Solid fuel cookers

[Kalapattar]

What are the pros and cons of using a solid fuel oven and hob please? 

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, Kalapattar said:

What are the pros and cons of using a solid fuel oven and hob please? 

In the Summer it is already quite warm in a confined space of a boat - add in a solid fuel cooker / hob that has to run for hours then you are living in an 'oven'.

Ideally you want a cooker that you can switch on, cook and switch off - Gas enables this.

 

Gas is more efficient :

 

Gas is approx. 14Kwh per kg, seasoned wood is about 4kwh/kg

 

Wood can be 'free', or can be expensive if purchased

Wood needs to be stored for at least a year (undercover) to season.

 

Anthracite (smokeless) is around 9Kwh / Kg

Cost around £10 per 25kgs

Edited September 5, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[Boater Sam]

Pros.

 

Loved by the AGA brigade.

Solid fuel is still cheap

Lovely warm boat in winter

 

Cons.

 

Dirty and dusty

Heavy to carry fuel 

Slow to warm up

Stupidly hot boat in summer just to brew up

[peterboat]

I have a Rayburn Royal with large back boiler, I wouldnt be without it but I have a widebeam so its not so confined I use it from autumn to spring 24/7 summer I have salads and use a camping stove for owt else. I dont find it expensive in the slightest, anthracite  last year was £6.50 for 25 kilos and one ton plus wood did me the year

[Kalapattar]

Ok, I thought summer would be a problem!

i like the idea of switching to a gas camping hob though just to boil a kettle in the summer months

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Kalapattar said:

i like the idea of switching to a gas camping hob though just to boil a kettle in the summer months

Oh dear, dear , dear.

 

20 minutes ago, peterboat said:

I have salads and use a camping stove for owt else.

Oh dear, dear , dear.

 

 

 

Do you use solely outside, or in the boat ?

I bet you remove it during BSS inspection time (instant fail)

[peterboat]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Oh dear, dear , dear.

 

Oh dear, dear , dear.

 

 

 

Do you use solely outside, or in the boat ?

I bet you remove it during BSS inspection time (instant fail)

I do its one of those big flat ones it lives on top of the Rayburn in the summer. I know loads that are using them, its got a flame failure device on it and the boat used to have gas so has enough ventilation. I have an electric kettle  so it does a few minutes work three times a week and gets put away for 8 months a year

[Rob-M]

Where is the gas bottle stored...?

[peterboat]

10 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Where is the gas bottle stored...?

Inside it, its the little butane cylinder

[Boater Sam]

Oh, Dear oh dear. Another BSS fail?

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Oh, Dear oh dear. Another BSS fail?

And, then folks wonder why the 'powers that be' want to install alarms.

[peterboat]

I have an alarm both smoke and CO2 these things are used in tents, caravans, house in fact all over the place! The little stove sits on top of the hot plate of the Rayburn, its thick iron and wont catch fire, I use it a couple of times a week not three times a day and its for summer use only. I know a lot of people that use these in boats, yet as if by magic they put them away and still pass the BSS

[Rob-M]

Leaking gas from the canister will have nowhere to go except your bilges and one day kaboom.

[nbfiresprite]

3 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Leaking gas from the canister will have nowhere to go except your bilges and one day kaboom.

As is the case with gas pipes. 

[bizzard]

Like the bulge in a hammock with an normus obese person in it, the baseplate could bulge down where the cooker is when swinging on a crane or in dock. Could even plummet through a thin corroded one and crown someone.  Safer if kept in the water.

[peterboat]

On 06/09/2018 at 12:47, Rob-M said:

Leaking gas from the canister will have nowhere to go except your bilges and one day kaboom.

I used to work with high pressure LPG if an valve failed on the tank when it was full [valve at the top of tank and only 80% full] we used to remove the valve under pressure and replace it!! you could see the propane in the tank gently bubbling away whilst you were dong the job! Now thats dangerous, but as yet I have not heard of one of these cookers that are on boats in tents, caravans and even houses leaking and exploding! Next you will be wanting to ban the cans that you fill lighters up with because they could leak and blow the boat up!! As someone else has said more chance of the pipes leaking on a boat than anything else

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, peterboat said:

Next you will be wanting to ban the cans that you fill lighters up with because they could leak and blow the boat up!!

Or just do what I do and keep it in the gas locker.  It is the best place on the boat to store pressurised butane.

 

I certainly would not want a full one to discharge inside the boat!

[Boater Sam]

Does the fact that you are not allowed a gas canister of any size on an aircraft suggest something?

 

There was a fatality some time ago caused by a blue camping gas canister on a boat, memory to kn**kered to remember where.

[WotEver]

53 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Or just do what I do and keep it in the gas locker.  It is the best place on the boat to store pressurised butane.

 

I certainly would not want a full one to discharge inside the boat!

Keep spare canisters in the locker, keep the appliance in the locker, only ever use the appliance outdoors.

 

From the BSS site:

https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/stay-safe/fire-safety-for-boats/portable-gas-appliances/

[Alan de Enfield]

3 hours ago, peterboat said:

I used to work with high pressure LPG if an valve failed on the tank when it was full [valve at the top of tank and only 80% full] we used to remove the valve under pressure and replace it!! you could see the propane in the tank gently bubbling away whilst you were dong the job! Now thats dangerous, but as yet I have not heard of one of these cookers that are on boats in tents, caravans and even houses leaking and exploding! Next you will be wanting to ban the cans that you fill lighters up with because they could leak and blow the boat up!! As someone else has said more chance of the pipes leaking on a boat than anything else

There is a saying which may apply :

 

"Familiarity breeds contempt"

[GUMPY]

An Origo stove should pass the BSS and is way better than those butane bottle stoves

https://seamarknunn.com/acatalog/Dometic-Origo-Two---Twin-Burner-Spirit-Stove-AF6_01451.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjww8jcBRDZARIsAJGCSGvx__gjHsifLEd924eLBRVUEP9sdtPx7KcXMz-vxUajUpLCm-HeaIYaAiWIEALw_wcB

[peterboat]

17 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

There is a saying which may apply :

 

"Familiarity breeds contempt"

I realise how the stuff works so take what I consider adequate precautions the stove has flame failure on it and as I say 3 times a week during summer. We also BBQ a lot in the summer so some weeks it might not get used at all 

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, peterboat said:

I realise how the stuff works so take what I consider adequate precautions the stove has flame failure on it and as I say 3 times a week during summer. We also BBQ a lot in the summer so some weeks it might not get used at all 

Despite having done, (and still doing) some stupid, dangerous things, if someone asks something like "have you been boating all of your life ?", I can still reply "not yet".

[peterboat]

3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Despite having done, (and still doing) some stupid, dangerous things, if someone asks something like "have you been boating all of your life ?", I can still reply "not yet".

Alan years ago in the LPG industry we nearly all dumped copper pipe in favour of plastic with steel unions, it was a wise decision as all my leaks were because the copper pipe got worked hardened and cracked! I have seen the same on boats yet we persist with it when something so much better is available.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, peterboat said:

I have seen the same on boats yet we persist with it when something so much better is available.

My boat is gas-plumbed with 100% rubber hose - fully in compliance with the RCD.