26M Alcohol Stove Top

[Jimmyt]

The Captain is a bit more motley than the crew!

I was thinking I wanted an Origo for my future galley mod, but they seem to have gone out of production. Anybody know of a similar product that is currently available? Or, is Origo still in production?

[NiceAft]

Over the years, the topic of which type of burner to user has been discussed here often, and long. I for one, had been concerned about a correct choice for a long time. My decision to go with propane was not a quick one.

I am aware of all the drawbacks; little spurts of gas when attaching the one pound cylinders, or when igniting the gas, accumulation in low lying areas, storage of containers.

I am also aware that alcohol is not without risk also; flammability of spilled fuel, combustion ability of stored fuel.

I use a duel burner range I installed into the top of my sliding unit. I installed the adapter which the one pound canisters screw into, onto the engine well, so the canister is always outside the boat. I ran a long gas line (along the aft sleeping area) to the sliding unit. I only attach the one pound cans when I need them, and only at a time when the Honda is not being used. After using the range, I remove the canister from the adapter. The canisters are stored above deck in a canvas zipper bag designed for storage of the cans.

I am not claiming superiority of my way over other choices, but I am saying that all systems have their potential flaws. Do your due diligence, be confident in your decision, and never be lulled into relaxing your safety concerns. Be alert at all times.

Ray

P.S. I am reminded of a little ditty I heard as a child. It was sung to “My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean.”

My Bonnie looked into a gas tank
The contents she wanted to see
She lit a match to assist her
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me.

[Jimmyt]

Right when you thought the song couldn't get darker... we blow Bonnie up with a gas explosion. Even for a pirate captain, that's dark.

Good advice. Cap'n Ray. I'm still in the "forming the concept stage", so I'll take this into consideration.

[BOAT]

I have a gas detector in the van and every time I get the propane tank filled it detects gas seeping into the van from under the floor because the machine that fill the tanks vent a little propane. A friend of the family converted a bus into a motorhome and one day he lit up the stove and the whole inside of the bus exploded - he got burned pretty bad all over his face and arms. In either case no one smelled anything.

[Highlander]

My galley with butane stove





I bought a s/s roasting pan at W/M cut off the handles , cut out the counter dropped the pan in secured with brkts I fabricated underneath the counter cover when not in use with a wooden cutting board secured with 4 stoppers under the board to keep it from sliding around dropped in the butane stove & any mess while cooking stays in the roastin pan, cost me about $45 for the pan & cutting board , I have no issue using it in the cabin , but I do have an electronic sniffer in there also
J

[NiceAft]

I should have posted this picture before. It is where the one pound propane cylinder is attached. As you can see, it is in the motor well, placing it outside of the cabin.



I ran the gas line through the aft cabin to the sliding galley. I protected the line from abrasion anywhere it contacted a vertical surface.

[BOAT]

If you leave the stove on unlit the fumers will settle into the bilges because propane is heavy. Propane exhaust is also heavy and goes down, not up.

Alcohol is lighter than air as a gas and will not go down into the bilges - it will float up into the air and out of the cabin. That's why it irritates your nose if you stand too close to the alcohol stove when it's on - even the exhaust on the alcohol flame goes up and makes your nose hurt.

I like propane much because it burns cleaner and does not irritate my nose, but I still use dirty old alcohol in the boat because i am scaredy cat of propane in a boat.

[Jimmyt]

If you leave the stove on unlit the fumers will settle into the bilges because propane is heavy. Propane exhaust is also heavy and goes down, not up.

Alcohol is lighter than air as a gas and will not go down into the bilges - it will float up into the air and out of the cabin. That's why it irritates your nose if you stand too close to the alcohol stove when it's on - even the exhaust on the alcohol flame goes up and makes your nose hurt.

I like propane much because it burns cleaner and does not irritate my nose, but I still use dirty old alcohol in the boat because i am scaredy cat of propane in a boat.

Are you sure about methanol vapors being lighter than air? I was not aware that was the case. My main concern would be that propane is under pressure, while alcohol is evaporating off. You will get a much higher concentration of propane, much quicker, if an unlit burner is left open... compared to an alcohol burner such as the Origo.

The heat plume above a lit burner will rise, but that is different from the behavior of the vapor being released into the environment.

[BOAT]

Doesn't the alcohol stove bother your nose? It sure does mine if I stand right over it.

Propane is heavier than air:
https://www.boatus.com/app/views/201812 ... a-boat.asp



My nose hurts - does your nose hurt? I made some coffee.

[Jimmyt]

BOAT: you are a posting ninja! I was still getting my thoughts together in an edit, and you signed on, posted, then signed off again.

Yes, propane is heavier than air, in addition to being under pressure.

Methanol and ethanol vapors are both heavier than air if I recall correctly.

You are correct. The heat plume above a fire goes upward.

Just a friendly challenge on the alcohol vapor density relative to air statement.

My nose always hurts, but that's another story.

Still owe you a few after that leg pulling you gave me.

[BOAT]

The fumes you refer to can be one of two things - there are the fumes from burning alcohol - I believe all of them - even Propane - all result in carbon as an exhaust. If your referring to the exhaust of burning alcohol it's mostly carbon and not a problem for either propane or alcohol.

It is the exhaust that i was talking about - I don't like the exhaust of the alcohol because it hurts my nose - propane does not.

As for the FUMES - the fumes are what liquid propane is as a gas or what liquid alcohol is as a gas -

As a liquid BOTH alcohol and propane are heavier than air (of course - or your propane bottles and alcohol tins would float away!)

[Tomfoolery]

Uhmmm, both ethanol and methanol gas is more dense than air, and can collect in low pockets, as is and does propane vapor.

[BOAT]

So my bilge is going to explode from my alcohol stove???? Why did they not tell me that! all those alcohol fumes in my bilge can't be good - right?

[Jimmyt]

Exactly how much alcohol you'd have to evaporate into your bilge, with zero ventilation/dilution, to get to a flammable concentration is a reasonably answerable question. Once you start looking at the infiltration and mixing that are typical in a Mac cabin, the question gets much more interesting. Unless you pour a lot of it out and let it vaporize, and there is a source of ignition available, you should be fine.

Compared to the risk of releasing a 20lb bottle of propane in a boat, your risk associated with vaporizing an Origo canister of methanol is virtually non-existent. Obviously, not zero but, very low. Off the top of my head, not sure about a 1 lb bottle of propane.

[BOAT]

Well, there is this big round thing inside my stove with white stuff that soaks up alcohol - I pour a LOT of alcohol into that thing! Like almost a half a can!! So your telling me that when I am not using the stove that thing is creating fumes all day that are going down into my bilge?? Is that not a bad thing?? There is nothing in the stove instructions that say I can't leave the stove full all day - is that dangerous??