Replacing Thetfor Caprice cooker

[LadyG]

I'm thinking i might replace the cooker when i revamp the galley, or should I say, get someone to revamp the galley while I stand over them!

The Caprice 2000 is a Thetford, I think, but now they don't seem to make that model, and the new ones seem to be 12v or even 240v, I don't want to touch the boat wiring. Can't I just use a gas lighter as I do now (BSS wise).

At the moment I can't service the existing burners because the tiny bolts are too tight.

Edited September 17, 2023 by LadyG

[Tracy D'arth]

3 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I'm thinking i might replace the cooker when i revamp the galley, or should I say, get someone to revamp the galley while I stand over them!

The Caprice 2000 is a Thetford, but now they don't seem to make that model, and the new ones seem to be 12v or even 240v, I don't want to touch the wiring. Can't I just use a gas lighter as I do now (BSS wise).

For the sake of a bit of wire to connect to a 12v source it seems a backward step to ignore the electric ignition and it is safer lighting the oven and the grill by a spark than reaching in with a lighter.

If you want to go back a hundred or so years you could have a horse as well instead of an engine.

[LadyG]

Just now, Tracy D'arth said:

For the sake of a bit of wire to connect to a 12v source it seems a backward step to ignore the electric ignition and it is safer lighting the oven and the grill by a spark than reaching in with a lighter.

If you want to go back a hundred or so years you could have a horse as well instead of an engine.

Nothing wrong with horses, I've got 33 of them, underused.

The car radio casette worked till I upgraded it, or should i say paid someone to fit it, and now works occasionally, a complete waste of time and money..

I don't know how to wire up the cooker and I don't want some idiot to remove the cable run covers.

Some cookrs have batteries, but not the ones I've found in Midland Chandlers.

[Lily Rose]

My cooker doesn't have electronic ignition so I use the long gas lighters you can buy in Poundland and other places for about a quid. They sell the butane gas cheap as well. I have more than one in case it fails. Works well for us and no risk of a burn as the handle is several inches away from the flame.

 

I also use it to light a gas bbq, far more reliable than the built in spark button.

[LadyG]

17 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

My cooker doesn't have electronic ignition so I use the long gas lighters you can buy in Poundland and other places for about a quid. They sell the butane gas cheap as well. I have more than one in case it fails. Works well for us and no risk of a burn as the handle is several inches away from the flame.

 

I also use it to light a gas bbq, far more reliable than the built in spark button.

Agreed, that's what I do, but my Caprice was fitted twenty years ago. Now that all cookers have electronic ignition, I want to know if it is OK to have a new cooker with non working spark ignition.

I might email the BSS Examiner, (who must have put these screws in that I  can't remove to service the burners), and ask him if it is necessary to wire the new cooker to boat batteries.

If and when I sell the boat, I'd probably sell with new galley and new BSS. 

Edited September 17, 2023 by LadyG

[David Mack]

The only possible reason for a BSS fail if the spark ignition is not working would be if the Examiner took the view that the cooker was not installed in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. But that would be an extreme view to take, and unreasonable in my opinion. There must be loads of boats out there where one or more of the cooker igniters doesn't work and the boater relies on a separate gas lighter or a match.

Edited September 17, 2023 by David Mack

[Ken X]

We have certainly hired boats where the stove electric ignitors have been inoperative and matches supplied.  If there was a BSS issue I would expect this to have been rectified being as hire boats are tested to a higher standard.

[LadyG]

21 minutes ago, David Mack said:

The only possible reason for a BSS fail if the spark ignition is not working would be if the Examiner took the view that the cooker was not installed in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. But that would be an extreme view to take, and unreasonable in my opinion. There must be loads of boats out there where one or more of the cooker igniters doesn't work and the boater relies on a separate gas lighter or a match.

I could ask BSS for a ruling before I spend any money on reasonable v unreasonable opinions

[MtB]

This is a great example of a 'gas fault' which is nothing more than a matter of opinion. Some examiners will fail it, others pass it. 

 

 

 

 

[Chewbacka]

17 hours ago, LadyG said:

Agreed, that's what I do, but my Caprice was fitted twenty years ago. Now that all cookers have electronic ignition, I want to know if it is OK to have a new cooker with non working spark ignition.

I might email the BSS Examiner, (who must have put these screws in that I  can't remove to service the burners), and ask him if it is necessary to wire the new cooker to boat batteries.

If and when I sell the boat, I'd probably sell with new galley and new BSS. 

I am not aware of any BSS requirement that a stove with electronic ignition must have a working ignition unit - so long as this does not affect the flame failure shut off device.  

[mrsmelly]

17 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

 

If you want to go back a hundred or so years you could have a horse as well instead of an engine.

If you want to go back 100 years and use a horse move to Wales. Horses go faster than our speed limits 🤪

[ditchcrawler]

23 hours ago, LadyG said:

I'm thinking i might replace the cooker when i revamp the galley, or should I say, get someone to revamp the galley while I stand over them!

The Caprice 2000 is a Thetford, I think, but now they don't seem to make that model, and the new ones seem to be 12v or even 240v, I don't want to touch the boat wiring. Can't I just use a gas lighter as I do now (BSS wise).

At the moment I can't service the existing burners because the tiny bolts are too tight.

