Using an Electric Tea Kettle to Save Propane ?

[c.spots]

It takes 10 amps of electricity (12V) to heat a kettle of water from my inverter. My solar panels can put 35 AH into my battery bank.
I put a 110 outlet for cooking in my cockpit. In the heat of the tropics, the boat doesn't heat up from the propane stove.
On the hard now, so all the cooking is electric.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by c.spots

It takes 10 amps of electricity (12V) to heat a kettle of water from my inverter. My solar panels can put 35 AH into my battery bank.
I put a 110 outlet for cooking in my cockpit. In the heat of the tropics, the boat doesn't heat up from the propane stove.
On the hard now, so all the cooking is electric.

Totally meaningless mix of units.

Amps = a rate of current flow

Ah = a unit of energy, current (amps) for a given time.

It likely takes 10 Ah to heat the kettle, not amps.

The solar panels put out 35 Ah per what? Hour? Day? Second? Or is it 35 amps?

[Andrew Troup]

If you have surplus battery charge from solar, I'm guessing the most efficient way to heat small amounts of water would be a 12V immersion element. Virtually ALL the heat will go either into the water, or into the mug to help the water stay hot.

There's no benefit to AC over DC for heating, and no benefit to mains voltage over 12V, except the wires can be slimmer for mains.

[sailcruiser]

What about a 12 volt kettle? Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000AX...4784765&sr=8-7

It might save on the conversion by the inverter. Or perhaps a solar thermos?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0098I...4785522&sr=8-1
SC

[Starbuck]

I'm sure more electricity has been used to create this thread than is every used to boil a liter of water.

And plenty of gas has been expended here as well.

[tamicatana]

For my part, anything that adds complexity and isn't versatile isn't of interest.

A decent enclosed kettle will heat water efficiently, and it will work on stovetop or grill

Don't heat more water than you need. Think how high the heat capacity of water is, and how much energy you can save by heating 'just enough.' Also, the whistle keeps you from heating longer than necessary.

see example pic below of kettle

[Stardate2010]

So, after all this, has anyone mentioned a 1000w microwave on a 2kw inverter taking a minute to heat your cup of coffee??? That's what I will have on my boat for instant heating of food/water/etc... And my battery bank is 10ea 125amp batteries all wired into 3 banks and all wired for 12vdc. I will have(when installed) 4 solar panels each putting out 8 amps into the battery banks with a backup genset to run the rest of the stuff...
Yes, I also have propane for the stove...

[zeehag]

i found propane runs out during a passage uness you have a spare tank. is murphy and the art of coordination.
with 2 tanks, the only fails can be the stove itself and hose...yes they can fail..
i now have 2 tanks and am switching my coleman back up stove to a 1 burner mexistove and sending my 2 coleman stoves to a friend here in town..with the boom gas bottles(lil green ones)....so i will be dependent only on my regular system. oh yes and i am going to make my propane system have aeroquip hosing, not rubber.....

[JanetGroene]

I suggest getting an electric hot plate
The cheap, coil-type hotplates we used in our college days are still available but pay a little more for a good calrod unit. It can be used with a tea kettle, corn pepper, saucepan, skillet, coffee pot, ad inf. It's automatic, thermostatic control, quick and versatile. When you're cruising and paying for electricity anyway, use it to save propane.

[Adamante]

The other option would be an electric induction hotplate. No cherry-red hot surfaces to deal with and a lot more versatile than a tea kettle.

[kombivan]

Originally Posted by Ocean Roads

So I am a full time (dock side) live aboard, getting ready for full time cruising in 316 days.

Here is a thought I have, let me know if I am missing something:
I have around 600 amp hours of batteries, and a wind generator.
Also a propane stove/oven and carry a 10 lbs. tank.
Water needs to be boiled from time to time for soups, tea, coffee, etc.

As long as I have wind and/or the batteries are good, I will use a small electric tea kettle like I used in college to boil water.

The main reason is to save propane when I am in the islands and I am always looking for a way to save a buck.

Am I being too crazy?

Why don't you just boil the water in a garden hose or at least heat it up and just finish off the boiling with gas or electric. what you need to do is fill the hose with water keeping each end up so you don't lose the water out of the hose then just wait about 30 minutes it should be close to the boil 20 minutes will do dishes and 5-10 minutes is about right for a shower the longer the hose the more hot water. I been getting hot water from a hose while camping for 30 years now.

[donradcliffe]

Back to the OP, you will find that the wind generator will not keep up with your electrical needs unless you are anchored in over 20k of wind, which is unusual.

Most of the comparisons between heating water over a propane stove and with an electric kettle assume that you are at the dock, where the electricity comes from a power plant. At anchor, the true cost of electricity will be several times times as much when you factor in the cost of wind generators, solar panels, gensets, etc. If you have already spent the money on solar/wind and have excess power by all means use the electric kettle.

Propane is cheap and plentiful, and 20 lbs (about $20) will last you about 3 months of normal cooking use.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by kombivan

Why don't you just boil the water in a garden hose or at least heat it up and just finish off the boiling with gas or electric. what you need to do is fill the hose with water keeping each end up so you don't lose the water out of the hose then just wait about 30 minutes it should be close to the boil 20 minutes will do dishes and 5-10 minutes is about right for a shower the longer the hose the more hot water. I been getting hot water from a hose while camping for 30 years now.

Most PVC is plasticized with DEHP (Di-2ethylhexylphthalate), which is one of a family of compounds known as environmental hormones. It is an endocrine disruptor, and an analog of estrogen. It's linked with cancer, birth defects, you name it.

There are PVC grades meant for drinking water, and even then I wouldn't drink hot water that passed through it. Hot water is much more likely to leach out the DEHP. A garden hose is not drinking water rated. To knowingly drink hot water that's been sitting in a non-potable grade of PVC hose, is nuts, quite frankly.

Try this : leave water in a garden hose for a day or two, in the sun, and then smell it. It has a horrible, bitter, pungent smell, like acid.

DEHP is most dangerous to children. Europe has been at the forefront of phasing it out in products to which kids are exposed.

[kombivan]

A length of hose is only about $13.00 to buy and no heating cost as the sun can heat it up as long as its full of water.

[kombivan]

and so is diesel hair shampoo petrol vasoline wd40 thinners paint sinkers everything around us has issues but I like a warm shower and I like clean dishes. I also don't drink hot water. But if you have to boil it to purify it for drinking I am sure the impurities will seperate.