[C320-list] Fwd: Replacing Oven/Stove with Storage

[Doug Treff]

When you say "Coleman type stove" I assume you are talking about the green propane canisters. How are they safer than a system that is purpose-built to handle propane with a proper shutoff switch?

The answer is: They are not safer. These green bottles are made of steel, which can rust in a marine environment, compromising the integrity of the bottle. They also have a vent that could expel propane at any time if the pressure builds in the bottle. Another problem: Where do you store them when not in use? They don't belong in the cabin. Propane is heavier than air and the bottles should not be stored below. The built-in system has a proper locker with a drain line to allow any propane that leaks from your tank to escape overboard.

I take a belt-and-suspenders approach. When not using my stove, the valve on the tank is closed, the solenoid is off, and of course, the burner valves are "off". The odds of having a problem at this point are negligible, and as others have pointed out, mostly related to user error. One thing I did add to my boat as an additional safety check - a propane detector in the cabin.

I guess what I am saying is this: if you are concerned about your system, have it inspected and tested by a professional. As long as you follow the safety precautions, the risks are low. And I would submit to you that they are lower than the risks you take by using a Coleman stove down below.

To me, the additional safety issues PLUS having another piece of gear to stow when not in use makes the Coleman stove approach a non-starter.

--
Doug Treff
doug at treff.us

On Mon, Feb 21, 2022, at 3:46 PM, rthruston88 at gmail.com wrote:
> Roger,
> Not sure if you are referring to me or Ron, but we do not have the 
> cabinetry as we are the 3rd owner and it was the 1st owner that took 
> the stove/oven out and then put it back in upon selling it to the 2nd 
> owner.
> Thanks,
> Rene'
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of 
> Roger Nitkin
> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2022 10:19 AM
> To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] Fwd: Replacing Oven/Stove with Storage
>
> Ron,
> Thanks for the information !
> Is there any chance you still have (and don't need) the cabinetry ?
> Thanks again,
> Roger
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roger Nitkin <rnitkin at aol.com>
> To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>
> Sent: Sat, Feb 19, 2022 9:30 pm
> Subject: Replacing Oven/Stove with Storage
>
> During the 5+ years we've owned Summer Time,  we've never used 
> theoriginal equipment oven/stove.I'm not really comfortable piping 
> propane down belowdecks and dealing withtank, lines, and connections. 
> For our simple cooking and coffee making needswe use a simple 
> Coleman-type camp stove. It's easy to set up and use, and can be easily 
> removed from the boat when not needed. It occurs to me that we could 
> remove the whole built-in stove/oven unit, and replaceit with cabinetry 
> for storage, which we could certainly use. We would also be removingthe 
> unneeded weight.
> Has anyone else thought of this, and if so, what kind of 
> storageinstallation did you create ?Thanks !
> Roger NitkinSummer Time1997  #429Westport, CT