Spare Gas bottle

[yoda]

Last weekend I moved the spare gas Calor gas bottle from the cockpit locker to the anchor locker just to get it out of the way. This weekend I went fwd to pressure wash the locker and on opening the lid got a quick smell of gas. I checked the valve and sealing cap and found both very slightly slack. I suppose the message is check yours because even if you do keep it in a well drained area, an empty spare can be very disappointing!

Yoda

 

[VicMallows]

Yes! A great deal of play is made about potential leaks in the BOATS gas system, but the only leaks I have ever experienced have been from cylinder valves on the cylinders themselves. The spring-loaded valves on CampingGaz and the larger Calor Butane cylinders are equally culpable.

 

[alanwilson]

Buy a can of spray leak detector & spray the connections every time you change a bottle: you'll be surprised at how many times there is a small leak, even after really tightening it. A tiny piece of grit can cause a leak, enough to be dangerous.

 

[GrahamM376]

Buy a can of spray leak detector & spray the connections every time you change a bottle: you'll be surprised at how many times there is a small leak, even after really tightening it. A tiny piece of grit can cause a leak, enough to be dangerous.

Also, don't rely on a "bubble leak" detector for leaks at the bottle or regulator, it will only show if there's a leak after the detector.

 

[hartcjhart]

Buy a can of spray leak detector & spray the connections every time you change a bottle: you'll be surprised at how many times there is a small leak, even after really tightening it. A tiny piece of grit can cause a leak, enough to be dangerous.

dont waste your money on that,just get a plastic spray bottle and put water and washing up liquid in it and use for leak checking

 

[alanwilson]

Water & washing up liquid is nowhere near as good for showing small leaks. For a few quid, spray leak detector is well worth it for peace of mind.

 

[hartcjhart]

Water & washing up liquid is nowhere near as good for showing small leaks. For a few quid, spray leak detector is well worth it for peace of mind.

you reckon, we use it all the time even for leaks on 'microbore' pipes 3-4 mm and thats for hydrogen

 

[vyv_cox]

Water & washing up liquid is nowhere near as good for showing small leaks. For a few quid, spray leak detector is well worth it for peace of mind.

+1 Water with detergent has very low surface tension, which means that it runs off the top of fittings very easily. It is possible to find leaks using it but it needs to be constantly wetted with fingers to ensure a film over any leak. The purpose made stuff is more viscous and tends to remain where it is sprayed. A minor point is that detergents have a significant salt content that might be corrosive, although this doesn't seem to be much of a problem on a sea-going boat.

 

[alahol2]

+1 Water with detergent has very low surface tension, which means that it runs off the top of fittings very easily. It is possible to find leaks using it but it needs to be constantly wetted with fingers to ensure a film over any leak.

I always thought the way to use it was to whip it up to a fine foam and paint that onto the joint, not the liquid. The foam will sit there for 5 or 10 mins and it's very easy to see if a leak is present.