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Propane stove mods out there?

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 11/24/2010 : 20:59:19

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by glivs
 Scooter, before committing to a significant project, it would be worth your time to revisit Dave B's suggestion. We bought a Kenyon a couple of summers ago and can verify it is incredibly easy to use, instant on, and much hotter than our original alcohol stove (read less wait time for that morning coffee)...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I will only add (perhaps to beat on a dead horse) that for $50 (including a few cannisters of butane) you can decide whether some half-dozen of us are right or wrong before you embark on a major process to convert/install a propane "system". I'd suggest seeing what the set-up/take-down process is, and how it performs for you. (I think you'll be pleased.) If you don't like it, sell it on Craigslist for twice what you paid to Defender!

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 11/24/2010 21:00:14

skrenz
Captain

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USA
351 Posts

Response Posted - 11/28/2010 : 15:52:43

A couple of final comments:
Prospector: I have no idea what you are referring to when you say "Skrenz - yes in the issues with storing the propane in an enclosed space."??? I would not propose storing propane in an enclosed area unless that area is specifically designed to do so and follows all the ABYC requirements. For whether it can be safely done at all you only need to look at what the big boys, commercially built yachts, do. They all run on propane stoves and they all have specific propane compartments designed for storage.

But this question about storage I believe goes for the "small" propane bottles too. And, if you really want to get down to it, those butane bottles that run the "Kenyon" and similar stoves also. What I don't understand is how folks seem to be so against propane stoves and their associated gas storage systems yet flock to these butane stoves. Butane acts just like propane in terms of being heavier than air and explosive, etc. Yet folks seem to not have a thought about storing these butane grenades below deck with their stoves.

Second, as to refilling smaller propane tanks: all propane refills of any kind should be done at a licensed facility set up to refill propane tanks and not with some other device off the internet. It is very tricky getting the liquid to gas mixture correct during refills. And since it is illegal to refill the small propane tanks, no licensed propane refill site will do them. So given the above, you can't refill them. End of story.

I personally think that Scooter has a good point about trying to limit what goes into a landfill. My 2 1/2 gal propane tank carries ten times the amount of gas than in the smaller disposable propane tanks and is refillable over and over legally. The argument about limiting the landfill I think also applies IMHO to the butane tanks associated with the single burner stoves. They are neither refillable nor hold very much butane.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 11/28/2010 : 19:31:55

Good points, Steve... I keep my butane cannisters outside of the cabin and not in reach of the bilge. If I had the Kenyon stove on Passage (which I didn't), I would have kept the cannisters in the rope locker. Any leaks would have flowed out to the open cockpit, subject to breezes, and if the air was still, out through the transom scuppers. I use no more than two cannisters a year--less of a contribution to our waste cycle than many people make painting their lawn furniture. I wish I was doing better, but I can't justify installing an ABYC-standard propane cooking system to make coffee a few times a year. For those who can, I recommend not ignoring the codes. This is life-and-death stuff (not to mention stuff that can invalidate your insurance coverage).

My concerns over some previously described propane systems were those with hoses carrying unregulated pressures through the boat into the cabin. ABYC might never have even thought to write a standard against that--it's against every code, even those having nothing to do with boats. The pressure is enormous. You wouldn't run 17,000 volts through your house circuits, for much the same reason.

Do it right or don't do it. Butane stoves, with cannisters stored in safe places, are a way to do light cooking safely and conveniently. A proper built-in propane system, such as what Catalina puts in the C-250 and their bigger boats, is also "right".

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 11/28/2010 19:33:55

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 11/28/2010 : 20:46:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by skrenz
 A couple of final comments:
Prospector: I have no idea what you are referring to when you say "Skrenz - yes in the issues with storing the propane in an enclosed space."??? I would not propose storing propane in an enclosed area unless that area is specifically designed to do so and follows all the ABYC requirements. For whether it can be safely done at all you only need to look at what the big boys, commercially built yachts, do. They all run on propane stoves and they all have specific propane compartments designed for storage.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I was agreeing with you about not storing the propane in enclosed spaces, adn then pointing out as you did that teh little cannisters are subject to teh same issues as the tanks. Glad we are on the same page - your post said a lot of teh same things I did, but more eloquently.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2010 : 05:55:50

I use a camp stove I keep in the pots in the food backpack. The stove is no bigger than a cup of coffee and heats the water in about a minute. That way I get to use the space where the old stove was for a Cooler of Beer!!! whoo hooo.. ( ok or fruit juice and ice )

I've used this same camp stove for over 20 years, it works great....

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