Origo 5100 Heat Pal

[salgarfi]

Hello All,

I know that there are some of you out there that use an Origo Heat Pal, so I'd like some feedback on its use.

I have bought one and used it for the first time over the last few days. My boat is a small inland cruiser so my cabin is not large and the heater warmed things up nicely. However, when we lit the heater on the first day (using 'marine' ethanol from Eko-Fuels), the flames were very obvious, and this was even the case when we closed it down to a ca. halfway setting. On the second day, however, and with the heater now only filled to a quarter or so of its capacity, the flames were much less evident, and I thought its heat generation wasn't as good as on the previous day (when the HeatPal was used for the very first time). So, has anyone experienced something similar? Also, since the cannister in the heater is the same (I think) as in an Origo cooker, have those of you with cookers experienced the same thing?

On another note, we found the lever for adjusting the flame very stiff, once the heater was fully operating. I presume this was because the metal was expanding, so again, if anyone else has experienced this, how has it been remedied?

In all, my wife and I are quite pleased with the heater, especially since it seemed to create a convection current around the boat, even into the forward sleeping cabin!

 

[ghostlymoron]

Don't go to sleep with it on! Any combustion gives off carbon dioxide which can kill by depletion of oxygen. I wouldn't use any unsealed heater in a confined space. They can kill, even a smouldering charcoal barbeque in a tent.

 

[Poignard]

I have an Origo cooker. These things are so simple that, as far as I can see, there only two things that can cause a problem: insufficient oxygen and/or something wrong with the fuel.

Because my boat is in France I only buy French fuel : “alcool à brûler” from supermarkets or DIY stores. That works fine.

 

[alahol2]

There are a few reviews on Youtube that may give an indication of how the flame should look when it's running.
Carbon monoxide is the killer you need to be aware and wary of.

 

[Seajet]

Salgarfi,

I have one of these - before I distract myself, you can get CO2 alarms from Amazon, a good Kidde one with a dsplay is around £22, self contained with batteries, and I know they work as mine went off when I was cooking once, I've never seen my crew faster getting out !

The Origo heater works OK, as long as one bears in mind the CO2.

I found it never lasts the advertised 12 hours, more like 7-8.

The flame seemed OK, not alarming; BUT I didn't fancy topping up the fuel once the thing was hot.

Yes I found the lever very stiff and it eventually broke - I was able to fix a better lever on.

Would I buy another one ? Probably as there's not much to rival it, and even if my boat had the space I dislike Ebershachers etc, noisy, power hungry and unreliable, very expensive on parts.

Remember the Kidde alarm...

 

[sarabande]

I have the Origo two burner stove.

A number of things to check:

Alignment of the head with the fuel container - do the clips work properly ?

Is the burner gauze cleanish ? Carbon can build up with long low power use?

Did you by chance overfill the can ?

Did you use the the fuel direct from the bottle, or add water or meths (both of which are sometimes suggested - for some strange reasons )


Origos are not really designed to be used as space heaters for the CO risk reasons mentioned above. Heat some water for a hot water bottle, or a brick to act as a thermal mass.

 

[Poignard]

Good safety advice from Sarabande.

Our Origo cooker is never used unless the companionway doors and sliding hatch are wide open. If the cockpit enclosure is fitted at least one side flap is open.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Hi Seajet, please never even try to top up an origo spirit unit when it’s hot, unless you want to be in the middle of a fireball.
Some years ago Dylan Winter, a BBC journalist made the mistake of doing this when camping, and his tent just ‘evaporated’, I tried it under controlled coditions in an empty area and you get a massive highly inflamable vapour which spontaneously ignites. Not nice at all.
Apart from that I have used Origo stoves on all my boats for thast 30 years and found them to be reliable, efficient and safe as long as one doesn’t try to top them up when hot.
The other advantage is that the burner alcohol can be used for the odd bit of cleaning, an antisceptic and I suppose if the booze runs out in the middle of the Atlantic one could always use it to make a cocktail.

 

[Seajet]

Thanks Praxinoscope, you've proven what I suspected - and why I never would try topping it up hot.

Reminds me of a Harrier story ( surprise ) - on the Harrier II the refueling point is ahead of the forward engine nozzle, so a ' hot refuel ' can be carried out with the engine running - on the earlier quite different Harrier 1 the refuel point is between the fore and aft jet nozzles.

At a test range our pilot had a lot to think about and was under time pressure; he momentarily forgot and taxied up in his Sea Harrier ( Harrier 1 ) requesting a hot refuel.

The chap with the refueling hose thought ' what ? He must be used to some tough groundcrew ! '

 

[salgarfi]

Dear All,
Thanks for the responses. Re CO, none of you need to worry, I'm totally cognisant of the risks and I have a CO detector. Also, I keep hatches and windows slightly open and I don't fill the thing when it's hot, and we would never sleep with it burning away - I did a lot of research before hand. But, I'll check that the clips work properly and keep an eye on the gauze's cleanliness as Sarabande suggests. Also, my expectations aren't high, and I tend to think that Seajet has a point, especially about other types of heaters (though I know many people will disagree): I have a Propex heater in my camper and I don't like the fan and power consumption. In truth, and if they weren't so expensive, I'd get a charcoal heater, but that will have to wait, if at all!?