- Feb 24, 2013
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- Funster No
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- MH
- Hymer S800
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following on from the petrol station fire thread, it got me intrigued as to ways to avoid the risk of gas ignition while stopped on a forecourt
Ours has the standard 15 minute delay after stopping, where it displays 12V operation, but if in AES it will then auto ignite the gas, even if the gas is turned off it will still fire the ignition I am sure more than capable of starting a fire if excess flammable gas is present
Options appear to be
1. Ignore the risk
2. Always set manually to 12V when driving
3. Switch to standby (off) before exiting to refuel
4. Switch to 12V before exiting to refuel
We have crash protection fittings BTW
I have discovered a potentially disastrous option if 2 or 4 is used
I travelled to Alde today for service tomorrow
On arrival I manually swapped the power source to 12V as if I was at a garage, then spoiled my own test by plugging in to hook up
So unplugged and did same again, I can firstly confirm that set that way mine does not attempt to revert back to gas after 15 minutes
However what I did spot was that it was taking power from the leisure battery not the cab battery
At a rate of 14A, I left it set this way for half an hour without any alarms but with rapidly falling battery level
Hence my concern, firstly I didn’t expect it to draw from the hab batteries at all, but if you forgot to swap back then arrived later off grid it is likely that before it went dark you would have no power left
I want to find a safe way to continue to refuel safely and think the standby option is the safest
I have on at least one occasion heard the gas cut in as I got back from paying, I think after LPG and diesel, filling and paying time can easily pass the 15 minute margin
Half an hour later, at least I know my batteries are half decent
Ours has the standard 15 minute delay after stopping, where it displays 12V operation, but if in AES it will then auto ignite the gas, even if the gas is turned off it will still fire the ignition I am sure more than capable of starting a fire if excess flammable gas is present
Options appear to be
1. Ignore the risk
2. Always set manually to 12V when driving
3. Switch to standby (off) before exiting to refuel
4. Switch to 12V before exiting to refuel
We have crash protection fittings BTW
I have discovered a potentially disastrous option if 2 or 4 is used
I travelled to Alde today for service tomorrow
On arrival I manually swapped the power source to 12V as if I was at a garage, then spoiled my own test by plugging in to hook up
So unplugged and did same again, I can firstly confirm that set that way mine does not attempt to revert back to gas after 15 minutes
However what I did spot was that it was taking power from the leisure battery not the cab battery
At a rate of 14A, I left it set this way for half an hour without any alarms but with rapidly falling battery level
Hence my concern, firstly I didn’t expect it to draw from the hab batteries at all, but if you forgot to swap back then arrived later off grid it is likely that before it went dark you would have no power left
I want to find a safe way to continue to refuel safely and think the standby option is the safest
I have on at least one occasion heard the gas cut in as I got back from paying, I think after LPG and diesel, filling and paying time can easily pass the 15 minute margin
Half an hour later, at least I know my batteries are half decent