Bodach na mara
Well-Known Member
(A short diatribe on conflicting, misleading and plain bad advice and suppliers as compared with chocolate teapots.)
I had decided to renew the components in the gas system (something to do with an impending survey!) as all the bits are past the recommended design life. That is 5 years (from date of manufacture) for hoses and 10 years for the regulator. The resulting experiences are driving me daft.
The system has two "pigtails" from the cylinders to a wall block manifold, which incorporates non-return valves. The regulator is fixed to the wall block with a standard cylinder nut-type connector and to the pipework with a compression coupling. There is a single run of copper tube to the valve below the cooker and the final link is an armoured flexible tube connected by compression couplings. All exactly as advised in the Calor instructions when it was installed over ten years ago. The tubing is stamped as madde in 1998 and the regulator in 1974. And I thought I had renewed it!
First the pigtails and armoured flexible tube. The chandlery at the marina has them in stock, BUT they are stamped as manufactured in May 2006, i.e. they are nearly three years old already. With only 40% of design life left, will I get them at 60% off? No chance!
Off to the Calor shop in Glasgow. "Sorry sir, we do not carry flexible armoured connectors and we do not have any pigtails in stock." They did suggest removing the crimp connectors from the pigtail ends, removing the old end fittings and making new pigtails with high pressure tubing (£1.78 per metre), which they did have in stock. I asked how the tubing should be secured and was told "use a Jubilee clip." They do not sell any regulators suitable for connection to the pipe to the cooker with a compression fitting, only those with an 8mm connector suitable for a rubber hose. There next sales pitch was to suggest that I change over to propane, assuring me that the cooker would "probably" work ok! Er, no thanks!
When I got home, I checked and found that the tubing they had sold me is stamped 04/2007 (nearly 2 years old) and that you must NOT use Jubilee clips on this size of tubing.
On to the internet and Calor Marine web site. I also looked at the main Calor site. The same regulator (rubber tube outlet connector) is available on both sites. On the Marine site, the regulator costs £10. On the main site it costs £5.87. (It is available from an on-line chandlery for under £4.)
I have sort of decided to get a marine regulator from the Calor Marine site. I draw the line at the £40 stainless steel job as the type of outlet is not stated and there is a confusing list of inlet fittings to chose from, but there is one with a 3/8 in BSPF outlet. I did not like the idea of a rubber tube connection between the regulator and the tube to the cooker. I would have bought the pigtails and armoured tube there as well, but they do not carry the correct length of armoured tube and the pigtails are twice the price in the local chandlery.
I had decided to renew the components in the gas system (something to do with an impending survey!) as all the bits are past the recommended design life. That is 5 years (from date of manufacture) for hoses and 10 years for the regulator. The resulting experiences are driving me daft.
The system has two "pigtails" from the cylinders to a wall block manifold, which incorporates non-return valves. The regulator is fixed to the wall block with a standard cylinder nut-type connector and to the pipework with a compression coupling. There is a single run of copper tube to the valve below the cooker and the final link is an armoured flexible tube connected by compression couplings. All exactly as advised in the Calor instructions when it was installed over ten years ago. The tubing is stamped as madde in 1998 and the regulator in 1974. And I thought I had renewed it!
First the pigtails and armoured flexible tube. The chandlery at the marina has them in stock, BUT they are stamped as manufactured in May 2006, i.e. they are nearly three years old already. With only 40% of design life left, will I get them at 60% off? No chance!
Off to the Calor shop in Glasgow. "Sorry sir, we do not carry flexible armoured connectors and we do not have any pigtails in stock." They did suggest removing the crimp connectors from the pigtail ends, removing the old end fittings and making new pigtails with high pressure tubing (£1.78 per metre), which they did have in stock. I asked how the tubing should be secured and was told "use a Jubilee clip." They do not sell any regulators suitable for connection to the pipe to the cooker with a compression fitting, only those with an 8mm connector suitable for a rubber hose. There next sales pitch was to suggest that I change over to propane, assuring me that the cooker would "probably" work ok! Er, no thanks!
When I got home, I checked and found that the tubing they had sold me is stamped 04/2007 (nearly 2 years old) and that you must NOT use Jubilee clips on this size of tubing.
On to the internet and Calor Marine web site. I also looked at the main Calor site. The same regulator (rubber tube outlet connector) is available on both sites. On the Marine site, the regulator costs £10. On the main site it costs £5.87. (It is available from an on-line chandlery for under £4.)
I have sort of decided to get a marine regulator from the Calor Marine site. I draw the line at the £40 stainless steel job as the type of outlet is not stated and there is a confusing list of inlet fittings to chose from, but there is one with a 3/8 in BSPF outlet. I did not like the idea of a rubber tube connection between the regulator and the tube to the cooker. I would have bought the pigtails and armoured tube there as well, but they do not carry the correct length of armoured tube and the pigtails are twice the price in the local chandlery.
