Gas camping cookers - the risks?

[willk]

I'm curious. (Just curious, before anyone gets excited )

I bought a new camping cooker/grill today in Halfords (50% off BTW - get in there). Like my old unit it cautions against use indoors (tent/house/shed) on the grounds of potential CO poisoning. All fair enough as I plan to use mine in the field, as it were. But maybe one of the gas experts on here - Whisper or Camelgas perhaps - could clarify what the intrinsic risks are with this kit? Is it just that they have less stringent safety standards and "may" generate CO in certain conditions or do they all actually produce a level of CO as standard that is unacceptable indoors? Is it just an available O2 issue?

Like I say, I'm curious...

[mick]

It's for the thick fraternity that use it as a tent heater ! BTW what type

[Poly]

I don't believe they are any different from the gas cooker in your kitchen at home, they take gas (albeit most people burn methane not propane/butane) and burn it either completely to CO2 or incompletely to CO, the chemistry doesn't know whether its a cheap portable or Mrs W's fancy brand. The difference is your domestic cooker is installed in a building built to building regs and installed by someone who knows what they are doing. There is a calculation for installers about how much ventilation is required (I think about 25cm2 for your halford one, if you bought the one google says you did!)- not sure how they deal with that for modern "sealed" homes...

[willk]

Originally Posted by mick

...a tent heater...

What a waste of gas when God* gave us Whisky!

*Via the Irish Monks who brought at least one type of enlightenment to the Western Isles. I'm a strict Whiskaterian - extra rations on a Sunday!

[willk]

Originally Posted by Poly

...or Mrs W's fancy brand. The difference is your domestic cooker is installed in a building built to building regs and installed by someone who knows what they are doing....

Finally, three things you are simply wrong about...

[willk]

Originally Posted by Poly

I don't believe they are any different from the gas cooker in your kitchen at home, they take gas (albeit most people burn methane not propane/butane) and burn it either completely to CO2 or incompletely to CO, the chemistry doesn't know whether its a cheap portable or Mrs W's fancy brand. The difference is your domestic cooker is installed in a building built to building regs and installed by someone who knows what they are doing. There is a calculation for installers about how much ventilation is required (I think about 25cm2 for your halford one, if you bought the one google says you did!)- not sure how they deal with that for modern "sealed" homes...

Thanks for the clarification though - I HAD been slightly worried....

...just not about the methane or the sealed modern home

[Poly]

Originally Posted by willk

Finally, three things you are simply wrong about...

Oh yeah, I meant would be build to building regs and installed by a competent person in the nanny state over the border! Perhaps Mrs W and Mrs P need to talk - the kitchen appliance budget seems to be affecting the "upgrade"

[Ribochet]

I never go anywhere without mine - made my tea tonight on one

[mick]

Jet boil for brew making or MSR multi fuel for a pan for me then if it's cold just bang some petrol in

[willk]

Originally Posted by Poly

Perhaps Mrs W and Mrs P need to talk - the kitchen appliance budget seems to be affecting the "upgrade"

Perhaps you and I need to talk. Missus willk was very grateful for the kitchen upgrade once the financial pain of the willkcraft II had passed...

[willk]

Originally Posted by mick

Jet boil for brew making or MSR multi fuel for a pan for me then if it's cold just bang some petrol in

Aye - for "proper offroad" I carry a Trangia or scab donegaldan's MSR. When "slumming it" off the tailgate or engine lid I prefer to go multiring so the sauce and the entrée are hot at approximately the same time....

[jeffstevens763@g]

Just stick a, c0 alarm in the tent we run 4 burners in our 3 x 3 kitchen in winter all door windows shut not keeled over yet plenty of ventilation or capacity no probs with c0 c02 etc. when I was coal mining we would have 20% methane in layers in the roof we put air movers up and dilute into the general Body of air to disperse.

[camelgas]

OP: I have never tested a camping stove with the combustion analyzer, but would think it would not be brilliant as the flame picture always looks a bit lazy on the ones I have seen working.

Hence the warning about adequate ventilation due to CO.

[willk]

Originally Posted by camelgas

OP: I have never tested a camping stove with the combustion analyzer

You're not a very USEFUL gas specialist

So if I get your drift, you're saying they're sh1t but I'll be OK if I leave the door open...

...if there WAS a door!

[camelgas]

Originally Posted by willk

You're not a very USEFUL gas specialist

more of an oil man these days !.


I have an old one myself but it just sits on the open tailgate of the landy, so fumes not an issue.