deisel stove!

[jojoknitter]

I have a deisel stove, a lockgate, and in the wind it blows out. I have been told different things....one that it is dangerous and I must get it serviced...and two that this is normal - it just needs a good ol' clean out ( which I have tried already....) Are there regulations on servicing these stoves, and any ideas about the wind? Once the flame has blown out obvioulsy the drip feeder keeps going so the stove fills with fuel.... is it safe?

[stuart]

I'm surprised theres no flame failure device to cut the fuel off when the flame goes out.

[GUMPY]

I have a deisel stove, a lockgate, and in the wind it blows out. I have been told different things....one that it is dangerous and I must get it serviced...and two that this is normal - it just needs a good ol' clean out ( which I have tried already....) Are there regulations on servicing these stoves, and any ideas about the wind? Once the flame has blown out obvioulsy the drip feeder keeps going so the stove fills with fuel.... is it safe?

 

It should either have a flame failure device or the burner pot should be of a design that will hold the diesel and not overflow.

I have two stoves, the Kabola has an FFD the Sigmarine does not but the pot will never get more than 1cm of oil in it before the float valve stops supplying.

I have noticed that the Sig blows out because it doesnt have an atmospheric damper fitted in the flue wheras the Kabola has, this could be something to look at.

 

Oh and a tip for getting the oil out, just take the catalyst out and put a toilet roll in there it acts as a great sponge.

 

Julian

[starman]

We have a Lockgate stove and after a good clean out (and I mean a really good scrape out of the sides and bottom) it works very well -- even in the high winds that have just been blowing across the Fens.

 

We do have a proper Lockgate cowl device on the top of the flue which I should think is essential to stop blow-outs.

 

The burner pot should contain any non-burnt oil and I imagine if it does reach a certain level inside the float valve in the regulator would close (though it's never happened to us.)

[denboy]

theres something wrong had one for 7 /8 years has never blown out suspect it maybe your cowling.

there is a float switch in the regulater that closes off the fuel should it go out but you will find an ammount of fuel in the burner pot if this happens.

give it a right good clean out get in there with a stubby screwdriver and get all the coke out especially round the fuel hole the flame should be blue when you lookin the little hole at the top if its yellow it needs cleaning out

[Rob@BSSOffice]

I have a deisel stove, a lockgate, and in the wind it blows out. I have been told different things....one that it is dangerous and I must get it serviced...and two that this is normal - it just needs a good ol' clean out ( which I have tried already....) Are there regulations on servicing these stoves, and any ideas about the wind? Once the flame has blown out obvioulsy the drip feeder keeps going so the stove fills with fuel.... is it safe?

 

Follow the suppliers or manufacturers advice. Either Lockgate Stoves (http://www.lockgate-stoves.co.uk/) or Refleks the Danish stove manufacturer (http://www.refleks-olieovne.dk/default.asp?pagenumber=1563).

 

I understand that Lockgate stoves can have FFD's, it's in the regulator AFAIK ie the nice shiny 'lump' on the side.

Regards

Rob@BSS

[jojoknitter]

Ok ... I will get in there and really clean it out... Does anyone knowif there is a legal servicing requirement ( we rent the boat ) for these stoves?? we have had nowt but problems with it from the start!! How often should they be thouroughly cleaned?

[starman]

We had loads of problems with ours until we cleaned it out -- there are lots of small air intake holes around the inside. A wire brushing usually suffices. Also, I discovered there's a knack to getting it going - the main thing being don't turn it up too quickly. If you do it just burns yellow and the whole thing soon soots up again

 

I light ours with a couple of capfulls of meths (a small bit of firelighter will do) and bung a match down. Only then do I turn the regulator to its lowest setting (otherwise it floods the firelighter or meths) then I leave everything alone -- assuming it's lit and it sometimes takes a couple of goes - until the mesh cylinder (forget it's proper name) is glowing red and the stove is warming up. Then turn it up to about No 3 and just leave it.

