propane stove question

[kito]

I installed a 3 burner propane stove in my galley and am trying to figure a way to pipe it up. I have no room for a 20 lb tank. A 10lb would fit but don't want to mess with a locker. I was considering using one pound disposable propane canisters and mounting it outside and have the line come through a waterproof seal. Does this sound feasible? Will a small one pound canister have enough pressure to fuel a three burner stove from a 4 foot long line?

 

[topcat0399]

We use 1lb cans and they work out pretty good (except for the empties waste stream).
They power a burner and a broiler no problem at all. I'm sure one would do 3 burners for several meals.

I set it up so that we attach and detach the bottle with EVERY use and store the partials on the cockpit floor in a little nook under the bridge deck where the keel winch lives.

The stock coleman attachment (with the regulator) from the bottle to the stove was too awkward to handle in our sliding galley so a friend welded us up an appropriate adapter using the stock connector since I couldn't find a commercially made one anywhere.

I'm not sure you want to do any "piping" for this setup. Too many rules and too risky.

FWIW

 

[Ross]

A deck mounted locker for a 10 pound tank would be the safest option. I can't imagine that on a 30 foot boat you can't find room for a two gallon LPG tank.

 

[TFrere]

I made a rack out of stainless steel and mounted a 10 pound aluminum bottle on the stern rails. It sits behind the stern and is out of the way. Here is a photo of it just to the port side of the stern ladder with a sunbrella cover over the bottle.

 

[Delezynski]

Kito,

We went with the 6 Lb. upright tanks. I got a stainless steel fender holder and the tank fits in it just right. The photo below shows it with a white Sunbrella cover on it (right side of photo).

This is a photo of it without the cover.

You can see our full installation with photos at;
http://www.svguenevere.com/prep/proj/stove/

EASY!!

Greg

 

[Bill Roosa]

I also have my tank on the stern. Sits on the port side swim platform step with hose going through the stern bulkhead. Just two eye bolts and a round base plate to hold it in place. Using a cord from eye bolt to eye bolt around the center of the tank to hold it in place. Also have a bicycle lock to prevent theft.

 

[Benny17441]

The stove will operate fine. The pressure regulator will reduce the storage pressure in the bottle to that required by the stove. Years ago I installed a two burner marine stove in a small boat to run on 1lb propane canisters. I do not see the need to run a line to install the bottle outside the cabin. We used a 3 feet propane line to create some separation between the burners and the gas canister. We installed one end of the hose to the stove and to the other end a pressure regulator and an adapter to accept the bottles. We would connect a bottle when getting ready to cook and when the cooking was done the bottle was immediately disconnected. During the connection and disconnection there was never an open flame. We precooked most of our meals at home and just used the stove to heat them up and as a result those 1lb canisters lasted for many days. Just make sure your connections are sound and leak free.

 

[kito]

Lots of good info and ideas here. Benny, your setup is what I originally had planned. Just thought it would violate codes. I like the idea of dealing with just 1 lb bottles and disconnect them when not needed. It's not like I will be cooking all the time anyway. I also have a tankless water heater that will be mounted under the lazarette that will have it's own 1lb bottle. These bottles are cheap and can be bought just about anywhere. Plus I have a filler adapter to fill the empties from my 20lb tank at home.

 

[Johnb]

I have made lots of use of the 1 pound disposable LPG cylinders over the years for barbecues and non marine use but would urge you not to keep or use them inside the boat. Sometimes they don't seal after being disconnected, also I would hate to think of anyone relying on the appliance valve to shut off the gas. There is a reason why the standard is a bottle outside with shut off and marine grade pressure regulator also outside, or in a sealed externally vented compartment.

 

[Bob 04 H260]

I use the one pound cylinders on our BBQ. I try to leave them connected. I find the more often they are taken off and replaced the more often they leak when off. I think refilling them would make the problem worse. If you leave them connected and use a shut off valve for the gas line it might help this problem.

