Gas fridge flue vent kits

[Kalapattar]

Hi! I have new flue kit fittings to the gas flue but they are loose connections! Is this on purpose for air flow or would I need to seal them? Ta!

[Alan de Enfield]

Unnecessary information - disussed in an earlier thread.

Edited September 1, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[Tonka]

They are designed to be loose fit so as you can dismantle and clean the spider webs off of the dangley spiral bit of metal that hangs in the flame. Hope that makes sense

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, Tonka said:

They are designed to be loose fit so as you can dismantle and clean the spider webs off of the dangley spiral bit of metal that hangs in the flame. Hope that makes sense

 

And foul smelling soot when, not if, the flame burns yellow.

[Kalapattar]

5 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

And foul smelling soot when, not if, the flame burns yellow.

[PD1964]

16 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Unnecessary information - disussed in an earlier thread.

You can’t say that, it discourages new members from asking questions, never mind use the Forums search function, If they had used the search engine he would of found the similar post they put on just over a year ago😂

 

Edited September 1, 2022 by PD1964

[Kalapattar]

Ok, because it would’ve made more sense to have one long piece rather than ill fitted connections but I now understand, thanks!

[Tony Brooks]

The "horizontal" part is supposed to slope upwards and the outside end fits over the inside piece that fits onto the fridge. This means that the flue gasses will find it difficult or impossible to leak out of the slip joint, they are hot and trying to rise.

 

Also, the gap between the fridge flue and boat side will vary from boat to boat, so the flue length has to be adjustable.

[Kalapattar]

Ok, because it would’ve made more sense to have one long piece rather than ill fitted connections but I now understand, thanks!

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

You can’t say that, it discourages new members from asking questions, never mind use the Forums search function, If they had used the search engine he would of found the similar post they put on just over a year ago😂

 

 

Which I did after copying and pasting the BSS regs for a gas fridge if it is a petrol engined boat. I then checked on his posting history and found he asked the same question a year ago and I posted the same information, he then said that he had a diesel engine (but a petrol generator)

Edited September 1, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[Kalapattar]

The old vent fittings were sealed at the joins with metal tape! I think it’s because exhaust gases could escape! 

[Tony Brooks]

1 minute ago, Kalapattar said:

Ok, because it would’ve made more sense to have one long piece rather than ill fitted connections but I now understand, thanks!

 

No it would not for the manufacturer, see my replay to you when you said this before. If you wait to fabricate a one off specifically for your boat and installation you are free to do so.

[Kalapattar]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Which I did after copying and pasting the BSS regs for a gas fridge if it is a petrol engined boat. I then checked on his posting history and found he asked the same question a year ago and I posted the same information, he then said that he had a diesel engine (but a petrol generator)

 

[Tony Brooks]

5 minutes ago, Kalapattar said:

The old vent fittings were sealed at the joins with metal tape! I think it’s because exhaust gases could escape! 

 

Well, if you are so worried about what is standard practice and has been for 60 years to my knowledge seal yours with tape. I would suggest aluminium tape but I don't know how the adhesive will react to the heat or how it will age.

 

I am not sure but I don't think the flue kit is mandatory, many gas fridges vented or do vent straight into the boat.

Edited September 1, 2022 by Tony Brooks

[Kalapattar]

 

3 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Well, if you are so worried about what is standard practice and has been for 60 years to my knowledge seal yours with tape. I would suggest aluminium tape but I don't know how the adhesive will react to the heat or how it will age.

Ok, thanks for you reply!

4 minutes ago, Kalapattar said:

 

Ah yes, so I did! You have a very good memory!👍

Edited September 1, 2022 by Kalapattar

[Arthur Marshall]

When the BSS was invented we all had to fit these on our boats. Because of the protruding cover on the outside of the boat, I got stuck in one lock and it got knocked off in the next one. Luckily, even the BSS gods saw a minute amount of sense and stopped them being compulsory, which just left us all with another unnecessary hole in the side of the boat. The fridge has been there thirty years and as far as I know I'm not dead yet.

Not, of course,  that the BSS has anything to do with your personal safety anyway,  officially.

[alan_fincher]

I seem to recall, (but haven't checked), that the BSS says that if a flue is fitted, it must not be modified in any way.

 

I would class wrapping metal tape on it to "seal" joins as a modification.

If I'm right it could constitute a BSS fail.

 

There is no requirement for private boats to have an external flue.  The gas fridge, as delivered, can vent into the cabin and be accepted by the BSS

[Kalapattar]

1 hour ago, Kalapattar said:

Kalapattar

Ok, I’m suprised that allowing  exhaust gases to vent inside a boat is acceptable but ‘you learn something different everyday

[Tony Brooks]

FWIW in my opinion you would have to be an idiot and/or have no sense of smell to allow a fridge to kill you with CO. The danger of yellow flames is well known and all the gas fridges I have seen allow you to inspect the flame without pulling the fridge out. Secondly, when they start to make CO they also tend to carbon up the chimney and that produces a horrible acrid smell that in bad cases can make your eyes sting. In any case the flame is so small and in most cases the cabin ventilation is more than sufficient to get rid of any CO.

[Arthur Marshall]

45 minutes ago, Kalapattar said:

Ok, I’m suprised that allowing  exhaust gases to vent inside a boat is acceptable but ‘you learn something different everyday

As I said, mine's been doing it for thirty years with no problems. Plenty of ventilation in the boat. You can't just stick things on the side of a boat that spends half its life scraping lock walls and expect it to stay on, especially if it's a bit of plastic. The flame is no bigger than a pilot light.

[Kalapattar]

13 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

FWIW in my opinion you would have to be an idiot and/or have no sense of smell to allow a fridge to kill you with CO. The danger of yellow flames is well known and all the gas fridges I have seen allow you to inspect the flame without pulling the fridge out. Secondly, when they start to make CO they also tend to carbon up the chimney and that produces a horrible acrid smell that in bad cases can make your eyes sting. In any case the flame is so small and in most cases the cabin ventilation is more than sufficient to get rid of any CO.

No sense of smell! Isn’t CO2 odourless anyway?

[alan_fincher]

12 minutes ago, Kalapattar said:

No sense of smell! Isn’t CO2 odourless anyway?

 

You do understand the difference between CO and CO2, don't you?

[BEngo]

Both CO,  which kills you by blocking oxygen from being carried by blood,  and CO2 which makes you breathe faster at first, then suffocates you are odourless.  The crap that forms in the flue is definitely not odourless when it starts to burn off.  I have a poor sense of smell, but you cannot miss fridge flue pong.

 

A gas fridge flue and burner needs a good service and de-spidering regularly.  Annual is enough for most but more often if it gets a lot of use on gas.

 

N

[Kalapattar]

6 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

You do understand the difference between CO and CO2, don't you?

Both toxic gases is all I need to know

[Kalapattar]

14 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Both CO,  which kills you by blocking oxygen from being carried by blood,  and CO2 which makes you breathe faster at first, then suffocates you are odourless.  The crap that forms in the flue is definitely not odourless when it starts to burn off.  I have a poor sense of smell, but you cannot miss fridge flue pong.

 

A gas fridge flue and burner needs a good service and de-spidering regularly.  Annual is enough for most but more often if it gets a lot of use on gas.

 

N

 

Ok thanks! Mine has a convenient metal spiral in the flue! Very handy for cleaning!