Taylor’s Cooker & Heater

[sailor_ed]

I lived with a Taylor stove for several years while living aboard in New England. I wrote an article on trouble shooting the burners. You may find it at:

http://liveaboard.sv-moonshadow.com/PRIMUS.htm

Those using the heater overnight might find my air ballast system of interest.

The article is not intended to be a manual but I would be happy to answer any questions that might arise.

Fair winds and clean kero! :-)

[CarinaPDX]

I've relied on my 030 for the last 25 years of living aboard. My backup is an old gimbaled SeaSwing kerosene cooker. There is a learning curve to using them so be patient - the results will be worth it.

A burner should go well over a year, more like two, without maintenance. The first thing is to only use high quality kerosene, clear as water. Any color to the fuel indicates it will soot up. The prickers can stick in a dirty orifice and pull out of their rack, or even bend into a tiny pretzel. You should keep a quantity of them aboard. Depending on the age there will either be another orifice under each burner or a single orifice at the outlet to the tank - they can plug as well so check them. The tool for removing them is like the tool for removing the burner orifice but smaller - buy both. There may be a metal filter housing after the tank - it has a filter element that should be checked occasionally; IIRC this is for the newer design with orifices under each burner. BTW these little orifices are meant to damp down any surging. That's about it short of rebuilding a burner, a separate topic. And it's CW for off, CCW for pricking.

I was able to score some of the last Tilley wicks in England when they were discontinued (about a pound each), although there are new ones now available at an extortionate price. Still, forget all of this other nonsense and get at least two of them. Store them in alcohol (meths) in a small jam jar; when needed just pull them out and clip them on the bottom of the burner and light. When the flame burns low, unclip and use the last of the flame to start the burner. It is much safer than pouring alcohol underway. Just be sure to wait until cool before returning to the jar. You will need to remove the existing cups - good riddance. https://www.ebay.com/itm/TILLEY-LAMP...cAAOSw~gxZrXP6

Invest in parts! Prickers, orifices, flame caps, graphite seals, etc. Also buy at least two spare burners to swap in during rebuilds.

If I can help just ask.

Greg

[AuroraJayne]

I have used a Taylor’s 030 cooker and a Taylor’s 029 cooker for many years. Here are my suggestions:

1. Don’t waste time with methylated spirits, use a propane or butane gas blow torch instead. Far quicker, cleaner, safer, more controlled and you can reheat partly cooled burners.

2. The pressure tank is just that: it can be installed anywhere and at any orientation, within connecting range of the cooker.

3. Use clean parafin.

4. Purchase a spares kit including the burner spanner tool and two complete spare burners. Always purchase or refit the 3 legged burners. For a while, two legged burners were produced. Replace them as they are terrible.

5. If the burner nozzle becomes clogged up it will need pricking. Never do this whilst the burner is hot. You risk breaking or bending the pricking needle. Depressurise the system and prick the nozzle when cold.

6. If the burner doesn’t work or leaks at sea, either stop using it until you are in a safe place or replace the whole burner. Then at leisure learn how to dismantle and refit the pricking needle. There are two types (5 or 6 pinion racks, depending on who manufactured the burner).

7. If you get surging then remove the whole burner and look to see if there is an anti surge gauze fitted in the base. If not, you should buy these small parts and for them. In the meantime you can still use the burner but you may find it annoying.

Always pre-heat the burners effectively before lighting them. Any sign of a yellow flame means either insufficient pre heating or a leak. Leaks can usually be addressed by slightly tightening something. You may need to replace washers etc after some time. Always coat washers in paraffin resistant grease.

Good luck. These are extremely reliable and safe coolers that will never cause an explosion (unlike gas)! Keep your spare blowtorch cylinders on deck!!! Good luck!

[philipmclaren1]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F111943449575

I’m wondering what you think of these burners? They seem to be the same 4 legged as sold by Taylor’s but half the price.

[boatclassic]

there is a Taylor Paraffin owners manual. I've tried to post the address but I'm not sure if it works.

1. Cooker - Genuine Marine Spare Parts with Worldwide Shipping
   
   sparesmarine.co.uk/_webedit/uploaded-files/All Files/Taylors...
   
   Title: Cooker Author: G4 Created Date: 4/5/2007 2:48:30 PM
   
   

[philipmclaren1]

Thank you I have got it and will get it printed off! [emoji3] it will help a lot.

[Kelkara]

Manual for the Heater is available too:
http://www.sparesmarine.co.uk/_webed...n%20Heater.pdf

[philipmclaren1]

[emoji106]

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by philipmclaren1

I’m wondering what you think of these burners? They seem to be the same 4 legged as sold by Taylor’s but half the price.

