Questions for the Taylors cooker brains trust

[mullet]

I recently swapped my Taylor's 029 for a bigger (and slightly aging) 030. The new stove is need of a little fettling (it has 1 new 4-leg burner that works perfectly, but 2 older 2-leg burners that are burning dirty, have leaks, etc). I've watched the Taylors' video guide on Youtube and have pored over the exploded diagrams but a few things have slightly stumped me.

1. Mix of burners - my 030 has 2x 2-leg burners and 1x 4-leg. My suspicion (from limited use of a stove that needs maintenance) is that the 2-leg and 4-leg prefer to run at different pressures. Is this generally the case? If so I may not bother with overhauling the existing 2-legs and just bite the bullet to replace them with 4-leg burners so all burners are the same.
2. Balancing jets - these are in the cooker's spares kit, but they aren't shown on the Taylors exploded diagram and I can't find them on the cooker. Do they go in the mouth of the fuel feed pipe? Essential?
3. Gauze - there is none in the 2-leg burners. A roll of gauze is available as a spare. On the Taylors video it looks as if the whole roll is inserted in the base of the burner. Is this the case? It seems odd - I'd have expected to cut a disc and use that rather than to stuff the whole roll in. Does the gauze do anything except filter? If not, is it needed if there's a fine filter upstream in the fuel supply?

Any wisdom gratefully received!

 

[vyv_cox]

I have lots of experience with Taylors stoves but not the oven. Cannot see why the burners would run at different pressures or even how that could be achieved. My stove had the balancing jets, a complete nuisance as they kept on coking up and could not be pricked. I removed them and the stove ran perfectly for years afterwards. No gauze in mine anywhere.

 

[mullet]

Thanks - this is helpful. The oven has the same type of burner as the stove, just with a diffuser/heat shield above it, between the burner and the food.

In terms of pressure: the 4-leg burner seems to run better at a lower pressure than 2-leg burners. Running them all simultaneously at varying pressures obviously would be impossible.So it is a question of whether it might be worth changing the burners (if the 2-leg ones are somewhat knackered anyway) to a version where all 3 burners would operate happily at the same pressure.

 

[RivalRedwing]

I second Vyv's comments, for detailed question regarding operating pressures I would probably seek guidance from base-camp.co.uk (and then tell us)

 

[vyv_cox]

A possible answer to the difference between the two and four leg burners is that the four-leg tends to coke up more readily. I have attempted to clear them using a blow lamp and wires poked up the tubes but this has been only partially successful. Replacing them with new was a successful, if expensive, solution.

 

[mullet]

As suggested, Base Camp had all the answers. Thanks for the pointer towards them.

• For the mixture of burners - if running correctly they should all behave themselves when operating at the same tank pressure.
• Balancing jet - these help reduce pulsing if the tank is >2m from the stove. Screw into the fuel pipe fitting where the burner is attached. Very prone to blockage so can be removed if the installation allows. Not needed with new 4-leg burners.
• Gauze - not needed/don't fit in older 2-leg burners. With newer burners the roll of gauze acts as a coarse filter, and as heat conductor which helps to preheat the fuel as it enters the burner. Apparently the 4-leg burners also have gauze further up the tubes too.

If the burners need it I plan to decoke them with spray oven cleaner and pipe cleaners. If that doesn't work I'll try ultrasonic. I'll report back how I get on with that.

 

[drew silverwitch]

Have been in a love hate relationship with my 030 for years.
As explained to me years ago the gauze is not there to act as a filter, it is to increase the surface area of hot metal with the fuel, this helps the fuel vaporize more efficiently in a cooler burner at a lower pressure.
Mine has a mix of burners and all seem to perform the same.
I have stopped using a blow torch to light it and use the ethyl alcohol fuel from B&Q much cheaper than Meths and no smell

 

[Gary Fox]

I know what you mean about the love/hate relationship....
I wish I had known you don't need the lower jet...too late now!