Diesel Range Cooker /Boilers

[jelunga]

Please can everybody with a diesel fired range cooker, such as the Heritage Compact, comment on the servicability when using canal diesel.

 

I am interested in performance from a fuel consumption, cooking ability and maintenance level point of view.

 

Are they worth the huge amount they cost because of reliability and economy in use?

Edited May 20, 2008 by jelunga

[blackelle123]

Please can everybody with a diesel fired range cooker, such as the Heritage Compact, comment on the servicability when using canal diesel.

 

I am interested in performance from a fuel consumption, cooking ability and maintenance level point of view.

 

Are they worth the huge amount they cost because of reliability and economy in use?

 

Hope I don't put a damper on things, but we had a Dickinson Adriatic taken out because we were fed up with the unreliability and the inability to reach a decent temperature when required. It coked up really quickly and Hubs was forever taking it apart in order to clean out the regulator. Once clean, it would burn beautifully for about 3/4 days and I could cook O.K. as soon as it coked up it was fit for nothing. We were using approx 15/18 litres of diesel per week and keeping the oven on all the time time in the winter.

We have now changed to gas cooking and kept diesel heating but changed to an Old Dutch - Much, much better

[Strads]

Cant comment yet - but have bought a heritage uno for installation - we install th etanks for it next week and then move on to the plumbing and stove its self.

if your prepared to wait I'll let you know

[jelunga]

Cant comment yet - but have bought a heritage uno for installation - we install th etanks for it next week and then move on to the plumbing and stove its self.

if your prepared to wait I'll let you know

 

Thanks Strads, I have until next year to make the decision. Then depends on finances. But apart from the high initial cost, I feel at this time it should be the better choice over a Webasto / Epersparcher and an LPG cooker. But I await other peoples experiences with baited breath!!

[wrigglefingers]

I've heard mixed reports about them, but our local independent range cooker person said he wouldn't install one again after a series of problems which included difficulty in maintaining temperature, a warping chassis, and actually cooking on them. I've now heard a number of boat builders express reservations too, given how expensive they are, in principle, the half-size Uno is about a grand more than a new, full-size Rayburn.

 

The range expert's advice was to install a secondhand, reconditioned Rayburn with a diesel burner retrofitted or best of all, a new solid fuel Rayburn and a tall chimney. I've been researching a combination of solid fuel Rayburn with an Exhausto fan (RSV09, fellow anoraks out there, powered by a dedicated battery and solar panel as a fail-safe) to dispense with the flue requirements now recommended by Aga Rayburn. I am sure that the installation of solid fuel cookers on boats will be covered by Rob McLean at the BSS office in good time.

 

Regards, Jill

Edited May 27, 2008 by wrigglefingers

[ditchcrawler]

Hope I don't put a damper on things, but we had a Dickinson Adriatic taken out because we were fed up with the unreliability and the inability to reach a decent temperature when required. It coked up really quickly and Hubs was forever taking it apart in order to clean out the regulator. Once clean, it would burn beautifully for about 3/4 days and I could cook O.K. as soon as it coked up it was fit for nothing. We were using approx 15/18 liters of diesel per week and keeping the oven on all the time time in the winter.

We have now changed to gas cooking and kept diesel heating but changed to an Old Dutch - Much, much better

We have a Dickinson and the only time in 6 years that I cleaned the regulator was when I took the whole thing out of the boat and took it home to fit a smaller water heating coil.

The burner gets cleaned out once or twice a year. In the winter it runs all the time we are on board but in warm weather I fire it up about 2 hours before Diana wants to cook and knock it off as soon as we eat.

The oven temperature control leaves a it to be desired as she says it goes cold when you load it and then has to heat up again, and the thermometer is the pits.

Winter diesel usage about 6/7lt in 24 hours