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LPG gas safe engineer ahead of BSS.


Soozie

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I was hoping someone may be able to recomend an lpg engineer in or near milton keynes. I have my BSS coming up and we f ont use the gas. I need to get the gas pipes capped for the saftey in pectipn to prove this. Al o, does anyone have a ny lue what getting pipes capped may cost? 

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I'd have thought that all you'll have to do is remove the regulator and any piping in the gas locker.  Pretty simple DIY work.  Simply capping off any outlets would mean that the system would still have to comply, surely?

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1 minute ago, WotEver said:

I'd have thought that all you'll have to do is remove the regulator and any piping in the gas locker.  Pretty simple DIY work.  Simply capping off any outlets would mean that the system would still have to comply, surely?

The bss guy said I would have to get the pipes capped so they were inoperable and remove the empty gas bottle from the locker. He said the boat would need a gas safe cert aswell? Seemed excessive, I dont live aboard, dont have gasappliences on board, and dont use gas. ?‍♀️

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I wouldn’t have thought a gas certificate would be required if there was no gas or appliances on board, capped or not. (An uncapped gas pipe is a ‘pipe’ with nothing in it.)

 

Ask another examiner. I once had an examiner who was off his rocker saying this and that and that I had to do this or that before he would put his name on a pass. I have had three or more examinations since without issue. (Same boat).

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8 minutes ago, Soozie said:

I was wondering if I should try another examiner. Anyone know anyone near milton keynes ??

Absolutely. Time was when examiners were experienced surveyors. Then CRT/ whoever opened the scheme to anyone who was half literate and standards went downhill.

 

It doen't help that the 'rules' are quite opaque and by trying to clarify something which has many options as to what is correct have caused a lot of confusion at all levels.

 

Given that if an inspector gets it wrong - he will 'lose his ticket' and bang goes his income.

You're doomed

Try someone else...

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28 minutes ago, Soozie said:

The bss guy said I would have to get the pipes capped so they were inoperable and remove the empty gas bottle from the locker. He said the boat would need a gas safe cert aswell? 

Yes, that was my point.  Simply capping the pipes still leaves it 'available for use', so it would require a cert.  Removing the regulator and any pipes in the gas locker makes it a gas-free boat.  At least, that makes sense to my mind, which doesn't necessarily mean a BSS inspector would agree.

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4 minutes ago, PaulD said:

If you search this site for gas safety certificate you will see that getting one is not a bss requirement for a private leisure boat . It is good good practice but your examiner is wrong.

I suspect that the examiner meant that it must still pass BSS regs for soundness etc.  But perhaps he did indeed mean a GSC in which case yes, he was wrong.

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5 minutes ago, PaulD said:

If you search this site for gas safety certificate you will see that getting one is not a bss requirement for a private leisure boat . It is good good practice but your examiner is wrong.

This is good to hear actually. I thought I would be spending a fortune before I started. Will have a look. The pipes are connected to nothing, if I dont need the cert could we just diy cap them. Given theres no gas at all to leak or explode or cause apocalypse? 

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

I suspect that the examiner meant that it must still pass BSS regs for soundness etc.  But perhaps he did indeed mean a GSC in which case yes, he was wrong.

Yes, he said my first step is to get a gas safe engineer to do a gas saftey certificate. 

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The BSS notes and guidance to examiners does say (quote) :

 

Appliance isolation valves not situated immediately adjacent to appliances shall clearly indicate which appliance they serve. If valves operate by rotation, closing shall be clockwise. “Open” and “closed” positions shall be clearly marked on or adjacent to all valves. Tapered plug valves shall be spring loaded. Needle valves shall not be used. Valves at floor level shall be located to prevent inadvertent operation, or shall be of the drop fan or loose key type. Pipework to appliances permanently removed or removed for servicing shall be properly plugged or capped. Isolation valves alone shall not be used for this purpose

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1 minute ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

It doesn't say at which end!

I'd suggest it reads that the pipework "to the appliance" is plugged / capped.

 

There will be a 'main' with branches coming off for various appliances, plugging the 'cylinder' end would mean nothing is usable, whilst plugging / capping the end of each brach which does not have an appliance attached would stop any leaks.

If the cylinder-end was capped, it could be un-capped and connected to a cylinder without anyone knowing how many 'branches' there were, which if uncapped would soon fill the boat with gas.

 

I have very little 'time' for the BSS but you do have to think "what is trying to be achieved"

Putting in a new cooker, uncapping the cylinder end could leave several open pipes - Hob, water heater, gas fire, fridge etc.

 

In the OP's case I'd plug each branch at the appliance end, remove the regulator and cap off the piping and remove any cylinder.

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5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

In the OP's case I'd plug each branch at the appliance end, remove the regulator and cap off the piping and remove any cylinder.

Simple to DIY, and it doesn't require a Gas Safe bod because, however shoddily it's done, there is no gas.

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What Alan said, pretty much.

 

Most BSS examiners are quite aware that there is a subset of boaters who have poor appliances; they just take them out of the boat for the duration of the certificate. Presumably to avoid this, the examiner is wanting to make that dodgy practice a bit more difficult.

 

I think that fitting a end stop to each end of the gas pipework -something like this:
compression stop end

Will be ok and satisfy the requirements. Also remove empty bottle (ask neighboring boat to store it if you can't just shove it in your car boot).

Be aware that these fittings should be made with copper olives (you have to buy those separately).  Fitting just requires two spanners.

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4 minutes ago, BWM said:

If you don't have any gas appliances or a future need then why not just remove as much of the old pipework as possible. 

At some point I di want to reinstate the gas, just not while im not living on it. 

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Assuming this bss guide note is still current. -  https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/179440/disabled and decom systems final version june 2012.pdf

 

then if you have a fixed gas appliance on your boat it will fail the BSS without a compliant gas supply system.  
 

If you don’t have any gas appliances on the boat and you have removed the gas regulator, gas bottles etc then the above goes on to say - “Redundant pipework or wiring found on board but confirmed as not connected to a supply or appliance should be ignored for the purposes of the BSS.”

 

so I would phone the bss office and confirm that if there are no gas appliances on board, and no regulator and no gas bottle, then any remaining pipe work is excluded from the examination.

 

If you have a few days, then if you email them you will even have a bss written response - https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/contact-us/contact-us-form/

Edited by Chewbacka
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4 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

Assuming this bss guide note is still current. -  https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/179440/disabled and decom systems final version june 2012.pdf

 

then if you have a fixed gas appliance on your boat it will fail the BSS without a compliant gas supply system.  
 

If you don’t have any gas appliances on the boat and you have removed the gas regulator, gas bottles etc then the above goes on to say - “Redundant pipework or wiring found on board but confirmed as not connected to a supply or appliance should be ignored for the purposes of the BSS.”

 

so I would phone the bss office and confirm that if there are no gas appliances on board, and no regulator and no gas bottle, then any remaining pipe work is excluded from the examination.

Thankyou thats incredubly helpful. Will ring them. Never thought to ring them ?‍♀️

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