emergency fuel

[Able]

I am fitting a Wallas deisel cooker to a yacht. I have two old fashioned Primus stoves as standby should there be problems. I find they work on deisel after a fashion. Does anyone know sufficient about fuels to recommend anything to add to the deisel apart from paraffin to boost the Primus stoves performance.

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[mikewilkes]

Before you start messing about with other fuels and additives I would suggest you get some informed advice and DO NOT follow the advice given above. You can probably only blow your boat up once. Whether you survive is another matter.
Mike

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[BrendanS]

I read it (past tense) the other way. Ongolo pointed out that you can add a variety of volatiles, but all of them are dangerous. He didn't advise using them, rather the opposite

<hr width=100% size=1>Err, let me know if Depsol enters the forum, I'll go and hide

 

[neutronstar]

I think the chap who mentioned the risk of mixing more volatile liquids to derv was well near the mark. When I am short of meths or when the meths I get has too much water in it, (as has been happening progressively over the last 30 - 40 years), I add about 5% acetone/thinners to it to get the old taylors going. Alternatively 50/50 white spirit and thinners is OK BUT the chap who posted the note above was very helpfull and probably genuine in his posting as you do so at your own risk.

Minute samples must be mixed and lit before you mix up a pint or so. I mix a small batch of say 20% thinners and see how that goes then add more until it works safely. It is not as daft as it may sound as I can put a fire out but I can't survive sub zero temperatures very well. I believe you can mix up a bespoke fuel BUT use some common sense.

p.s. watch what you store the stuff in.

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[neutronstar]

Just a quick note to clarify my earlier posting:

My suggestions above are for 'lighting' primus and drip type units and I try to get a safe spirit ONLY WHEN STUCK WITH NO ALTERNATIVE. I would of course never try to use a spirit or petrol type of fuel in a venturi type lamp or fire.

There is an obvious difference between the ignitable spirits and the heavier oils like deisel, paraffin and domestic heating fuel.

Just about any type of 'oil' will run in a primus or tilley but the level of smoke and sooting up will force regular users to stick to the paraffin types of oil that cost a fortune as opposed to the gas oils. The fantastic range of lamp oils, spirits and paraffins that existed when my granparents 'had to' use such equipment are of course no longer available, and as a result mantles and jets tend to have shorter lives and fumes are more noticeable.

"It still beats living in a house"

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