T&T: Propane Question from Heaters thread

[bob Austin]

Tom,
I always felt comfortable with the sensor in the lowest part of the bilge and
under the stove.  Most diesel engine rooms are not explosion proof--and there
are other potential points of spark--but we would prefer it not be that way.

Do you keep the 110 V power on the boat when you are not there?  Do you leave
the propane bottles turned on?  If you leave the boat for any length of time,
the bottles should have the valves manually turned off.

The bottom of the sealed propane lockers should drain over the side--not into
the cockpit--nor the top of the locker drain over board.  If the boat is done
this way, the setup is inherently safe.

I would set the bilge blowers to blow into the bilge--not suck out of the
bilge.  They only move cool air into the engine room.  I would also, just on
general principles, check for any devices (like inverters with switching
circuits), alternators which are not explosion proof--but most diesel boats
with propane in lockers don't go to those extremes.

If the valves are off--and you can put a tag on the door if necessary--there
is little chance of propane getting into the bilge.  When the applieances are
in use, the sniffers are on.

Bob Austin