They look right. There have been a number of manufacturers since Primus stopped making them (this does not appear to be a Primus). Most of my spares were made by Patria, in Portugal, but I believe they stopped some years ago. IIRC they are currently being made in India. The only question is the quality, and at least the one in the photo is nicely brazed so it is probably a good source. The are pretty expensive these days, for no apparent good reason

If I needed new burners today I would probably buy Hanse No. 1 burners instead of the old Primus design, particularly with the Primus at the above price.Optimus 207b burner exploded view Notice that the Hanse doesn't have the extensive brazing, which sometimes is a source of unrepairable leaks. It appears that the maintenance parts are the same; just the body has been updated. The extra mass would require a slightly longer preheat, but otherwise no difference.

Here's a nice article on rebuilding a burner: https://oldfirelights.wordpress.com/...rosene-stoves/

BTW when burners get old the internal carbon buildup reduces the ability to vaporize the kerosene. I use oven cleaner (lye solution) and pipe cleaners to clean them out. Getting the carbon out of the toroidal chamber requires patience, as the pipe cleaners don't reach into it. Ammonia is sometimes recommended, as is very high heat from a propane torch.

Greg

[blackswan]

We have used the taylors 029 and 030 for fifteen years liveaboard. Theres a learning curve but for us and for various reasons we wouldnt use any other cooker.

The Hanse burners are great although expensive, I wouldnt use anything else.
We tried preheating with meths and blow torch and decided meths was better. We use a 10ml syringe to measure the meths (6-7ml when its not cold and a few ml more in winter) and squirt it onto the gauze in the cup.
When you find clean fuel stock up and we have fitted extra fuel pre filters to keep it clean before it gets to the burners.
Generally we find a yearly clean out of the burners to be the norm and/or a good idea when the fuel is clean. If its not clean you will curse ever having one onboard, it got so bad in Greece that we switched to mineral spirits (turpentine/white spirit). This worked fine but its burns the fuel faster so we use'd about 30% more fuel.

Overall for us the advantages outway the disadvantages. Just take the time to learn, use and develop your own system before making a judgement.

[hpeer]

Another Taylor’s user. I’ve 2 boats, each has a cooker and bulkhead heater. Our hunting cabin has a two burner unit with a self contained tank

Hanse burners work great.

Base camp in England is another source of spare parts and Hanse burners. They answer questions and make recommendations. Good folks.

I find they have no problem shipping to the USA for very reasonable rates. A little old school, it so is the technology.

https://www.base-camp.co.uk/

And another potentially useful site.

https://classiccampstoves.com

[hpeer]

And now a question of my own for this assembly of Kerosene fans.

My kerosene is coming out of the burner Brown. I mean really, really BROWN!

I have a water separator filter off the tank, that’s OK. I just replaced the hose from the filter to the stove. When I did this the Kero coming out of the hose was clear. So it seems that it is turning brown somewhere between the hose connection on the bottom and the burner, that is somewhere in the plumbing if the stove.

Baffled.

I’m getting some carbon buildup on the top diffuser that messes with my flame after a while. It scrapes right off and is then fine again for a few days.

But what the heck? Any ideas?

[CarinaPDX]

Is it coming out of the orifice brown? My guess, and it is just that, is that it is from the inside of the burner, or a little before, from deposits left during vaporization. How long has it been since you cleaned out the inside of the burner?

Greg

[hpeer]

The burners are new Hanse burners, new last year.

It comes out of the jet brown. With pressure on the tank remove the burner top/diffuser, hold a paper towel over the burner and open the valve. You will get a jet of fuel. I’m curious what other folks would find. My recollection is it was previously clear.

I’ve a couple of ideas: I use a high temp sealant when assembling the burner, 650°F. That should not get into the flow but I may have fat fingered something. Also I removed the balancing jets and replaced them with some brass mesh, less chance of clogging. Again that should not matter but it’s the only things I have done. It’s really not a big deal, just need to clean off the burner too once in a while. It I don’t like it.

Above someone mentioned having the “special” tool to remove the jet. I have made my own using a 1/2” bolt. I cut a slot in the bottom, think of a BIG straight slot screwdriver slot, using a cut off wheel (Drexel would work) to fit the jet.

As to the pricier, it is part of the rack. This is the most common problem with these burners, the pricked breaks off the rack. Buy a few spare. The racks come in 2 different sizes, count the teeth on the rack to get the right size. I’m not entirely sure it is a big deal.

I inherited some “spare” parts including some old blocked jets. I found that the smallest Ss wire West Marine sells (3/32”?) is just right to clean the jet inside. A single strand of wire will slide through the orrifice nicely. I keep a bit of this wire and a few crimps around for other purposes as well. For example I made loops to conviently lock sea cock handles to meet FL regulations. Handy stuff.

[philipmclaren1]

Hi again everybody.
Thanks for all the good advice, manual links and even step by step repairs guide.
Hi have researched everything got the spare parts etc and ready to attempt again next week.
Can anyone point me in the right direction on where to get the best kerosine in the U.K?