Gas regulator

[wullie]

I'm looking for a single gas regulator, propane, my twin one is by its best, I've been told I can fit a single one, looking on sites can't see many of that would be boat campliance, any one have a heads up on suitable item. 

[Tracy D'arth]

9 minutes ago, wullie said:

I'm looking for a single gas regulator, propane, my twin one is by its best, I've been told I can fit a single one, looking on sites can't see many of that would be boat campliance, any one have a heads up on suitable item. 

Indeed, many sold from chandlers are marked as not marine compliant.   Most folk don't care and just use them. Its probably a materials used in construction thing, not suitable for salty water.

[magnetman]

Definitely refers to salt water if the word "marine" is used. The defiinition of 'marine' has nothing to do with boats it is just referring to the sea.

 

The aluminium bodies of regulators will probably have major problems with salty water.

[Chewbacka]

If you really want a marine regulator here is a selection.

https://www.gasproducts.co.uk/gas-regulators/marine-gas-regulators.html

 

A marine regulator is a bit different to a ‘normal’ regulator as it has a boat system over pressure release port should the regulator fail.

[magnetman]

 

Having had a regulator fail open and liquid coming out of the gas ring on the cooker I can see how this could be quite a handy thing to have. 

 

Only problem is the one I had failed due to being frozen. Not sure if that would be covered by the pressure relief valve. 

[Chewbacka]

4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

Having had a regulator fail open and liquid coming out of the gas ring on the cooker I can see how this could be quite a handy thing to have. 

 

Only problem is the one I had failed due to being frozen. Not sure if that would be covered by the pressure relief valve. 

Maybe a good case for buying the marine regulator, as in your case if the internal pipe work had failed - the system is now at bottle pressure - there would be a lot a gas in the boat very quickly.

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

If you really want a marine regulator here is a selection.

https://www.gasproducts.co.uk/gas-regulators/marine-gas-regulators.html

 

A marine regulator is a bit different to a ‘normal’ regulator as it has a boat system over pressure release port should the regulator fail.

Looks a handy web site

[Guest]

Don’t do it; while advice might be given in the best intention, these are 30mbar regulators and it is likely you’ve 37mbar appliances. As everyone knows (?) correct gas operating pressure is essential for safety. 
 

Worth checking?

 

And over pressure devices are not just found on ”marine” regulators - conventional ones often have them too. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Guest

[magnetman]

7 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

Maybe a good case for buying the marine regulator, as in your case if the internal pipe work had failed - the system is now at bottle pressure - there would be a lot a gas in the boat very quickly.

 

In my case I had unwittingly bought a dodgy reg. There were some bad ones floating about for a while. 

 

It was the situation about it being frozen which made me wonder if it was a problem which could not be avoided..

 

The valve on gas bottle on this well designed little boat can be reached from where you stand when operating the cooker so I was able to turn it off within a few seconds of the problem occurring. 

 

 

2 minutes ago, watchfuleye said:

Don’t do it; while advice might be given in the best intention, these are 30mbar regulators and it is likely you’ve 37mbar appliances. As everyone knows (?) correct gas operating pressure is essential for safety. 
 

Worth checking?

I think it might be ok if it is lower pressure. If it is higher then the flame will lift off the burner and blow itself out. 

 

Good point though. 

 

Anyone know for sure if a 30 works on appliances meant for a 37? 

 

Some RV and motorhomes seem to have 30mB. It is an American standard I think. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by magnetman

[Guest]

It’s not OK as if appliances operate too low you’ll get incomplete combustion and unwanted products of combustion that you can’t see or smell.  
 

 

[ditchcrawler]

34 minutes ago, watchfuleye said:

Don’t do it; while advice might be given in the best intention, these are 30mbar regulators and it is likely you’ve 37mbar appliances. As everyone knows (?) correct gas operating pressure is essential for safety. 
 

Worth checking?

 

And over pressure devices are not just found on ”marine” regulators - conventional ones often have them too. 

I am sorry I don't quite follow this, what mustn't you do?

[magnetman]

Get a 30millibar rated regulator on a propane system designed for 37millibar. 

[Fat Boat]

What kg/h rating do people suggest 

[Chewbacka]

28 minutes ago, Fat Boat said:

What kg/h rating do people suggest 

The rating plate on your gas appliances probably state the design pressure (for propane either 37mbar or 30mbar) and the consumption per hour in g/h or kg/h.  Assume all appliances are on at the same time to give the total gas consumption.

[MtB]

6 hours ago, watchfuleye said:

It’s not OK as if appliances operate too low you’ll get incomplete combustion and unwanted products of combustion that you can’t see or smell.  
 

 

 

 

Twaddle.

 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

Too much air and less gas will not lead to CO production. The reverse will.

[blackrose]

I don't understand any of this. I appreciate that regulators can fail but they should be replaced every 10 years as a matter of course. if being frozen is really an issue how come I've never had a problem with mine over the last 20 winters living on boats with gas regulators outside in my gas locker? I think this is the first time I've heard of liquid gas coming through to appliances and I doubt it's the result of a frozen regulator - more likely an old regulator. I can't help thinking that some here are looking for solutions to problems that don't really exist. Hundreds of thousands of boats are fitted with standard 37mB regulators and we rarely hear of problems.

