Our galley is equipped with the original Kenyon stove/oven that uses kerosene to feed the two stove top burners and the one burner in the oven. The kerosene tank is pressurized with a hand pump to 10 psig prior to lighting the burners. The burners are preheated with alcohol poured into a cup at the base of the burner and lit. When the alcohol burns off, the burner flame adjustment valve is opened to admit kerosene to the burner. If all works right, a blue flame appears and cooking proceeds. Unpredicatbly, however, the burner flame turns yellow/white as if it is being flooded with kerosene, black smoke/soot then fills the galley. Don't know why it does this. When it happens the adjustment valve does not have much affect. I can only turn the kerosene flow off to stop the fire. Anyone had this problem and can suggest a fix? I'm at the point of getting rid of the stove/oven and use the space for something else. Has anyone shifted to propane or other source of cooking fuel? Can these stove/ovens be converted to propane? Thanks for your help. Mike s/v Charisma 82 H36
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There are many of those stoves
at the bottom of the ocean. Depending on how much you cook aboard the two alternatives that make the most sense are 1) Get an Origo 3000 non-pressurized alcohol stove. It has 2 burners no oven and retails for around $275 in the internet. The model 6000 incorporates an oven but the price jumps to $1,100. 2) If you do a lot of cooking get a propane stove oven combo like Force 10. The cost is around $1,200 just for the stove. The hitch is that you have to install a sealed locker vented to the outside to store your propane tank. West marine sell an LPG locker kit with a 4 lb bottle which incudes the electric solenoid and regulator for $340. We have a propane stove but hardly ever use the oven. If I were in your situation I would get the two burner top and install a small microwave oven in the space below. You can run it of shorepower or an inverter.
at the bottom of the ocean. Depending on how much you cook aboard the two alternatives that make the most sense are 1) Get an Origo 3000 non-pressurized alcohol stove. It has 2 burners no oven and retails for around $275 in the internet. The model 6000 incorporates an oven but the price jumps to $1,100. 2) If you do a lot of cooking get a propane stove oven combo like Force 10. The cost is around $1,200 just for the stove. The hitch is that you have to install a sealed locker vented to the outside to store your propane tank. West marine sell an LPG locker kit with a 4 lb bottle which incudes the electric solenoid and regulator for $340. We have a propane stove but hardly ever use the oven. If I were in your situation I would get the two burner top and install a small microwave oven in the space below. You can run it of shorepower or an inverter.
On my H37C.
We have the Origo two-burner non-pressurized alcohol stove and love it. It easily cooks everything that we need or want from our recipes. The cost of propane and finding a place for a vented locker is not worth it to me. If we baked I might think differently. The previous owner had already installed a 110V dorm fridge in the space. I just installed the Origo over top. The Kenyon kerosene stove sits in my basement. The dorm fridge is a nice addition. It is one amp AC so about 11 amps DC. But it only runs 20 minutes an hour so the inverter easily supplies the four or five amps per hour. Only a little more than the A/B refer in the icebox.
We have the Origo two-burner non-pressurized alcohol stove and love it. It easily cooks everything that we need or want from our recipes. The cost of propane and finding a place for a vented locker is not worth it to me. If we baked I might think differently. The previous owner had already installed a 110V dorm fridge in the space. I just installed the Origo over top. The Kenyon kerosene stove sits in my basement. The dorm fridge is a nice addition. It is one amp AC so about 11 amps DC. But it only runs 20 minutes an hour so the inverter easily supplies the four or five amps per hour. Only a little more than the A/B refer in the icebox.
