Morco boiler installation

[pedroinlondon]

I have a Morco boiler that will be fitted fairly soon (not by me) and I'm wondering if any of you could send me pics of one already installed. I haven't seen a boiler on a boat yet and am wondering how it will look and how much space I should reserve for the pipes, etc. And by the way, are Morcos and other smallish boat boilers usually fitted with rubber piping only, with a mix of metal and rubber, or, like the Morco manual recommends, with metal piping only?

 

image 1 My link

image 2 My link

[smileypete]

I have a Morco boiler that will be fitted fairly soon (not by me) and I'm wondering if any of you could send me pics of one already installed. I haven't seen a boiler on a boat yet and am wondering how it will look and how much space I should reserve for the pipes, etc. And by the way, are Morcos and other smallish boat boilers usually fitted with rubber piping only, with a mix of metal and rubber, or, like the Morco manual recommends, with metal piping only?

 

image 1 My link

image 2 My link

There should be an install manual with the boiler that covers spacing from flammable surfaces. Also don't put it in the bathroom, and best not in the sleeping accommodation either, and fit a CO alarm or two.

 

If you're paying for an install the person has got to have a valid Gas Safe ticket for LPG for boats.

 

If someone's doing it strictly as a favour then they need to be at least as competent as the Gas Safe bod should be.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited March 17, 2013 by smileypete

[alan_fincher]

They must be installed vertical.

 

I'm wondering if your Image 2, which seems to show sloping cabin sides, means you are expecting it to mount directly to a cabin side lining, so that it also slopes.

 

It mustn't, so ideally needs to be fitted to a vertical bulkhead that runs across the boat.

 

If you fit to a cabin side, you would have to introduce a wedge shaped box to bring it back to upright, which looks bad, wastes space, and makes the Morco really intrusive in the cabin.

 

If I'm misreading your thoughts, simply ignore, but please don't try mounting it anything other than truly upright.

[pedroinlondon]

There should be an install manual with the boiler that covers spacing from flammable surfaces. Also don't put it in the bathroom, and best not in the sleeping accommodation either, and fit a CO alarm or two.

 

If you're paying for an install the person has got to have a valid Gas Safe ticket for LPG for boats.

 

If someone's doing it strictly as a favour then they need to be at least as competent as the Gas Safe bod should be.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Yes, it won't be in neither of those spaces and I will have to put either a cement board or metal plate on the surface I'm reserving for it. I am hoping to get a gas engineer (who is a cert boat guy) but that may change.

Thanks

 

They must be installed vertical.

 

I'm wondering if your Image 2, which seems to show sloping cabin sides, means you are expecting it to mount directly to a cabin side lining, so that it also slopes.

 

It mustn't, so ideally needs to be fitted to a vertical bulkhead that runs across the boat.

 

If you fit to a cabin side, you would have to introduce a wedge shaped box to bring it back to upright, which looks bad, wastes space, and makes the Morco really intrusive in the cabin.

 

If I'm misreading your thoughts, simply ignore, but please don't try mounting it anything other than truly upright.

 

The photo does not show it clearly at all, but that greyish rectangle (with a stain?) is vertical. It's on the side of the boat with a wedge. I won't be seen much by visitors as it is beyond the kitchen and wetroom. What about the pipes (rubberxcopper). Do you know if one can safely get away with rubber?

[MtB]

If you're paying for an install the person has got to have a valid Gas Safe ticket for LPG for boats.

Not necessarily. As I understand the gas law, this only applies if the boat is a residence or a hire or commercial boat. A leisure boat is 'beyond the scope' of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 that demand a 'Gas Safe ticket for boats'.

 

 

If someone's doing it strictly as a favour then they need to be at least as competent as the Gas Safe bod should be.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

 

Same comment. Legally speaking if it is a leisure boat, any incompetent fool may install it, and leave the vessel a death trap. Their only obligation is their common law duty of care not to put their fellow citizens at risk of injury. The incompetent fool's poor work will eventually be picked up at the next BSS, but in the meantime no offence has been committed.

