--- In [email protected], "Tony Brooks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I must question what you have just said about room sealed fridges. > I have correspondance that indicates your Boss has other ideas in > that a Thetford 3 way fridge has been ruled non-compliant. > > Either you are allowed non-room sealed units or you are not. The BSS > seems to be saying you can have them unless you replace them. This > was the situation until the scheme was revised, but I thought that > had been removed.
Hi, In a particular case, a boat was examined which had a Thetford 3-way fridge installed. It had a modified flue and did not have an isolation valve to a LPG supply-line hose. It is the latter point that prevent the issue of the certificate, not the flue check associated with the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. However, concerning the flue which is checked at item 8.10.2 i.e. Is the flue complete, properly fitted and maintained - Flues must show no obvious signs of modifications not in accordance with the appliance manufacturer's recommendations? This is one of the BSS `advice' checks whereby owners are strongly encouraged to act upon a fault being identified but that the failure to meet the check will not prevent the issue of a BSS certificate. This is because the responsibility to ensure the safety of those on board the boat rests with the owner and the BSS examination is used to help guide owners in this respect. On this boat, the examiner was so concerned about the safety implications of what he found that he contacted Graham Watts, BSS manager, for his help to get view from the manufacturers as to whether this fridge could be safely installed in a boat. His concerns were three fold; 1) the extended and 'unauthorised' flue; 2) the installation instructions stating clearly that the fridge was intended solely for installation in caravans and motorhomes by way of complete room-sealing with in a sealed enclosure; and finally, 3) the greatly restricted air-flow route to the burner as the flat bottom of the fridge sat directly onto carpet. One of our major concerns is the carbon monoxide risk presented by the 'extended flue'. It is known for extended flues to allow condensation to run back down the flue onto the burner which eventually rusts or becomes blocked, leading to incomplete combustion and the production of carbon monoxide. As broadly mentioned before, there have been at least three carbon monoxide deaths on inland waterways associated with the use of LPG fridges in the past ten years. Graham contacted Thetford to ask if this fridge could be fitted safely in a boat as far as they were concerned. Their answer was unequivocal: ` .not advising installing our refrigerators in boats due to installation difficulties and tilting issues. Our refrigerators are designed for the caravan and motorhome market and we will not accept warranty on boat installations. If our installation instructions are followed then end users/ engineers should not be installing our refrigerators into boats as this application is not mentioned. I will however find out if any chandlers are purchasing our product and advise them accordingly '. It is also worth stressing that all relevant British and European small craft LPG installation standards (eg ISO 10239 and PD5482 Part 3) call for the use of room-sealed LPG appliances of this type when adding or replacing them. They also require the manufacturer to designate their use in the marine environment and state any boat- specific installation instructions. Engineers fitting such appliances should be aware of this aspect. In such typical circumstances of this examination, where owners do not, or cannot by their absence at the time, act on the `advice' item, the examiner is expected to issue a BSS warning notice outlining the clear danger presented to people coming aboard the boat and label the appliance accordingly. It may also be worth considering whether in the event of a gas appliance causing a death or injury under such circumstances, if the owner's insurance policy would cover losses in this situation? From our conversations with the insurance trade, we think this is a relevant question. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to expand on this issue Tony Regards [EMAIL PROTECTED] Office Go boating Stay safe
