Single burner butane stoves

[LR V8]

I've just noticed that 'new and improved' single burner butane stoves are being sold again. Does anyone know if these have been tested or product reviewed ?

I wouldn't mind getting one if they've been proved safe.

Cheers,

Pete

[rangieman]

I've just noticed that 'new and improved' single burner butane stoves are being sold again. Does anyone know if these have been tested or product reviewed ?

I wouldn't mind getting one if they've been proved safe.

Cheers,

Pete

Im pretty sure they would be regulated very well after the last round of cheapies failed ;)
I still have the one i got about 15 years ago still works a treat and ever so reliable untill the weather and altitude changes then its useless:cool:

[Toxic_Avenger]

Well it now should have AGA certification, so I'd hope the bugs are ironed out.

My understanding of previous failures were due to operator error / stupidity, not spontaneous failures.

I still have my old one, and will continue to use it. And I dare say there would be hundreds of thousands just like me doing the same.

[Ovadahill]

You bet. Still got and use safely both my single and dual burners. It was only because of an oxygen thief that this all came about.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

[Phil B]

My understanding is that the failures resulted from using the burners for tasks they were never designed for, like heating cooking plates twice their size with 2 burners side by side, thus covering both the stoves in metal. The heat obviously has nowhere to go and over heated the canisters. Boom!!
Another problem was using them to heat an oversize pot (600mm diameter) that effectively did the same thing with the same result.


I think they are a great little stove for light demand use. Really handy when camping light but like anything else they need to be used for the task they were designed for.


Only my opinion though.

[Judo]

Well it now should have AGA certification, so I'd hope the bugs are ironed out.

My understanding of previous failures were due to operator error / stupidity, not spontaneous failures.

I still have my old one, and will continue to use it. And I dare say there would be hundreds of thousands just like me doing the same.


My understanding is that the failures resulted from using the burners for tasks they were never designed for, like heating cooking plates twice their size with 2 burners side by side, thus covering both the stoves in metal. The heat obviously has nowhere to go and over heated the canisters. Boom!!
Another problem was using them to heat an oversize pot (600mm diameter) that effectively did the same thing with the same result.


I think they are a great little stove for light demand use. Really handy when camping light but like anything else they need to be used for the task they were designed for.


Only my opinion though.

Ditto.

Some reading here: Portable Butane Stove Explosion Fire Investigation at chemaxx.com (http://www.chemaxx.com/portable-butane-stove-fire-4.html)

I've kept using the 2 we have after reading the stories which essentially confirmed they are safe if used correctly.

[BMKal]

Have never stopped using the old single burner Primus butane cooker that we've had for years. As said above, the "problem" with this style of cooker is more about the idiots using them than with the cooker itself.

When we go camping, we only take a Cobb Cooker and one of these butane cookers. Has always worked for us, and no problem with having to carry a gas bottle somewhere. SWMBO has often said though, that it would be handy to have a second butane cooker, as the Cobb and a single burner, or just the single burner on its own when we don't light up the Cobb, is not enough.

So I got this from BCF last week ...................

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/12/658.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

[trout1105]

I still have one of he older model single burner Butane stoves and I still use it occasionally However I do find that there is an issue when you push he lever down that connects the gas bottle, As sometimes it doesn't seal very well and the leaking gas does ignite occasionally.
I haven't had this problem with the new design units and at about $20 a pop they are a dirt cheap and reliable stove.
I have a pretty much brand new Colman twin burner sitting in the shed that I no longer use because these little single burners are far easier to set up and the disposable gas bottles are available pretty much anywhere.
The Only thing that I don't like about them is that on an extended trip the dirty gear bag on the back of the truck ends up pretty full of the empty gas cans.

[cuppabillytea]

I used one a few weeks ago. It did the job but only just. Any kind of breeze and it struggled. If you were stupid enough you could still blow yourself up with it.
I think I'll take a mini Webber next time and save the Butane for the Billy.

[trout1105]

It did the job but only just. Any kind of breeze and it struggled

I use the plastic box that the stove comes in as a windbreak and it seems to do the trick [thumbsupbig]

[austastar]

The Only thing that I don't like about them is that on an extended trip the dirty gear bag on the back of the truck ends up pretty full of the empty gas cans.

Hi,
Crush them after puncturing to remove any remaining gas.
Better that than uncontrolled crushing in a rubbish truck.

Cheers

[trout1105]

Crush them after puncturing to remove any remaining gas.

Good idea, I will do that next time [thumbsupbig]

[jx2mad]

It is my understanding that propane stoves have been banned. If so why are they still on the market?

[jonesfam]

The import of them was halted for about 18 month. They were slightly re-designed & had extra warning labels put on them & are now allowed to be sold again.

They are quite popular out here & it was a pain when we could not get them, we have had them again for about 12 months.
Some brands can no longer be sold in Aus.

Jonesfam

[Toxic_Avenger]

Not propane.
Some BUTANE stoves which were not compliant with AGA standards, particularly the lunchbox style ones which are now sold because they are compliant.

NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA & NT Ban Butane Cookers | Lunchbox Cookers | Video | ELGAS - LPG Gas for Home & Business (http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/1419-nsw-bans-portable-butane-stove-cookers-lunchbox-cookers)

ACCC Recalls Portable Butane Stove Cookers | Lunchbox Cookers | ELGAS - LPG Gas for Home & Business (http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/1461-accc-recalls-portable-butane-stove-cookers-lunchbox-cookers)

[cripesamighty]

The small butane stoves were banned for a time but I gather it was mostly due to user error - not so much an inherent fault with the units. If used to specs, they are safe enough. Just don't put massive pots and pans on top of them or double them up.

[donh54]

They were banned because (in part) some people from the shallow end of the gene pool were sitting them on top of a household gas ring, and lighting both (!) to try and emulate a wok burner. True story!!!
Part of the recall was because those incidents caused house fires.
So the nanny state is protecting us from imbeciles like that. Personally, the sooner they removed themselves from the gene pool, the better.

[trout1105]

They are a fantastic little stove.
The old ones had a problem where the gas canister connected up badly and leaked gas and it ignited, That has now been fixed in the new models [thumbsupbig]
I still have a couple of the old ones and are just fine as long as you make absolutely certain that the gas canister is correctly seated.
The other problem with the old design was people stupidly put hot plates on them which superheated the gas canister and it exploded, The new design has a raised area over the canister to prevent a hotplate from being used (hopefully).
As with All gas appliances these stoves have to be treated with respect and used in accordance to the directions and if you start doing stupid things with them you WILL get hurt.

[austastar]

Hi,
The new cannisters have a pressure relief seal that will avoid rupturing the metal cannister completely.
They now just jet a huge flame if over heated and the escaping gas ignites.
Treat with care and common sense to avoid frantic times.
Cheers

[loanrangie]

I'll keep using my 20yo stove because i have some common sense.........sometimes [bigsmile].

[PhilipA]

The old ones could also explode if the trivet was not flipped from the storage position to the usage position, as I saw happen to a club member, who was perhaps from the shallow end.

Regards Philip A

[Tins]

The old ones could also explode if the trivet was not flipped from the storage position to the usage position, as I saw happen to a club member, who was perhaps from the shallow end.

Regards Philip A

I have three of the things, all great. Mine you can't operate the lever to open the gas bottle if the trivet is inverted.

Things are useless if there's a breeze though.

[Toxic_Avenger]

The new cannisters have a pressure relief seal that will avoid rupturing the metal cannister completely.

My understanding is that these pressure relief valves do not work correctly when the relief valve is submerged under the liquid level. ie used horizontally.
Same concerns for transporting other packaged liquified gases (ie acetylene, CO2, or LPG)- the fail safe is inoperable if it's laying horizontally.

[123rover50]

I find the portable Butane stove to be OK up here in QLD except on a cold frosty morning. Its weak then.
The Propane stove does not seem to have this problem.

Keith

[austastar]

My understanding is that these pressure relief valves do not work correctly when the relief valve is submerged under the liquid level. ie used horizontally.
Same concerns for transporting other packaged liquified gases (ie acetylene, CO2, or LPG)- the fail safe is inoperable if it's laying horizontally.
Hi,
I think the saftey device is the round rubber seal going around the nozzle. I'm not certain of exactly how it works, but the position of the canister is keyed to position the rotation to a fixed angle, so a presumption would be that this would be a safety strategy.
Cheers

[Toxic_Avenger]

I see, more likely than not has a dip tube for the safety release valve then, if it's keyed.

[austastar]

Hi,
I should degas an empty one some time and check that.

I'm told that the saftey valve in lpg cylinders will only function for the vapour above the liquid, thus the requirement to have differing cylinders for dispensing liquid via a dip tube rather than the (shall we say backyard?) method of inverting the vapour (normal) cylinder to achieve a liquid delivery.

I don't have a good grasp of the physics of liquified gas storage, despite having a few mates in the industry.

Cheers

[Toxic_Avenger]

Be careful if you do pull one apart. Even 'empty', if it blows, you won't have much of a hand left. [wink11]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM0jtD_OWLU

You can see the pressure relief valve working in the above video.
Some cylinders use a fusible plug (acetylene for example)- once the lead core melts away, it's not going to re-seal. Others use a burst disc.

Only differences between a gas withdrawal LPG cylinder and a liquid withdrawal cylinder is the dip (eductor) tube, and the valve type.

[Tins]

Be careful if you do pull one apart. Even 'empty', if it blows, you won't have much of a hand left. [wink11]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM0jtD_OWLU

You can see the pressure relief valve working in the above video.
Some cylinders use a fusible plug (acetylene for example)- once the lead core melts away, it's not going to re-seal. Others use a burst disc.

Only differences between a gas withdrawal LPG cylinder and a liquid withdrawal cylinder is the dip (eductor) tube, and the valve type.

Saw a metre deep crater caused by someone chucking an empty aerosol can on a bonfire once. Taught me to tread warily around disposable gas cylinders. Don't ask me about the Oxy cylinder torpedo. One reason you aren't suppose to lie them down.

