bubble tester

[dreadnought]

hi all, i`m looking at buying a bubble tester for my gas system i`m installing on my nb,i see they come in two sizes, 10mm and 8mm, witch do you recommend, many thanks

 

i`m using 15mm copper up to the gas locker, but not sure what to use to connect to gas, hence the question,thanks for the reply`s so far

Edited May 21, 2016 by dreadnought

[MtB]

hi all, i`m looking at buying a bubble tester for my gas system i`m installing on my nb,i see they come in two sizes, 10mm and 8mm, witch do you recommend, many thanks

 

 

What size pipe are you planning to fit it into?

[alan_fincher]

hi all, i`m looking at buying a bubble tester for my gas system i`m installing on my nb,i see they come in two sizes, 10mm and 8mm, witch do you recommend, many thanks

 

Most narrow boats are actually plumbed with imperial pipe for gas rather than metric.

 

Whilst Alde only supply bubble testers with metric fittings, it is possible to swap the fittings to imperial ones that correctly match the pipe size you have. (in fact SoCal, Southampton Calor, used to sell pre modified ones, and may still do).

 

That would be my preferred method.

[MtB]

 

Most narrow boats are actually plumbed with imperial pipe for gas rather than metric.

 

 

True, but I asked what size pipe as 5/16" is so close to 8mm as to be indistinguishable. 5/16" imperial pipe fits 8mm compression fittings perfectly.

 

Not the case with 3/8" into 10mm fittings though. They go in but are very loose and baggy.

 

Even so, the OP's boat may use 10mm pipe. This is another area the BSS falls down on. BSS doesn't care what pipe has been used.

[alan_fincher]

 

 

True, but I asked what size pipe as 5/16" is so close to 8mm as to be indistinguishable. 5/16" imperial pipe fits 8mm compression fittings perfectly.

 

I suppose it is possible we are talking about a boat where the only gas appliance is a cooker, but even so, wouldn't a feed as small as 5/16" be quite unusual.

 

Most I have seen are at least 3/8" or even 1/2".

 

Can 5/16 adequately support a proper cooker with everything turned on, with the length of feed typical on many narrow boats?

 

As you asked originally it would help to know what pipe size OP intends to introduce this tester in to.

[Bod]

hi all, i`m looking at buying a bubble tester for my gas system i`m installing on my nb,i see they come in two sizes, 10mm and 8mm, witch do you recommend, many thanks

 

i`m using 15mm copper up to the gas locker, but not sure what to use to connect to gas, hence the question,thanks for the reply`s so far

 

Looks like 15mm, but that does raise many more questions, not least, does gas pipe come in that size?

 

Bod

[rustydiver]

Ive got one the 10mm one, still to fit, the person fitting it is trying to get the correct fittings. Think she said my pipes was 12mm.

[Water Nomad]

Hello Everyone. Sorry to jump in on this thread, but do you know were I can get a bubble tester for 10mm pipe? My 10mm pipes had a bubble tester on them, but it was a 3/8"

 

When I smelt gas I checked the nuts were tight enough, but I ended up just ripping the olives off as they were just gripping on the very edge of the pipe. So be very careful to get the right size fittings.

 

John.

[ditchcrawler]

Hello Everyone. Sorry to jump in on this thread, but do you know were I can get a bubble tester for 10mm pipe? My 10mm pipes had a bubble tester on them, but it was a 3/8"

 

When I smelt gas I checked the nuts were tight enough, but I ended up just ripping the olives off as they were just gripping on the very edge of the pipe. So be very careful to get the right size fittings.

 

John.

http://www.asap-supplies.com/gas-leak-bubble-tester-10mm-fittings-307956

http://www.asap-supplies.com/gas-leak-bubble-tester-10mm-fittings-307956

Can't you just use new fittings

[alan_fincher]

 

Looks like 15mm, but that does raise many more questions, not least, does gas pipe come in that size?

 

Bod

 

To be fair the bit about using 15mm pipe has, I think, been added to the original question since myself and MTB tried answering it!

 

If it is genuinely 15mm pipe, I don't think its use would be normal, and one should certainly not use 15mm water pipe for gas.

 

Unless the OP is certain of that, a 1/2" imperial pipe would be far more normal for LPG on boats, so I'm wondering if they have misidentified it?

[MtB]

 

i`m using 15mm copper up to the gas locker, but not sure what to use to connect to gas, hence the question,thanks for the reply`s so far

 

 

If you are really using 15mm rigid copper pipe for gas in a boat, then you haven't bothered to do even the most basic research about gas installation on boats and shouldn't be doing it in my opinion.

 

As they say on Dragon's Den, I'm out.

[Sea Dog]

To be fair the bit about using 15mm pipe has, I think, been added to the original question since myself and MTB tried answering it!

