Marine propane hose?

Do I really need to spend $99 on a 15 ft. length of marine propane hose or will THIS suffice? What really is the difference between nautical and UL rated lubber propane hose?

As in aircraft parts the difference is often in quality control and the inspection process during manufacture. As propane gas is heavy and settles and collects as opposed to lifting and dispersing safety should be an overriding concern when dealing with propane and propane systems on a boat. If a hose or fitting leaks on your back deck that is one thing. If the same thing happens on your boat and your bilge fills with volatile gas the consequences can be catastrophic.

Proper propane hose.

Dear friend, Unfortunately Airport Propane is no longer in business in Inglewood where I had my hoses custom made a number of years ago but a quick Google search brought up this: https://local.yahoo.com/info-26634867-suburban-propane-simi-valley Why not give them a call to see if they have the answer you're looking for? I don't know what your particular installation needs are but I can tell you that according to ABYC standards, if you're supplying more than one appliance, you'll need separate hoses for each. That means two hoses coming from your propane tank, or in my case, propane locker, to each appliance. I have one hose running to my Force 10 stove and a second one running parallel to and past that, foreword to my Force 10 cabin heater, two separate hoses. It seems a bit redundant but clearly in compliance and possibly the same standard for USCG compliance, don't know the answer for that last thought but I could guess they parallel ABYC regs and vice versa. Cheers, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

The Mr. Heater hose, and any other hose that you could buy on-line, would come with the wrong fittings. The best bet is your local full-service propane dealer. They'll probably have the exact fittings and hoses that you need.

What with all of the turns and angles encountered in the course of running a line behind bulkheads and furniture and securing it properly, I find it's best (though tedious) to install a "dummy" line which can be a piece of rope or something else cheap, then measure the actual length needed before buying the expensive stuff. You don't want any extra unions that could loosen, hidden behind a bulkhead.

Getting farther off-topic: Note also that each appliance probably requires a separate regulator. (I don't think one regulator and hose can transport enough gas to support both my range and my heater going full blast.) Then there is the issue of which side of the regulator your solenoid is made for... some are HP, some are LP. Only the HP makes sense to me, since pretty much every propane system failure I've ever had was from a faulty regulator. Closing a LP solenoid would not stop such a leak. HP solenoid also makes more sense if you're running more than one regulator.

Thank you gentlemen.

I found a Trident Rubber assembled hose for a lot less money than the in store price on the WM website. I'm replacing 1/4" copper tubing that was already installed when I bought the boat and I'll only need the one line to supply the Force 10 stove. At some point I may install a T to supply propane to the rail mounted Magma grill but for now the 1# bottles are fine.

All this effort is for my lazarette cleaning project. A rail mount bracket from Sure Marine should be arriving today to get the propane bottle out of the locker where it is now. I'm also fitting in a chain locker in the bow to get one of my anchors and rode out of there. I just replaced the exhaust pipe on the A4 and was amazed at how much crap I had to dig out of there before I could work on it.

The more work I do the more I realize there is to do. It's definitely a labor of love.

Toddster I just reread your post. I thought the Sure Marine setup was reviewed favorably. It looks like it comes with a low pressure solenoid. Would the high pressure hose connected from the solenoid to the stove work?

The hose should work - question is whether it has the right fittings. Most of those high-pressure extension hoses have large fittings like the ones directly on the propane bottle. Low-pressure hoses generally have something like 3/8" flare fittings.

Ah, good luck with the clean-out project. I spent so much time down in the lazarette last year that it almost started to feel like the captain's cabin. Although come to think of it, I never did get around to installing permanent lights in there. Now, if everything is stowed exactly right, I can get my folding bicycle and my inflatable kayak in there. But nothing else.

toddster said:

Although come to think of it, I never did get around to installing permanent lights in there.

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Thanks for adding another project to the list.

Multiple propane devices.

Dear friend, Remember to use separate hoses from the tank to each appliance. T-fittings are a no-no unless enclosed within a propane locker. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

Glyn Judson said:

Dear friend, Remember to use separate hoses from the tank to each appliance. T-fittings are a no-no unless enclosed within a propane locker. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

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Thank you Glyn for following up with that advise. Would a T still be a no no for a stern mounted tank going to a stern rail mounted BBQ?

This is what I bought.


It just arrived via UPS and it looks to be of very good quality. I wish the solenoid wires were a little longer but I'm happy to see that they included the power switch.

Suited to a Tee.

Dear friend, Tee away to your hearts' content with that setup. If it's exposed to outside air, all caution can be tossed to the wind. Wait a minute, that's what'll happen anyway. Go for it, Glyn