Motorhome advice: How to fit a gas safety valve

We decided to update our Auto-Trail Tracker’s gas system to include a safety shut-off valve. These handy items simply bolt in place between the gas cylinder and regulator. It’s an easy job and, if you can swap over a gas cylinder, you’ll not struggle to fit this. The idea is that, should it detect a gas leak, it will automatically cut off the gas supply. So, if the pipework gets damaged or suffers a leak, the valve will be triggered. 

This particular unit cost £39.99 and came from GasStop. It even comes supplied with a new gas spanner as the fitting at the bottle end is of a different size so won’t work with your existing gas spanner. They’ve deliberately made it a different fitting to make sure you unscrew the unit at the right end when swapping cylinders.

An added bonus with the GasStop unit is that it also includes a built-in gas level gauge. It’s designed to be used with low-pressure regulators (up to 50mbar) and comes with a five-year warranty. Fitting it took about half-an-hour and you do need to take your time to make sure it’s properly sealed in place. You’ll know if you haven’t sealed it properly as it will keep cutting the gas supply, so it’s pretty hard to muck up!

While the valve will shut off instantly in the event of a major leak, it can also be used to test your gas system for small leaks using the gauge. To do this, simply shut off the valve on top of the gas bottle. In normal use the gauge’s needle will be in the green. If the needle drops to ‘low’ when you shut off the gas bottle tap, you have a leak in the system. If the needle doesn’t move, it’s fine.

The GasStop can be bought from gasstopglobal.com as well as suppliers on Amazon, while Bailey now stocks and sells the GasStop unit, too.

Finally, it’s worth noting that this system is not designed for use on the move – you’ll need a Truma CS system for that. 

To fit a gas safety valve in your motorhome or campervan, you will need:

• Adjustable spanner
• Gas spanner
• PTFE plumbers tape
• Spray bottle with soapy water in it.

1 This is what is supplied in the GasStop kit – the valve itself and a new gas spanner, which you’ll need to change cylinders over in the future.

2 Switch off your gas cylinder at the bottle before you do anything else – viewed overhead, clockwise is ‘off’.

3 Using your existing gas spanner (or an adjustable spanner) unscrew the existing gas hose. It’s a left-hand thread so unscrews anti-clockwise.

4 This is the new valve, complete with gauge. To swap cylinders you’ll unscrew this threaded nut at the cylinder end.

5 Wrap some PTFE tape around the existing gas bottle nut coming out of the regulator, then hand tighten it into the GasStop valve.

6 Hold the valve in one hand and tighten the regulator’s nut into the GasStop valve.

7 Bolt the GasStop valve to the gas bottle using the new spanner (clockwise to tighten).

8 Switch on the gas system and check for leaks by spraying on some soapy water (or using off-the-shelf gas leak spray).

9 You can also check for small leaks by simply switching off the gas cylinder and watching the gauge. If the needle moves (with all appliances off) you have a small leak.

10 To make sure no future owner removes the wrong end of the GasStop valve, one end of the unit was taped up and a note added to the gas locker wall!