New gas hose.

[NormanS]

At present, the short (700mm) piece of hose connecting my cooker to the copper supply pipe, is braided stainless steel. The Neptune 2500-2 cooker is mounted on gimbals, although they are never used as such, the cooker being locked in position with a snib. Indeed, the only time that the flexibility of hose is required, is when removing the cooker for cleaning.
I have seen suggestions that because any damage to the hose could be hidden by the braid, this should not be used.
As the hose is now due for replacement, which type should I use?

Also, does anyone know the pipe thread used on these cookers? It is not 1/4" BSP, but smaller, and finer. Thanks to all.

 

[Tranona]

You can buy ready made hoses from Calor (and no doubt others). Either rubber or sheathed types are acceptable. Don't know the exact size of the fitting but it is a standard gas fitting.

 

[prv]

Are you sure it's a threaded fitting on the cooker, and you're not looking at half a compression fitting? All three boat cookers I've been involved with ended in a plain stainless tube and the hose assembly (ending with a short length of copper tube) was attached using a compression joint.

Pete

 

[sailorman]

The hose does not have to be armoured these days, without it is then possible to see any damage. many chandlers have them made up in various lengths

 

[Tranona]

Are you sure it's a threaded fitting on the cooker, and you're not looking at half a compression fitting? All three boat cookers I've been involved with ended in a plain stainless tube and the hose assembly (ending with a short length of copper tube) was attached using a compression joint.

Pete

Yes, it will be just a tube, but when it is assembled it does look like the fitting is part of the cooker.

 

[NormanS]

Are you sure it's a threaded fitting on the cooker, and you're not looking at half a compression fitting? All three boat cookers I've been involved with ended in a plain stainless tube and the hose assembly (ending with a short length of copper tube) was attached using a compression joint.

Pete

Yes, I'm sure, now that I think about it, that you are correct. It will be a plain tube. It's the usual story of trying to do things on a boat which is on the other side of the country. The thread is not really a problem as, if necessary, I can use the existing nuts with new olives. My main concern was whether it was better to use plain hose or braided. I don't have to comply with the BSS, just trying to do what's best practice.

 

[sailorman]

Yes, I'm sure, now that I think about it, that you are correct. It will be a plain tube. It's the usual story of trying to do things on a boat which is on the other side of the country. The thread is not really a problem as, if necessary, I can use the existing nuts with new olives. My main concern was whether it was better to use plain hose or braided. I don't have to comply with the BSS, just trying to do what's best practice.

see #4 even Oyster do not use armoured these days for the reason given

 

[VicS]

Yes, I'm sure, now that I think about it, that you are correct. It will be a plain tube. It's the usual story of trying to do things on a boat which is on the other side of the country. The thread is not really a problem as, if necessary, I can use the existing nuts with new olives. My main concern was whether it was better to use plain hose or braided. I don't have to comply with the BSS, just trying to do what's best practice.

Plain hose if its not going to chafe!

Even so you might like to consider if the orange reinforced HP hose has any merits over the plain black LP hose.

Its perhaps not quite so flexible and its difficult to push onto nozzles etc otherwise ........ your choice

 

[Seajet]

I had a fire on another boat due to the armoured flexible hose to the cooker being damaged and my inability to check it visually.

I now always replace the flexible hose on my boat annually - the copper pipe is one length with no joins, with flexible hose at each end to attach to the regulator and gymballed cooker.

You can get proper flexible gas hose by the metre ( obviously should be kept to a minimum ) at caravan shops a lot cheaper than in chandleries; it has the year printed on it.

 

[VicS]

You can get proper flexible gas hose by the metre ( obviously should be kept to a minimum ) at caravan shops a lot cheaper than in chandleries; it has the year printed on it.

Or mail order from BES.

Smaller camping/caravan shops may tend to only stock the orange hose. PITA if you particularly want the LP hose.

Also you have to watch the date if you buy from local retailers.......... or you could find that a couple of years of your allotted 5 have already gone by the time you buy it

 

[prv]

My main concern was whether it was better to use plain hose or braided. I don't have to comply with the BSS, just trying to do what's best practice.

Even the BSS is happy with either.

I have braided, on the grounds that the hose is well hidden down the back of the cooker and so regular inspection is realistically not going to happen. So better to protect it against chafing from movement, than to leave it open for inspection that won't happen. I can't see how it would get damaged inside the unbroken braid except self-initiated breakdown presumably due to extreme old age - and I replace it according to the stamped date to avoid that. But I'm not suggesting that un-armoured hose is inferior.

Pete

 

[NormanS]

The hose does not have to be armoured these days, without it is then possible to see any damage. many chandlers have them made up in various lengths

That was my understanding, which is why I was enquiring.

Plain hose if its not going to chafe!

Even so you might like to consider if the orange reinforced HP hose has any merits over the plain black LP hose.

Its perhaps not quite so flexible and its difficult to push onto nozzles etc otherwise ........ your choice

There won't normally be any chafe, so I'll go for the plain hose. I intend to use a made-up piece of hose which comes with copper tube ends crimped into the hose, which are attached to the pipework and cooker with compression fittings.