 

 

Ah, that explains a lot. I was a bit surprised to see routine replies from some sensible folks when my first thought was 'oh-oh'!

[Polishicebreaker]

I have a similar issue, bubble tester is 15mm but I was planning on 10mm pipe, so Asap is the place for fittings.

 

Also, does anyone have a photo of their gas set-up and how the bottles are rigged with the bubble tester and isolation valve etc?

just need a bit of visual inspiration

[koukouvagia]

I have a similar issue, bubble tester is 15mm but I was planning on 10mm pipe, so Asap is the place for fittings.

 

Also, does anyone have a photo of their gas set-up and how the bottles are rigged with the bubble tester and isolation valve etc?

just need a bit of visual inspiration

Will this do for a start?

The piece of wood that the spanner is resting on stops the bottles moving about and can be lifted off. No problems with BSS.

[LEO]

Here is my gas locker, the bubble tester is to the right of the red change over switch. You have to kneel down to see it.

 

I only use small gas bottles.

 

BSS surveyor liked it.

Edited May 22, 2016 by LEO

[dreadnought]

hi all, i`m looking at buying a bubble tester for my gas system i`m installing on my nb,i see they come in two sizes, 10mm and 8mm, witch do you recommend, many thanks

 

i`m using 15mm copper up to the gas locker, but not sure what to use to connect to gas, hence the question,thanks for the reply`s so far

ok so whats wrong in using 15mm copper pipe for the gas!!i!ve seen it used in a number of boats with no problems,i`ve had two boats fitted with it, and no problems with the bss, so now i am confused

[dreadnought]

hi all, i`m looking at buying a bubble tester for my gas system i`m installing on my nb,i see they come in two sizes, 10mm and 8mm, witch do you recommend, many thanks

 

i`m using 15mm copper up to the gas locker, but not sure what to use to connect to gas, hence the question,thanks for the reply`s so far

ok educate me, why not 15mm copper pipe for gas i`ve seen it used times many ?

[Polishicebreaker]

Thanks for the photos , that looks good to go off!

 

One slight issue I have is where my old gas pipe went through the bulkhead, the fittings are 3/8 but I planned on using 10 mm pipe. The through fittings have actually been done quite well and 1 is in a slightly inaccessable place so I would rather leave alone but I'm guessing 10mm pipe is too tight in 3/8 fittings?

[Bod]

ok educate me, why not 15mm copper pipe for gas i`ve seen it used times many ?

 

What grade of pipe are you planning to use?

Standard 15mm copper water pipe, is not approved for transporting gas.

To require 15mm gas pipe you must be expecting quite a flow, normally a boat will not have a huge supply demand.

 

Bod

[Murflynn]

the RCD includes standards that will not allow the use of ordinary copper water pipe.

e.g. BS/EN/ISO 10239

6.2 Piping

6.2.1 Only solid drawn copper piping or drawn stainless steel piping, which are galvanically compatible, shall be

used for rigid supply lines. The minimum wall thickness for piping of outside diameter equal to or less than 12 mm

shall be 0,8 mm and 1,5 mm for piping of outside diameter greater than 12 mm.

 

the BSS does not address the issue.

[MtB]

ok so whats wrong in using 15mm copper pipe for the gas!!i!ve seen it used in a number of boats with no problems,i`ve had two boats fitted with it, and no problems with the bss, so now i am confused

 

 

BSS is the lowest, weakest, slackest standard for gas installation.

 

A good standard to use is PD5482-2005 Part 3 as you would already know, had you done any homework on the subject.

[Murflynn]

 

 

BSS is the lowest, weakest, slackest standard for gas installation.

 

A good standard to use is PD5482-2005 Part 3 as you would already know, had you done any homework on the subject.

... but peeps expect this forum to be their primary source of reliable information. ............... some peeps don't want to do homework, they just want someone to affirm that what they believe to be OK is actually acceptable (and safe? ).

Edited May 23, 2016 by Murflynn

[dreadnought]

 

 

BSS is the lowest, weakest, slackest standard for gas installation.

 

A good standard to use is PD5482-2005 Part 3 as you would already know, had you done any homework on the subject.

Thanks for your input boilerman, but as they say on the apprentice "your fired"

[RubyTuesday]

Except MTB knows what he is talking about and you should listen to him.

 

I won't always say that...

 

List because it is copper and pipe doesn't make it the correct thing to use. Read the standards and understand first.

 

The £90 you spend on buying the document they are referring to could save your life and the life of your family/friends. Alternatively find a competent profestional (not always easy). Just because it has been seen on other boats does not make it correct also with limited knowledge misinterpretation of what you see is also quite possible.

[Neil Smith]

With your bulkhead fitting you could drill it out to 10mm and pass the pipe straight through then you have one less join to leak.

 

Neil.