Any gas leak is dangerous. Afloat, they're totally treacherous. Which means any safety precaution is worth taking - preferably everything you can think of.
Probably the first rule is to stick to the rules. Be meticulous and careful about anything to do with gas - delivering it, storing it, connecting it, using it. Every single stage is potentially hazardous - and it's just not worth taking chances with family and friends aboard. Extinguish all naked flames. Don't smoke. Don't use electrical switches of any kind. Turn off the gas. Open hatches and lights to disperse the gas
Next, get a warning system. Such an easy solution, yet so often overlooked with thoughts of life jackets, rescue systems and other necessary marine safeguards. Don't think you can get away without one. If you smell gas there's already a problem and the whole world could change in five seconds.
Mostly the gas we use afloat is LP or liquid petroleum, also known as propane or butane - for cooking, heating and sometimes in fridges. LP gas is heavier than air, which means on a boat it has nowhere to go. At home you might get away with opening the door and the stuff drifts out across the floor. Not such luck afloat, like water the gas will accumulate in the bilges, except of course, you can't see it.
Where could a leak come from? From the gas bottle itself if the valve is left open or does not seat properly. From the piping that supplies the gas to your onboard appliances - the pipes themselves as well as their joins and connections. From your stove or heating unit, some of which can leak gas if a momentary gust blows their flame out - and remember, gas is invisible.
Scared the daylights out of you? We hope so. Because for less than a hundred pounds you can install a really effective alarm system that can alert you that a hazardous condition exists. SF Detection is Europe's largest gas alarm manufacturer and the remote sensor Z10 is their latest new alarm system for boats. It's a bit more than an alarm - through a relay output, it also shuts off the gas supply if it detects a leak.
You can set the alarm to high or low level - just because you smell gas doesn't mean there's a leak. Even a small release, while you're lighting a stove for instance, will smell horrific because the gas companies put a sharp-smelling substance into the gas deliberately to warn you.
The alarm itself works off a 12 or 24 volt supply, located where you can see the control panel and warning lights, linked to a remote sensor down in the bilge. As you'd expect, there's a test button and a warning light for any faults. You can hook it up and have it operating in one rainy afternoon when you should be down the pub but don't want to get wet. The Z10 and Z10c (with two sensors instead of one) alarm is available on-line from www.sfdetection.com.