kenyon stove
Mike: I have the same stove and have used it for 8 years. The problem you describe is due to insufficient heating of the burner. That sucker must be HOT! Put fill the alcohol cup full. It should burn for at least a minute or longer. If you don't get a blue kerosine flame, you have to let it cool and repeat the process, or go to the other burner and start over. This is a great old stove and I will only remove mine when I am no longer able to get parts. That day may soon arrive. Remember: HOT HOT HOT.. RS
Mike: I have the same stove and have used it for 8 years. The problem you describe is due to insufficient heating of the burner. That sucker must be HOT! Put fill the alcohol cup full. It should burn for at least a minute or longer. If you don't get a blue kerosine flame, you have to let it cool and repeat the process, or go to the other burner and start over. This is a great old stove and I will only remove mine when I am no longer able to get parts. That day may soon arrive. Remember: HOT HOT HOT.. RS
It happens
RS It flares up usually after the burner has been lit and the blue kerosene flame is going strong. Right in the middle of my breakfast omelet $%#@$%@$. If I finish the omelet, the galley ceiling gets coated with soot. If I turn the stove off well...it's back to cold cereal. Can't figure this behavior out. I've kept the pressure on the kerosene tank up at about 10 psi. Thanks for the suggestion. Mike
RS It flares up usually after the burner has been lit and the blue kerosene flame is going strong. Right in the middle of my breakfast omelet $%#@$%@$. If I finish the omelet, the galley ceiling gets coated with soot. If I turn the stove off well...it's back to cold cereal. Can't figure this behavior out. I've kept the pressure on the kerosene tank up at about 10 psi. Thanks for the suggestion. Mike
Deep Six is the answer
I finally pulled my kerosene stove out and tried to give it away (no takers) a month ago. For once-in-awhile use it was never satisfactory, and I got tired of scrubbing soot off the overhead. My wife,long ago, announced she would not touch it again after almost losing eyebrows and wondering if the entire cabin would go up in sooty flame. I know. I know. There are skilled people who think kerosene is the only way to go, and I admire them. But I could not manage it. I am currently shopping for a small two burner stove top, probably butane. If we ever set up for distance crusiong, I'll buy a propane stove. At the dock, the microwave and coffee pot work just fine. Maybe it will make a good mooring ball anchor. Sanders
I finally pulled my kerosene stove out and tried to give it away (no takers) a month ago. For once-in-awhile use it was never satisfactory, and I got tired of scrubbing soot off the overhead. My wife,long ago, announced she would not touch it again after almost losing eyebrows and wondering if the entire cabin would go up in sooty flame. I know. I know. There are skilled people who think kerosene is the only way to go, and I admire them. But I could not manage it. I am currently shopping for a small two burner stove top, probably butane. If we ever set up for distance crusiong, I'll buy a propane stove. At the dock, the microwave and coffee pot work just fine. Maybe it will make a good mooring ball anchor. Sanders
I replaced mine with a Force 10
I bought a 2 burner Force 10 stove and oven with broiler after experiencing the same thing you're talking about. My wife said get it out of the boat. I bought the new unit from Sure Marine in Seattle along with the small sealed box and tank. (it's about a gallon and a half) We've cooked on it (mostly weekends) for over 6 months and I haven't filled the propane tank yet. This unit fit in the existing space and works GREAT! Be sure if you go this way to get the special flexable hose for the tank to the stove. It's a custom unit that Sure Marine makes so measure carefully.
I bought a 2 burner Force 10 stove and oven with broiler after experiencing the same thing you're talking about. My wife said get it out of the boat. I bought the new unit from Sure Marine in Seattle along with the small sealed box and tank. (it's about a gallon and a half) We've cooked on it (mostly weekends) for over 6 months and I haven't filled the propane tank yet. This unit fit in the existing space and works GREAT! Be sure if you go this way to get the special flexable hose for the tank to the stove. It's a custom unit that Sure Marine makes so measure carefully.
Another Way of Looking at it
We have lived with a Kenyon kerosene stove and a Force 10 kerosene cabin heater for five years now. Its all about learning how to tame the beast. Preheat and clean fuel is everything. Despite the occasional dramatic flare up when you're on the steep part of the learning curve, kerosene is a much safer fuel than propane. (Why don't you install a gasoline engine converted to run on propane while you're at it? No...I wouldn't recommend that either) Diesel and kerosene (and by the way - that Kenyon stove will burn diesel in a pinch...)are two of the safest fuels you can have at sea. If you must bring propane on board, make sure you follow all rules for propane locker installation and get a good flamable gas detector for you bilge. In addition to being safe and cheap, kerosene (or parafin as the Brits call it) is readily available in all of the 3rd world, whereas if you cruise much past the coast of North America or Europe, propane or LPG is hard to find and you need the right kind of tank adaptors for the gas company to fill your tanks outside of North America. Don't deep six your Kenyon - some Brit or bluewater sailor will be glad to buy it!
We have lived with a Kenyon kerosene stove and a Force 10 kerosene cabin heater for five years now. Its all about learning how to tame the beast. Preheat and clean fuel is everything. Despite the occasional dramatic flare up when you're on the steep part of the learning curve, kerosene is a much safer fuel than propane. (Why don't you install a gasoline engine converted to run on propane while you're at it? No...I wouldn't recommend that either) Diesel and kerosene (and by the way - that Kenyon stove will burn diesel in a pinch...)are two of the safest fuels you can have at sea. If you must bring propane on board, make sure you follow all rules for propane locker installation and get a good flamable gas detector for you bilge. In addition to being safe and cheap, kerosene (or parafin as the Brits call it) is readily available in all of the 3rd world, whereas if you cruise much past the coast of North America or Europe, propane or LPG is hard to find and you need the right kind of tank adaptors for the gas company to fill your tanks outside of North America. Don't deep six your Kenyon - some Brit or bluewater sailor will be glad to buy it!
