Meths cooker, is it safe

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pcatterall

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My 'new' ( 1978) boat has an old 2 burner meths cooker. I am trying to find out how to work it as the technology is beyond me!!
There just seems to be 2 wadding filled drums with a hole down their centers to very small flat tanks. There are levers which almost close or fully open the hole to the tanks.
I recall that normally the wadding was meths soaked and you just lit the fumes, on these heaters the wadding doesnt go into the tank, the tank looks very small and I think I might just set the boat alight!!
I'm tempted to replace with a cartridge gas cooker of similar size, its only for weekend cooking.
Whats the panel got to offer on this? persevere or junk it??
 
pcatterall said:
I'm tempted to replace with a cartridge gas cooker of similar size, its only for weekend cooking.
Click to expand...

I'm in no doubt, I definitely think the cartridge gas cooker has far more potential to be dangerous. Meths burns in a fairly benign way, it doesn't flare and no pressurised containers are involved. You just need to avoid spilling the meths and then setting it alight before it evaporates, or doing something daft like trying to refill the stove when it's hot/alight.

A faulty fitting or badly sealed gas cartridge (and I've seen quite a few during my camping years, even with self-sealers) could be a disaster.

Chris
 
I had a two burner meths cooker in my early days. Actually, they're quite safe because a meths fire is one of the few that is safe to extinguish with water.
Keep the wadding topped up and don't try and replenish when it's hot. And there should be some caps to put one when you're not using it or you will find the meths evaporates very quickly.
Not a bad for now and again use, but probably more expensive than gas.
 
pcatterall said:
There just seems to be 2 wadding filled drums with a hole down their centers to very small flat tanks. There are levers which almost close or fully open the hole to the tanks.
Click to expand...

Forgot to be helpful :o

Can you take it out of the boat to play with?

My *guess* would be that you can pour a little meths in through the hole in the top and then light it. The lever sounds like it regulates and maybe extinguishes the flame. If the lever doesn't fully close the holes, are there any caps or similar that you would place over the burner to extinguish the flame? (Similar to a Trangia meths camping stove).

Chris
 
I had one of these on my American Hunter Legend; it is/was a quite expensive bit of kit.
?? Try Hunter Marine Owners site ??

PS My Swiss friends cannot use meths in their (what's that 70's cuisine style of cooking stuff at the table on skewers?) units but gave my a non-spill gel which is used in exactly similar manner, but it is totally safe.
 
pcatterall said:
My 'new' ( 1978) boat has an old 2 burner meths cooker. I am trying to find out how to work it as the technology is beyond me!!
There just seems to be 2 wadding filled drums with a hole down their centers to very small flat tanks. There are levers which almost close or fully open the hole to the tanks.
I recall that normally the wadding was meths soaked and you just lit the fumes, on these heaters the wadding doesnt go into the tank, the tank looks very small and I think I might just set the boat alight!!
I'm tempted to replace with a cartridge gas cooker of similar size, its only for weekend cooking.
Whats the panel got to offer on this? persevere or junk it??
Click to expand...

Sounds like an Origo 3000 and perfectly good cooker. You must however use it correctly.

The containers must not be overfilled or they will burn incorrectly. The correct way to fill is to remove the drums and tip them on their edge just off the vertical and pour the meths in until its level meets the bottom of the hole...This is the correct amount. Replace the drum in the cooker.

Remember that to remove and replace the drums you have to have both flame controls set to off as they act as an interlock to prevent opening the cooker.

The cooker hinges apart held closed by a spring clip.

Meths is a substitute for the correct spirit and has a higher calorific value so it helps by adding 10% water to the meths to reduce the smell and amount of soot. When used correctly they are fine.

You light them using a long match down the centre hole with the flame nob set to full to expose the grid. Need a long match or gaslighter.
 
The Origo drums detach from the stove so can be filled outside. As mentioned, meths mixes in with any water (eg gin and tonic) which will halt flaming spills. The whole stove unhooks from gimbals on my installation but you have none then extracting it should become clear with some poking around. The arrangement of wadding and flat tanks you describe doesn't quite match mine. Got a maker's name on it anywhere. Or a pic or two. Persevere, I'd say ; Very safe and nowt to go wrong
 
simonfraser said:
excelent kit, keep it.
figure out how much meths you need for heating your water / dinner and burn off the rest.
that gets rid of the smells.
Click to expand...

There should be no need ot burn off.....The cooker comes with two rubber gaskets that sit on the pans when not in use as an airtight seal. Just make two new ones or order on line from Origo. They are sized to overlap the hole by about 10 mm I think and are about 3 mm thick . Just be sure the cooker is coolish before replacing.
 
I love my Trangia (meths) camping stove and have it as a reserve on the boat. Agree with the others, keep it but whatever you do don't buy your meths in the chandlers, they charge crazy prices for it...
 
I agree with the others. The new version of the cooker is from Origo, but yours sounds slightly different to the modern design, but it will work similarly.

I took out a gas cooker, plus cylinders, plus piping, plus all the other silly bits that some fitters add and put in a 2 burner Origo. It is appreciably slower than pressurised gas, however it is quite acceptable. Don't use it in a draft, the flame blows about. Very safe. 1 bottle of meths (500ml) split across the two burners is enough for a long weekend and I cook quite a lot. There is some smell, but not a lot.

Keep it, it should be good.

Cheers, Mike
 
Once again you have not failed to come up with some good info.
I will try again! this time filling one of the cannisters as recommended. I will look again for the makers name as mine doesn't sound exactly like those described. The control slide works across the little flat tank at the base of the cooker and underneath the cannister. I wonder now if what I thought was a tank is actually an air intake so the slide thing will restrict the air available being drawn through the cooker.
Certainly on your recommendations I will be giving it another try!!
(Fondu cooking is the missing term)
 
I have the Origo 3000,its a lot more safer than gas,no need to worry about build up in the bilges , as has been posted,do not fill when hot,this is a big No no,one guy on a Mac in france got badly burned when he did that,

The Origo is safe but their build quality is pants
 
Thanks all for the advice. many of you stress the safety of the spirit burner against gas and I accept this.
The alternative 'gas' installation I was considering was just the small cartridge 'camping stove' type rather than a piped system from a big cylinder. Are these still considered a greater safety risk than alcohol burners?
 
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