[C320-list] Seward 2 Burner Stove Not Lighting

[Chris Burti]

 You will most likely need to have the tank inspected if the valve is the
old non OPD style (triangular knob, stamped OPD))...you will get the new
OPD valve when you get it inspected.

All propane tanks and cylinders must be inspected and stamped within 12
years of the date they were manufactured, and again every 5, 7or 12 years
after the initial certification date, depending on how they were inspected.

Propane tanks that have not been stamped with a timely date can't be
refilled until they have passed inspection.

   -

   Find the most recent date stamped on the collar of your propane tank,
   and note any letters printed immediately to the right of the date.
   -

   If  no letter following the most recent date stamped, then your propane
   tank was inspected using the external hydrostatic expansion method and must
   be tested within 12 years of the  stamped. date
   -

   If there is a letter "S" printed to the right of the most recent date
   stamped on your propane tank, then your tank was inspected using the
   internal hydrostatic method and must be retested within 7 years of the
   stamped date .
   -

   If there is a letter "E" printed to the right of the most recent date
   stamped on your propane tank, then your tank was visually inspected  and
   must be retested within five years of the date stamped.


Chris Burti
Farmville, NC


On Tue, Jun 6, 2017 at 2:03 PM, Guy Smith <smitski2001 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Just a little segue to a related topic....
> I have the original gas bottle on my '97 and it's getting low...I don't
> think they'll fill it with the old valve that's on it...Can someone point
> me to a conversion kit or info on what to do?
> Tanx,~g
> Guy and Liz Smithsv Pleiades '97 C320 #452Worton Creek, MD, USA
>
> On Tuesday, June 6, 2017, 10:43:46 AM EDT, Graeme Clark <cg at skyflyer.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
> yep, we all better hope it isn't air in the tank because if it is, you
> have a potential bomb!
>
> The nature of propane is that it maintains a constant pressure of gas as
> the liquid gas ‘boils off’ to fill the void. This is why a pressure gauge
> is almost useless as a means of assessing how full the tank is. the
> pressure will remain constant until enough gas has been drawn off, so that
> all the remaining liquid has vaporised and then it will drop quickly to
> zero. (For this reason cylinders used for fork-lift trucks have floats
> inside them that rotate the contents gauge by magnetic coupling (to prevent
> leaks through any mechanical coupling through cylinder wall))
>
> Propane pressure (and butane’s ) is affected only by the temperature of
> the  liquid in the cylinder. As you heat it up the pressure increases. If
> you have poor stove performance in winter some warm water poured over the
> cylinder will greatly help the pressure (if you can get enough pressure to
> get the burner going to warm the water in the first place, of course!)
>
> When cylinders are new (as I understand it) they have to be purged with an
> inert gas (like nitrogen) so that when they are then filled with gas, there
> is zero chance of any air entering the cylinder.
>
> When we change cylinders or when we come back to the boat after a long
> period away we do find it takes a while for the gas to flow through to the
> burners. Presumably as previously mentioned there are microscopic leaks and
> porosity in the tubes that permit the small amount of gas remaining in the
> tubes to permeate out.
>
> We always turn off the gas at the bottle rather than rely on the solenoid
> for this reason!
>
> Graeme
> hull 366, 1996
>
>
> > On 6 Jun 2017, at 15:18, Bev Wright <bev.wright at verizon.net> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for the technical explanation. I may have used the wrong terms. I
> think the guy told me in layman's terms that the propane settles to the
> bottom of the tank as it is used up and when not used such as over the
> winter and left on the boat in the cold, so I got the impression that was
> like a "vapor lock." Again, a layman's term. But what do I know?? I can
> picture that something fills that void above the propane when it gets used
> up, doesn't it? I don't know the definition of "more frequently" but we use
> the system twice a month, so maybe that doesn't qualify. I may also very
> well need a new tank, mine may be 24 years old. I was trying to provide a
> possible explanation about why the stove wouldn't light since it's happened
> to me and air in the tank was the issue. I only do this at the beginning of
> the season to be sure I have a full tank and I don't have a problem after
> that.
> >
> > Bev Wright
> > s/v Whoosh #15
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On
> Behalf Of sholdr at aol.com
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2017 9:34 AM
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] Seward 2 Burner Stove Not Lighting
> >
> >
> > I believe that the concept that "air" collects in the tank is mistaken
