Gas pipe length restriction
I have an external gas connection on my Elldis which I use for a BBQ. outside which I have fitted with 7 Meters of gas hose, to reach clear of the awning. I Purchased a small 2 burner stove to use outside (keep the smell of cooking onions outside) The instructions state to be used with max 1.5 Meters of hose. The retailer tells me I may experience a reduction in pressure if longer. There is no problem with the BBQ and I wouldn't want to use any gas appliance so close to the van.
Has anyone any thoughts or experiences here.
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You will very likely lose pressure but the main reason for the restriction on the length of hose is safety.
At 7m long your hose represents a considerable trip hazard.
The other consideration is that you should be within easy reach of the shut off valve in order to reach it quickly in the event of a burn back in the pipe. At 1.5m distance you can reach it quickly. At a distance of 7m you could be looking at a fatality.
If the worst happened and you were using an overly long hose what do you think your insurance company would say?
You wouldn't want to use a gas appliance only 1.5m from the van so I assume you never use any of the gas appliances fitted inside the van.
https://www.calor.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/PDF/using_gas_safely_in_caravans.pdf
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There's another thread on the subject here -
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There have been some confusing replies on this subject.
I was denied buying any more than about 1.5-2.0mtrs of gas hose and the reason given was “anymore is not allowed”. This can only be based on some perceived safety issue most of which this day and age are OTT as we see all too often. On a more technical basis, there will be a reduction in pressure/flow as hose length increases, all due to frictional losses. It is also dependent upon the materials as these impact on friction, I won’t go into details!. Too much pressure drop above 1.5M of hose in my opinion is rubbish, think of the length of piping in your van which far exceeds that length. Clearly there needs to be some reasonable distance, as too much reduction in pressure/flow could result in poor combustion at the business end, no different to a gas boiler in your house. The gas passes through a nozzle/jet to combine with air in the correct proportions to achieve proper combustion. So a hose a mile long will upset that. Thing is be sensible, a trailing hose can be a trip hazard of course. I use about 4/5mtrs on my bbq point with no problem at all. If still in doubt/worried, borrow a manometer and check pressure!
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The "tripper" may not be you! But odds on when it happens you are the one the hot coals and fat hit first.
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"There have been some confusing replies on this subject."
I'm not confused at all. Why would anyone be?
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Corona, forget the external gas connection, stay safe, use a max1.5m hose and a portable gas bottle, you can then safely put your barby anywhere you like, without fear of creating a trip hazard, as well as observing the safety points brought up by Tinwheeler....... Win Win...
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Gawd, this website is sooooo slooooow,
nearly pressed the reply button again, but held my nerve
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We use about 5 metres. To me the main risk is the trip hazard, which can be minimised by placing obstructions to prevent this. The risk of any burn back has to be minimal. Unless you run out, the flexible tube is full of gas, so this will not flash back. If the tube fractured and the gas caught fire, it will burn at the end of the tube, giving ample time to turn it off. I can vouch for this, as I was once distracted when connecting the BBQ and did not nip up the connector. As a result it started burning at the joint. I rapidly disconnected at the van and it extinguished.
If there was a problem on the input side of the gas rings in the van, I would have to open a cupboard at floor level and flip the isolation valve. I'm fairly sure I got to the one on the outside of the van a lot quicker.
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Agree with you about the speed of the website. It’s unbelievably slow! Glad it’s not just me!
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