Spirit cooker

[Yelsel]

We recently purchased a Sea Ray, early 1990s. It has a spirit cooker and have no idea how to get to tank to fill or even use it. If I post a picture can anyone help or suggest an alternative?
Thankyou, Lesley

 

[Poignard]

We recently purchased a Sea Ray, early 1990s. It has a spirit cooker and have no idea how to get to tank to fill or even use it. If I post a picture can anyone help or suggest an alternative?
Thankyou, Lesley

If it is anything like the Origo spirit stove, this might help:

Campervan Fitout – Origo Stove Test

 

[coopec]

We recently purchased a Sea Ray, early 1990s. It has a spirit cooker and have no idea how to get to tank to fill or even use it. If I post a picture can anyone help or suggest an alternative?
Thankyou, Lesley

Please post a picture. I take it you don't know the make of the spirit cooker?
I think Poignard is right on the mark with his suggestion of Origo.

Here is another article which explains how to use them
Using an Alcohol Stove | The Boat Galley

 

[coveman]

If it is indeed an Origo, this manual may help - https://www.defender.com/pdf/400409.pdf

I was recommended to add 10% water to meths as this reduces any fumes, but I think there are now other fuels you can use that do not produce fumes.

 

[pvb]

We recently purchased a Sea Ray, early 1990s. It has a spirit cooker and have no idea how to get to tank to fill or even use it. If I post a picture can anyone help or suggest an alternative?
Thankyou, Lesley

Welcome to the forums!

As a new user, you may not be able to post pics yet. If you can identify the make or model of the cooker, it would help.

Just as a cautionary note, spirit cookers can be tricky things, so don't be tempted to play with it until you've got some instructions or found someone who can show you how to use it.

 

[William_H]

As said take the cooker out to a safe place for experimenting. They can flare up. The Origo though I have never seen one seems to have a tank in the body and so is filled through the hole in the middle. (might be wrong)
The cooker I have has an external tank at the back. Mine is a single burner so tank actually mounts by the supply pipe. Possibly your tank is missing if it is this type. (in which case any gravity fed system would be OK. This type has a needle valve control at the front. The fuel flows through a pipe which is in the flames so gets very hot vaporising the meths. So the lighting sequence is to open the valve and you will have meths flow into a small cup. CLOSE the valve then light the meths in the cup. After about 1 min when the fuel in the cup has almost gone open the valve and it should allow vaporised meths through the jet to make a proper flame. If it does not make a proper flame like a gas burner but simply fares up then it was not hot enough. Shut down and start again.
Sorry this may not be any help at all but then again just in case.... ol'will

 

[thinwater]

So... Post the picture!

I would also be surprised if it didn't have a name and model on it somewhere. Google?

 

[coopec]

We recently purchased a Sea Ray, early 1990s. It has a spirit cooker and have no idea how to get to tank to fill or even use it. If I post a picture can anyone help or suggest an alternative?
Thankyou, Lesley

Can you see your stove here?

origo stove alcohol - Google Search

 

[Bru]

Use Bioethanol, forget meths! Burns cleaner, slightly hotter and virtually odourless

The Origo / Cookmate is very easy to fill and use (and virtually immune from flare ups) but until we know the make of stove further advice is meaningless!

 

[coopec]

I'm a bit surprised Yelsel hasn't got back to us.

 

[Bru]

I'm a bit surprised Yelsel hasn't got back to us.

New poster, often takes days due to initial forum restrictions. Patience, they say, is a virtue although I've never had much use for it myself

 

[Yelsel]

Use Bioethanol, forget meths! Burns cleaner, slightly hotter and virtually odourless

The Origo / Cookmate is very easy to fill and use (and virtually immune from flare ups) but until we know the make of stove further advice is meaningless!

Thankyou. I have decided to have it removed and replace with a safer device. Lesley

 

[coopec]

New poster, often takes days due to initial forum restrictions. Patience, they say, is a virtue although I've never had much use for it myself

I wasn't aware of restrictions but I'm wary of New Posters who make one post and we never hear from them again.

 

[pvb]

Thankyou. I have decided to have it removed and replace with a safer device. Lesley

Good plan!

 

[Praxinoscope]

Thankyou. I have decided to have it removed and replace with a safer device. Lesley

If it is an Origo then you will have no trouble selling it, there are always people looking for them, one of the reasons they are popular is that many users consider them safer than gas.

 

[V1701]

Thankyou. I have decided to have it removed and replace with a safer device. Lesley

If you're removing what could be a perfectly usable spirit cooker (assuming that you can find out how to fill/use it properly), it's possible that you could be replacing it with a less safe device (e.g. any gas cooker)! People often fit spirit cookers so they don't have to store compressed gas on board...

 

[pvb]

If you're removing what could be a perfectly usable spirit cooker (assuming that you can find out how to fill/use it properly), it's possible that you could be replacing it with a less safe device (e.g. any gas cooker)! People often fit spirit cookers so they don't have to store compressed gas on board...

Gas is perfectly safe if it's properly installed and maintained.

 

[coopec]

If you're removing what could be a perfectly usable spirit cooker (assuming that you can find out how to fill/use it properly), it's possible that you could be replacing it with a less safe device (e.g. any gas cooker)! People often fit spirit cookers so they don't have to store compressed gas on board...

A few weeks ago a person commented on this forum that he is a gas fitter by trade but worries about gas on board a boat!

That's a worry! ?

 

[pvb]

Here's an interesting BoatUS article from 2015. Note the bit where it says...

"The incidence of fires due to stoves has decreased with the gradual replacement of alcohol stoves with propane stoves and electric ranges. Two percent of fires were caused by stoves, more than half resulting from problems with lighting alcohol stoves. Given how few alcohol stoves there are on boats these days, they are significantly more dangerous than those that use other fuel sources. If you still have an alcohol stove on board, you may want to consider upgrading. Most people agree that they don't heat very well, anyway."

Boat Fires - Seaworthy Magazine - BoatUS

 

[ronsurf]

Thankyou. I have decided to have it removed and replace with a safer device. Lesley

I honestly can't think of a safer method to cook on a boat than a good spirit stove. I have a twin burner Origo and it is nothing short of excellent. I use the French Alcohol A bruler which is a bit nicer than meths. Diluting it with water reduces the soot on the pans. Make sure you have the rubber mats that cover the burners when not in use. They stop any smell from the spirit.

I chose a spirit stove for safety as I have a small boat and any gas leaks would be pretty fatal. Spirit may burn, but you can put fires out. All gas does is explode and that's that.

I understand the popularity of gas, it's convenient and clean, and most people are familiar with gas from cooking at home, but I consider it an unnecessary risk. I cannot see how a spirit stove can 'flare up'. Paraffin stoves, yes. Spirit stoves? How. I've never experienced this in 10 years of owning my Origo and 30+ years of Trangia stoves.