> -- The vapor pressure of the propane in the tank to the solenoid valve is
> certainly greater than the tendency for air to enter the system -- thus a
> closed system not allowing air in to that point. Air does not enter the
> tank as it empties.
> > However the hoses/fittings from the solenoid to the burners is not under
> constant pressure from the tank once the solenoid closes the valve -- that
> is the purpose of the solenoid - many potential even minute potential leak
> points exist after the solenoid so that, over time, the propane does leak
> down to atmospheric pressure, and at that time osmosis will tend to
> equilibrate so that air replaces to some extent the propane -- the more
> leaky your piping the more this occurs.  The more frequently you use the
> system the less you notice this --- If it happens every time you daily use
> the system you have a very leaky system...If  you never notice this you
> have a very tight system.
> > We have propane tanks for patio heaters, several gas grills as well as
> the boats -- we never have to have the "air" released on refilling ....
> >
> > Just my 2c
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com>
> > To: C320-List <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
> > Sent: Mon, Jun 5, 2017 10:00 pm
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] Seward 2 Burner Stove Not Lighting
> >
> > I do vent it at the stove …carefully…I don’t recall it ever taking more
> than a minute to vent the air and I have never let the propane run long
> enough to flare up when it finally lights. I have always wondered why I had
> to do this….now I know.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Chris Burti
> > Farmville, NC
> >
> > From: Bev Wright
> > Sent: Monday, June 5, 2017 10:53 PM
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] Seward 2 Burner Stove Not Lighting
> >
> > Just to be clear, I don't vent the air inside the boat via the burners
> if that's what Chris is referring to, although maybe that's possible. When
> the problem first surfaced, I thought I was out of propane but the tank was
> heavy so I was confused.  The hardware guy tried to fill it but it only
> took .2 gal, so something was wrong. Then the guy who knew better told us
> that the tank had to be bled first because propane is heavier than air and
> it collects at the bottom and prevents the propane from getting to the
> burner. So now I take the tank to the hardware store at the beginning of
> every season. I'm amazed at the amount of air that is bled out. Even the
> hardware guy is surprised because it's such a small tank. He watches and
> listens and smells to make sure that he is not venting propane. Then it
> takes less than a gal to fill it but it's propane all the way to the top of
> the tank. Mind you, I cruise at least 10-15 times a season, so the stove is
> used a lot.  If you don't use the stove a lot, the problem could be even
> more noticeable.
> >
> > Bev Wright
> > s/v Whoosh
> > Edgewater, MD
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On
> Behalf Of Chris Burti
> > Sent: Monday, June 05, 2017 10:38 PM
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] Seward 2 Burner Stove Not Lighting
> >
> > My experience is similar except it only takes a minute or two to vent
> the air… I can tell the difference in the sound when the air changes to
> propane, but usually spark the igniter before then…
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Chris Burti
> > Farmville, NC
> >
> > From: Bev Wright
> > Sent: Monday, June 5, 2017 10:33 PM
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] Seward 2 Burner Stove Not Lighting
> >
> > My propane settles at the bottom of the tank after long periods of
> non-use such as after the winter and the tank collects air at the top. As a
> result, the stove will not light until the tank has been "bled" of this air
> and refilled, which takes very little to refill it at that point. I take
> the tank to the local hardware store and it takes maybe 15 mins or more to
> release the air that collects at the top, especially after a winter of
> sitting in the locker. They do it for me because they use a special nozzle
> to release the air.
> >
> > Bev Wright
> > s/v Whoosh
> > Edgewater, MD
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On
> Behalf Of Dave Hupe
> > Sent: Monday, June 05, 2017 10:09 PM
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] Seward 2 Burner Stove Not Lighting
> >
> > Yes Rick.....I turned to the "light" position and held in (tried both
> burners for quite some time) while trying to light with sparker and a
> lighter. However, no indication of propane flowing.  I'll try not turning
> the knob as far, but I think I was within the correct dial range when
> pushing in/holding the buttons to light the burners.  Thanks!
> >
> > Dave Hupe, '94 (hull 332), Holland, MI
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> ———————————————————
> I work irregular hours and often write emails late in the evening and at
> weekends; that doesn’t mean I expect you to do the same; reply when
> convenient!
>
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