CNG Stove

May 31, 2007
762
Hunter 37 cutter Blind River
Is it possible or even wise to convert a compressed natural gas stove and oven to propane? Of course things like dedicated propane locker, regulator and sniffer would be considered. Would the burners need to be swapped out? Anything else?
 
Jan 11, 2014
12,171
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Long ago there were conversion kits available. For the stove itself it was a matter of changing the orifices on the burners. Those days are long gone and the kits are no longer available. Best bet is to replace the stove along with all of the hoses, regulators, solenoid, etc, etc.
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,995
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
The replacement gas orifices may still be available,, we don't know the make/model of your stove.
 
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Jan 11, 2014
12,171
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Nor I! On a boat I am considering purchasing but this could be a deal breaker.
The orifices may or may not be available, I really doubt they are. The other major issue with the conversation is tank storage. The locker must have a drain at the bottom of the locker that goes directly overboard to allow any escaped propane to leave the boat. Most CNG lockers were not built with drain because CNG is lighter than air. If the boat you are looking at is not LPG complaint then you are in for some major work or the LPG tanks can be hung on the pushpit.

The rest of the system, regulator, hoses, solenoid, sensors and such are readily available and relatively easy to install.

Assuming the rest of the boat is acceptable and what you want and the tank locker is ABYC compliant for LPG, then the CNG stove should not be a deal breaker. A new LPG stove will run around $1500 or so and might be a negotiating point. If the locker isn't compliant, the boat would have to be very competitively priced and I would have to love the boat before I would putting in an offer.
 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,769
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
Don't know what the boat is, but you may consider electric induction cooking or an alcohol stove rather than propane. Just throwing it out there....

dj
 
Jun 4, 2024
25
Hunter Legend 35.5 Charleston SC
I just made the conversion on a Legend 35.5. New propane stove and oven, with the 20# propane tank hanging on the stern rail. I made a Sunbrella cover for the tank and regulator, it doesn't look bad IMHO. The problem with converting the CNG stove is you don't have a thermocouple to cut the gas flow if the flame goes out. That is just unsafe. I looked at several other 35.5's this year, all of them that had been converted hung the bottle off the stern. Building in a propane locker is do-able, but only with a small propane bottle....
 
Jan 7, 2011
5,185
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Make that, "non-pressurized alcohol stove."

I like mine a great deal, by the way.
If it is an Origo, they are no longer in business. I had the 2-burner model on my last boat….they are ok...but I much prefer propane.

Greg
 
Nov 22, 2011
1,219
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
If it is an Origo, they are no longer in business. I had the 2-burner model on my last boat….they are ok...but I much prefer propane.

Greg
While it's true they are no longer in business they are not difficult to find on the used market.

FWIW, I ripped out the propane installation on my E26 and replaced it with a 2-burner non-pressurized alcohol. I don't miss the propane a bit.
 
Jul 27, 2013
298
Hunter 37.5 1065 Rock Hall, MD
I still have my CNG stove on my Legend 37.5. I bought one of the adapters from Ebay to fill my own tanks. It is very easy. Much easier than replacing everything to propane. Also, I put a single 350 W solar panel on my boat, with a 3000 W inverter and use a single burner induction hob for all cooking for the past 2 years. I lit the stove once in 2 years. The oven is a storage cabinet, now.
 
Jul 6, 2004
7
Hunter 35.5 Sheboygan, WI
Ben, what exactly are the adapters referred to? Where do you get the CNG supply? Can this be as simple as installing an outside gas BBQ and using the houses gas source for filling the tank. BTW, like a scuba tank I'm sure the CNG tank needs to be periodically certified to hold the pressure.
 
Mar 15, 2016
16
Hunter 37.5 Seattle WA
I can’t answer for Ben, but i suspect he is using what I’ve been using for the past 10 years (link attached). I refill my own CNG bottles (I have 5) at a local station used by garbage truck and other trucking fleets. The stations have dwindled over the years and I’m afraid someday they will be gone. Till then, I have no problem spending a couple of dollars to fill my bottles every other year or so. As far as bottle certification, there are services locally available that do this although I have not done that with my bottles yet. Probably will look into that at the next refill.
 
Nov 22, 2011
1,219
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
I still have my CNG stove on my Legend 37.5. I bought one of the adapters from Ebay to fill my own tanks. It is very easy. Much easier than replacing everything to propane. Also, I put a single 350 W solar panel on my boat, with a 3000 W inverter and use a single burner induction hob for all cooking for the past 2 years. I lit the stove once in 2 years. The oven is a storage cabinet, now.
My previous boat had a CNG stove/oven and at one point I considered getting one of those adapters. But given the pressures involved it gave me the willies. I'm sure they work just fine--until they don't.
 
Jul 6, 2004
7
Hunter 35.5 Sheboygan, WI
I can’t answer for Ben, but i suspect he is using what I’ve been using for the past 10 years (link attached). I refill my own CNG bottles (I have 5) at a local station used by garbage truck and other trucking fleets. The stations have dwindled over the years and I’m afraid someday they will be gone. Till then, I have no problem spending a couple of dollars to fill my bottles every other year or so. As far as bottle certification, there are services locally available that do this although I have not done that with my bottles yet. Probably will look into that at the next refill.
Thank you very much for providing this information.
Norm Searle
 
Jul 6, 2004
7
Hunter 35.5 Sheboygan, WI
My previous boat had a CNG stove/oven and at one point I considered getting one of those adapters. But given the pressures involved it gave me the willies. I'm sure they work just fine--until they don't.
Thank you Ben for the information. Norm Searle
 
Jul 27, 2013
298
Hunter 37.5 1065 Rock Hall, MD
Norm,

Here is the adapter:


You connect the CNG supply hose to one side of the gauge, and the tank to the other. Open the side to the supply first, then open the tank valve. Fill to 1500, then close the tank valve, then the one to the supply. You can go to any Natural gas station.

Ben
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,768
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Is it possible or even wise to convert a compressed natural gas stove and oven to propane? Of course things like dedicated propane locker, regulator and sniffer would be considered. Would the burners need to be swapped out? Anything else?
Dave is right, I doubt you'll find the kits that were offered when most of the CNG stoves were set up. That being said, I easily found the parts to convert my Tasco 3 burner and oven that was set up for CNG, new, in the 90's.

Most of the stoves used generic burners and other parts so your needed orifices will fit many marine/RV stoves. What I needed was available online from a marine stove outfit; 3 top burner orifices, 1 oven burner orifice and one pilot orifice.
Tasco LPG conversion orifices.jpeg



It was a cheap conversion for my situation. I had a deck box mounted (above decks) and found 5 pound LPG tanks fit easily inside.

5 lb. lpg tanks .jpeg


We spend about 40 days and nights onboard in season. The first tank lasts nearly until the end of the season for us and we use the stove 2-3 times a day, even bake quite a bit.

Now I fill the 5pounders at home from 20lb tanks (correctly and with the right equipment). It's a breeze (compared to chasing CNG -supply-tank inspections-etc), and the savings for us being in Maine (150 and need to truck from Mass), paid for the conversion in the first season.