Caravan Servicing – Caravan Insurance at Coast Insurance

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Caravan gas safety. Why the importance?

Let’s face it, gas in a caravan can be invaluable on your holiday.  Keeping you warm, but more importantly making it easy when cooking your food!  Safety first though, as always!.  It’s vital that your gas items are well maintained in order to prevent any danger.

Caravans have a gas setup that is mobile so the gas tank can potentially supply various different appliances which ultimately can increase the risk of leaks.  It is imperative that you always service any appliances on a regular basis and check for any damage to valves or pipes.

Your caravan must always be well ventilated.  It is mandatory for any modern caravan to have a ventilation panel fitted somewhere.  These are designed to allow a flow of air into the caravan and allow fumes to leave safely.  Some people may think it’s a good idea to block them up because of the cold air coming into the caravan, but these are crucial to the ventilation of the caravan and must always be kept open.

It is now also mandatory to have a carbon monoxide tester and smoke alarm fitted to the caravan so is always worth checking that they are both fitted when buying your caravan.

Caravan servicing intervals

Ideally you should take your caravan to a dealer every 12 months to be serviced. This will always include a gas check where they will monitor how the flame burns, the direction of the carbon monoxide and if the flues are working correctly. It is essential to invest in a service at least once a year to ensure the safety of your caravan and the lives of the people within.

Any basic caravan gas checks that can be performed?

There are some basic checks you can perform between the service.

• Gas tube check – Perhaps you are using more gas than you should be.  You can check by turning the gas on and using a some soapy water and applying to the pipe joints in the caravan. Gas leaks are shown as bubbles and should be taken to a dealer if these are apparent.

• Visual inspection – Look at the quality of the gas pipes, the joints and the valves together with the regulator and the gas bottle itself.  A little bending of the gas tubing could show up and hidden cracks which will need replacing.

Is your gas burning effectively?

Check your gas fridge isn’t leaking if you have one

Check the fridge vent on the outside of your caravan.  You may notice a black mark which would normally show a build up of carbon and that the gas isn’t burning correctly.

Caravan hob checking

Examine the flame on the hob.  A healthy flame should be a blue and quite large, but a yellow flame could show that it’s not burning correctly and could potentially be leaking carbon monoxide which your detector should also pick up on.

Ensuring that your caravan gas setup works well is excellent practice and is essential to ensure the safety of the caravan occupants.