Gas Explosion

[Cuttyhunk]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Thanks for the update Beth. I may be mistaken but I think you are speaking of the old crappy pressurized alcohol stoves. Also, now you say you scrapped it but here's a quote from your post:

"I guess I should have put the origo on craigslist instead of in the dumpster, huh. I can hardly believe there is still a market for them."

Ya can't have it both ways gal. I'm calling BS.

It was a non-pressurized Origo -- yes, I know the difference -- and it was standard equipment on both of the Pearson 27s I have owned, one a 1987, and the other a 1988. Not a new technology at all. Maybe you should have checked Craigslist when buying yours!

Dumpster, trash, scrap… apologies because I can't actually remember for sure where it ended up when I got rid of it. It went right around the time I gathered all the old metal stuff my husband was saving for the apocalypse. What is important to me is that it is gone, gone, gone out of my garage where it hung around for a while. I stand by my opinion that Origo non-pressurized alcohol stoves are not good for cooking. I am not much for BS but I sure read some around here.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Thanks for the update Beth. I may be mistaken but I think you are speaking of the old crappy pressurized alcohol stoves. Also, now you say you scrapped it but here's a quote from your post:

"I guess I should have put the origo on craigslist instead of in the dumpster, huh. I can hardly believe there is still a market for them."

Ya can't have it both ways gal. I'm calling BS.

I'll second that interpretation.



-Sven

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by bethflkys

It was a non-pressurized Origo -- yes, I know the difference -- ... Maybe you should have checked Craigslist when buying yours!

Dumpster, trash, scrap… apologies because I can't actually remember for sure where it ended up when I got rid of it. It went right around the time I gathered all the old metal stuff my husband was saving for the apocalypse. What is important to me is that it is gone, gone, gone out of my garage where it hung around for a while. I stand by my opinion that Origo non-pressurized alcohol stoves are not good for cooking. I am not much for BS but I sure read some around here.

I agree with the Craigslist comment. There were none available when I bought my new singleburner Origo for half of retail on ebay. It was missing the knob.

Today, however, there is a double on CL for $100 bucks. I'd have popped for that but the single is all I need. The better news is the same seller has a deep sink for $25, so all to the good, and I'm starting out shiny clean and new.

I just had a great breakfast of hash browns/onions/cat sausage and coffee. It was pretty great with nothing not to like about the stove. I guess my real thinking is as much as I like propane's utility, it's not as safe when building a cheapo set up. A real cook would doubtless want a pro-type install and make good use of it.

My real objection to your post was the mere fact that one could toss something like this into a dumpster. My new single burner weighs about 10#. There's some real steel there and not the Chinese variety. Even the old CRAPPY pressurized stoves were so well made I could never toss one in the trash. I'd guess I've re-gifted five of them over a life time of small boat ownership. There's a nearby junque shoppe that has 3 of them right now @$150 per!

As I have changed boats, I've come across many items too good to toss and not worth a garage sale effort. I have found leaning them on trash receptacles near the anchorage has resulted in a rapid redistribution of wealth. My President would be proud!

What's for lunch?

[klmmicro]

Quick note regarding my install info - It would appear that with pressure fitting used in soft line builds, doping is NOT advised. I install propane HOME systems with hard lines and we do dope those fittings. Sorry for any confusion my comments may have caused.

[SVRapture40]

As for pipe dope vs Teflon tape - I used pipe dope on a recommendation instead of Teflon tape. I had quite a few fittings go together to build what I needed and had nothing but trouble with numerous joints leaking. I switched one of the leaking joints out with Teflon tape and it sealed immediately. So I bought all new fittings because I couldn't get them all apart and put them together with Teflon tape. Not a single leak on the first try. NEVER again will I waste my time and life on pipe dope.

Sorry about the hijack of the thread, but I just couldn't let someone else experience the problems that I went through.

[belizesailor]

A boat here on the Rio Dulce blew up early yesterday AM. Sunk the boat, badly injured the owner, damaged nearby boats. A sobering reminder of how dangerous propane can be and how important it is to properly install and maintain these systems.

And how important it is to turn off the solenoid after each use. This explosion was apparently caused by a hose damaged by a rat.

http://riodulcechisme.com/index.php?...=1155&Itemid=1

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by SVRapture40

As for pipe dope vs Teflon tape - I used pipe dope on a recommendation instead of Teflon tape. I had quite a few fittings go together to build what I needed and had nothing but trouble with numerous joints leaking. I switched one of the leaking joints out with Teflon tape and it sealed immediately. So I bought all new fittings because I couldn't get them all apart and put them together with Teflon tape. Not a single leak on the first try. NEVER again will I waste my time and life on pipe dope.

Sorry about the hijack of the thread, but I just couldn't let someone else experience the problems that I went through.

A common mistake is putting teflon tape or dope on the threads of a joint that does not seal on a tapered thread. If the seal is done on a cone or ferrule (like the fittings at the bottle), the thread should be left clean, as bits of tape easily get into the joint and ruin the seal.

