Gas Bottles

[tuky]

We have just finished building our house, the kitchen cupboards were built to house the gas bottle for the stove right next to the stove, I insisted that it go outside but unfortunately I went away for work and now of course it is right next to the stove on the right.

Where do you keep yours?

[lopburi3]

Outside - the same place we keep our stoves. Have found Thai cooking is not conducive to inside home as there is too much oil splatter when using wok so have always built with stove/gas located outside the normal kitchen area. For kitchen the wife is boss and easy clean up a requirement. Appliances inside but stove outside (but under a roof). With lots of easy to clean tile.

It appears your tank is protected so I would just make sure you have a safety type valve to cut off flow in case of hose failure. For all the gas used here there are surprisingly few accidents. If you really want to get it outside if behind stove is an outside wall that you have access to other side it would only take a small drill hole to run hose in.

[chingy_]

the modern electric stove, work very well, im not talking the cheap one, the one that while it is on you can even touch the top and it will not burn you, i have no idea how they do it, but its amazin, but if you put a pot on top it will cook, boil, etc...., the temperature work like a fire stove, stir fried exactly like fire stove, unlike the cheap one that you all know what im talking about. i don't trust gas bottle

[tuky]

we got a mixture of gas and electric for those times that one or the other isn't available. It is an outside wall juts behind the stove, but penzman tells me after his visit today that my Ipstar dish is directly behind that wall...can't win. Anyway I will be there soon to make any changes I think need making.

I am just making a new album, it will have lots of photos of our house from start to finish, when I finish i will post the link for all to see.

[Khutan]

Where do you keep yours?

The Gas bottle is outside and I have also fitted a gas-fuse. I paid the money and got one from Australia.

I have sadly seen the results of gas-bottles inside.

I have built a little enclosure to allow fumes out quickly and keep the sunlight off.

It takes one spark - Refirdgerator, toaster-oven, telephone, light switch to spark gas.

I also suggest having a vent in case the cook-top doesn't turn off the gas 100%, just something to allow the vapour to escape if the fan in the Range-hood is off.

As far as the right of the stove, great place to add a shelf and have rice and other thinks that take years to perish.

I just don't trust rusty gas-bottles ans sure one day I will get one......

[taxexile]

Gas Bottles, where do you keep yours?

every single thing , in every single thai house , is kept right next to the toilet , which is usually situated as close to the kitchen as possible.

[Phil Conners]

I had one of those "glass top cookers" (inductive) in Europe and do not at all share your enthusiasm for it. It was much slower than gas and much more difficult to adjust, plus you had to buy a whole new range of pots and pans because normal stuff doesn't work with it.

I have the gas under the counter, no problem. Just make sure you don't have one of those very cheap 99 baht standard first stage valves they usually sell here. Spend 3-400 baht and you'll get a very good quality valve with safety cut-off and all.

[chingy_]

mine work with any pot i put on, i didn't need to buy any special pot.

[chuchok]

mine work with any pot i put on, i didn't need to buy any special pot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Induction hobs require cookware that conducts magnetic energy, some cookware are lousy conductors....

[jayenram]

I had a small roofed enclosure built on the kitchen side of the house, big enough to accommodate the gas bottle and a spare. A 25mm pipe though the wall then acts as a conduit to bring the gas inside the house.

[Tattytam]

Mine is under the counter top, pretty much next to the stove same as yours tukyleith. It never even occured to me it might be a problem. My dad used to have the same set up at home in England. Should I be worried?

[lopburi3]

Mine is under the counter top, pretty much next to the stove same as yours tukyleith.  It never even occured to me it might be a problem.  My dad used to have the same set up at home in England.  Should I be worried?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would be much more concerned about the ungrounded electric outlet I see in the photo than the gas tank myself.

[Digger]

Last year in Pattaya English guy got blown up and died when his gas tank exploded which they suspect was due to a faulty valve - gas tank next to the hob exactly the same way yours is - suggest you get a longer piece of hose and carry it outside even moving your IP star if you have to. Took the entire house with it, give or take one or two walls.

Anyway I thought IP star had to be mounted of the ground these days?

By the way you need to adjust your cooker hood its not streamlined with the wooden surround - easy to adjust and would finish it off nicely.

[jayenram]

I would be much more concerned about the ungrounded electric outlet I see in the photo than the gas tank myself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have to agree with lopburi here (again) Tuky. Kitchens and bathrooms (as an absolute minimum) should have earthed sockets. Too much water around. In my experience the extra cost of installing the three cables is buttons compared with the potential disasters that could occur. Saying that, I appreciate that it may be expensive to re-wire after the build is complete.

I'd still worry about the gas also, though.

