I recently purchased a 35.5 Hunter [1992]. The oven operates off of a CNG system. Its my first experience with this kind of fuel and set up. There is a tank and regulators, flex piping and bunch of unfamilair very ominous looking hardware straight out of a Star Wars movie installed very neatly under a settee. I am afraid to fool with this stuff or attempt to light the Hillerange oven. My own experience has been with a alcohol pod system. Is this stuff safe? How do you operate this contraption? fred M s/v M Squared
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First of all, Fred...
...you have to respect it like any gas. One quality of CNG is that it's lighter than air and disperses, rather that settles in low-lying areas of the boat. For this reason, the tank can be stored in the settee. It is under high pressure, the same as a SCUBA tank and requires the guages and valves that you see. Don't be intimidated by them. It changes the same way a propane tank changes (reverse threaded, ensure valves are turned off and pressure released). A full tank will read 2250 pounds pressure when full. When it gets low, you will have to take the tank for a refill or exchange. You don't really own the tank - it is part of a large pool of tanks that get exchanged for a full one. To buy a spare will cost about $200. You may find difficulty finding a supplier, since CNG isn't as widely used and available. Ask around for a supplier in your area. There are also suppliers that will ship tanks to you (see archives of this site). If you need more info, email me thru the owner's directory on this site.
...you have to respect it like any gas. One quality of CNG is that it's lighter than air and disperses, rather that settles in low-lying areas of the boat. For this reason, the tank can be stored in the settee. It is under high pressure, the same as a SCUBA tank and requires the guages and valves that you see. Don't be intimidated by them. It changes the same way a propane tank changes (reverse threaded, ensure valves are turned off and pressure released). A full tank will read 2250 pounds pressure when full. When it gets low, you will have to take the tank for a refill or exchange. You don't really own the tank - it is part of a large pool of tanks that get exchanged for a full one. To buy a spare will cost about $200. You may find difficulty finding a supplier, since CNG isn't as widely used and available. Ask around for a supplier in your area. There are also suppliers that will ship tanks to you (see archives of this site). If you need more info, email me thru the owner's directory on this site.
I think CNG is the best
I personally think CNG is the very best way to cook aboard. Much safer and the only down-side I have found is that it is sometimes hard to find and pricey to refill. I put up with that in order not to go back to propane or alcohol. If you go offshore, it might be a different story because it is harder to find.
I personally think CNG is the very best way to cook aboard. Much safer and the only down-side I have found is that it is sometimes hard to find and pricey to refill. I put up with that in order not to go back to propane or alcohol. If you go offshore, it might be a different story because it is harder to find.
CNG
My marina also has an exchange program (Brewers Mystic), I think it is becoming more popular. Chris s/v Tidesong
My marina also has an exchange program (Brewers Mystic), I think it is becoming more popular. Chris s/v Tidesong
77 days on CNG
For duration, we went 76 days this summer before changing CNG tanks on our trip to Alaska on our H-35. We don't have an oven so this was a fuel savings, and we maximized the use of an electric hot plate when in port, which was not all that much - maybe 30 days? CNG puts out a nice hot flame and I understand it's hotter than LPG. We carried a second tank along and didn't have to change it until the very last day of the trip. My wife is really good with energy conservation when it comes to cooking with gas and was even more efficient for this Alaska trip because there are no exchange places. I was told by one of the local Washington CNG providers that it's okay to have the tank refilled in Southeast Alaska by a non-licensed firm because there aren't any other options. As it turned out we didn't need them anyway.
For duration, we went 76 days this summer before changing CNG tanks on our trip to Alaska on our H-35. We don't have an oven so this was a fuel savings, and we maximized the use of an electric hot plate when in port, which was not all that much - maybe 30 days? CNG puts out a nice hot flame and I understand it's hotter than LPG. We carried a second tank along and didn't have to change it until the very last day of the trip. My wife is really good with energy conservation when it comes to cooking with gas and was even more efficient for this Alaska trip because there are no exchange places. I was told by one of the local Washington CNG providers that it's okay to have the tank refilled in Southeast Alaska by a non-licensed firm because there aren't any other options. As it turned out we didn't need them anyway.
CNG Sources
Try the following Internet address for local CNG refill sources (they are MUCH cheaper than the cylinder exchange program - I refilled my tank for $.43 - yes, that's 43 cents!). It may require you to make an adapter to fit your tank to their hose nozzle (mine cost about $25), but it's well worth it. You may also find used CNG tanks on the Internet. try http://afdcmap.nrel.gov/nrel/. Good luck, Bud Cook
Try the following Internet address for local CNG refill sources (they are MUCH cheaper than the cylinder exchange program - I refilled my tank for $.43 - yes, that's 43 cents!). It may require you to make an adapter to fit your tank to their hose nozzle (mine cost about $25), but it's well worth it. You may also find used CNG tanks on the Internet. try http://afdcmap.nrel.gov/nrel/. Good luck, Bud Cook
Used CNG tanks? - Caution
If you do find a used CNG tank, there is a caution that you must take. Like SCUBA tanks, a CNG tank must be hydrostatically tested every 5 years. When it passes the test, the test date is stamped into the metal "shoulder" up near the neck of the tank. If it fails the test, the tester is required to drill a hole into the tank to render it useless. So use caution. If you buy a used tank that needs to be tested, the filler will not legally fill it until it is tested. It could fail the test and you will be out your money paid for the test and the tank. Just ensure that the tank has a recent date stamp. BTW, a hydrostatic test is where the tank is tested by inserting it into water and then it is pressurized up to 4/3's of it's rated pressure (2250psi). If the tank has weakened walls and it expands past a pre-determined amount, then it fails the test.
If you do find a used CNG tank, there is a caution that you must take. Like SCUBA tanks, a CNG tank must be hydrostatically tested every 5 years. When it passes the test, the test date is stamped into the metal "shoulder" up near the neck of the tank. If it fails the test, the tester is required to drill a hole into the tank to render it useless. So use caution. If you buy a used tank that needs to be tested, the filler will not legally fill it until it is tested. It could fail the test and you will be out your money paid for the test and the tank. Just ensure that the tank has a recent date stamp. BTW, a hydrostatic test is where the tank is tested by inserting it into water and then it is pressurized up to 4/3's of it's rated pressure (2250psi). If the tank has weakened walls and it expands past a pre-determined amount, then it fails the test.
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