Edited January 20, 2023 by blackrose

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I think this is the first time I've heard of liquid gas coming through to appliances and I doubt it's the result of a frozen regulator

 

I believe that if you lie a cylinder down then it is possible to get liquid gas thru to the appliance.

 

Gas powered Fork trucks have special cylinders designed that can be used horizontally - and have a 'this way up' arrow so as the 'dip tube' is always in the liquid.

 

Properly mounting the cylinder ensures that the liquid can be withdrawn through the service valve by way of the liquid service diptube. The propane liquid diptube in a forklift cylinder operates in the same manner as a liquid withdrawal valve. The cylinder service diptube communicates with the liquid space of the cylinder when installed vertically or mounted horizontally in the correct position. Forklift cylinder neck rings (collars) have orientation holes to position the cylinder properly on the bracket orientation pins. Correctly mounting the cylinder in its proper position will allow continuous operation of the forklift and use of all propane in the cylinder.

[BEngo]

If the gas bottle is vertical  and of the right variety ( not a fork lift type) it should be impossible to get liquid to the regulator  let alone beyond it.

 

If you fit a 30 mb regulator to a 37 mb system then there will be no problem, except the kettle will take longer to boil.  Gas appliances are controlled by reducing the pressure through the jet.

 

Fitting a37mb regulator to a 30mb system is not a good idea.

 

In either case, in UK, the gas bottle connections are not compatible with the correct regulator , so the problem should not arise.

 

N

[magnetman]

21 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I don't understand any of this. I appreciate that regulators can fail but they should be replaced every 10 years as a matter of course. if being frozen is really an issue how come I've never had a problem with mine over the last 20 winters living on boats with gas regulators outside in my gas locker? I think this is the first time I've heard of liquid gas coming through to appliances and I doubt it's the result of a frozen regulator - more likely an old regulator. I can't help thinking that some here are looking for solutions to problems that don't really exist. Hundreds of thousands of boats are fitted with standard 37mB regulators and we rarely hear of problems.

The regulator was brand new and yes it was frozen. 

 

It turned out there were some dodgy ones around which got recalled it may have been one of those. The bottle it was in was not in a gas locker. The bottle was mounted vertically. 

 

The regulator failed "open" once it had thawed out it worked normally. 

 

I have had no other problems in 29 years of continuously living on boats with LPG systems.  

 

Dodgy (new) regulator. 

Edited January 20, 2023 by magnetman

[magnetman]

Of course there is another possibility. I may have bought the bottle (3.9kg) from a supplier who was filling their own bottles and it could have been overfilled. I can't remember where I bought it as do not have regular gas supplier. 

 

I think an overfilled bottle would probably cause this outcome but other than weighing with very accurate scales I'm not sure how one would find out if the bottle was genuine calor factory filled or by someone else. 

 

Refilling manually then retailing must be happening as it will be a lot cheaper than exchanging with Calor. 

 

I'm not trying to cast aspersions and can not remember where I got it from.

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by magnetman

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Of course there is another possibility. I may have bought the bottle (3.9kg) from a supplier who was filling their own bottles and it could have been overfilled. I can't remember where I bought it as do not have regular gas supplier. 

 

I think an overfilled bottle would probably cause this outcome but other than weighing with very accurate scales I'm not sure how one would find out if the bottle was genuine calor factory filled or by someone else. 

 

Refilling manually then retailing must be happening as it will be a lot cheaper than exchanging with Calor. 

 

I'm not trying to cast aspersions and can not remember where I got it from.

 

 

Or one that has been lying on its side and not allowed to settle. 

[magnetman]

3 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Or one that has been lying on its side and not allowed to settle. 

I don't think it was that because it had been in position and used already. A very wet and freezing night froze it up then when I opened the valve on the cooker it went crazy.

 

I do think the regulator froze due to weather rather than liquefied petroleum gas but not entirely sure. 

 

Anyway it was fortunate to say the least that I had not applied ignition to the cooker. I like my hair.

[blackrose]

20 minutes ago, magnetman said:

The regulator was brand new and yes it was frozen. 

 

It turned out there were some dodgy ones around which got recalled it may have been one of those. The bottle it was in was not in a gas locker. The bottle was mounted vertically. 

 

The regulator failed "open" once it had thawed out it worked normally. 

 

I have had no other problems in 29 years of continuously living on boats with LPG systems.  

 

Dodgy (new) regulator. 

 

Well new products can be faulty of course, but as you said it was from a faulty batch which isn't common.

 

Assuming this happened on a boat then not having the bottle in a gas locker doesn't sound very sensible. Perhaps it wasn't on a boat?

[magnetman]

It was on a boat and it is very sensible. 

 

Having a gas bottle in a locker introduces complications if you need to turn the bottle off quickly.

 

I really would not want to go outside, climb onto the deck open a gas locker in order to close off the main valve in an emergency.

 

On a freezing early morning with exterior of boat covered in frost. That WOULD be dangerous.