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Old 04-12-2008, 17:18   #1
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Placement of Propane Locker

I am planning on installing a propane locker into our Morgan 34. Was looking at getting the large locker from Seaward and putting it into one of the cockpit lockers. Is this safe? The locker will be vented overboard of course, but I seem to always hear of custom flush deck installations or the locker being secured in the cockpit.
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Old 04-12-2008, 17:21   #2
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as long as the locker can be securely closed and sealed there is no problem. But the seal must be maintained and a good sniffer alarm should be installed.
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Old 04-12-2008, 19:19   #3
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Don't take lightly the possible ramifications of a bad install where propane is concerned. Make sure you have good ventilation or an overboard vent. Make sure fumes can't get into the bilge.
Take advantage of the latest technology such as sniffers and alarms.
Its a little dramatic but a friend literally disintegrated his boat here in Virginia Beach last year and damaged several other boats in the vicinity when he ignited propane fumes in his boat.
He survived but only for a short time in the hospital.
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Old 29-11-2010, 14:35   #4
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Recently got a question form another Morgan 34 owner concerning where I ultimately placed the locker. I did in fact install the locker in the lazarette. I used a vapor proof locker that I screwed down to two uprights that I had glassed to the hull. I put it pretty close to the locker's lid, because I wanted the locker drain to be fairly high. Plumbing and electrical was pretty straightforward. Unfortunately, I don't own the boat anymore, so I have no pics of the install. Will be happy to answer any other questions though. Good luck!
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Old 29-11-2010, 15:44   #5
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propane locker instal

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aqua Vitae View Post
Recently got a question form another Morgan 34 owner concerning where I ultimately placed the locker. I did in fact install the locker in the lazarette. I used a vapor proof locker that I screwed down to two uprights that I had glassed to the hull. I put it pretty close to the locker's lid, because I wanted the locker drain to be fairly high. Plumbing and electrical was pretty straightforward. Unfortunately, I don't own the boat anymore, so I have no pics of the install. Will be happy to answer any other questions though. Good luck!
Hi Aqua,
Thanks for the reply! Another thing I am wondering about; I know the locker must vent to the outside, but must the vent hole be at the same level as where it exits the locker, or would it be acceptable to route the vent hose to a higher point?
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Old 29-11-2010, 19:07   #6
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Prropane flows down. The vent needs to slope downward.

An sea story to illustrate. You know those propane cylinders used on small torches? For years every USCG Ship had many of them on board, scattered every where in lockers and tool kits. Then in the 70's some ships started to have small explosions and fires in places where there should not be anything that was flammable. It was those cylinders. In the salty environment they would corrode and leak and the gas would flow to the bottom of the space where they were stored. Now they are all stored in special lockers on deck with vents to get the stuff overboard.
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Old 29-11-2010, 19:29   #7
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Prropane flows down. The vent needs to slope downward.
Not only does it need to slope downward, but it needs to emerge from the bottom of the locker.

Think of it this way: if the locker will hold water, it will hold propane. It shouldn't hold either.
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Old 29-11-2010, 19:34   #8
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And exit above the waterline.

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Old 29-11-2010, 19:52   #9
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Yeah guys, thanks for the replies.

My way of thinking was that if there was a leak from a tank inside a propane locker that the volume of gas would increase to the point that it would be venting by natural pressure, even if the vent exited higher than the tank. Of course there would always an amount trapped by gravity within the locker.

I am thinking that if it didn't blow up while it was venting, why would it blow up if it was trapped in the locker?

My firefighter side says to put the vent at the bottom of the locker, and have the exit hole lower than the locker to have no accumulation at all.

I am trying to figure out a way of having the exit vent not take in water while hard on the wind.
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Old 29-11-2010, 19:58   #10
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There's a easier place to place the locker..... I put mine on the dock and left it behing..
My tank, a small 1 gal. model hangs off the rear rail in a custom stainless mount I had made.. being on the rear rail, ther is no way for the gas to get into the boat except by hose to the stove. The 1 gal. tank lasts us just about a month and i keep a spair up front in the chain locker, which is vented by drain.
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Old 29-11-2010, 20:06   #11
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Thanks guys. I want to find a way of having the vent not take in water when hard on the wind; there isn't much freeboard.
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Old 30-11-2010, 04:10   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maarty10 View Post
... I know the locker must vent to the outside, but must the vent hole be at the same level as where it exits the locker, or would it be acceptable to route the vent hose to a higher point?
No. Any gradient must down towards out.

See ABYC Standard A-1, Marine Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Systems
Here ➥ http://www.abycinc.org/committees/A-01.pdf
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Old 30-11-2010, 05:09   #13
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GordMay I should have known you would have the perfect link - thanks, at the moment I am too busy to type it out, and as posts above show, a proper installation is Very important. The only comment I have is, given your waterline constraints, a recommendation to install the locker on deck. I am not familiar with the Seaward locker, but if that one is not weather resistant then there are others to choose from. The venting requirements for an on-deck installation are in the ABYC Standards - I see that the link is for 2000 and they have been updated since then so you should check for any changes before proceeding.
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Old 12-12-2010, 08:40   #14
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Thanks guys. I want to find a way of having the vent not take in water when hard on the wind; there isn't much freeboard.
Not only does the vent exit need to be below the floor level of the locker, ABYC requires that no other opening to the interior of the boat be within 20 inches of the vent thru-hull.
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Old 12-12-2010, 11:07   #15
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You can get a check valve that closes if water enters the line, but stays open the rest of the time.
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