Ovens and Hobs - can you use Household on a boat? ALSO info about Smev

[scottb34300]

Hi,

Does anyone know if you can use a household gas hob/grill/oven on board a boat with the usual calor gas?

Also, on Smev cookers when it says "4 burner Hob & Grill", i've seen pictures of it just having a slit between the hobs, is this the grill - if so, how does that work?

Many thanks,

 

[silverseal]

Re: Ovens and Hobs - can you use Household on a boat?

In short no. Calor gas either propane or butane is heavier and therefore denser than air. Natural gas for domestic mains is methane which is lighter than air.
Some appliances which have been produced for "both markets" will have spares availbale to provide different jets for calor gas. You needs to identify the serial number of the applicance, contact the manufacturer or distributor, and see if a conversion is possible... then you need to get a Corgi qualified engineer to do it and install

 

[TigaWave]

In short yes ,...some domestic units are built for propane/butane bottled gas.
You can install gas systems on your boat, and then for your insurance to cover you against fire/explosion you need the installation pressure tested and inspected by a Corgi. I've done this myself (Not with a domestic cooker but other gas appliances) for boats that are subsequently fully coded and inspected.
Look here for the full regs..
http://www.calormarineshop.co.uk/rules-regs-answer.htm
The cooker will need flame failure devices I believe.

 

[bonny]

Natural gas is not lighter than air, along with butane & propane it is heavier than air and this has nothing to do with using a domestic gas cooker on a boat. Each of the gasses has a different calorific value (KW/cubic metre) and as such require different jets and or operating pressures to work correctly with a given appliance. For LPG usage butane is normally operated at 28mbar & propane at 37mbar and an appliance jetted for LPG can use either without modification provided the correct regulator is used.

Narrow boats normally use domestic cookers (re-jetted for LPG) since they the space and have no need for gimballing.

As mentioned in the previous reply appliances should be fitted with flame failure devices. Strangely enough FFD's are not required for domestic appliances in the UK and it's about time they should be for new appliances.

 

[snowleopard]

Re: Ovens and Hobs - can you use Household on a boat? ALSO info about

[ QUOTE ]
Natural gas is not lighter than air, along with butane & propane it is heavier than air

[/ QUOTE ]

sorry to contradict but natural gas is mainly methane, CH4, molecular weight 16. air is O2 (32) + N2 (28) so natural gas is lighter than air according to avogadro.

propane c3h8 (44) and butane, c4h10 (58) are heavier.

having got that out of the way, most domestic gas stoves can be bought in LPG versions, having different jets. the main defects of domestic stoves are in use of mild steel rather than stainless and in not always having flame failure devices. also electrical igniters will be 240v, not 12v.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

[ QUOTE ]
Natural gas is not lighter than air,

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry Bonny, Natural gas is lighter than air. Molecular weight approx 19.4, Air 28.9

What determines how the burner will perform is something called Wobbe Index, which for Butane and Propane is roughly similar; hence the reason you can use either in camping/boating/caravan cookers with only a change in regulator pressure.
Natural Gas has a Wobbe Index of roughly half that of Butane and Propane, and if used on an unconverted cooker would probably flame-out and/or produce copious quantities of Carbon Monoxide.

FYI. Wobbe Index = Gross Heating Value / (Square root of Specific Gravity)

 

[TonyMS]

We wanted to use a domestic cooker on our barge, but couldn't find one with flame detectors on the hobs, grill and oven.

Tony

 

[Shantyman]

The main point is that flame failure device is essential.

If you aint fitted up for this on all burners I suspect the Insurers will be decidedly un happy.

I have got a Flavel Vanessa (Ex caravan) oven/grill/hob and asked Flavels if it was possible to convert the hob/grill to flame fail-safe.
They said there was no kit made for this and definitely not to use it in a boat.

Regards,

Shantyman.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Re: Ovens and Hobs - can you use Household on a boat? ALSO info about

[ QUOTE ]
most domestic gas stoves can be bought in LPG versions, having different jets

[/ QUOTE ]

The last domestic gas oven I bought was set up for natural gas, but came with the conversion kit of different jets free of charge and without asking. They are still in a kitchen drawer. (I have no intention of installing it on my boat though.)

There are lots of houses in this country that use gas ovens but are without mains gas. These use LPG.

 

[BSSOffice]

Dear all,
This is what the inland navigation authorities are saying about gas appliances on boats using their waterways.
"27.a) LPG and liquid fuel burning appliances installed from 3 January 2000.
All burners and pilot lights shall be fitted with a device that automatically shuts off the fuel supply if the burner flame fails.
b) LPG and liquid fuel burning appliances installed before 3 January 2000
Burners on catalytic appliances, appliances with continuously-burning flames and pilot light burners shall be fitted with a device that automatically shuts off the fuel supply if the burner flame fails."

In b) hobs are exempt from the requirement. However, even if you're not required by a navigation authority to have one fitted, we highly recommend the use of such devices as we have reports of numerous incidents and close-runs associated with hobs without FSD/FFDs.

A full explanantion of the navigation authorities requirements is available on our website at www.boatsafetyscheme.com in the get the guide section. You can also email our technical support team on bss.enquiries@boatsafetyscheme.com