Sub-Categories
Safe Propane Installations
Once you experience the ease of cooking with a propane stove, you’ll never
go back to kerosene or alcohol. The concern with propane is that the gas is
heavier than air and will collect in bilge areas if a leak exists. The diagrams
below show two typical recommended installations.
Propane Lockers
All connections between the propane tank, regulator and solenoid valve need
to be made in a vapor-tight compartment separated from the interior of the boat.
If your boat does not have a built-in propane locker which vents directly overboard,
we offer ready-made propane lockers. A vent line (not shown) from the lowest
point of the locker must drain overboard above the waterline.
Tanks
A general rule is that a person's cooking needs will consume one pound of propane
per week.
Tanks use POL reverse-thread fittings, and tanks since 1998 also include a
large conventionally threaded external thread for QCV appliances.
Regulators & Pressure Gauges
A pressure gauge, whether a separate unit or built into the regulator, must
be installed immediately after the main tank valve and is used to detect leaks
in the propane system, not as a fuel gauge. It cannot give you a precise measurement
of the remaining fuel because the pressure remains relatively constant in a
propane system until the fuel runs out. You have to weigh the tank to get an
accurate measurement of remaining fuel.
Regulators reduce the propane's pressure from approximately 150 psi to 0.5 psi, the pressure which appliances are designed to use. There are two methods of connecting a regulator to the tank. A single stage regulator (with gauge) screws directly onto the tank at the POL fitting. To mount the regulator remotely from the tank, use a single or two-stage Wall Mount Regulator. Remote regulators have 1/4” inlets to accept a pigtail with a 1/4” male flare on one end and a POL fitting on the other.
Solenoid Control Valves
A solenoid is an electrically-controlled valve that allows you to shut off the
gas supply from a remote location. The switch is commonly located on a small
panel in the galley area, and has a red light to indicate when the propane solenoid
is open. Flip the switch off and the valve closes to shut off the gas. For safety,
solenoids close in the event of a power failure. We offer solenoid valves with
either 1/4” or 3/8” NPT ports. For multiple appliances, the extra
flow of gas allowed by the Full Flow 3/8” Solenoid Valve helps prevent
“gas starvation” downstream. To connect it directly to the regulator,
use a 3/8” brass pipe nipple. If you use one of the many 1/4” NPT
solenoid valves, use a brass threaded nipple adapter on the regulator-solenoid
connection, and a 3/8" female to 1/4" male adapter between the solenoid
and LP supply hose. All pipe thread connections must be sealed with a proper
thread sealing compound or Teflon® tape.
Supply Hoses
To carry the gas from the regulator to the stove or heater, use LPG supply hose
of the correct length. Note that while these hoses are only carrying 0.5 psi,
they have a 350 psi working pressure rating, so they are dramatically stronger
than they have to be. Each supply hose should run continuously from inside the
propane tank enclosure to the appliance: this is not a case where you can chain
a bunch of fittings together because you ended up a little short on hose. A
Vapor-Tight Straight-Thru fitting should be used where the hose exits your propane
locker. Supply hoses connect to the propane appliance using a 3/8” female
flare swivel and connect to the solenoid with a 3/8” male NPT adapter.