Protecting gas solenoid

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Why not just carry a spare solenoid? (In addition to all of the above).


I do. These are consumables; 3 or 4 years of life for one of these is pretty good in my book. No need for it to spoil your coffee hour.


One good thing about gas is that none of the components is expensive or bulky. I carry spares for everything -- regulator, solenoid, hose, fittings.


And I don't even cook primarily with gas -- that's what the induction is for.

A failed solenoid itself is something I've never experienced or thought of -- the one on my boat was there when we bought it 5 years ago. It's a good idea to carry a spare, but I just never thought of it. My impetus to carry the parts to bypass was the story about the totally dead battery. And I almost needed it when my integrated control/sniffer failed, but I was able to bypass the controls (I carry a very small selection of wire nuts for situations just like this!) and keep using the solenoid -- with the breaker as the on/off until I replaced the controls. And now that you mention it, the new controls came with a new solenoid -- based on this discussion, it is better stored on the boat than in my garage.

[Cheechako]

You can spray the whole thing with CRC 5-56. It will stay tacky but last a long time. It's like Cosmoline used to protect some military spare parts in the package.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

A failed solenoid itself is something I've never experienced or thought of -- the one on my boat was there when we bought it 5 years ago. It's a good idea to carry a spare, but I just never thought of it. My impetus to carry the parts to bypass was the story about the totally dead battery. And I almost needed it when my integrated control/sniffer failed, but I was able to bypass the controls (I carry a very small selection of wire nuts for situations just like this!) and keep using the solenoid -- with the breaker as the on/off until I replaced the controls. And now that you mention it, the new controls came with a new solenoid -- based on this discussion, it is better stored on the boat than in my garage.

I have bypassed a failed solenoid, but obviously this is sub-optimal.

Having spares for everything in a gas system is easy and not expensive. On board, obviously

One thing boats are guaranteed to do is break. Not for nothing is cruising defined as "boat repair in exotic places". The difference between the consequences of a failure without a spare on board, compared to a failure where you have the spare part right at hand, is huge -- it can make the difference between losing days of time and solving something in a few minutes and getting on with your cruise. Even if you are cruising in pretty populated, civilized areas, you can't be sure of getting even common spares immediately. I have accumulated a huge stock of spare parts over the years, and only continue to add to it.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Jammer

For boats built to USA standards, propane fittings can be a mixture of flare, inverted flare, and NPT (tapered thread). Outside the USA, BSP (also tapered thread) is used instead of NPT and barbed fittings with a hose clamp are occasionally seen. The photo is of a gas solenoid with BSP thread.

For flare and inverted flare fittings a tiny film of oil is helpful (but usually not absolutely necessary) in achieving a secure metal-to-metal seal. Either motor oil or 3-in-1 work fine for this.

For NPT/BSP fittings, some sort of sealant is required. The best product I have found for metal to metal connections is Rectorseal #5 which is a paste dope that can also be used for water, natural gas, and diesel lines. For use aboard it is available in convenient toothpaste-sized tubes. It is messy and has a characteristic odor but seals better than any other product I have used. Rectorseal T+2 is low odor and non-staining but more expensive and no better as a sealant.

You can use the yellow tape dope if you want but it doesn't seal as reliably (in my experience) and you run the risk of pieces of it breaking off and contaminating the line, which can lead to a stuck valve or clogged orifice downstream. I will only use tape dope as a last resort when I'm dealing with threads in poor condition that won't seal any other way, and even then I use it in combination with a paste dope.

Re. Tape. Some inspectors look for it.


To avoid bits inside the pipe, do NOT run the tape all the way to the end, but rather start 2-3 threads up. No problem.


Sloppy use of tape, like anything, causes problems.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by thinwater

To avoid bits inside the pipe, do NOT run the tape all the way to the end, but rather start 2-3 threads up. No problem.

Sloppy use of tape, like anything, causes problems.

