latest gas regs

During the fitting a bubble tester I must have jogged the pipes, because after about a week of all being fine it went bubble crazy. I checked all my joints and found no apparent leaks at the bottle end.
I then moved to the cooker end, took off the foot pump for the cold water, this gave me access to the pipes underneath the cooker well.
This is what I found. I have posted it before, but it's worth a second look.
View attachment 38958View attachment 38958
 
pvb said:
OK, so if there had been a leak, and there was gas in the boat, sparks from switching on the batteries or the solenoid could conceivably cause an explosion. I'm not saying this is likely, just that fitting something such as a bubble tester doesn't necessarily improve the basic safety level.

And it was me that suggested that the number of gas-related accidents is incredibly low. Unless one is very careless, LPG in a boat is very safe. I don't have a bubble tester, a solenoid valve or a gas alarm.
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I cant quite follow your train of thought here.

We get to the boat. The gas has been turned off at the cylinder since we were last there. The solenoid has been off. As the system is tested with the bubble leak tester EVERY time the cylinder is turned on it is most unlikely there could be gas in the boat.

We test the system, cylinder to appliance. No leaks detected.

Where has the gas that might cause an explosion come from?

If you have a bubble leak tester and it shows you have no leaks cylinder to appliance the only leak could be the appliance-or appliances.

As this would not be live untill required, again no gas in the boat.

As our cooker is inspected and checked by me annually and works with no problems at all I think I have done all I can.

As I stated before, I prefer primary safety.

That is what a bubble leak tester gives me.
 
I have an entirely different system, and I'd be interested to have people's opinion of it:

I use Camping Gaz and have a regulator with a built-in pressure gauge. On arrival at the boat I turn the gas on, then off, to pressurise the entire system (I tend not to use the cock by the cooker as I prefer to have the whole system off at the bottle while not in use) - the gauge will register the pressure in the system, and I glance at it again a couple of minutes later. No pressure drop on the gauge = no leak.

The regulator was sold to me with this purpose in mind. I don't know if it's fully marinised or has an overpressure relief valve, but apart from those shortcomings, is the logic sound?
 
Corribee Boy said:
I have an entirely different system, and I'd be interested to have people's opinion of it:

I use Camping Gaz and have a regulator with a built-in pressure gauge. On arrival at the boat I turn the gas on, then off, to pressurise the entire system (I tend not to use the cock by the cooker as I prefer to have the whole system off at the bottle while not in use) - the gauge will register the pressure in the system, and I glance at it again a couple of minutes later. No pressure drop on the gauge = no leak.

The regulator was sold to me with this purpose in mind. I don't know if it's fully marinised or has an overpressure relief valve, but apart from those shortcomings, is the logic sound?
Click to expand...

I think so-but for 30 quid I would have a BLT.

Also, if you have one and your system tests OK you can feel safe leaving the gas on at the bottle.

After all, most homes with gas appliances leave the main supply connected 24/7/365.
 
Corribee Boy said:
I have an entirely different system, and I'd be interested to have people's opinion of it:

I use Camping Gaz and have a regulator with a built-in pressure gauge. On arrival at the boat I turn the gas on, then off, to pressurise the entire system (I tend not to use the cock by the cooker as I prefer to have the whole system off at the bottle while not in use) - the gauge will register the pressure in the system, and I glance at it again a couple of minutes later. No pressure drop on the gauge = no leak.

The regulator was sold to me with this purpose in mind. I don't know if it's fully marinised or has an overpressure relief valve, but apart from those shortcomings, is the logic sound?
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If you mean a gauge onthe lp side, a possible shortcoming of you procedure is if there is a little high pessure gas trapped in the regulator, or if the shut off valve lets by slightly it will contiine to feed the lp side for short time , or indefinitely if its the valve letting by. This could lull you into false sense of security. Burn off a littlr gas and then whatch the pressure. If it falls you have a leak iif it rises the shut off valve is letting by.

A gauge on the hp side would take quite a while i suspect to register a fall due to a leak. A slghtlt defective shut off valve would as contiue to feed gas and maintain the pressure.
 
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Fair point about leak-past falsely maintaining pressure in the system, though I've never seen the pressure on the gauge high before I've turned it on. The gauge is on the low pressure side of the system, and the original instructions suggested that pressure should be maintained for a minute after switch-off, which actually doesn't seem long enough to me. I usually leave it for five mins or more while doing other things. Surely the gas doesn't condense in the pipe or anything? Rotrax - I don't see that adding a bubble detector would do more than duplicate the gauge's function, though are you saying it's perhaps more sensitive or reliable?
 
Corribee Boy said:
Rotrax - I don't see that adding a bubble detector would do more than duplicate the gauge's function, though are you saying it's perhaps more sensitive or reliable?
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It is a visual test that shows ANY gas flowing-even very small amounts.

A gauge, however large or sensitive would not-IMHO-be so positive in its measurement of a leak-or indeed gas flow.

As for reliability-I will sometimes go to the gas locker and press the button while First Mate is using the cooker-this shows the gas flowing, which stops when I release the button, so testing the device.

It is foolproof.
 
KREW2 said:
I have a bubble tester in my gas locker. After a long period of being shut down, say 4/6 weeks I turned on the gas and it bubbled for about 2 seconds.
4/5 hours later i tested it again and all was okay.
I am going to check it out as I believe there is no tolerance allowed on LPG.
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Mine is the same except it only takes a couple of days, or less, to pressure down. After the bubbles fizz away, they cease as the pipe comes up to pressure.
Doubtless this indicates a small weep somewhere but I think I will have to re-work the whole system to find it. I am, of course, extra careful to shut off at the bottle.

By the Way, I did have a small intermittent leak on the flexible pipe to the cooker, last winter. A small leak, just now and again but by gosh you could smell it and no mistake.
 
if you go to a plumbing supplies or screwfix you can get a" gas leak spray" to spray on joints to check them for leaks its a bit like washing up liquid but bubbles up better
you can also get hand held gas sniffers to pinpoint some leaks
 
KREW2 said:
This is what was underneath.
View attachment 38960View attachment 38960View attachment 38960
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I'll remember that one for the next time I bang a screwdriver through a gas pipe.
When we bought our recent purchase there had evidently been a catalytic heater in the saloon, removed at some stage. The rubber hose that had gone to it was blanked off with a screwdriver, no hose clip.
A 13 amp socket had been removed and all three cable ends simply twisted together. When we first connected to the mains it blew all the breakers in the yard, including one that powers a leading light into Milford Haven marina!
 
vyv_cox said:
I'll remember that one for the next time I bang a screwdriver through a gas pipe.
When we bought our recent purchase there had evidently been a catalytic heater in the saloon, removed at some stage. The rubber hose that had gone to it was blanked off with a screwdriver, no hose clip.
A 13 amp socket had been removed and all three cable ends simply twisted together. When we first connected to the mains it blew all the breakers in the yard, including one that powers a leading light into Milford Haven marina!
Click to expand...


Very good post there vyv, considering the horrendous things you see in gas installation, it is very, very safe if you take some trouble and interest. My own gas system consisted of copper pipe with no protection at any point, no bulkhead fittings and several kinked 90deg bends. It was routed across the bottom of the cockpit locker with an anchor and outboard on top.

I think people might get a bit too wound up about small points, particularly if the boat is sailed by a small regular crew who respect the possibilities of misuse.
 
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