Dayspring
Active Member
Does anyone with a Taylors Heater have the secret of lighting them easily? previous posts have mentioned fire-lighters, or blow torches! any views? or could anyone tell me the proper dose of meths?
little tricks
- Thread starter Dayspring
- Start date
Peterduck
Well-Known Member
The closest that I came to a heater [we don't need them here] was a Taylors Stove. I know some folk have trouble lighting them, and they may be similar to the heater. I found that the cup surrounding the burner had to be filled [not half-filled] with metho, and that the metho had to completely burn away before lighting the burner. It is essential to get the body of the burner hot enough to completely vaporise the kerosene, which doesn't vaporise easily. I always felt the the metho cup would be better if filled with glass fibre from some insulation, as this would prevent any flare-ups of the metho.
Peter.
Peter.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Assuming it is paraffin, then the meths method is normal. On my cooker I find less than a full cup necessary, but I think it depends on individual burners. Far and away the most reliable method (and the one used in the factory) is to use a gas powered blowtorch to heat the bottom of the burner (above the meths cup). The need is to get it hot enough to vaporise the paraffin. Again on my burners about one minute is enough, then open the valve. If it flares, just shut it and wait a bit.
Dayspring
Active Member
No this is the diesel heater, so slightly different. But may try the blowtorch anyway!
skipperscouse
Well-Known Member
hi , i live onboard so i rely on my heater. it's a taylors diesel stove. biggest one they make i think. mine lights very easily, always first time, no matter how i light it. meths is most convenient and it usually only needs a capful. sometimes i drop a slice of fire lighter in and sometimes turn on the diesel wait til i can see fuel in the burner and drop a match in. i can't understand why you're having a problem . when lit does it work ok ? your flue doesn't need cleaning does it ? also if the flue isn't long enough it can affect the performance ?which presumably includes lighting. i'm sure you'll sort it.
Gordonmc
Well-Known Member
If its the drip-feed diesel heater you need a bit of heat to get it going. A neighbour lit his by soaking a rag in meths and lighting it under the burner, leaving it until the meths was almost gone, then opening the valve.
Getting the drip speed right was the next important bit... too much and it smoked like billy.
Getting the drip speed right was the next important bit... too much and it smoked like billy.
bilbobaggins
N/A
I recently crewed aboard a new-build 'traditional' lugger for a few hundred miles, and was amused to watch the others' antics trying to get their new Taylors paraffin cooker started. The guys had been brought up on a diet of 'instant-on' and had no patience for earlier technologies.... result - every teatime was accompanied by an alarming 4-foot sooty flare-up down below, until I was asked to go down and sort it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Having wandered the hills for many last-century years carrying and using Primus and Optimus paraffin stoves, the simple techniques were well-remembered..... The burner pre-heater coil needs to be pre-heated sufficiently to vapourise the fuel before it gets to the jet nipple, so the pre-heat cup needs to be filled with ( ideally ) meths and that burned almost completely off, to raise the temperature enuff to vapourise the paraffin, which then will burn reliably as advertised.
Fill ( almost ) the cup with meths. Light it and let burn. When almost completely consumed, close tank pressure valve and give a few strokes to raise pressure a little bit. If gaseous paraffin is jetted and ignites, fine. As the meths finally burns off, pump more pressure, thus increasing the gas flow and heat. Job done...!
If paraffin initially bubbles out un-vapourised, open pressure valve to stop paraffin flow. In a few seconds - and before the meths burns out - try again.
If you pump too much, too early, and the liquid, unlit paraffin overflows down onto and over the top of the fuel tank and starts to burn there, you have a couple of options..... One is to release the pressure valve, which is probably covered in flame, thereby burning your fingers a bit and learning to RTFM. Two is to throw the whole kit 'n caboodle outside, where it can burn itself out or explode almost harmlessly ( peeps gather round ! ). Three is to run like hell......! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
You CAN do the whole thing with paraffin only, but that needs a proper understanding of the process. It also needs a 'wick' substance placed into the pre-heating cup, such a small 1.5" strip of fabric or two or three wooden/card matches.
Whatever you do - never, NEVER! replenish the pre-heat cup with a second charge of meths, should the first one not quite work out.... That dumb action could lead to you being talked about on here in your absence.......
