When was the last time you checked your boat’s gas system?
If you own a boat, then you know how expensive it can be to keep it on the water, with mooring fees, insurance and fuel charges. The maintenance of any boat is very expensive.
So when was the last time you checked the ship’s gas system?
When you think about it, LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is probably the most dangerous substance you have on your boat, and yet you will spend more money on cleaning, hull painting, and engine maintenance than on your boat’s gas system. .
Boats are not like cars, they tend to stay much longer and as such will have old, outdated, even dangerous gas appliances installed that have never been serviced.
Your boat’s gas system should be checked at least once a year by a Gas Safe registered boat engineer. You will be informed of any faults or problems that can be fixed.
Do-it-yourself boat gas system checks
Depending on what gas appliances are installed on your boat, always make sure they are burning with a nice clean flame when in operation.
Keep the appliance clean, if you notice dust or dirt on or around the burner of the appliance, turn it off immediately, let it cool down and then clean it well.
The gas bottle locker must have a drain hole that discharges down the side of the boat and not into the hull, make sure the drain is clear and not clogged.
Take a bucket of water and rinse it just to make sure it’s running freely. LPG is a heavy gas and as such it will fall to a low level, that is why the drain must be clean.
While in the gas bottle locker, pay attention to the gas hose, make sure there are no scuffs or cracks, it will have a date stamp, check the date, they should be changed every 5 years for safety. I bet yours is over 5 years old.
Hobby
The gas hob is probably the most used appliance on the ship, used to make the coffee. Burner rings tend to get clogged after a while. If you notice the flame is a little high on one side and low on the other, turn it off, let it cool, then give it a good cleaning.
isolation valves
All modern boats will have gas isolation valves installed on all appliances, on older boats they may not be installed, make sure they are working properly, turn the appliance on, then turn the isolation valve off. If the appliance turns off, the valve continues to work correctly.
The reason you need to check all isolation fixtures and valves is corrosion, the same reason you clean the hull, over the course of the season it builds up on the hull, it’s the same for your gas fixtures and valves .
gas cylinders
When it comes time to change your gas bottle, make sure you have the right wrench for the job, it will make it that much easier.
Before you start, make sure all gas appliances are turned off, the same goes for the bottle. Close all windows or openings on the boat, you don’t want any gas leaks coming in.
Now change the bottle, making sure to tighten the connection on the new bottle. Slowly open the isolation valve of the bottle, once it is open, go to the device that is farthest away.
Now you need to bleed off the gas, do this by turning on the appliance, make sure the spark generator is working, otherwise some kind of permanent ignition is needed to ignite the gas.
The ignition part is very important; you don’t want any gas escaping, so as soon as you turn on the gas, make sure the lighter is working. Then you do the same with the next appliance and so on.
Sure
Most boat insurance companies will require you to have your boat’s gas system checked annually before insuring your boat.
They want to know that the ship they are insuring is gas safe.
Most marinas also require any boat with gas on board to have an annual gas system safety check.
They will also want to see a copy of the gas safety certificate to keep for their files.
General Gas Safety
As with anything that uses gas, safety should always come first.
If you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed, verify that they are working by pressing the test button each time you visit your boat.
If you find that it does not work, please change the batteries or replace them.
Never block any vents that may be fitted to your boat, they are fitted for a reason and as such could be fatal if blocked.
If you ever change any appliances or gas fittings always have it checked to make sure you and your boat are safe, yes it will cost you but surely safety is priceless.
How to Find a Gas Safe Boat Engineer
If you have internet access, look for the gas safe log. Follow the link to the site, once on the site you can enter details of what type of registered engineer you want.
My advice would be to contact them by phone, you will see the contact number on the contact page.
The reason I say contact them by phone, you can explain exactly what type of engineer you need for your job.
Someone who is registered for gas insurance may only be registered for natural gas fires and as such may not work on your boat’s gas system.
Being registered for gas insurance is a bit tricky as there are many different categories to choose from.
Each category will have an exam that the engineer must pass in order to work in that category.
The fact that the engineer is registered to work with natural gas, does not mean that he can work with LPG and vessels, he must be registered for LPG and vessels.
Always be safe and have fun on your boat.