 

Just sayin'...

 

But IANAL. (I am not a lawyer)

 

 

MtB

[Old Son]

I understand the whole installation must be in solid pipe and not rubber although thinking about it, my gas cooker has a rubber connection from the unit back to the solid pipe fixed to the wall lining.

[smileypete]

Not necessarily. As I understand the gas law, this only applies if the boat is a residence or a hire or commercial boat. A leisure boat is 'beyond the scope' of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 that demand a 'Gas Safe ticket for boats'.

 

 

 

 

Same comment. Legally speaking if it is a leisure boat, any incompetent fool may install it, and leave the vessel a death trap. Their only obligation is their common law duty of care not to put their fellow citizens at risk of injury. The incompetent fool's poor work will eventually be picked up at the next BSS, but in the meantime no offence has been committed.

 

Just sayin'...

 

But IANAL. (I am not a lawyer)

Aaaaah, very true I forgot about that and should have pointed that out, so I stand corrected.

 

Still if the boat might be used as a liveaboard later it'd be good to have a decent gas install.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited March 18, 2013 by smileypete

[MtB]

I understand the whole installation must be in solid pipe and not rubber although thinking about it, my gas cooker has a rubber connection from the unit back to the solid pipe fixed to the wall lining.

 

This seems unlikely.

 

If it really IS rubber, it would have failed its BSS many times over. I expect it is a reinforced flexible complying with BS 3212 ands suitably marked with date expiry labels. If it isn't, your BSS bod needs his legs slapped.

 

http://www.boatsafet...s/flexible-hose

 

MtB

 

P.S. forgot to mention, LPG is very aggressive towards genuine rubber, turning it brittle and crumbly in a shocking short time. Genuine rubber hoses on LPG are a serious and immediate gas leak risk.

 

Aaaaah, very true I forgot about that and should have pointed that out, so I stand corrected.

 

Still if the boat might be used as a liveaboard later it'd be good to have a decent gas install.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

 

Agreed. It is good to have a decent gas installation regardless.

 

The trouble is, us gas bods have a horrible habit of making up 'the regs' on the fly and misleading people, often for their own good, but this leads to doubt about everything else we've said once called on one bit of mis-information. Best to state the true position in my view, always.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Mike the Boilerman

[Old Son]

This seems unlikely.

 

If it really IS rubber, it would have failed its BSS many times over. I expect it is a reinforced flexible complying with BS 3212 ands suitably marked with date expiry labels. If it isn't, your BSS bod needs his legs slapped.

 

http://www.boatsafet...s/flexible-hose

 

MtB

 

P.S. forgot to mention, LPG is very aggressive towards genuine rubber, turning it brittle and crumbly in a shocking short time. Genuine rubber hoses on LPG are a serious and immediate gas leak risk.

 

 

Thank you for the correction. I suggested rubber because it is black!! Dont know why. It was a specalist very thick black flexible pipe already fitted to the cooker. I had the whole lot installed by a qulaified gas safe man with his boat credentials. I seem to remember him telling me that flexible pipe could not be used anywhere else??

[MtB]

Thank you for the correction. I suggested rubber because it is black!! Dont know why. It was a specalist very thick black flexible pipe already fitted to the cooker. I had the whole lot installed by a qulaified gas safe man with his boat credentials. I seem to remember him telling me that flexible pipe could not be used anywhere else??

 

Sounds to me as though you have a household or leisure bayonet connector and flexible hose. They are black and have a user-disconnectable bayonet on one end. There are two different types, one for NG, one for LPG. It is important to have the right type as the materials are different. The LPG one a red stripe printed along the length to denote LPG only. No red stripe indicates a NG hose and this is dangerous to use on LPG.

 

Flexible pipe can be used in a few other very limited situations, for example when there is one single portable appliance connected directly to a gas bottle regulator.

 

MtB