[C320-list] Replacing old rubber hose from gas bottle to stove

[kendgb]

So are the tube end fittings mechanical fittings like some sort or compression fitting or they soldered or blazed on to the copper tube.KenSent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Dennis Cookson <dennis at cooksons.net> Date: 2021-03-15  15:20  (GMT-05:00) To: "C320-List at catalina320.com" <C320-List at Catalina320.com> Subject: [C320-list]  Replacing old rubber hose from gas bottle to stove Ken, that sentence should have read “typically 10mm, thick wall”. I don’t have the exact spec but my understanding is that the outer tube diameter would be typically 3/8” or 10mm, with a minimum wall thickness for ease of bending without buckling. The joints made on our boat are (a) where the pipe enters the gas locker, connected directly to the remotely-operated isolation valve, and (b) where the pipe enters the space immediately behind the hob. The latter joint is made to a braided hose which is fitted with a manual shut-off valve at the point it connects to the stove. DennisCatalina #577> On 15 Mar 2021, at 12:27, kendgb <kendgb at aol.com> wrote:> > Hello Dennis.  Thanks for your info.  Can you tell the outside diameter of the copper tube used and where the copper was run to to attach to a rubber hose.  In other words where are the copper to rubber joints located.ThanksKen GeigerNorthern Dream #765 2000Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.> -------- Original message --------From: Dennis Cookson <dennis at cooksons.net> Date: 2021-03-15  08:10  (GMT-05:00) To: C320-List at catalina320.com Subject: [C320 There’s not a lot of information about this topic in the C320 discussion history, so I’m posting this as an advisory which might be helpful to other owners.We finally got around to replacing the rubber hose that runs from the propane gas locker on the aft port side to the gas stove in the galley, as an essential upgrade strongly recommended by our surveyor a while back. Although the existing hose still works fine and appears to be in good shape, it is well past its recommended lifetime for propane use of just 5 years.  This is because propane attacks the rubber from the inside, and it is impossible to see the internal stress and damage that may have occurred. Should you be unlucky enough to have a leak while the hose is pressurised, the escaping gas will sink to the bilges of the boat, being heavier than air, where it will stay until ventilated, creating a potentially disastrous hazard.It is usually a condition of insurance policies that gas installations are maintained to meet local regulations, and here in the UK, certified by ‘Gas Safe’ registered engineers.  The regulations state that the replacement must deploy copper pipe (typically 10mm thick wall) from the isolation valve in the gas locker all the way to a termination point with shut-off valve at the stove, with just a metre of flexible hose at each end for the connections.  The hose behind the stove should be braided for additional protection. So we can’t simply replace like for like.Although in theory you could perform the work yourself to the appropriate standards, it would still need to be checked, tested, and certified by a registered engineer to meet the insurance requirements. So this is an expensive job, and one that owners naturally prefer not to think about. But if your current installation is well over five years old, which many will be, it’s something you can’t really afford to ignore.The good news is that Catalina Yachts did make provision (at least from 1999, the year of our boat) for replacement of the hose run from underneath the gas locker to the cupboard under the galley sinks. There is a glassed in plastic conduit tube through which it is possible to pull through a new pipe, whether copper or rubber, using the old rubber one. It requires having one person in the port lazarette and another in the galley for this part of the job, which only takes a few minutes. The rest of the installation can be done by one person.  To avoid the expense of paying for a second contractor, I offered my services to act as the engineer's assistant for this task, then left him to complete the work alone.Dennis CooksonCatalina #577