipment last night, sadly nothing terribly stiff

Never mind Paul - Spring is arriving very soon !