Meths cooker, is it safe

[Coaster]

The Origo is safe but their build quality is pants

We're very pleased with our Origo 6000. Perhaps we have low standards but the substantial, all-stainless steel construction appears to be neatly and accurately built and very robust. I would be interested to know what problems people have encountered.

If anyone is thinking of buying I suggest they take a good look at one in a chandlery.

 

[idpnd]

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?

You want the piped system as the container has to be kept in a separate compartment outside of the cabin, which has a drain to the outside (since gas is heavier than air). The gas is shut off inside that box every time you're done cooking. So a cartridge sitting inside the actual cabin would be considered the greater safety risk (regardless of size). Lots of people use such systems safely (especially when theyre professionally installed. I'm on meths because my boat came without gas and I haven't really got the money/time for a proper installation

 

[Alfie168]

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?

The origo meths cooker is considered the safer of the two. I'm sure lots of the single cartridge gas cookers are operated safely on board, but the powers that be have decided they do represent a bigger risk, and with some reason.

To have compressed flammable gas stored below presents potentially quite a high risk, whether it is from leakage, or a faulty shut off valve on the gas cylinder, or just leaving the gas tap on accidentally without being lit, which could allow an accumulation of gas below. They have no flame failure cut off, so this can happen.

The second risk factor highlighted is that they are generally freestanding and not fixed, so use at sea could possible result in a lit cooker becoming unstable, giving the potential not only of scalding, but the fire risk of an unsecured flame source. Use in harbour when tied up with most likely involve a lot less boat movement

Like a lot of things, when used with your 'common sense' switch in the 'on' position the risks are not too great. I'd change cylinders in the cockpit not below , just as with my Origo I refill the flying saucer in the cockpit in case of meths spillage. The Origo has nil risk of explosion, which is really the deciding safety factor between the two. Flames is flames no matter where they originate, so care is required with either appliance.

When I was nineteen I was camping in Keswick and a geordie chap camping nearby with his young family unwisely decided to change the gas canister inside his tent. What followed was not pleasant and his arms and face were quite badly burned. What has stayed with me was that in his state of shock before the ambulance arrived all he could do was keep apologising to his kids for ruining their holiday. As some on here will know I am the son of a man badly burned in wartime. Treat with greatest respect anything that can blow up in your face.

Tim

 

[VicS]

I'm tempted to replace with a cartridge gas cooker of similar size, its only for weekend cooking.

If you are seriously thinking about a cartridge type stove read THIS issued by the Boat Safety Scheme about a year ago.

 

[pcatterall]

Yes, I can see the danger in that type of stove. The 'old' type with cartridge under seem inherently safer but tip up more easilly.
Prior to being able to afford a 'proper' primus I recall ussing folding stoves with white impregnated fuel blocks then the superior ones wher you just poured one small measure of alcohol in and the fumes were drawn up via a wick in the outer rim. Even 60 years ago meths was still an expensive fuel!

 

[Alfie168]

IIRC the white fuel blocks were called META blocks. In the scouts we called them meaty blocks..I think they were some kind of encapsulated meths, but its so long ago the memory is a bit thin on that one.

Update...I've just googled them, they are/were metaldehyde blocks made by a Swiss company.

Tim

 

[pcatterall]

Yes Tim now available under the Gelert brand; 4 tablets will heat 2 cups of tea in 5mins!!
These must be the ultra safe solution!! Or could the children mistake them for Kendle Mint Cake?

 

[MonniotC]

Flames is flames no matter where they originate, so care is required with either appliance.

Not quite. Meths is soluble in water (as previously posted). A meths fire can be put out by chucking a bucket of water over it. That is one of the major safety advantages of having a meths cooker.

 

[Alfie168]

Not quite. Meths is soluble in water (as previously posted). A meths fire can be put out by chucking a bucket of water over it. That is one of the major safety advantages of having a meths cooker.

Well I appreciate that as I have an Origo 3000, but even an Origo flame can catch on a carelessly placed teatowel and burn your house down. My advice was simply to be careful with fire regardless of other factors. No flame is completely 'safe'.

Tim

 

[ytd]

Many years ago most ocean racers were fitted with meths stoves because you couldn't get a safety certificate with a gas stove. Not a great stove in terms of cooking but the smell was generally inoffensive compared with the other smells below after a few days.

 

[EastCoastChris]

When I was nineteen I was camping in Keswick and a geordie chap camping nearby with his young family unwisely decided to change the gas canister inside his tent.

I've got about 25 years worth of camping under my belt and I've seen several gas cartridges let go of various types over the years. This included one myself which was a modern-self sealer type which failed at the valve. Best appoach is to immediately throw it as far away as you can and let it drain itself. That works fine on the side of a mountain, but in a boat you'd have a lot of gas left trapped in the hull even if you got it away overboard (not necessarily an option in a marina!)

Chris

 

[mattnj]

we have a meths cooker, Origo 3000, which is a little bit of a faff to fill up, but seems safe enough (assuming you are sensible and dont fill when hot etc)

Slightly off topic, we just got one of these:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330408241939

Which is great when plugged in to the shore, saves messing about with meths, matches etc and doesnt cost anything to run (assuming the marina isnt charging by the kwh)

 

[Kelpie]

If you are able to get to France regularly, 'alcool a brulee' is a cheaper and less smelly spirit which is better in every single way than meths. Except for being illegal in this country.

 

[Wunja]

I have an Origo fo about the same vintage as yours. The main difference is the flame control on the front is effected by sliding knobs rather than rotary ones.

The fuel drums are different too. Looking through the chimney that goes through the drum, there is a little tube on one sude. When I fill the drum, I rotate it so that the tube is at the bottom and try to pour the meths into the tube. It seems to fill quicker this way.

 

[aquaplane]

I have an Origo fo about the same vintage as yours. The main difference is the flame control on the front is effected by sliding knobs rather than rotary ones.

The fuel drums are different too. Looking through the chimney that goes through the drum, there is a little tube on one sude. When I fill the drum, I rotate it so that the tube is at the bottom and try to pour the meths into the tube. It seems to fill quicker this way.

My stove is an Origo, but it's not a 3000, it's like Vinces.

I preferred the 1500 (single burner but modern fuel tank) on the First.

When I take off the grids and aluminium trim I can remove each tank. Turning them over reveals a little metal tube into the rockwool type material that adsorbs the fuel. I use a 3" funnel to add about 500ml of meths each fill up. Adding the meths from a washed out Fairy bottle helps with the aim and to control the flow. Add meths too fast and it overflows before it's had chance to soak into the adsorbant.

Mine has two round metal jobbies, about the size of a baby food jar top, that I can put over the burner holes to extinguish the flame after closing the bottom slider flap that controls the flame.
Putting the top on before closing the bottom flap doesn't extinguish the flame and the white paint comes off the top.