[bkk_mike]

Mine is under the counter top, pretty much next to the stove same as yours tukyleith.  It never even occured to me it might be a problem.  My dad used to have the same set up at home in England.  Should I be worried?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would be much more concerned about the ungrounded electric outlet I see in the photo than the gas tank myself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree - doesn't exactly look finished...

[tuky]

It actually is earthed, but when the guy installed the cabinets he replaced it, I bought all 3 pin outlets, and that one was changed, now the earth wire is just loose behind the outlet plate, but as soon as I get back I will be changing it out for an earthed outlet. TiT

This is a photo of the outlet at the other end of the kitchen bench, note the 3 entries.

This is the distribution point before the breaker box was installed

and this is a photo of the safe-t-cut we had installed.

[tuky]

Mine is under the counter top, pretty much next to the stove same as yours tukyleith.  It never even occured to me it might be a problem.  My dad used to have the same set up at home in England.  Should I be worried?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would be much more concerned about the ungrounded electric outlet I see in the photo than the gas tank myself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree - doesn't exactly look finished...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

its not finished

there are a lot of little things like that, that have to be tidied up, but in that photo it is not finished.

[jayenram]

It actually is earthed, but when the guy installed the cabinets he replaced it, I bought all 3 pin outlets, and that one was changed, now the earth wire is just loose behind the outlet plate, but as soon as I get back I will be changing it out for an earthed outlet.    TiT

This is a photo of the outlet at the other end of the kitchen bench, note the 3 entries.

and this is a photo of the safe-t-cut we had installed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good onya. Good idea to test it regularly. Also Tuky, if you ever use one of those extension leads, check that all three wires are connected. Ask Betty about his!

[lopburi3]

Glad to hear that you do have ground wire. Now have question about your Safe-T-Cut as there do not seem to be any wires visible coming off the bottom. Mine is an old unit but top is input and bottom is output so would expect the bottom to be feeding the breaker box. Are the wires hidden from view? Will not even ask what kind of color code he was using as I see about 5.

[tuky]

Glad to hear that you do have ground wire.  Now have question about your Safe-T-Cut as there do not seem to be any wires visible coming off the bottom.  Mine is an old unit but top is input and bottom is output so would expect the bottom to be feeding the breaker box.  Are the wires hidden from view?  Will not even ask what kind of color code he was using as I see about 5.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I will have to check on that Lop, it was installed the night before I left for work so I only saw it tested, I haven't had a chance to actually study it.

I looked it up on the internet to find out more but the safe-t-cut mob haven't updated their homepage to include this model yet. It is actually quite a good unit with sensativity adjustment and so on, above the red test button is a lamp that comes on when the unit is tripped so you can see, thought that a nice touch.

[jayenram]

Will not even ask what kind of color code he was using as I see about 5.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I bought all the wiring myself (with the sparks in the shop). I was specific about having only red, black and green wires (it's my age) for the power. The sparks only got slightly confused with it but I did check that the live was at the right side.

BTW, Tuky, what supply do you have?

5/15; 15/45; or 35/100?

[tuky]

Will not even ask what kind of color code he was using as I see about 5.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I bought all the wiring myself (with the sparks in the shop). I was specific about having only red, black and green wires (it's my age) for the power. The sparks only got slightly confused with it but I did check that the live was at the right side.

BTW, Tuky, what supply do you have?

5/15; 15/45; or 35/100?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am pretty sure it is only 5/15 at the meter box, we had a choice and thats what the wife decided on, unfortunately I was absent at the time. I hope it is enough, when my folks come out to visit I can see we will have 4 or 5 a/c on at the same time.

[jayenram]

I am pretty sure it is only 5/15 at the meter box, we had a choice and thats what the wife decided on, unfortunately I was absent at the time. I hope it is enough, when my folks come out to visit I can see we will have 4 or 5 a/c on at the same time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think you will, Tuky!

In my humble opinion, if you put 2 a/c's on with a kettle, your consumer box will trip. I had 5/15 in my rental house (during house building) and the fuse blew with only a couple of lights, the kettle and the shower operating. That persuaded me to spend the extra and go the whole hog.

[jayenram]

I think we've had a discussion before on TV concerning what the figures on the electricity supply actually mean.

If I remember correctly, the consensus was that the first figure was the "continuous ampage" and the latter was the "peak ampage". I don't know what size your a/c's are but I can't see 15 amps being sufficient to start/run 5 of them.

Sorry to sound like a fly in the ointment.

[tuky]

I am pretty sure it is only 5/15 at the meter box, we had a choice and thats what the wife decided on, unfortunately I was absent at the time. I hope it is enough, when my folks come out to visit I can see we will have 4 or 5 a/c on at the same time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think you will, Tuky!