::shrug:: yeah that helps with the contamination but reduces the effectiveness of the seal.


But in my experience the real problem with tape is that it fragments into tiny filaments when, inevitably, the joint has to be disassembled at some future point. It is difficult to remove all of these when preparing the connection for reassembly particularly when dealing with a hollow fitting like an elbow or a T.

[Harryj50]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

While repairing the issue, and taking steps to keep it functional, are imperative, these little valves have a real potential of screwing with your happiness factor.


I read a story some years back of a boat on the Marblehead to Halifax race, who somehow messed up and had zero battery. Zero battery means zero propane -- so they ate cold food for the rest of the trip.


My solution? I carry the parts needed to easily bypass the solenoid. This is a less than ideal solution, and would be truly a "temporary" fix. But, I believe the risk to be minimal -- and worth it to have cooking. The parts were cheap, they sit in a vacuum sealed bag in the propane locker, and hopefully will still be sealed when I eventually sell the boat. I also carry a spare regulator, stolen from a scrapped home BBQ.

We do this too - hose and fittings to be able to bypass the solenoid. But also carry a spare solenoid. So depending on what has failed (battery, wiring, solenoid) we should still be able to cook and make coffee.

[NorthCoastJoe]

I have done a fair amount of gas piping on houses and never use tape. I prefer pipe dope with Teflon, and never had a problem.

Why have a solenoid at all? Is it that hard to open and close the valve at the tank each time you use it? I guess it depends on where your tanks are.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by NorthCoastJoe

Why have a solenoid at all? Is it that hard to open and close the valve at the tank each time you use it? I guess it depends on where your tanks are.

On most boats the solenoid is connected to a gas detection system that will close the solenoid valve whenever propane is detected.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by NorthCoastJoe

I have done a fair amount of gas piping on houses and never use tape. I prefer pipe dope with Teflon, and never had a problem.

Why have a solenoid at all? Is it that hard to open and close the valve at the tank each time you use it? I guess it depends on where your tanks are.

Solenoid is required per ABYC. Much easier to pass a survey with that installed

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by NorthCoastJoe

I have done a fair amount of gas piping on houses and never use tape. I prefer pipe dope with Teflon, and never had a problem.

Why have a solenoid at all? Is it that hard to open and close the valve at the tank each time you use it? I guess it depends on where your tanks are.

Because underwriters insist that an LPG system comply with ABYC and ABYC requires the propane fuel supply shut of be readily accessible from the vicinity of the appliance.

[wsmurdoch]

One of the nice things about carrying spares are the friends you make when you can bail out someone else when they desperately need something you have. ...and the bottles of wine, cookies, and food you may be given are nice too.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

One thing boats are guaranteed to do is break.

My father, a brilliant man, an engineer, and a lifetime sailor, sagely advised me:
"While you are sleeping, your boat is breaking."
But that's really too passive. He also advised me:
"Your boat lays awake at night planning how to get you tomorrow."

[Jammer]

Well, rust only sleeps when your taste in alloys is limited to those with numbers like 316 and 24k.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by NorthCoastJoe

. . . Why have a solenoid at all? Is it that hard to open and close the valve at the tank each time you use it? I guess it depends on where your tanks are.

As Jammer said, it's needed for a gas alarm system, and as others said, it's required by ABYC.



But besides that -- YES, it's "all that hard". Who jumps out on deck to go to the gas locker every time he shuts off the stove? You may shut it on and off many times in the course of cooking one meal. Of course you'll just leave it on. Then very likely forget to go back on deck even after the meal is cooked. Solenoid controlled from a switch next to the stove with a bright red light showing when it's set to open -- that's the optimum solution. Well worth the slight complexity of the system.

[MCilenti]

For the metal body of the solonoid, as well as many other metal items you want to protect from corrosion, we've found a small amount of CorrosionX is very effective.
https://www.corrosionx.com/products/...44230643220725

Cheers,
Mike