 

Ours was a right pain -- so much so that we were going to rip it out -- but now with a good cleaning and some experimentation with lighting techniques it's running well.

 

I was told early on that a decent flue is essential -- ours sits about 18 inches above the roof and terminates in that cowl. Also once it's on, leave it running steadily; it's not a switch on and off device.

 

Hope that helps

[jojoknitter]

We had loads of problems with ours until we cleaned it out -- there are lots of small air intake holes around the inside. A wire brushing usually suffices. Also, I discovered there's a knack to getting it going - the main thing being don't turn it up too quickly. If you do it just burns yellow and the whole thing soon soots up again

 

I light ours with a couple of capfulls of meths (a small bit of firelighter will do) and bung a match down. Only then do I turn the regulator to its lowest setting (otherwise it floods the firelighter or meths) then I leave everything alone -- assuming it's lit and it sometimes takes a couple of goes - until the mesh cylinder (forget it's proper name) is glowing red and the stove is warming up. Then turn it up to about No 3 and just leave it.

 

Ours was a right pain -- so much so that we were going to rip it out -- but now with a good cleaning and some experimentation with lighting techniques it's running well.

 

I was told early on that a decent flue is essential -- ours sits about 18 inches above the roof and terminates in that cowl. Also once it's on, leave it running steadily; it's not a switch on and off device.

 

Hope that helps

 

It helps loads....we are learning all this boat stuff as we go! Had so much good response and help so far....a bit worried though about this flame colour thing...ours has and always been various shades of yellow and orange - never blue! We have survived so far , but is yellow really a bad sign and an indication of Carbon Monoxide ?

[Alastair]

We have an ancient crap diesel stove, and it has never ever blown out. sometimes left running for several months at a time without blowing out.

 

I suspect your problem is due to ventilation. It is possible for the wind to blow down your chimney, or create too strong a draft up your chimney. This problem will often occur if the main ventilation source is some distance from the chimney (or at a very different height)

 

There are two solutions I know of:

 

Add ventilation adjacent to the chimney at a similar level.

 

Fit a draught-balancing top to your chimney (these usually look like an 'H' in shape)

[Keithmt]

....a bit worried though about this flame colour thing...ours has and always been various shades of yellow and orange - never blue! We have survived so far , but is yellow really a bad sign and an indication of Carbon Monoxide ?

 

We have a brand new boat with a brand new lock-gate and the few times I've fired it up the flame has only ever been yellow/orange. Also, as others have mentioned, ours had a tall cowl (a good 18") and during a really windy weekend last Sat/Sun in never blew out.

 

Keith

[bottle]

We have a brand new boat with a brand new lock-gate and the few times I've fired it up the flame has only ever been yellow/orange. Also, as others have mentioned, ours had a tall cowl (a good 18") and during a really windy weekend last Sat/Sun in never blew out.

 

Keith

 

Get it checked asap, yellow/orange flame means incorrect oxygen level for the flame to burn correctly.

[starman]

As I said earlier, we finally got ours to burn with a proper flame by keeping it at the lowest setting until the 'mesh' tube in the centre of the stove had got good and hot -- glowing red in fact. Only then did we turn it up to about setting 2 or 3. If you need it hotter, just make small adjustments and wait for the stove to heat through before turning up further. Turning it up too high immediately after lighting resulted in a yellow flame which you couldn't get rid of. And then the whole thing staryed sooting up and eventually it would never run properly.

[Gary Peacock]

We have had a lot of grief with oil stoves over the years especially the ones that look like traditional multi fuel stoves.

 

A lot of people are sold on them by seeing them running under the perfect setup and conditions at shows with flame effects and imitation coals etc.

 

They think they are going to get the oil equivalent of a flame effect gas fire, the reality turns out to be different. You have to learn how to "drive" them and that can be quite a battle to win and even then the results are far from what many customers expectations were.

 

The best ones I have worked with tend to be the more traditional styles like the Kabola Old Dutch or the similar styles from Refleks.

 

Been honest I know a lot of the ones we fitted were later removed to be replaced by multi fuel stoves.

