Cookers Diesel vs Gas

Dreamcatcher

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More Questions.

I am toying with the idea of replacing the LPG cooker for a Diesel one on the following grounds.
Less explosive (2 kids onboard)
Readily available fuel source
No fiddling about changing regulators.

Does any one have any experience of Diesel cookers, or any comments.

Thank you
Rob

Better a bad day sailing than a good day at the office.
 

Abigail

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There have been various discussions on this - do a search on wallas to see them. A month ago we posted:

Hi - we have a Wallas cooker and hob which we have lived aboard with for nearly two years.

We did have some initial teething problems, and in the end wallas replaced a necessary part with no problems. We have also just serviced the hob burner for the first time and found it not too difficult (though, as karunda acknowlege, the instruction manual could be improved).

It is extremely expensive - we decided to go ahead for two main reasons:
(i) getting rid of gas and
(ii) freeing one of only two deck access lockers for safety gear like sea anchors etc.

We would not have done it if not living aboard though, because of the costs.

Having said that, we do really like it. It's v simple and and excellent cooker. You do have to think like an aga - ie turn it on when you start cooking, rather than like gas - turn it on after you've chopped everything up and put it in the pan - but that's not so hard. It does indeed cook beautifully.


HTH but ask if you want to know more.
 

mainshiptom

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I have gac hobs(4 no ove) and thinking of getting rid of them as well as two big bottles, But I was thinking of putting electric hobs and oven, so when in use genrator is on or plug into marina?


Still using diesel but having a less complex applinecces ?

Tom
 

PintPlease

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Hi,
A wallace hob/oven is installed on the boat i work on, i have a few comments:
- i aggree totally with Abigail about treating it like an aga, you relly do have to plan ahead, just boiling a kettle from a cold start can take 20-30mins
- you have to be sure you can knock together your favorite culinary delights on just two rings
and for me the most important, be very careful with how the unit is installed, as it is diesel it obviously has to have exhausts to obove decks, these exhausts can seriously hamper the gimballing of the stove if not careful.

apart from that ok.
HTH
Rob
 

milltech

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I owned a boat with a Perkins Galleypack, it was great, did the central heating the hot water and the cooking. If was a fan blown burner diesel injection system and came up very fast, made the saloon a highly popular place to be, it's unfortunate that you can't get them anymore. The drip feed Dickinsons and Sigmars look absolutely wonderful but might not be so popular on a sunny day since they take an age to heat up.

The Wallas lacks the Aga style kerb appeal of a Dickinson but I think they are probably very effective, I look forward to having one eventually, I don't care for the gas.
 

ianabc

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We have a Dickinson "Pacific" stove.
It runs on diesel as does the engine.
The Dickinson is used in many severe service environments...Alaska etc.

The system is simple....diesel drips by gravity to a stainless steel drip pan where the heat of ignition forms diesel vapor that burns as a hot blue gas jet above the "super heater" which is a formed piece of stainless steel. Venting is through a 5 inch dia. deck pipe and deck iron (actually bronze) with a rim that ensures a cool deck. (4 l a day in mid winter)

Lets skip the bit about a gimbal....which ensures that hot liquid spills at the worst time....

A 5 inch stainless steel sea rail (to clamp pots) is installed on a friends Dickinson.

Works like a dream.

No moving parts and provides hot water through the stainless steel double loop heat exchanger that is just above the flame

So you say...how about the tropics.....

You wish....

OK ... so in the tropics are a little too warm to bake bread and roast chicken....but the flat top is large enough to take a primus or similar kerosene heater.....
 

milltech

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[ QUOTE ]
So you say...how about the tropics.....

You wish....

OK ... so in the tropics are a little too warm to bake bread and roast chicken....but the flat top is large enough to take a primus or similar kerosene heater.....

[/ QUOTE ]

Pleased to hear it does the hot water well....but....now you've gone and ruined it, all that expense to remove the dangerous fuels and you want me to add kerosene or gas back into the system in summer!

It's not really about the tropics, I mean the sun does shine in England (sometimes, not today), and of course these are the days we most want to be aboard. I couldn't give you an argument about the winter time benefits, I've been there and enjoyed them.
 
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