Lighting paraffin burner

[pugwash]

What's an easy, effective and foolproof way of dispensing exactly the right amount of meths to get a paraffin stove going ?

And what's best to do when the flame goes out and the burner is hot -- how can you relight it easily without flare-up. Can you just apply a blow torch for a short while to heat it up again?

I want to change to paraffin for safety and space-saving reasons but my galley slave is worried, having read the recent PBO report.

Any thoughts or advice? THanks!

 

[Mirelle]

Well, you can just fill the cup under the burner with meths. That way you are sure to have enough. If your stove is a Taylors and you are likely to want both top burners, light them both straight away - otherwise the other one will get hot and you will get a "whoomph!" if you then pour meths into that cup.

This does not apply to the oven burner on an 030, which you can light at any time.

Relighting when hot - if it really is hot, just use a match and re-open the valve. If it is not that hot, then yes, the gas torch trick does very well, but don't try it with meths!

 

[J_Priedkalns]

In North America a gell was sold in toothpaste type container that was used for lighting/starting kerosene stoves and lamps. A small dab of this stuff in place of meths/alchohol was all that was needed and there was never any worries about spillage of lighted meths/alchohol. Unfortunatley, I do not have any info on this stuff but try West Marine, Defender Industries and Boaters World.

 

[pugwash]

Thanks for the tip. Sounds ideal. Couldn't find it on those three websites though. Sounds like a sophisticated version of the old firelighters we have here. I'll get some American friends working on it. Cheers.

 

[Mirelle]

Try a climbing shop

Climbers use it, because carrying a bottle of meths up a mountain is to be avoided. It is expensive for boat use.

 

[pugwash]

Re: Try a climbing shop

There's always a catch! If it keeps the cook happy then it's probably worth it. Thanks for your help.

 

[Gordonmc]

Taylors suggest using a small blowtorch as an alternative to pre-heating with meths.
Rather defeats the object of eliminating propane/butane from the boat but it works without flare-up risk.

 

[Forbsie]

Would My Project

 

[c_roff]

My parents own a Rival 34 and have been using a Taylors Paraffin cooker for about the last 10 years. They live on their boat in NW Scotland for a good proportion of every summer and always light their cooker with a blowtorch that sits in the rack, alongside the tea & coffee jars. Having often sailed with them and borrowed their boat for holidays with my own crew I'm convinced that a blowtorch is by far the most convenient pre-heating method. My parents rarely eat ashore and they use their cooker a lot. They strip down and clean the burners once or twice a season, use clean paraffin and NEVER skimp on pre-heating. It's very rare that they ever get a flare-up! By far the most important thing to prevent flare-ups is the pre-heating; make sure you're heating the correct part of the burner and heat for a full minute. Without a doubt paraffin is more of a faff than gas but messing about with meths or pre-heating gel makes it much worse, especially if you've decided to re-light the hot stove for a quick cup of tea! I think the risk of explosion caused by the blowtorch bottle leaking is fairly minimal and certainly a lot less than the potential danger from cooking exclusively with gas. If your cooker is operated most of the time by the same person then paraffin is relatively trouble free and the cook will develop their own tried and tested methods. But if you're expecting to have lots of visitors, crew and different people using the cooker I'd be inclined to stick with gas and follow a strict -turn it off at the bottle- regime.

whistler

 

[pugwash]

Thanks to Whistler and everyone else for the good advice. I certainly agree that a small blowtorch gas cannister is not a risk worth worrying about and I will make good use of it this season. Sounds like a neat and tidy way of doing things, and safe. Come aboard when you see me and I'll put the kettle on. Won't be in NW Scotland though (unfortunately).

 

[Guest]

We have an Optimus parrafin stove. Fitted in 1984 on boat build. Used by previous owner and by me for the last five years. Cleanliness is the absolute of fuel and jets. Given that you will love it to bits. We use an ex wash up liquid bottle to dispense meths. It is the type which has a twist 'off' cap and is the answer for us.