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
[ QUOTE ]
As paraffin is not as easily come by as once-upon-a-time, there are stories of Royal Marine Commandos exercising in Arctic Norway pilfering AVTUR ( paraffin ) from RN and RAF helicopters via fuel filter manual bleeds, for their stoves. As the choppers were guarded at night by dogs, 'thieving ops' were planned/executed like recce infiltrations, with Mountain Warfare Instructors detailed to 'deal with the dogs'.....
The aircrew, comfortable and warm some distance away, were pissing themselves watching the antics through night vision equipment! .....Typically, 'Dogs 3 : Marines 1' !!
[/ QUOTE ]
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Having wandered the hills for many last-century years carrying and using Primus and Optimus paraffin stoves, the simple techniques were well-remembered..... The burner pre-heater coil needs to be pre-heated sufficiently to vapourise the fuel before it gets to the jet nipple, so the pre-heat cup needs to be filled with ( ideally ) meths and that burned almost completely off, to raise the temperature enuff to vapourise the paraffin, which then will burn reliably as advertised.
Fill ( almost ) the cup with meths. Light it and let burn. When almost completely consumed, close tank pressure valve and give a few strokes to raise pressure a little bit. If gaseous paraffin is jetted and ignites, fine. As the meths finally burns off, pump more pressure, thus increasing the gas flow and heat. Job done...!
If paraffin initially bubbles out un-vapourised, open pressure valve to stop paraffin flow. In a few seconds - and before the meths burns out - try again.
If you pump too much, too early, and the liquid, unlit paraffin overflows down onto and over the top of the fuel tank and starts to burn there, you have a couple of options..... One is to release the pressure valve, which is probably covered in flame, thereby burning your fingers a bit and learning to RTFM. Two is to throw the whole kit 'n caboodle outside, where it can burn itself out or explode almost harmlessly ( peeps gather round ! ). Three is to run like hell......! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
You CAN do the whole thing with paraffin only, but that needs a proper understanding of the process. It also needs a 'wick' substance placed into the pre-heating cup, such a small 1.5" strip of fabric or two or three wooden/card matches.
Whatever you do - never, NEVER! replenish the pre-heat cup with a second charge of meths, should the first one not quite work out.... That dumb action could lead to you being talked about on here in your absence.......
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
[ QUOTE ]
As paraffin is not as easily come by as once-upon-a-time, there are stories of Royal Marine Commandos exercising in Arctic Norway pilfering AVTUR ( paraffin ) from RN and RAF helicopters via fuel filter manual bleeds, for their stoves. As the choppers were guarded at night by dogs, 'thieving ops' were planned/executed like recce infiltrations, with Mountain Warfare Instructors detailed to 'deal with the dogs'.....
The aircrew, comfortable and warm some distance away, were pissing themselves watching the antics through night vision equipment! .....Typically, 'Dogs 3 : Marines 1' !!
[/ QUOTE ]
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
BrendanS
Well-Known Member
brings back memories
tazzle
Well-Known Member
Certainly does.
Also reminds me of the petrol / paraffin Watermota 'Shrimp' I had on my little ¼ tonner way back when; some people could never get the hang of them.
Also reminds me of the petrol / paraffin Watermota 'Shrimp' I had on my little ¼ tonner way back when; some people could never get the hang of them.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
Years ago we had a wing engine, a Kelvin Ricardo 30 hp, running on petrol, TVO, and two of its four cylinders. It was a mass of leaks, squeaks and mysterious intermittent booming noises. Every hour or so it would start missing, I had to dive below, switch to petrol, open the priming taps on top and after a few moments spouting flames at the deckhead the staedy 'chuff chuff' picked up and maximum speed was restored. Folks today, don't know they're born, witter witter.....
It was six litres, 820 revs. The biggest in the series was 60 hp. 4 cyl, 16 litres, 520 revs.
Engine details here
http://www.sky-net.org.uk/kelvin/petrol/ricardo/index.html
It was six litres, 820 revs. The biggest in the series was 60 hp. 4 cyl, 16 litres, 520 revs.
Engine details here
http://www.sky-net.org.uk/kelvin/petrol/ricardo/index.html
oldharry
Well-Known Member
30hp, weighing in at over a ton - Yanmar eat your heart out!
fisherman
Well-Known Member
And the Poppet 50 hp was 4 cyl, 29 litres! I had a poppet 12/14, which started one day while I was turning the flywheel by hand to paint it.