LPG Installation question

[Pete735]

I'm working on getting the boat up to current gas safety regulations and am looking for ideas on how best to secure the 2 gas bottles in the locker. System is set up with one 4.5 kg calor bottle and space for a spare next to it.

Best I can think of is epoxy in a length of timber along one internal side of the locker, making it thick enough to screw into solidly and then try and work out some sort of strap for each bottle. Bottle entry into the locker is through a circular hole just large enough for one calor bottle (then slide it along to get second bottle in).

Has anyone got any ideas about suitable strapping or alternative methods of locating bottles?

Any photos would be particularly helpful.

Many thanks.

 

[prv]

KS has a sheet of plywood in the bottom of the gas locker. Fixed to this are a pair of wooden circles, each sized to fit inside the metal rim on the bottom of a gas cylinder, which hold two bottles and stop them sliding around. Not Southern-Ocean-knockdown-worthy, certainly, but even if things do get rougher than I'd hope to take this boat, the locker itself means the bottles can't go far.

May or may not be suitable for your situation, but it's an alternative to strapping them down that's not immediately obvious.

Pete

 

[William_H]

Straps for bottles and other things

Yes the idea of epoxying a batten into which can fit screwed straps is good. I have found that webbing makes good straps and can be bough in 25mm and 50mm widths.This can be screwed down using penny washers under the screws. You can then use velcro (hook and pile) to join the straps together around the bottle. Sew a section of velcro onto the tail of the webbing. However velcro itself is based on a decent webbing strap. If you sew a Stainless Steel loop or ring into one end so that the webbing goes through the ring and back onto itself you get like a 2 part purchase with velcro holding it and only pulling apart in sheer. This then is very strong but easily disconnected. A great method for attaching anything into the boat.
This method might hold the neck of the bottles if the base is ina ring as described.
good luck olewill

 

[prv]

This method might hold the neck of the bottles if the base is ina ring as described.

Minor point - the ring is inside the base, not the base inside the ring.

Pete

 

[Simondjuk]

In a similar vein to prv, we have this arrangement. I appreciate that it wouldn't work exactly as shown in your installation as you'd not be able to lower a bottle in and then slide it sideways, but it might provoke some ideas based around the basic concept.

Note, the bottles are prevented from tipping by being positively located at the base as well as at the height of the board visible in the pic. The box also has a drain, exiting through the transom, in its base.

View attachment 15433

 

[Pete735]

Solution now forming in my mind!

Thanks all, I think I can work with these thoughts. Locker has plenty of depth so regulator can be above bottle outlet, that means a bottom location is feasible, with strapping just above the weld line around centre of bottle I think.

Many thanks for your time, lets hope weather is helpful this weekend now!

 

[Bobobolinsky]

Hi I have a similar solution on my present boat, but found that it did not work well before with 4.5's as they are short and stout. Had a cruiser with a plywood panel hinged down so I could slide cylinders inside the locker and hinge down to trap with a sliding bolt to fix

 

[ostell]

I used Sikaflex to attach two battens on to opposite sides of the new gas locker with eyes screwed into the wood that allowed 25mm tape to thread through and round the bottle. Tape fastened with a buckle fastening.

I believe (no doubt someone will say) that gas regs are asking for bulkhead mounted regulators now, with flexible to bottle.

 

[VicS]

I used Sikaflex to attach two battens on to opposite sides of the new gas locker with eyes screwed into the wood that allowed 25mm tape to thread through and round the bottle. Tape fastened with a buckle fastening.

I believe (no doubt someone will say) that gas regs are asking for bulkhead mounted regulators now, with flexible to bottle.

Which regulation do you believe asks for that?

 

[essexboy]

Caravan shop. They do a clamp for 2 bottles about £ 15 if I remember correctly.

 

[VicS]

Caravan shop. They do a clamp for 2 bottles about £ 15 if I remember correctly.

This sort of thing?

...... £3.99 from http://www.rainbowconversions.co.uk/Equipment/Gas/gas.htm

 

[Quandary]

The support brackets on our boat were just vertical stainless steel straps bent over and upwards into a 'U' at the bottom end to hold the rusty bottom flange of the bottle and keep it off the floor; with a single thinner stainless strap around the bottle near the top to secure it. The vertical strap was simply bolted to the locker sides. Worked very well and would be easy to replicate, though I have now taken them out to make room for the 7kg. bottles I use now, (they have to sit on the locker floor because of their height and are secured against a big tumble using webbing).

 

[PetiteFleur]

When I updated my gas locker some years ago, I fitted a plywood base with suitable circles for each bottle to locate in, battens on the box sides to locate the bottles to prevent excessive movement and a removable lid which was fitted over the top of the bottles and retained with an overcentre stainless catch. Works fine and the bottles don't move at all.