Side entry gas locker

[Sea Dog]

8 hours ago, David Mack said:

But storing a full or empty gas bottle in the cratch or on a (cruiser) stern deck would be in breach of the BSS.

Hardly storing - they're being transited from one bank to the other. However, because you have a second full bottle to use before running out, it's not a situation anyone with an ounce of practicality would ever face.

[WotEver]

8 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

On the other hand, you'd think storing a full gas bottle in the living room of a basement flat, in a non-gas-tight box with live gas flames burning in the front panel would also breach a gas regulation somehow, somewhere. But there are 'mobile heaters' are sold for specifically this purpose. 

Two of those heaters prevented me from freezing for about three winters in a flat I once lived in in Brum. I never could work out why that flat suffered so much from condensation...

[eggpie]

Assuming I wanted to make one (or find someone with better welding skills to make one for me), does anyone have any pictures of existing designs? Are the bottles chained inside, or would a bar of some sort be enough to keep the bottles secure? I assume that the doors would bolt shut from the outside?

Google doesn't seem to be much help with the pictures, and I can't get out stalking piper boat owners until the weekend.. 

[Naughty Cal]

18 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

My reading is that they should only open externally to the boat - ie from the pontoon or tow-path.

Internally could be read as 'inside the confines of the boat' ie into a well deck .

Our gas locker is in the cockpit and the door opens into the cockpit area not to the pontoon/tow path side.

It has never been flagged up on any of the BSS tests the boat has had thus far.

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

It has never been flagged up on any of the BSS tests the boat has had thus far.

It could be that my interpretation is incorrect, but you may have gathered from previous posts that my impression of a number of BSS examiners (application & interpretation of the 'rules') is that they are pretty appalling.

[TheBiscuits]

6 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Our gas locker is in the cockpit and the door opens into the cockpit area not to the pontoon/tow path side.

It has never been flagged up on any of the BSS tests the boat has had thus far.

But does it have gas tight seals on the door and a vent overboard?  If so, that is a safe arrangement and quite common on proper boats.

[MtB]

9 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

But does it have gas tight seals on the door and a vent overboard?  If so, that is a safe arrangement and quite common on proper boats.

 

I bet a proper smoke test would reveal ANY supposedly gas-tight doors to be anything but gas tight. 

[Graham Davis]

Caravans have been fitting gas lockers like this for some years.

[Naughty Cal]

23 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

But does it have gas tight seals on the door and a vent overboard?  If so, that is a safe arrangement and quite common on proper boats.

It has a vent overboard and a board to the front of the cupboard which is taller then the gas bottles and regulator but the gas locker door does not have gas tight seals. It is just a GRP locker door.

14 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I bet a proper smoke test would reveal ANY supposedly gas-tight doors to be anything but gas tight. 

Ours certainly isn't gas tight.

2 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

Caravans have been fitting gas lockers like this for some years.

Caravans don't have bilges for the gas to collect in!

[alan_fincher]

I don't think anybody has mentioned that such an arrangement was standard on the "trad" style Springers, (yes, I know - I mean the ones where the cabin goes to the back, and the engine is inside it).

There are still lots of them about, so it must be fully acceptable for BSS purposes.

[Momac]

19 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

It has a vent overboard and a board to the front of the cupboard which is taller then the gas bottles and regulator but the gas locker door does not have gas tight seals. It is just a GRP locker door.

Picture on my post #16 

The cockpit is self draining . Which does help in case leaking gas should overflow from  the locker.

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, eggpie said:

Assuming I wanted to make one (or find someone with better welding skills to make one for me), does anyone have any pictures of existing designs? Are the bottles chained inside, or would a bar of some sort be enough to keep the bottles secure? I assume that the doors would bolt shut from the outside?

Google doesn't seem to be much help with the pictures, and I can't get out stalking piper boat owners until the weekend.. 

My bottles are secured by chain and padlock, the doors are simple magnetic catch - no need to be secured further as there's nothing else in there otherwise  it would be a BSS fail.

I'm back in Devon today otherwise I could have provided you with photos.

 

[TheBiscuits]

53 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Picture on my post #16 

But the larger gas bottle on the right makes that an instant BSS fail - the gas barrier does not stand above the bottle and regulator.

If the gas was connected to the smaller bottle on the left and the bigger bottle removed it would be a pass (assuming there are no other issues not visible in the photo)

Edited April 12, 2018 by TheBiscuits

[Momac]

1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

But the larger gas bottle on the right makes that an instant BSS fail - the gas barrier does not stand above the bottle and regulator.

If the gas was connected to the smaller bottle on the left and the bigger bottle removed it would be a pass (assuming there are no other issues not visible in the photo)

I picked the picture off the interweb. The locker in question is for 907 campingaz bottles. It passes BSS inspection. 

[Naughty Cal]

20 hours ago, MartynG said:

 

A side opening door is possible providing a fixed panel of the cylinder height prevents any gas leaking from the locker into the boat. 

The board in ours comes much higher then that one to suit the 907 bottles. That one should fail!

[Momac]

3 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

The board in ours comes much higher then that one to suit the 907 bottles. That one should fail!

I thought perhaps in the photograph there were two 907 bottles in there and the one that sits higher is out of the well that holds it in place . The spare bottle is in its well. If the other botte was the smaller 904 type it would be a lot lower I think.

Look how taught the hose is - that cylinder can't be in its normal position. Odd its a black hose not orange .  

Any way not my boat , just a pic of the internet.

 

[Naughty Cal]

1 hour ago, MartynG said:

I thought perhaps in the photograph there were two 907 bottles in there and the one that sits higher is out of the well that holds it in place . The spare bottle is in its well. If the other botte was the smaller 904 type it would be a lot lower I think.

Look how taught the hose is - that cylinder can't be in its normal position. Odd its a black hose not orange .  

Any way not my boat , just a pic of the internet.

 

Don't think so. I think that boat has 904's as standard fit hence why the board is s9 low. 

The board in ours is just low enough to get the 907 bottle out on its side. It's a very tight fit.