So you are going to trust someone to rip your galley to bits, fit a new gas cooker but not trust them to run a pair of 12 volt wires

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

So you are going to trust someone to rip your galley to bits, fit a new gas cooker but not trust them to run a pair of 12 volt wires

The cable runs the length of the cabin, maybe 40 ft, in a purpose built housing. I don't want to dismantle any of it if I don't have to, it would not be easy to replace all the tiny fittings, it could be quite a big job, and I would be left to do it, I don't want to create work.

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[Ianws]

You could get one with Piezo ignition.  It might stop working but at least you could say it had been installed as per instructions.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

It was in fact the BSS examiner who first showed me how to light my oven. 
I used a fag lighter, and still do. 

[LadyG]

48 minutes ago, Ianws said:

You could get one with Piezo ignition.  It might stop working but at least you could say it had been installed as per instructions.

It's hard enough finding a nice modern one that looks a good quality and lpg ready. I only want a fitted unit, not the other kind.

I don't think I've ever used the grill, and the cast iron pot cooks most things, so I rarely use the oven.

Edited September 18, 2023 by LadyG

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

36 minutes ago, Goliath said:

It was in fact the BSS examiner who first showed me how to light my oven. 
I used a fag lighter, and still do. 

Don’t think you’ll get away with that now.

Edited September 18, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[haggis]

12 minutes ago, LadyG said:

It's hard enough finding a nice modern one that looks a good quality and lpg ready. I only want a fitted unit, not the other kind.

I don't think I've ever used the grill, and the cast iron pot cooks most things, so I rarely use the oven.

You often say that you plan to sell your boat in the next few years and with this in mind I think you need to install burners, grill and oven. This may be your plan but I wasn't sure in view of this post 😀

[LadyG]

Oh no, while I dont use the grill or the oven often, I'd only have a full size cooker, it stores all the pots and pans, and it sits on the floor, less carpentry.

[Ianws]

You have said fitted and also it sits on the floor so not sure if you are looking at built in or standalone. If you don't just look at Thetford /Dometic you may find a piezo or battery . Here's a cheap battery 50cm standalone, not that I'd buy it. https://jharries.co.uk/product/calor-sc50lpgw-50cm-single-cavity-lpg-ready-gas-cooker-in-white/12680

[LadyG]

 Thanks, I want, in order ....

Good looks, ie quality, a built in, cooker, from countertop to floor,  and black glass top.

I am getting an undercounter 12v fridge as well, the Thetford ones are too expensive, I mean £1300!

Very difficult to select from a photo, there are cheaper makes of everything, but probably poor quality. 

 

 

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

 Thanks, I want, in order ....

Good looks, ie quality, a built in, cooker, from countertop to floor,  and black glass top.

I am getting an undercounter 12v fridge as well, the Thetford ones are too expensive, I mean £1300!

Very difficult to select from a photo, there are cheaper makes of everything, but probably poor quality. 

 

 

 

 

 

So you are getting a 12V Fridge that one assumes will be in the galley. That means there is/are exposed 12V cables. Whilst maybe not ideal, I think you could hide a cable run from back of fridge to cooker easily enough at the back of the "units". If there is not one already it would require a switch installing by the fridge, so you can leave the igniter energised, but the fridge turned off. This whole thing makes little sense to me. You are in a limited market, so there is limited choice, you have to do your best with what is available. Each non-negotiable item you specify, like a black glass top, the harder you make things for yourself.

[haggis]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

 Thanks, I want, in order ....

Good looks, ie quality, a built in, cooker, from countertop to floor,  and black glass top.

I am getting an undercounter 12v fridge as well, the Thetford ones are too expensive, I mean £1300!

Very difficult to select from a photo, there are cheaper makes of everything, but probably poor quality. 

 

This going to be an expensive galley refit! I am assuming that a black glass top will be expensive and will it not scratch easily?

If you plan to sell your boat in the next few years the price is very unlikely to be increased by as much as you spend on the galley. 

Just a thought as you often imply that you think all your improvements will increase the selling price by the same amount. I would think that is unlikely but it would be interesting to hear from anyone on here who is in the boat sales business.

[jonathanA]

I've use the same type of cooker that IANWS linked to regularly (not at home) and they are worth the money just (i.e you get what you pay for). 

 

I don't like single cavity cookers whether gas or leccy and would always go for a separate grill/oven, but thats my preference. The blurb for that oven says :

Please note: This continental design cooker has a base burner below the floor of the oven. As a result the performance characteristics may vary from previous experience with different cookers eg. Exposed rear gas burners more typical in the UK. Please allow for variations that may be required in cooking time and temperature adjustments until you become familiar with the characteristics of this oven.

 

and thats exactly right the 'floor' of the oven gets red hot so you need more 'shelves' than the two that come with it as you can't say warm plates in the bottom of the oven.  its quite hard to get temperature right its either too cool or more often way too hot...  doubtless you could get used to it eventually.  

 

There is a version with a glass top, but and this is important for boat use, the cooker needs the top to be fully open before you can light the gas. if the top is not fully open then the gas is cutoff for safety reasons.  so you need to be able to fully open the glass top.  I think thats standard for any cooker with a closeable top, my dual fuel range cooker at home is the same. 

 

hope that helps apologies if you knew all that 🙂

 

[ditchcrawler]

16 hours ago, LadyG said:

The cable runs the length of the cabin, maybe 40 ft, in a purpose built housing. I don't want to dismantle any of it if I don't have to, it would not be easy to replace all the tiny fittings, it could be quite a big job, and I would be left to do it, I don't want to create work.

 

Should be a good selling point, you have to put your head in the oven, turn the gas on and light a match to cook dinner