All services on one side?

[ETS Jess]

Hi all

 

Kitchen refit is going well, I am changing my existing kitchen layout from a both sides "walk through" format to an "L" shape on the Port side.
At the moment, I have 12v/240v/Gas under the gunnel on the Starboard side and 12v/240v/Water under the gunnel on the Port.

 

Is there any reason why i can't have gas, water and electric all under the same gunnel? i'll leave a 12v and 240v loom under the starboard too.

 

Any advice for doing this? Do the lines need to be isolated from each other?

 

 

thank you!

 

Jess

[Alan de Enfield]

Rather than relying on a random selection of people to give you their interpretation of the rules which MAY result in your boat failing its BSS, may I suggest that you read the BSS Guidelines where you will find details for running services along side each other.

 

Make your own interpretation of the rules as your surveyors may be different*, you can then discuss the discrepancies.

 

* Example :- 3 boats ago I had a BSS done, the single core 12v cabling was actually cable tied to the gas pipe all along the gunwale, it passed with not a comment but is actually a fail.

[ETS Jess]

I posted here as i know the community has a lot of experience and experts such a BSS examiners are regulars here.
If discrepancies such as your example are the norm, then i guess asking a "random selection of people" for advice such as "check the BSS guidelines" is what i do need to rely on.

 

Thanks.

[Alan de Enfield]

There are detailed specifications for installation of utilities :

 

Example BSS Section 3.3.2

 

Electrical cables must be installed clear of LPG and fuel supply lines unless they are in a conduit made of non-conducting material.

 

Example BSS Section 7.8.4

 

All LPG pipe joints:

• must have fixing clips attached no more than 150mm from each joint connection and must not move under light manual force; and,

• must have fixings that are free of signs of damage or deterioration or missing components; and,

• must be free of any signs of missing components, cracks or other signs of damage or deterioration; and,

• must be made with a minimum number of individual components.

[ETS Jess]

As it stands, i have a copper gas pipe running along side a 240v arctic cable and the boat passed her BSS with flying colours earlier in the year. So does this mean that there is absolutely no point in BSS exams?

I have emailed BSS headquarters for their definitive answer but no one is in the office until next week.

 

Thank you for taking the time to research that.

[Paul C]

There's rules about not clipping electric cables to gas pipes etc. But it doesn't mean you can't have all the services on one side of the boat - so just go ahead and do the layout as you want etc. Remember that a gas pipe needs to be mainly straight runs, and all joints and corners accessible for inspection (ideally all straight runs too, but if a straight run isn't viewable, its deemed okay; if a corner isn't, its not).

[ETS Jess]

Thanks Paul,

 

Yes, it will be good to simplify it.
As it stands, Gas comes in on the port side, angle down to a "T" to the Oven then angle up, angle over-head and angle down to the starboard side, angle and then a "T" to the boiler and a last angle to the hob. Will replace with new straight run in the starboard, "T" to the oven, "T" to the hob and an angle to the boiler. -BSS depending!

[Neil Smith]

Water and 240v under the same gunwhale, hope you don't spring a leak.

 

Neil

[bottle]

Why?

 

If all installed correctly then all should be OK. even if the water or electricity escape.

[Iain_S]

As it stands, i have a copper gas pipe running along side a 240v arctic cable and the boat passed her BSS with flying colours earlier in the year. So does this mean that there is absolutely no point in BSS exams?

 

(snip).

 

It could be argued that arctic cable comes complete with conduit, usually blue

 

Iain

[alan_fincher]

There are detailed specifications for installation of utilities :

 

Example BSS Section 3.3.2

 

Electrical cables must be installed clear of LPG and fuel supply lines unless they are in a conduit made of non-conducting material.

 

Example BSS Section 7.8.4

 

All LPG pipe joints:

• must have fixing clips attached no more than 150mm from each joint connection and must not move under light manual force; and,

• must have fixings that are free of signs of damage or deterioration or missing components; and,

• must be free of any signs of missing components, cracks or other signs of damage or deterioration; and,

• must be made with a minimum number of individual components.

 

 

As it stands, i have a copper gas pipe running along side a 240v arctic cable and the boat passed her BSS with flying colours earlier in the year. So does this mean that there is absolutely no point in BSS exams?

 

I have emailed BSS headquarters for their definitive answer but no one is in the office until next week.

 

Thank you for taking the time to research that.

 

Alan has missed a salient part of what he has partially quoted.... It also says.....

 

Cables verified as double-insulated (sheathed) cables are not subject to this check.

 

 

Arctic cable used for 240v is sheathed, so "double insulated" in this context, so by my reading of the regs, is OK to lie alongside a gas pipe

 

The same I would suggest applies if you use sheathed cables for the 12 volts.

 

Only if you use single cables with no second sheath do I think the "can't be next to a fuel or LPG pipe" restriction kicks in.

As it stands, i have a copper gas pipe running along side a 240v arctic cable and the boat passed her BSS with flying colours earlier in the year. So does this mean that there is absolutely no point in BSS exams?

 

No, because of the above! I think that is OK

[ETS Jess]

Thank you all very much,

Alan_Fincher - I think i should be ok then, my partners father is an electrical engineer and yesterday he popped over to have a look at the current set up and is helping me re-design the 12v system. He's hoping to get some wire, i'm not sure what it is called, but it's the familiar black and red multi-core (?) cable, but they come together, enclosed in a black sheath, so that should be the "double-insulated" part covered.

I'll also have new water pipe and new copper gas pipe, both services will be simplified with less angles and connections.

I'll get round to writing a build blog and supply more details, the kitchen refit has evolved into a whole boat re-vamp, seems like the sensible time to do it seeing as i have access to more of the boat than usual.

Thanks again all
Jess