Jim- what is your method for lighting
How exactly do you lightyours without flareups of bunches of soot? I would like to work out how to use ours without scaring the bejeeus out of my wife ( where upon SHE scares the heck out of me by standing right behind me with a fire extinguisher)- I am more afraid of her and the extingguisher than I am of the stove!!
How exactly do you lightyours without flareups of bunches of soot? I would like to work out how to use ours without scaring the bejeeus out of my wife ( where upon SHE scares the heck out of me by standing right behind me with a fire extinguisher)- I am more afraid of her and the extingguisher than I am of the stove!!
Lighting Technique
I've really been quite successful on the initial light up. The flame adjustment valves for the burners are fully closed. I fill the cup at the base of the burner with alcohol and light it. While it's burning, I prep the Kerosene tank by pressurizing it to 10 psi with a hand air pump. When the alcohol all burns off, I light a match and hold it over the burner while slowly opening the flame adjustment valve. The kerosene ignites and produces a nice hot blue flame. It's after this point that things sometimes get a bit hairy with flare-ups while cooking.
I've really been quite successful on the initial light up. The flame adjustment valves for the burners are fully closed. I fill the cup at the base of the burner with alcohol and light it. While it's burning, I prep the Kerosene tank by pressurizing it to 10 psi with a hand air pump. When the alcohol all burns off, I light a match and hold it over the burner while slowly opening the flame adjustment valve. The kerosene ignites and produces a nice hot blue flame. It's after this point that things sometimes get a bit hairy with flare-ups while cooking.
Mike's right...
I make sure the little cup is pretty well full of alcohol. I usually put the kettle (full of water!) on top of the burner during pre-heat. This prevents 'wasting' the heat, minimizes drafts and reflects some of the heat back towards the burner. When the alcohol flames goes out, I turn the knob gently all the way anti-clockwise. This makes the "pricker" go up through the nozzle to ensure it is clean (read that somewhere...). Then I hold a match by the burner and turn the burner slowly clockwise until it lights. Keep it on "high" for half a minute or so to make sure everything is good. If it flares yellow and sooty - the burner is not hot enough - not enough alcohol, or drafts, or waiting too long to light it after the alcohol goes out. Other that that, maybe a plugged burner nozzle. Force Ten sells parts. One last tip: if the burner is hot, or the adjacent burner is lit, DO NOT TRY TO PREHEAT WITH ALCOHOL - a serious conflagration could result. I have had success preheating without alcohol in these situations (also in rough weather) using a small butane torch directed at the burner head for about a minute or so (you'll have to experiment depending on how hot your torch is...) Good luck!
I make sure the little cup is pretty well full of alcohol. I usually put the kettle (full of water!) on top of the burner during pre-heat. This prevents 'wasting' the heat, minimizes drafts and reflects some of the heat back towards the burner. When the alcohol flames goes out, I turn the knob gently all the way anti-clockwise. This makes the "pricker" go up through the nozzle to ensure it is clean (read that somewhere...). Then I hold a match by the burner and turn the burner slowly clockwise until it lights. Keep it on "high" for half a minute or so to make sure everything is good. If it flares yellow and sooty - the burner is not hot enough - not enough alcohol, or drafts, or waiting too long to light it after the alcohol goes out. Other that that, maybe a plugged burner nozzle. Force Ten sells parts. One last tip: if the burner is hot, or the adjacent burner is lit, DO NOT TRY TO PREHEAT WITH ALCOHOL - a serious conflagration could result. I have had success preheating without alcohol in these situations (also in rough weather) using a small butane torch directed at the burner head for about a minute or so (you'll have to experiment depending on how hot your torch is...) Good luck!
Thinking Back...
I also had to clean the kerosene tank - lot of crud in there when I got the boat and I may have changed the pressure gauge because it wasn't reading accurately. I like to keep between 10 & 15 PSI on the tank. I'll try to find some of the service info I had and scan it in to this site..
I also had to clean the kerosene tank - lot of crud in there when I got the boat and I may have changed the pressure gauge because it wasn't reading accurately. I like to keep between 10 & 15 PSI on the tank. I'll try to find some of the service info I had and scan it in to this site..
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