Gas regulations.

[AlanP]

Hi. Does anyone know of regulations applicable to position of gas vents relative to doors or the sealing of gaps around appliances. I know of the domestic regs and think they should be similar for Motorhomes.

This has been brought about by fumes entering my 'van through gaps around the fridge and microwave. Also via the habitation door if open.

Many thanks.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Might help if you say what van.........your post confusing and not very clear as to what's going on, are you talking about a gas leak or CO2. How are you identifing the leak, have you brought it up with manufacturer

 

The fridge exhaust to outside should not allow co2 to renter the interior! irrespective of the fridge being sealed or not, some are sealed better then other.

 

Do you have an alarm tha is going off

[AlanP]

'Van is Marquis Majestic 175 (Elddis Autoquest 175). The fumes are definitely exhaust gases from the Dometic fridge although the co2 alarm has not fired. Have contacted Dometic and all they say is that it should be sealed according to EN 1949. Similar reply from NCC.

Van is booked in for checking next week.

[Dave Newell]

Purely for information but the gas that is dangerous is CO (Carbon MONoxide) not CO2 (Carbon DIoxide). Monoxide is deadly, Dioxide can suffocate but is not actually poisonous. Gas fridges (and all gas fired appliances) can produce CO if they burn badly, usually caused by dirty, blocked burners. The fridge should be fitted in such a way that the rear of the fridge, where combustion takes place, is sealed from the interior of the motorhome but sadly this is not always the case.

 

D.

[crinklystarfish]

Might be worth having a look to see if the converter has installed according to manufacturer’s instructions. If they haven’t (and many don’t because it takes an extra hour or so) then you can make things unpleasant for them and try for rectification.

 

http://www.dometic.com/enie/International/Site/Customer-Center/Operation-Installation-Manuals/

 

and search for your own fridge.

[Derek Uzzell]

AlanP - 2013-06-27 9:40 PM

 

'Van is Marquis Majestic 175 (Elddis Autoquest 175). The fumes are definitely exhaust gases from the Dometic fridge although the co2 alarm has not fired. Have contacted Dometic and all they say is that it should be sealed according to EN 1949. Similar reply from NCC.

Van is booked in for checking next week.

 

The design of the 3-way fridges commonly fitted to motorhomes tends to make them difficult to seal hermetically from the vehicle's living area.

 

It used to be the case with Dometic fridges that the gas flue had a dedicated exhaust to the outside air, but current methodology usually involves the flue merely exhausting into the void behind the fridge. Even with the 'old' dedicated exhaust system, if a a strong wind was blowing against the external fridge ventilation grilles, there was a good chance that fridge exhaust gases would be forced into the motorhome's living area, and the 'new' system makes that even more likely. Dometic used to market a fridge-sealing kit, but motorhome manufacturers rarely employed it and it's no longer available.

 

Unfortunately, even if a motorhome converter makes strenuous efforts to comply with the fridge manufacturer's installation instructions, if any gap (be it ever so small) is left through which gas-flue fumes can enter the vehicle's interior, then the fumes WILL get in during windy weather. It's evident with my own motorhome that Hobby did try pretty hard to seal the fridge adequately and (during windy weather and when the fridge is running on gas) it's equally evident that they were unsuccessful. Shortly after buying the motorhome I concluded that it was to all intents and purposes impossible to prevent fridge gas-fumes entering the Hobby's living area if I parked with the (enormous) fridge ventilation grilles facing into a strong wind. Nowadays I take this into account when parking the motorhome and hope the wind doesn't change direction!

 

As has already been advised, your fridge's installation should comply with Dometic's installation instructions. If it clearly does not (ie. there are yawning gaps around the appliance through which it's obvious gas fumes can go), then you should demand that Elddis address this. However, even if best efforts are made to comply with Dometic's instructions, you may still find that fumes will find their way inside during windy weather.

 

Regarding gas fumes entering the vehicle when the habitation door is open, if the fridge is near to the habitation door that's what's going to happen if the wind is in the right direction. As far as I'm aware there is no regulation preventing a fridge and a habitation door from being adjacent (as is the case with my Hobby).

 

 

[George Collings]

CO as Dave says is poisonous but while there might be a smell from a fridge exhaust the actual gas consumption is at a very low rate and if any CO is driven into the 'van by wind pressure it will be very dilute. Draughts only occur if the wind can find a way in and out. The way out is should be via the permanent ventilation as set out in the Gas Regs. That being the case a dangerous build up is very unlikely.

 

CO from heating appliances is a different matter entirely because the rate of gas usage is much higher.

Due to lack of use space heater tend to smell for a while after first lighting up as they burn off accumulated dust.

 

If equipmment is fitted and maintained according to the makers instructions CO is rarely a problem but the odd converter seem to find reading the instructions an affront to their dignity.

 

If the habitation door is open presumably any fumes would be from a water heater presumably wind driven and therefore diluted with large lumps of fresh air.