Cleaning a pressure alcohol stove

[Tim Haibach]

I wanted to find what other sailors are using to clean these types of stoves, especially the burners and feed lines. I have an original stove that is 21yrs old and don't know if it has ever been cleaned. I am planning a multi-day trip in mid-April and wanted to use this stove as backup in the event something doesn't work on my brand new coleman 2 burner. After watching it being lit once, there's no way I plan to use this stove unless it were absolutely necessary.Eventually it will be replaced with a non-pressured one like Origio, but it has to wait until priority one items (engine, rigging) are replaced first. I think the stove is made by Princess on my Catalina 27.

 

[grigs]

Lighting ( Its an experience >?/#* )

Jackhartjr. gave me a great site to go to ( www.spirtburner.com) They are not that bad if you follow directions Grigs

 

[Fred]

Use some of the alcohol fuel to clean it, or

soap and warm water. The best way to clean the burners is to fire 'em up and get them red hot.To be friends with a pressure alcohol stove (or the pressure kerosene version, which I like a lot better) you just have to understand that the burner has to preheat enough to vaporize the fuel as it goes through the burner.Let out a bit of fuel, light it, let it burn almost out, and open the burner a little. If it flares up, turn it off until it almost goes out. Repeat until you get a blue flame.Remember; You can put out an alcohol fire with water! Not so with kerosene or propane.

 

[Benny]

Salt water

Threw the last one I had overboard and made a propane installation.