Caravans must be built and regularly maintained, and gas appliances installed in accordance with the safety requirements of British Standards in order to help minimise risk to you and your family.
All Gas appliances in your caravan should be serviced annually to keep them in a safe and efficient condition. Properly maintained appliances are safe in use and should be no cause for concern.
The service should include:
Ventilation check (air inlets are clear and adequate)
Flue check (smoke spillage test)
Appliance safety devices are working correctly
Appliances are safe for further use
A check for gas leaks and condition of pipework and hoses LPG Gas Installation Standard EN1949
LPG gas installation standard EN1949 comes into effect from the beginning of September 2003 (all 2004 models) for NCC certified caravans and motor homes. At present users require a regulator for each gas type they use, 28mbar for Butane and 37mbar for Propane. All models built after September 2003 must be fitted with an EN 12864, Annex D regulator by the manufacturer. In most cases this will be fitted to the bulkhead or gas bottle locker wall.
Will the customer need different pressure regulators, one Butane and one Propane?
The EN 12864, Annex D regulators fitted will be 30mbar to standardise with Europe and the new regulator is designed to supply Propane or Butane at this pressure. How will I connect the new regulator to the gas cylinders?
3 new hoses (pigtails) are available from Burdens for the UK market, one for Calor 4.5 kg Butane (hexagonal nut), one for Calor 3.9kg & 6kg Propane and one M20 x M20 with an adapter for Campingaz cylinders. For 20mm & 21mm Clip On Butane cylinders adapters are available to fit the 4.5kg Butane hose. Valve sizes vary dependant on gas supplier with 21mm standard for Calor 7kg & 15kg Butane. Purchasers of new caravans should be asked which gas they intend to use, or be supplied with all hoses as standard. The Butane connection as well as being for the UK market is also the standard connection for LPG cylinders in France, so purchasers who intend to use their caravan in France and in the UK on LPG or Propane would need to buy the Propane and Butane Pigtails. Continental fittings?
The standard connection LPG in France is the M21.7 Butane Nut Connection. We would recommend that for Butane on the continent that Campingaz is used as the cylinders are freely available, and can also be used in the UK. For Campingaz the M20 x M20 hose connection is required plus the Campingaz adapter. There should be no need to have a different pigtail for each country, if Campingaz is used. PUSH ON HOSES ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS. ALL NEW HOSES MUST HAVE A THREADED CONNECTOR. All hoses supplied by Nene Court Caravans will comply with BS3212 or BS EN 1763 and have excess flow and non-return valves for safety. These are Calor listed products.
These hoses will fit ALL regulators fitted to new vans, as the inlet size is the same regardless of the manufacturer. All new 30mbar regulators have a M20 inlet connection, and will be 450mm as specified in the standard.
The new regulators fitted will have an over pressure connection as required by EN1949. Can the system be retro fitted?
Most caravans built in the last 10 years will have appliances manufactured to comply with the Gas Appliance Directive and these can cope with an operating pressure of 30mbar. If in doubt check the appliance data plate, instructions, or contact the manufacturer or local dealer. It is not recommended that the new EN12864 Annex D regulator be retrofitted to a caravan or motor home manufactured before the introduction of EN1949 with appliances which have an inlet pressure of 28mbar Butane or 37mbar Propane
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