Tape and dope : tapered threads only.

Always cringe when I see regulators installed on gas bottles with tape on the thread.

[Tx J]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

A boat here on the Rio Dulce blew up early yesterday AM. Sunk the boat, badly injured the owner, damaged nearby boats. A sobering reminder of how dangerous propane can be and how important it is to properly install and maintain these systems.

And how important it is to turn off the solenoid after each use. This explosion was apparently caused by a hose damaged by a rat.

riodulcechisme.com - s/v Panacea explodes, Richard hospitalized, Updated

Dang scary pictures at that link.
Very ironic adverts on the sidebars too, like for freshly filled FIBERGLASS propane cylinders: "Filled & Ready for use", and medical services (gotta luv der Google ads). Downpage there is an advert for a local marine/comml/resid electrician named Richard, same as the injured sailor; same person?
Hoping he recovers without too much physical damage beyond the vaporized boat.

If the root cause was a rat gnawing on a propane hose it might be a good idea to have a rat terrier aboard, or a cat.
But Blue Crab upthread at#108 wrote about cooking breakfast and having: "I just had a great breakfast of hash browns/onions/cat sausage and coffee.". !?"cat sausage"?!?!, which I'm not familiar with, so the little booger might be at some risk on the docks or shoreside.

I believe I'll stick with my microwave oven for now, it does it all (well, almost all, as far as my culinary skills go anyway).
Whirlpool 0.5 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave in Black-WMC20005YB at The Home Depot

[colemj]

Sadly, Richard did not survive the explosion in the Rio Dulce.

Mark

[gonesail]

for the mechanically inclined you should test the solenoid and the hoses with leak tests every year or so. this requires a pressure gauge at the solenoid.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by colemj

Sadly, Richard did not survive the explosion in the Rio Dulce.

Mark

Sorry to hear that. Given the damage done its amazing he intially survived the blast. Last I heard he was in ICU in the City. Guess Chisme has not updated the story yet.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Tx J

Dang scary pictures at that link.
Very ironic adverts on the sidebars too, like for freshly filled FIBERGLASS propane cylinders: "Filled & Ready for use", and medical services (gotta luv der Google ads). Downpage there is an advert for a local marine/comml/resid electrician named Richard, same as the injured sailor; same person?
Hoping he recovers without too much physical damage beyond the vaporized boat.

If the root cause was a rat gnawing on a propane hose it might be a good idea to have a rat terrier aboard, or a cat.
But Blue Crab upthread at#108 wrote about cooking breakfast and having: "I just had a great breakfast of hash browns/onions/cat sausage and coffee.". !?"cat sausage"?!?!, which I'm not familiar with, so the little booger might be at some risk on the docks or shoreside.

I believe I'll stick with my microwave oven for now, it does it all (well, almost all, as far as my culinary skills go anyway).
Whirlpool 0.5 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave in Black-WMC20005YB at The Home Depot

Yes, sobering pics for sure.

Nothing wrong with fiberglass tanks. These exact same tanks are sold by West Marine and Defender in the USA. Meet all DOT standards.

Not the same Richard as the electrician.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by gonesail

for the mechanically inclined you should test the solenoid and the hoses with leak tests every year or so. this requires a pressure gauge at the solenoid.

When you do have the pressure gauge, doing a quick leakdown test every time you swap bottles is easy and well worth doing!

There's a hint there...

Jim

[Tx J]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yes, sobering pics for sure.

Nothing wrong with fiberglass tanks. These exact same tanks are sold by West Marine and Defender in the USA. Meet all DOT standards.

Not the same Richard as the electrician.

I was thinking of a thread (here on CF, IIRC) about an FRP propane tank recall that eventually tubed the company making them (think it was in TN). There had been some documented standards failures, and a bunch that weren't, and it was a PR disaster; and not the least, some accidents.
I've got an older alchohol stove but don't use it, much prefer the microwave; cheap 'n dirty, no hassles.
At home, outside, away from the house, the BBQ is propane fired. I know they can be made 'pretty' dang safe; but having seen stuff like this before, I'll pass on propane aboard.
One of my kids is a bit of a culinary snob, sniffs about microwaved food, but she's also gearing up for a $50K+ wedding (my guesstimate by doubling the illusionary $25K one, hehe), so there goes the boat bucks this year.

[Nicholson58]

We don't often have the choice with a lot of purchased valves etc., but where I work, we do not permit tapered threads on combustibles or hydraulics. We always specify SAE O-Ring seal straight thread fittings, BSP straight thread with bonded seal washer or JIC 37 degree flare. I prefer flare since the seal is all metal and no dope or tape is used. I carry the flare tool and a bender. Also keep in mind that the run from the tank through the vessel to the destination must be unbroken (no joints), & I think only metal is permitted for this (soft copper). All penetrations from your gas bottle locker must be sealed. All this aside, if you don't turn off the tank valve when you are not using the gas, you are spinning the roulette wheel.