All the gas hose that I've seen recently has been orange.

I had a fire on another boat due to the armoured flexible hose to the cooker being damaged and my inability to check it visually.

I now always replace the flexible hose on my boat annually - the copper pipe is one length with no joins, with flexible hose at each end to attach to the regulator and gymballed cooker.

You can get proper flexible gas hose by the metre ( obviously should be kept to a minimum ) at caravan shops a lot cheaper than in chandleries; it has the year printed on it.

I can well understand that you renew it every year, after having a fire.

 

[VicS]

All the gas hose that I've seen recently has been orange.

Thats because they dont like stocking two things that can go out of date

as I said earlier he black LP hose is available (a few pennies cheaper) but no reason not to use the HP hose if you are not pushing it onto Fulham nozzles. I just found that a PITA because I have to pull it off / push it back the Camping gas regulator when changing the bottle.
Just about reasonably overdue to be changed again so will go for the LP stuff this time.

Hoses, nozzles and clips: http://www.bes.co.uk/products/071.asp

 

[NormanS]

Thats because they dont like stocking two things that can go out of date

as I said earlier he black LP hose is available (a few pennies cheaper) but no reason not to use the HP hose if you are not pushing it onto Fulham nozzles. I just found that a PITA because I have to pull it off / push it back the Camping gas regulator when changing the bottle.
Just about reasonably overdue to be changed again so will go for the LP stuff this time.

Hoses, nozzles and clips: http://www.bes.co.uk/products/071.asp

Thanks for that link VicS. I use the orange hose between the regulator and the start of the copper, (less than 1/2m), but I don't have to pull it off and on. I bought some locally at a gas supplier last week, at little over £1/m. I use 7kg Calor Butane bottles, which take a push-on regulator. Thanks to you, and everyone else who responded.

 

[sailorman]

Thats because they dont like stocking two things that can go out of date

as I said earlier he black LP hose is available (a few pennies cheaper) but no reason not to use the HP hose if you are not pushing it onto Fulham nozzles. I just found that a PITA because I have to pull it off / push it back the Camping gas regulator when changing the bottle.
Just about reasonably overdue to be changed again so will go for the LP stuff this time.

Hoses, nozzles and clips: http://www.bes.co.uk/products/071.asp

No expiry date, the date on the hose is date manufactured.
http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/19174-gas-hose-replacement-3-or-5-years/

 

[VicS]

No expiry date, the date on the hose is date manufactured.
http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/19174-gas-hose-replacement-3-or-5-years/

Thats right so a camping/caravaning shop with a relatively small turn over could have unsold stock rapidly approaching its recommended "end of life date" of 5 years from the date of manufacture. To have one coil doing that is bad enough without having two doing the same thing. Therefore they only stock the one type

 

[Seajet]

I use flexible ( orange ) hose to the regulator as well as the gymballed cooker, to aid screwing the regulator on and off new gas bottles; generally I just use the flexibility to get the thread started then spin the bottle.

No worries about being into the 5 year life as I do change t every winter, the stuff is cheap so why not ?!

I do reach out of the main hatch and turn the regulator on for just cooking time, then it's off again, have always done that; just as well considering the hose rupturing on my other boat, if the regulator had been left on it would have merrily filled the boat with gas and I very much doubt I'd be here now; we were just off the Eddystone in a September F6, the jet of flame certainly got my undivided attention !

 

[nickf]

No expiry date, the date on the hose is date manufactured.
http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/19174-gas-hose-replacement-3-or-5-years/

Not always - frequently expiry date. On my boat (French) manufactured in 2004 date on hose was 2009.
Hose bought in Greece in 2012 had 2015 printed on it.

 

[VicS]

I use flexible ( orange ) hose to the regulator as well as the gymballed cooker, to aid screwing the regulator on and off new gas bottles; generally I just use the flexibility to get the thread started then spin the bottle.

No worries about being into the 5 year life as I do change t every winter, the stuff is cheap so why not ?!

I do reach out of the main hatch and turn the regulator on for just cooking time, then it's off again, have always done that; just as well considering the hose rupturing on my other boat, if the regulator had been left on it would have merrily filled the boat with gas and I very much doubt I'd be here now; we were just off the Eddystone in a September F6, the jet of flame certainly got my undivided attention !

I have one short hose in the locker connecting the regulator to the copper pipe work an another between a local isolating valve and the cooker. I close the valve on the regulator overnight or when leaving the boat but often just use the local valve between bouts of gas usage during the day..

The hose in the gas locker is not long enough to "spin the bottle" off the regulator. Anyway it seems a recipe for fecking up the thread on the regulator to me. So my hose is clipped on with a hose clamp that can be done up/ undone by hand.
On the right in this picture.

 

[VicS]

Not always - frequently expiry date. On my boat (French) manufactured in 2004 date on hose was 2009.
Hose bought in Greece in 2012 had 2015 printed on it.

Not conforming to BS 3212:1991 then!