Gas Lockers - Is this a new Idea

[richardofaccrington]

Has any kind member any knowledge of fitting and using a large site tool storage locker to act as a Gas Locker? I have located several likely candidates e.g.

 

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/4-site-van-vault

 

and if I vent this via a welded on pipe to the gunwales and weld the feet to the foredeck, do people think this would be compliant?

I would value some feedback on this topic as although a competent engineer, I am new to narrow boat fit-outs.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[blackrose]

Using prefabricated boxes isn't really a new idea and I don't see any reason why a site safe of the correct dimensions wouldn't be compliant. Steel is a suitable material and provided the gas integrity of the locker is good then it should be fine. The only problem is that some of those site safes are made from pretty thin steel. I don't know how well some would cope with gas bottles being moved in and out, or cope with the weather.

 

Edit. Just looked at your link. The height of the lowest part of the locker base must extend beyond the height of the gas bottles. That cutaway at the front of the Machine Mart safe looks like it might be below the top of a 13kg bottle.

 

Also for that price you could probably get a (non-boaty) steel fabrication yard to make you a locker from 3mm steel, and then find someone to weld it in for you.

 

Two years ago a steel fabricator on the Thames made me a 9ft2, 3mm thick skin tank to my drawings for £70 and then welded it into my engine room for another 60 quid.

Edited February 22, 2015 by blackrose

[Neil Smith]

Is this on a new boat, if not was is it a gas free boat.

 

Neil.

[MtB]

There is a historic boat that uses two old metal dustbins sitting on the tug deck as gas lockers IIRC. They look as thought they just 'happen' to be there but are securely fixed.

[OldGoat]

Regardless of how well made the locker is methinks you might have a problem convincing an inspector that the unit is 'gas tight'.

The seams are usually rolled and even if sealed with mastic (which may well work) - you've still got the problem of credibility?

[blackrose]

It does say the seams are fully welded. He could just print that off and show it to the inspector. But I don't really see why an inspector would assume it was any less gas-tight than a steel box made elsewhere?

Edited February 22, 2015 by blackrose

[FadeToScarlet]

Regardless of how well made the locker is methinks you might have a problem convincing an inspector that the unit is 'gas tight'.

The seams are usually rolled and even if sealed with mastic (which may well work) - you've still got the problem of credibility?

I think I read last night that the inspector could convince himself using a smoke test.

[John Williamson 1955]

Something else to think about when using one for a gas locker is that the gas bottles must be secured so they can't move under impact loading, so you would need to fabricate internal brackets or work out some other method of fastening them down, such as welding pieces of chain to the locker walls.

 

You'd be better off getting a custom one fabricated, and an extra storage locker to fit the space that this would take up for stuff that doesn't care about where and how it's stored.

[dccruiser]

I had a crudely fabricated box on my last boat the bottom was open and was bolted through lugs to the deck to hold it flush, it had a tank fitting at the base and a pipe overboard and the lid just pushed on with a rubber strip around the inside to give it some purchase and gas integrity, that passed inspection no problem.

As others have said, draw out a design and work out dimensions then speak to a fabricator.

 

Rick

[kevinl]

Regardless of how well made the locker is methinks you might have a problem convincing an inspector that the unit is 'gas tight'

Firstly £370 as has been said is a lot of money for a tin box, I'm sure you could get something better fabricated for the same money or less.

On Old Goat's comment where does it say in the BCS regs the locker has to be gas tight. Mine isn't and it's passed twice (last time 6 months ago) and it's never been mentioned. I don't think I've ever been on a boat where the gas locker had and sort of seal on it just a lid/cover that sits on top. You may well be right but it's not something I've heard of before.

K

[John Williamson 1955]

The requirement is that the locker must not allow any gas to enter the hull if there is a leak. This can be done by ensuring the locker is gas proof on sides and base and vented overboard. Mine is a gas tight box under the front deck, with a steel pipe venting the bottom of it to the outside of the hull.There is no need for the lid to be gas tight, or indeed for there to even be a lid, as long as there is no way for gas to enter the hull from there. If there is a lid, it must be able to be opened without tools (A key for a padlock counts as a tool here) to operate the gas shut off valve, which can be the tap on the bottle. I've seen boats with the gas bottle held in a topless box on the back deck, with a gas tight seal between the box and the deck, and a vent hole in the bottom of the box side, which is flush with the side of the hull.