ALCOHOL STOVE
Jen Meyer
alcohol" stove. My previous boat had an Origo alcohol stove, but this
is something different. Are pressurized alcohol stoves safe? How do
they work? Would I be better of replacing it with something else? If
so, what is the best replacement?
Errol Whelan
Rich Hampel
directions to a T.
If you dont have directions, let us know and we collectively will post
something that will keep your nosehairs from curling.
Rich Hampel
Disclaimer: Be sure you know what you're doing as these directions are
of a 'general nature'.
The problem with alcohol fires is that the flame
color (when unpressurized) is totally uncolored ... meaning all you can
see is the heat distortion of the items in the background, the
unpressurized flame will be invisible
Here is the procedure and cautions that I used in over 25yrs of use with
a pressurized alcohol stove:
1. Close the flame adjustment knob
2. close the fill port and pump about 20 strokes
3. Slowly open the flame adjustment so that the 'cup' fills with alcohol
,just fill the cup .... no more.
4. Fully close the flame adjustment knob. Light (with a long handled
barbecue type lighter) the fuel in the cup.
5. IMPORTANT -- slowy open the flame adjustment knob to quickly fill the
metal "cup" at the bottom/adjacent of the burner head (NOT the large
base thats under the burner head). The pre-heater cup is a 'beveled
flange that attaches to the bottom of the burner head. The alcohol will
drain out of the 4 air inlet holes in the bottom of the heater cup
quickly - just dont allow more alcohol than what would fill the cup,
even if it drains into the base. Probable quantity of alcohol for
preheating is about 1-1/2 tablespoon) Ignite and let the flame fully
consume the alcohol in the heater cup , let the flame TOTALLY go out and
consume ALL the fuel in the heater cup (and the base below the burner
head). DO NOT LIGHT THE BURNER IF THERE IS ALCOHOL IN THE BASE. (When
you get well used to the stove, you will know how much is too much in
the base.)
Quickly turn on the flame adjustment knob and simultaneously
light the burner. It will sputter and show a 'bit' of yellow flame
until the burner head totally heats up. Then adjust the flame to the
level you need. You might need to pump the tank a few more strokes at
this time. If during this process the flame gets LARGE, shut everything
OFF, let cool down, then restart the preheat sequence.
The job of filling the pre-ignition cup and burning the alcoholin the
cup is to ***fully*** heat the 'carburator' so that the 'carburator' is
fully pressurized. If the 'carburator' is not fully heated (by filling
with too little fuel) the 'carburator' will flood the heating element
with unvaporized fuel ..... with the result of a LARGE flame.
Adjustment (air/fuel mixture)
After several minutes of heating the burner head note the color of the
flame. If the color is LOTS of yellow flame, take a water pump pliers
and rotate the burner head a few degrees (you will note 4 small holes in
the bottom of the heater cup) until the flame becomes almost totally
blue and the 'flame fingers' are attached to the burner head. The small
holes in the bottom of the cup is the air/fuel ratio adjustment.
If the flame 'fingers' are not touching the head you have too much air
(rotate the head to adjust), if the flame has a LOT of yellow you dont
have enogh air (readjust), if the burner head turns bright RED the flame
is inside the burner head - TURN OFF, let the burner FULLY COOL, restart
etc.
NEVER EVER re-light a hot burner head, let it fully cool and go through
the pre-heating, etc. sequence. NEVER EVER EVER EVER try to relight a
HOT burner !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NEVER EVER attempt to light the stove if there is more than a Tablespoon
+/- of alcohol in the base.
NEVER allow anyone who doesnt REALLY know how to light such a stove do
so. Keep clutzes, trial attorneys, the uncoordinated, etc. away and
never allow them to light the stove. (Its OK if a trial attorney
ignites, use gasoline to quench the fire)
If all gets out of hand, you can flood the fire with WATER without
spreading the fuel, etc.
The old pressurized alcohol stoves are OK. Its just that people without
the brains to follow precise procedures sometimes operate them. Just be
careful and be precise in pre-heating the stove. When all else fails,
turn off the flame adjustment knob and quickly flood the stove with WATER.
The burner heads do occasionaly get plugged with fuel debris.... there
is a non-replaceable porous metal filter element in the base of the
assembly that does get plugged from time to time (filter your fuel). If
you don filter the fuel, new burner heads are available from most of the
marine mail order supply houses - West Marine, etc.
Only problem with an alcohol stove is that it will make a lot of water
vapor (product of combustion) which will condense on the walls of a cold
boat.
chuckp
bit of a pain, the burners need to be "pre-heated". you should check
all the tank fitings and lines for leaks under pressure. to operate,
you pump the tank up to about 15 psi then turn on a burn for about 2
seconds to get some liquid alcohol in the cup under the burner. w/ the
burner now off, light the alcohol until almost all burns off then
slowly turn the burner on and you now should be burning vaporized
alcohol so it burns lile any gas stove at this point. it might flare
up when you first light it after the pre-heat and you'll need to check
the pressure and add more to keep it around 15.
LakeLark
--
"chuckp" <chu...@cyberland.com> wrote in message
news:6r1ccvc898s9rqs3a...@4ax.com...
David Drake
-- Very good advice and exactly what I did! Better to "Learn" how to play
with the stove outside of the boat and somewhere that you can run away from
;-)
Mine works well now and I understand how to use it .
Does anyone have a good method for refuelling ? Using a funnel helps but
there must be a less sloppy method ?
DD
Sans Souci II
<BinaryBillTheSailor@Sea++.com> wrote in message
news:jdlacvcu4pmq79hj6...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 15 May 2003 23:09:32 -0400 (EDT), jen1...@webtv.net (Jen Meyer)
wrote:
>
.
>
> I would recommend that you try it OUTSIDE and off the boat (and dock), and
with
> a box of baking soda at the ready, before ever attempting to use it
onboard. If
> the stove has not been used for a long time, the seals are probably bad
and once
> you light it, you may find flames shooting out from places you don't like
that
> are not under the control of the knob on the front! You won't be able to
shut it
> off any way except by throwing a handful of baking soda on it.
>
> A properly maintained alcohol stove can be just fine, but they do have a
few
> drawbacks. The most noticeable is the large amount of water vapor they
produce.
> If you use it rarely, then this isn't a big deal, but if you use it often
you
> may not like the muggy/clammy cabin that results. Personally, I left my
Seaward
> right where it is, and bought a Magma gas grill for under $200, to hang
off the
> stern railing. Cooking outside also keeps the cabin cooler in summer.
>
> BB
J. Allan
news:6GILa.13003$2ay....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com
> -- Very good advice and exactly what I did! Better to "Learn" how to
> play with the stove outside of the boat and somewhere that you can
> run away from ;-)
> Mine works well now and I understand how to use it .
> Does anyone have a good method for refuelling ? Using a funnel helps
> but there must be a less sloppy method ?
Try a 1 qt or 1l plastic squeeze bottle. If you metho comes in plastic
bottles, make up a screwcap with a tube.
But of course, the beauty of metho is that if you spill a bit, apart
from the stink of pyridine and old bones, it soon evaporates and doesn't
pose a significant hazard.
John
John