In my humble opinion, if you put 2 a/c's on with a kettle, your consumer box will trip. I had 5/15 in my rental house (during house building) and the fuse blew with only a couple of lights, the kettle and the shower operating. That persuaded me to spend the extra and go the whole hog.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think we've had a discussion before on TV concerning what the figures on the electricity supply actually mean.

If I remember correctly, the consensus was that the first figure was the "continuous ampage" and the latter was the "peak ampage". I don't know what size your a/c's are but I can't see 15 amps being sufficient to start/run 5 of them.

Sorry to sound like a fly in the ointment.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you both, unfortunately the wife asked the sparky that did the install and he told her it was fine, so it was written in stone then . At the moment we only have 1 a/c unit a 35,000 BTU job, I would imagine that itself would draw 4-5 amps. I am no sparky so I may be wrong on that.

I have learnt with my wife that sometimes it is best to let things happen, then she finally comes around. It can work out expensive, but if her mind is set then it's set. I am sure you blokes understand that one.

[jayenram]

I agree with you both, unfortunately the wife asked the sparky that did the install and he told her it was fine, so it was written in stone then  . At the moment we only have 1 a/c unit a 35,000 BTU job, I would imagine that itself would draw 4-5 amps. I am no sparky so I may be wrong on that.

I have learnt with my wife that sometimes it is best to let things happen, then she finally comes around. It can work out expensive, but if her mind is set then it's set. I am sure you blokes understand that one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Who's the other one? Have you been drinking on woting day?

Yes Tuky, I understand you precisely! It's something we have to live with over here. Together with the most georgeous girls on the planet and cheap beer.

[dvk1951]

Seems to be a lot of common sense and 'words of experience' being laid down here. Nice to see all of this neighborly love and concern

In the parts of the non LOS part of the world that I have had the opportunity to visit, the gas bottles have always seemed to be stored outside and for one basic reason, SAFETY. With all of the available ignition sources found inside, it only takes one mistake to blow youself and any other visiting imbibers to the 'great pub in the sky'

If at all possible, move the bottle outdoors with sufficient ventilation in the enclosure to dissipate any potential leaks. Also, make sure you seal the hole in the wall or you may just be giving the gas a path right back into the house again.

Glad to hear you installed a grounded system, smart move. The comments regarding the electrical outlet are also filled with wisdom. I have been knocked on my keester before from ungrounded systems. That ol' 220V will tickle you in ways the GF never could. Electrical grounding in a home is an absolute must in my book.

Also, next time put the outlets further away from the range cuz there may come a time in your future when the smell of burning rubber/plastic fills the nose when the cord gets too close to the gas flame. Well at least it would add some excitement to your life.

Regarding the Safety panel, I am not familiar with it but it appears from the pic that both the input and output cables are top entry.

Have to agree with the rest of the bloks, it appears your supply is as per the standard Thai home which doesnt have AC's or electric hot water heater's which are the big power consumption appliances not to meantion all the other electrical devices we can't seem to live without. To give you an idea of the size of panel you should have been considering, the condo I am currently in has 3 AC's and 2 hot water heaters with a main breaker rated at 60 amps. Bummer to blow a breaker when the GF turns on her vibrator.

Enjoy the new casa and dont forget to invite the forum for the house warming/blessing party, it needs a 'proper' induction

Edited February 8, 2005 by dvk1951

[lopburi3]

Regarding the Safety panel, I am not familiar with it but it appears from the pic that both the input and output cables are top entry.

I disagree. You can see a screw cover at both top and bottom of this unit and I believe the top covers the input wires and the bottom the output wires if properly installed. There may be wires at the bottom in shadow that I can not see; but if not seriously doubt that it is installed correctly. I do have a Safe-T-Cut (since 1977) and am a strong believer in ECCB/GFI protection.

[tuky]

Regarding the Safety panel, I am not familiar with it but it appears from the pic that both the input and output cables are top entry.

I disagree. You can see a screw cover at both top and bottom of this unit and I believe the top covers the input wires and the bottom the output wires if properly installed. There may be wires at the bottom in shadow that I can not see; but if not seriously doubt that it is installed correctly. I do have a Safe-T-Cut (since 1977) and am a strong believer in ECCB/GFI protection.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok, I have examined the full sized photo (1.4MB) and found the answers to our questions.

Have a look and decide for yourself.

[lopburi3]

I don't see any wire, only shadow and the lip of case which is white at top of full photo. But it might be behind. At any rate I would definitely check to make sure it is right on next visit. Also agree that the minor change of gas location should be undertaken and probably will not require moving dish as gas does not need to be directly behind stove. Old location might make a great trash bin place.