Non-marine stoves on a boat

[GILow]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Ha! Depends on the boat and galley location, and typical usage.

In my case its on a galley up cat which results in the cooktop being very near the rotational center of the boat. Thus no gimball is needed. Ive cooked on it in up to 6' confused/cross seas with no pot holders and no problems.

This brings up one difference in marine vs residential stoves: pot holders & gimballs. You could of course fabricate either for a residencial cook top. Could be an important difference for some installations.

Yep, I think I'll pull out the TIG and make a smart fence for the cooktop, as suggested up-thread.

We discussed it last night and concluded that I almost exclusively use the microwave on passages and that the few things I've used the stove for were mainly because the microwave was not gimballed. So there's the answer I reckon.

[Jim Cate]

Just a note about various gas types: Over the past 35 years we have used a "propane" stove in our various boats. We have been in countries where the available gas was called butane, propane, LPG, Gaz, and perhaps some that I have forgotten. ALL of them have worked just fine in our stoves with no adjustment, jet exchange or disaster. Some small changes in flame color and perhaps BTU output have been noted, but in general it just kept on cookin'.

I believe that most gas sold as "propane" is actually a mixture of propane and butane, and in some areas the ratios are changed seasonally to ensure that there is adequate pressure generated in the tank in very cold weather.

The hyperbole about dangers of using the wrong bottled gas is, IME, simply wrong.

Jim

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

A thermocouple shuts off gas as well, so says google

The Klaxon valve may be old school and mechanical but is effective if the burner goes out.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by GILow

WTF is a klixen valve? My google skills are failing me.

Sorry, Klaxon. I had a hard time finding it also. As I recall works on a bimetal to shut off the gas or keep it on. Not high tech but effective.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

A thermocouple shuts off gas as well, so says google

Funny, on my home stove when the flame goes out the gas goes off, thermocouple to the rescue.

[glenn.225]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Funny, on my home stove when the flame goes out the gas goes off, thermocouple to the rescue. [emoji2]

Funny or I guess not, mine house one does not. It's a five year old Maytag that was far from the cheapest one. We have natural gas and if the burner knob is turned with out ignition the gas will just flow. There are no thermocouples on the burners, not sure about the oven but if the door is left open for more than a minute or the oven burner will go out.

[Bill Seal]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Sorry, Klaxon. I had a hard time finding it also. As I recall works on a bimetal to shut off the gas or keep it on. Not high tech but effective.

Klixon! A klaxon is a model T horn. oooOOOgah

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Bill Seal

Klixon! A klaxon is a model T horn. oooOOOgah

I've often wondered how that sound would be spelled. Now I know.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Just a note about various gas types: Over the past 35 years we have used a "propane" stove in our various boats. We have been in countries where the available gas was called butane, propane, LPG, Gaz, and perhaps some that I have forgotten. ALL of them have worked just fine in our stoves with no adjustment, jet exchange or disaster. Some small changes in flame color and perhaps BTU output have been noted, but in general it just kept on cookin'.

I believe that most gas sold as "propane" is actually a mixture of propane and butane, and in some areas the ratios are changed seasonally to ensure that there is adequate pressure generated in the tank in very cold weather.

The hyperbole about dangers of using the wrong bottled gas is, IME, simply wrong.

Jim

I think the transition from natural gas to "bottled gas" will need a jet change. It may be more a product of pressure differences than chemistry. I vaguely remember a stove burning with a yellow and slightly sooty flame before changing the jets, but I cannot remember in which direction the stove was being moved.

But good to know youve had no problems transitioning between the various bottled gasses on your extensive travels.

Edit: I think it was when dad put a stove in at our newly acquired beach house (swamp house) and he'd bought an old stove through the Trading Post. (That dates it a bit.) Going from town supply natural gas to bottled gas was a problem.

[Wotname]

It the distant past (in Oz), 'town' gas varied from state to state and even city to city. These days there are only two types of gas available in Australia - natural (piped) gas and bottled (LPG) gas. They require different jets and different pressures.

Any cooktop purchased in Oz can be made to work with either - by changing the jets (and checking the pressures). Some manufacturers package both jets some don't. Some retailers care and make sure you get the jets you need and some don't.

The gas fitter will make it work either way even if you have to wait awhile to get the correct jets ordered in.

[Jim Cate]

The thing is, natural gas is mostly methane and bottled gases are either butane, propane or mostly a mixture of the two. Methane does indeed need jet sizes different from bottled gas.

So, if you buy a domestic stove it will likely come with jets for both types of gasses and you or a knowledgeable installer will need to select the correct one. Marine and RV stoves likely will come with LPG type jets only, for it is unlikely that they will be connected to a natural gas supply.

FWIW, for a while in the States lots of marine stoves were set up for compressed natural gas. The fuel was supplied in bottles similar to scuba tanks with the gas compressed to 3kpsi or so. A nice safe system, but the btu content of the tanks was far less than that of typical LPG and tank life was far shorter requiring frequent swaps. Further, not so many places had the tanks to sell... a combination that lead to the gradual disappearance of those stoves from common usage I had such a stove in my Yankee 30, and when we did the Hawaii trip we carried three tanks which barely got us there. And we found that the only place that had them was in Hono, and we arrived on the other coast . It was a nuisance, especially when we wanted to take our departure from Kauai several weeks later and there was no place to top up the supply there.

Enough gassing about... good luck with your selection Matt.

Jim

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

...

Enough gassing about... good luck with your selection Matt.

Jim

Currently favouring a Bosch four burner stainless cooktop and a Thetford MK3 oven/grill.

The Thetford will have the correct jets but I'll have to source new jets for the Bosch if I buy it second hand as I intend.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by GILow

Currently favouring a Bosch four burner stainless cooktop and a Thetford MK3 oven/grill.

The Thetford will have the correct jets but I'll have to source new jets for the Bosch if I buy it second hand as I intend.

I had a Bosch cooktop for many years (like 15). It was a great cooktop, but the valves finally siezed due to corrossion.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

I had a Bosch cooktop for many years (like 15). It was a great cooktop, but the valves finally siezed due to corrossion.

I think I’d be happy with 15 years. [emoji846]

[El Pinguino]

I just looked at the price of your Thetford/Bosch combo - about $1500. Add another $150 if you want the 'brushed stainless' on the Bosch bit.
Why not just spring for a GN Espace - a drop in the bucket of your total refit costs.
https://gn-espace.com/product/levante-lpg-cooker/
https://gn-espace.com/wp-content/upl...ooker-Test.pdf