[Toxic_Avenger]

Other than stability concerns, it is acceptable to lay an oxygen cylinder down if it cannot be safely secured upright. As long as the valve is not likely to be damaged in the case of an accident (usually this means the base of cylinder to the headboard of the vehicle). Oxygen is not a liquid under compression at normal temperatures (ie in an industrial cylinder).

I have heard of a TAFE which was near a body of water... after losing a few hundred cylinders, it was found that the kids were shearing off the valves and skipping them across the lake [biggrin]

[Wraithe]

Aerosol can in a fire can be fun...
hmmm, body odour spray is the best, spray perfume stinks too much, bit like the old Brut33...
Paint cans can be fun but place them in hot tube, the correct way up and you get pretty patterns for 10 _+ metres...
Aerostart goes bang, but not as good as body spray...
CRC, WD40, etc, is just a waste...

Never tried a butane can tho... Maybe my son will... oh and half empty to empty is better except full body odour spray...

Do not hang around if you haven't seen the results before, they will send all sorts in all directions, but they wont leave a huge hole in the ground, have to be a fairly large tank for that...

Gas bottles/tanks have burn off(pressure relief) valves, once the heat creates x amount of pressure it releases its contents, this will happen on and off while the heat continues, once the container gets below about 10% it will explode.. The idea is to get the heat down before it loses the contents to the 10% level... Most gas containers only hold 80% content levels...ps, Bulk transport requires a vehicle to load below 20% or above 80%, the same as liquids... That reduces movement and weight transfer... If you see any bulk carriers, ie fuel tankers, gas tankers, cement tankers or agitators, remember they may be in between those points between deliveries, you cut them off, they'll leave a mess...

LPG is liquified under pressure, the bottle standing up is the only way to use as the liquid releases gas to the upper part... If you invert the bottle you will release the liquid, which will expand but not burn til its diluted enough to do so...But inverted, you can fill you smaller bottles, ie from 45kg to 9kg/4kg/0.8kg bottles(there are bottles designed for decanting, they are used upright but no good for connecting to an appliance)... you need a filling kit and I think most states require you to be licensed in some form....

Many years ago, at a place called Sandfire, there was an Oxygen bottle near the bowsers, it had peeled open after falling off a truck(Ithink about 5 fell off), this particular bottle had blown the side out, another the nozzle came off and over took the truck... Pretty volatile is oxygen but not as bad as Hydrogen...

Now onto the butane stoves, I wouldnt leave home with out it, and when I forget to buy lpg for home, its my life saver... I can tell you that a complete stove, with bottle still in and place in the plastic container it came in, does not explode when run over by Roadtrain weighing 96.5 tonne, in fact 11 sets of duals can go over it and it just appears from last axle about 10mm high, no bang... I was following a friend out of a bin and he forgot his stove, well it was a bit of a flat day after that...[happycry]

Sadly they had recalled all the stoves only a day before hand, poor fellow was devastated, so I gave him my backup one... He treasures, but he is on a policy to ensure a photo if he forgets it when driving off...

[jonesfam]

I have three of the things, all great. Mine you can't operate the lever to open the gas bottle if the trivet is inverted.

Things are useless if there's a breeze though.

You can buy a fold flat wind barrier for them from camping stores.
Mine was about $12 & is very effective at preventing the breeze blowing the flame about. They cook a lot faster when the flame is somewhere near the pot.

[trout1105]

You can buy a fold flat wind barrier for them from camping stores.

I just use the plastic carry case that comes with the stove as a wind barrier [thumbsupbig]

[Graeme]

Things are useless if there's a breeze though.Also quite useless in cold weather.

[Tins]

Also quite useless in cold weather.

I used to use mine up at Hotham, but I had to bring it inside the coach or it would use a whole gas bottle to make coffee.

[PhilipA]

I have never used one because IMHO they are just too big for the desired use.

While I have a camp kitchen on my camper trailer , I have a folding Korean small stove which fits in a plastic box about 100x100x60, and uses a screw on canister. It is easily stable enough to put a say 20CM pot on .

Yes the aerosol type cylinders are cheaper, but the screw on disposable can also be used with my tiny Coleman lamp which is used at a camp fire or for ambience.
So 2 functions .
Regards Philip A

[mattims]

Interesting, I've had one of these stoves for a few years now. It got given to me as a safety prize at work .. 3 million hours lti free .. some sort of irony in that I guess.

Just discovered it is pretty useless in cold, was probably 4 or 5 degrees this morning when I got up and even a brand new bottle would barely hold a flame.

The propane/butane mix stove didn't have any problem at all, and just the heat from my hands (which was not much) made the butane one work a bit better. Seems to me like I needed a pot too big that would heat the canister to make it work.

I actually only use the butane only stove for when I don't want to burn things because my propane/butane mix one is really small and makes one really hot spot on the bottom of a pan. Much faster than the butane one for boiling water though, just a bit fiddly to simmer or cook things slowly.

[Tins]

If I was out there a lot I'd probably chase up something like JetBoil.

[trout1105]

In another life I have used small pieces of C4 to boil a billy, Super fast.

[Tins]

In another life I have used small pieces of C4 to boil a billy, Super fast.

That would definitely do it!

[loanrangie]

That would definitely do it!


Probably froth your milk at the same time .