What cooker gas hose?

[DavidGrieves]

Hi

I'm replacing the gas pipes on the boat. What type of hose should I use? Armoured or unarmoured, from the isolation valve to the cooker.

My last boat had armoured hose, but a surveyor said it was not correct because it was impossible to see the condition of the hose. But I've also seen recomendations for armoured to protect it from any chafe/rubbing.

What do you think...?

David

 

[sailorman]

Hi

I'm replacing the gas pipes on the boat. What type of hose should I use? Armoured or unarmoured, from the isolation valve to the cooker.

My last boat had armoured hose, but a surveyor said it was not correct because it was impossible to see the condition of the hose. But I've also seen recomendations for armoured to protect it from any chafe/rubbing.

What do you think...?

David

i am told that armoured isnt a requirement after replacing my armoured this year.
i did replace with armoured but was told after fitting, i too would prefer to see the hose condition

 

[pvb]

Ordinary orange hose is fine - just check its death date.

 

[VicS]

Ordinary orange hose is fine - just check its death date.

Why use the orange stuff, it's reinforced and for hp connections but mostly all that's available now. All I could get when I fitted my new cooker at any rate.

I prefer the plain black stuff esp as I have to pull the connection off the regulator to change the Camping gaz bottle. Seems a bit more flexible too.

Any reason or just that turn over in many places is so small that they only want to stock the one type of hose.

Regarding death date I have a piece of the black lp stuff here. Dated Nov 1978 but as far as one can tell still as good as it was in 1978. It probably saw about 10 years service. Then lived in the bilges for another 10 before finding its way into one of the dark cobwebbed, mouse infested, corners of the garage

Just discovered that BES have it!

 

[petersboats]

We use and stock the orange hose. The life time of the hose is from the day it was put into use and not from the date of manufacture. Thats from a marine gas surveyor we use.
You can get pre made hose tails with a crimped copper tube spiggot that will go into brass gas fitting ie. test points or shut off valves.
Please feel free to email me if you need help.

 

[VicS]

The life time of the hose is from the day it was put into use and not from the date of manufacture. Thats from a marine gas surveyor we use.

That is the opposite to what we have been told before.

If true what purpose does the date of manufacture marked on the hose serve?
How do you tell when a hose was put into service?

Southampton Calor centre say,

How often do I need to replace flexible Hose?
Flexible hose should be replaced if it shows signs of deterioration such as cracking, bleaching or becoming brittle. They should also be replaced if they are older than five years, check the date stamp on the hose. The British Standard BS3212/2 should also be marked on the hose. If you cannot find one, replace it.​

 

[Seajet]

Expiry date is printed on the black flexible hose as used for Gaz / Butane, runs from date of manufacture as age perishes it, not use.

Buy the stuff from Caravan shops ! Half the price, same stuff.

You don't need fancy hose ends for any stove I've seen or used, it's a tight push on secured with a stainless jubilee clip.

Do not use armoured hose, in fact I thought it was illegal nowadays.

I bought a boat fitted with this stuff ( Carter 30 ) and while being bounced around a little in a F6 off Eddystone on a last chance September sail, I went below to check the chart, putting the kettle on at the same time.

I looked back from the chart to see a jet of flame coming up straight behind the cooker, from the ruptured hose.

I yelled to my crew in the cockpit, the second word I said was Fire !

He turned it off at the bottle - there are theories of a blowback but we had no choice -.

It worked, or of course I wouldn't be typing this now.

I'd been busy with an extinguisher meanwhile, I had one handy and was using it as the gas tap was turned, for all I know it saved us but as far as I can tell in retrospect I don't think it was all that necessary - definitely seemed so at the time though !

Funnily enough the extinguisher ( dry powder ) did all the cosmetic damage as it's corrosive and I didn't know to wash it off.

Definitely don't touch armoured hose, you can't see what's going on; and replace any flexible hose well within the printed expiry date, I change mine every winter, and unsurprisingly have a rather good fit of fire extinguishers, auto above the fuel & manual throughout the boat, including by forehatch if things turn nasty ( + blanket ).

I've seen a 20' ish motor cruiser go up after a gas fire; it took minutes to become a molten lump on the mud, thankfully the crew knew to jump and only had yards to swim.

If we'd had a serious fire off the Eddystone, we had a stowed inflatable with high speed electric pump & lifejackets, but no liferaft.

Looking back, I don't think our chances were up to 50%...

I take it you have copper or similar pipes from the bottle regulator and just flexible hose for gimballing movement ? !

 

[fastjedi]

Similar to the OP. I'm about to replace a 1998 Plastimo Atlantic with original armoured hose and compression fittings at each end ... joins to a short length of copper pipe then to the stopcock at the boat end.

The new Nelson Spinflo has an 8mm copper tail. I was planning to buy 1x unarmoured hose with 8mm copper tails + 2x straight compression fittings.

Having read this I am now thinking a length of orange hose + 2x stainless jubilee clips at end end may be better

Thoughts?

 

[sailorman]

Similar to the OP. I'm about to replace a 1998 Plastimo Atlantic with original armoured hose and compression fittings at each end ... joins to a short length of copper pipe then to the stopcock at the boat end.

The new Nelson Spinflo has an 8mm copper tail. I was planning to buy 1x unarmoured hose with 8mm copper tails + 2x straight compression fittings.

Having read this I am now thinking a length of orange hose + 2x stainless jubilee clips at end end may be better

Thoughts?

Do it
But i recon the crimped ends are better