 

This wasn't down to them not working but rather the customers not being able to get the hang of them or just realising that the reality of how you need to use them didn't suit.

[LEO]

We have had a lot of grief with oil stoves over the years especially the ones that look like traditional multi fuel stoves.

 

A lot of people are sold on them by seeing them running under the perfect setup and conditions at shows with flame effects and imitation coals etc.

 

They think they are going to get the oil equivalent of a flame effect gas fire, the reality turns out to be different. You have to learn how to "drive" them and that can be quite a battle to win and even then the results are far from what many customers expectations were.

 

The best ones I have worked with tend to be the more traditional styles like the Kabola Old Dutch or the similar styles from Refleks.

 

Been honest I know a lot of the ones we fitted were later removed to be replaced by multi fuel stoves.

 

This wasn't down to them not working but rather the customers not being able to get the hang of them or just realising that the reality of how you need to use them didn't suit.

 

Hi,

 

I have a Kabola 'Old Dutch' - really excellent it does blow out but this is normally an indication it needs a good clean out, probably about once a month. Be careful cleaning the inside, it's easy to damage the thermal coupling to the flame failure device. Hoover the displaced carbon out and clean all the holes at the bottom of the burner. Mine is set to tickover at it's lowest setting and also provides hot water (gravity system) use a pump if the setting is higher, I leave it running 24/7 and use an Eco fan.

 

Be careful if re-lighting and make sure you leave it 30mins to cool down as meths evaporates very quickly, especially when warmed and you will be badly burnt if ignited too soon.

 

Had a solid fuel fire in the previous boat, nice but what a joke with all the dust etc., only draw back with the diesel is what happens when the price goes up - I have a dedicated 50 gallon tank and will probably pay extra just for the convenience.

 

I estimate my diesel stove uses about 1.75 litres a day on tickover.

 

hope this helps.

 

MIKE

[debbifiggy]

It helps loads....we are learning all this boat stuff as we go! Had so much good response and help so far....a bit worried though about this flame colour thing...ours has and always been various shades of yellow and orange - never blue! We have survived so far , but is yellow really a bad sign and an indication of Carbon Monoxide ?

Not quite sure whether the regs cover diesel heaters or not but the 1988 Regs to do with Gas, CO and landlords probably apply if you are renting. If you are renting a boat your landlords also need AFAIK to have the higher standard BSC cert that covers CO emissions etc. Sure Rob from BSS will advise on this but if a boat owner is doing anything commercial from hiring a boat, renting a boat out long term, offering weekend taster sessions or whatever you have to cover yourself by doing some proper planning, sorting out insurance, licence, gas or solid fuel safety etc. Hope you get that stove to behave and if you have even a hint of stuff not being right i.e. headaches and all the other CO symptoms please contact the right people immediately and get yourself out of danger before you are just another boater that died of CO poisoning over the last 12 months. There are too many unnecessary deaths ....

ATB

D

[jojoknitter]

Not quite sure whether the regs cover diesel heaters or not but the 1988 Regs to do with Gas, CO and landlords probably apply if you are renting. If you are renting a boat your landlords also need AFAIK to have the higher standard BSC cert that covers CO emissions etc. Sure Rob from BSS will advise on this but if a boat owner is doing anything commercial from hiring a boat, renting a boat out long term, offering weekend taster sessions or whatever you have to cover yourself by doing some proper planning, sorting out insurance, licence, gas or solid fuel safety etc. Hope you get that stove to behave and if you have even a hint of stuff not being right i.e. headaches and all the other CO symptoms please contact the right people immediately and get yourself out of danger before you are just another boater that died of CO poisoning over the last 12 months. There are too many unnecessary deaths ....

ATB

D

Ok....I have now bought a carbon monoxide alarm, and our landlord is supposed to be sorting out a sevice and check. I am still checking about safetry as we are renting the boat from hom long term...thanks. But at least we are toasty warm now its had a good clean...so lovely coming home to a warm boat at last!!