Propane stove safe?

[Lepke]

Propane inside a hull is like owning a Pit Bull. It's safe until it's not. And it's not just dangerous in boats. The car was carrying a gas grill and the passenger decided to light a cigarette. They survived.
Pit Bulls only kill an average of 24 Americans a year and there are 300+ million Americans. So the risk is small. The good new is, half of the 24 are their owners.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Gas detectors work on a % lower explosive limit basis. If gas accumulates near the sensor it will be detected. The idea is to position the sensors in suitable places.

They're pretty sensitive. Ours shut off once due to the cat farting.

My sensors are under the fridge and stove,
The gas bottle is in a gas dedicated locker vented underneath to open air,
But if your away from the boat for a long time,
Everything is either turned off or shut down,
And I have known gas bottles to leak,

Human nature being what it is, Its only a couple of days, I will leave the fridge running and turn off the power to save the batterys,

Not too sure about the cat farting, Hahahaha

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Jammer

...Why the lengthy post. Well I think that for the cruiser on a budget faced with a galley propane installation that was never safe to begin with or that has deteriorated to the point where it is no longer safe, the Origo alcohol stoves are a practical, safe, and cost effective alternative to propane.

I completely agree with you Jammer. I would definitely consider one of those new alcohol stoves — if the factors were right. The Origo stoves look very good to my eye, and I’ve heard plenty of good reviews. They sure appear safer than the old pressure alcohol stoves, which is why I wondered about the dates in that article.

BTW, I cooked for years with an old-style pressure alcohol stove. It worked fine. Lighting and priming was harder than my propane, but it’s really no big deal if you know what you’re doing. It’s just another skill to master.

The real downside to alcohol stoves is the energy density of the fuel, and the volumes one must carry. You can carry a lot more BTUs in the same volume with propane vs alcohol. But if you’re not cruising full time, or long periods, then it’s not really an issue.

[AKA-None]

Well technically you can use any flammable alcohol if you’re willing to sacrifice a drink for hot food.

[NYSail]

And then once again you carry a bunch of liquid ignitable fluid. I think there are pros and cons and risks with everything in life let alone sailing. I say make sure your gear works and have fun!

Ps..... I wonder if more people get killed / greater property damage every year because of rig failure than propane explosions?????


Greg

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Well technically you can use any flammable alcohol if you’re willing to sacrifice a drink for hot food.

That's not going to happen.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

What's a good make/model for a 12v propane gas detector?