Bob

 

[Benny17441]

There are no codes prohibiting the use of 1 lb canisters inside a boat cabin. As long as you connect, disconnect and supervise the cooking operation it can be considered an attended usage which will be quite safe. While it is true that some canisters fail to seal completely when disconnected the occurrence is rare and there is a telltale hiss of the escaping gas which will prompt removal from and venting for the cabin. The only time we had a canister fail to seal was when left connected to an outboard grill for an extended period of time. Never had a short usage canister fail. We never stored the canisters inside the cabin. Some choose to store them in the anchor locker or on deck. When refilling used canisters it is a good practice to put them in the freezer for an hour or so to get them cold as they will accept a larger volume of gas. In our case we found that a single canister would last so long that the cost of using new ones felt insignificant and avoided the hassle of storing, transporting and refilling empty ones.

 

[zeehag]

hang it off transom like all the other cruisers do.... works and is safe.

 

[Bob 04 H260]

There are no codes prohibiting the use of 1 lb canisters inside a boat cabin. As long as you connect, disconnect and supervise the cooking operation it can be considered an attended usage which will be quite safe.

I think the OP wanted to keep the small tank outside the cabin and run a hose to the stove. It appears you are suggesting he bring the tank into the cabin ?

I don't think the ABYC propane standard (http://archive.org/stream/gov.law.abyc.A-01.1993/abyc.A-01.1993_djvu.txt) differentiates between a one pound propane tank and a ten pound one. It seems all propane usage is to be attended and turned off as soon as it is no longer being used. I don't think there is anything you can do to make bringing a one pound propane tank into the boats cabin in compliance with the standard. The tanks need to be outside the cabin and stored as prescribed in the standard.

I think the problem with one pound tanks that are not attached to anything is a bit of salt water gets into the valve and the soft steel pin and spring get rusty. In my experience I have fewer problems if I leave the tank connected, the tank check valve is then superfluous.

Bob

 

[Benny17441]

The ABYC propane standards apply for a fixed and permanent system installation. In any case they do not constitute a code where modifications by the boat's owner may carry a penalty. The system I was describing was along the lines of what Kito was saying. I do not see the need to poke a hole in the cabin just to have a 1 lb canister sit outside. Having operated such a non-fixed system for a few years I do not see any safety enhancement in having the canister outside where you may now be dealing with hose chaffing and the need to weather proof. Like I said I never had a canister failure from one that was exercised regularly. I agree that keeping the valve protected from water and debri is important. I come from a time where we piped propane into the galley by copper tubing and the reason I may still be here is that we recognized the dangers and were very vigilant when the stove was in use. Keeping the tank valve closed unless in use and using our senses of sight and smell prior to lightning a flame were adequate safety controls. Today's systems are designed supposedly idiot proof for those not fully informed and the worst is that they create complacency which in cases leads to a false sense of security.

 

[Ross]

Small disposable propane tanks are permitted inside buildings. Large refillable propane tanks are never permitted inside buildings.

 

[mitiempo]

I also have a tankless water heater that will be mounted under the lazarette that will have it's own 1lb bottle.

That is a larger problem than the stove in my opinion. The lazarette probably will not drain overboard. Your insurance company would very likely not pay a claim if anything happened. There isn't a surveyor in North America that would pass this either.

There is not a propane instant water heater approved for marine use.

 

[DAVA390]

I`m surprised that freezing a canister before refilling does not hinder the seals working correctly.

 

[Benny17441]

Propane canisters are designed to operate in a wide range of ambient temperatures including sub-zero weather. The gas itself gets very cold as it expands and leaves the canister through the valve. These valves are actually pretty hardy.

 

[Ron20324]

I`m surprised that freezing a canister before refilling does not hinder the seals working correctly.

I put two cans in the boat fridge for a few hours before refilling them from the big tank. Both small ones bubbled/leaked after filling. I quickly put one on the BBQ in hopes it would stop the leak. The other one I let sit out for a week or more to vent, if it continued to do so as it warmed up.

 

[kito]

Has anyone converted a propane stove to butane using the butane canisters?. I have a portable one burner butane stove that works well. Not sure if there is an adapter though. Butane seems to be much safer since it doesn't pool in the low areas. Only thing I don't like about butane is that it burns so cleanly and makes it hard to see the flame especially during the day.