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Stove conversion/ upgrade

chefrsp

Richard Pims
I still ha e the original alcohol stove on my 382. I actually don’t hate it, but it’s falling apart slowly and I thinks it’s time to upgrade.
How have you all done this upgrade, pics and details appreciated.
 
Done by the previous owner, a propane stove/oven was installed, and hose run back to the aft locker (fuel locker on the drawings) I installed 2 10 lb tanks in that locker, along with regulator/solenoid valve. After the regulator/valve failing 3 times in 3 years I built a waterproof box for them, and that box is now in the locker.

The hardest part of all that must have been running the hose. I don't know how they managed to fish the hose behind the galley cabinets. It is well secured along the port side back to the locker, and there is a gas-tight fit as it goes through the bulkhead into the aft locker, accomplished with expanding foam. Installing the stove itself seems to be fairly straightforward, but it was already done.

Wherever you choose to mount/store the tanks, there *must* be a vent at the bottom to vent overboard, which makes the aft locker the natural choice, but I think others have built lockers elsewhere and plumbed in a vent. All fittings/regulators/valves must be inside the locker, with a single unbroken run of hose to the stove. A pressure gauge needs to be installed as a way to check for leaks. A solenoid valve needs to be installed so you can remotely turn the tank on and off. Recommended is a gas sniffer that will turn off the tank if propane is detected in the cabin.

It needs to be done correctly, and if unsure get a professional to do it. I was recently sent an article by my mom (who worries too much) of a boat in SF that blew up and sank from a propane leak.

Many people prefer alcohol stoves, and there is a used market from them. So that is an option if you like it and don't want the difficulty of the conversion.
 
Richard
We converted our 1978 382 to propane from kerosene in 1996. As Warren has done, the propane tanks, 2 at 10lb vertical, are stored in the aft lazzerette locker. That locker has a drain hole which is fine for when the boat is sitting still. Once the boat is moving, the stern squats and the drain hole is closed over. We added a second drain hole up close to the turn of the transom (see photos) that stays above the waterline when the stern is squatting. The gap between the lazzerette bulkhead and the deck needs to be sealed with a spray in form to seal it from the inside of the boat. The proper way to do that is to tab the bulkhead with fiberglass but it's a very awkward place to work and the foam does the job. The 4th photo shows the propane regulator, tee to bar-b-que, and the solenoid located just under the lip of the lazzerette locker. They are protected from water leaking in the hatch by a sheet of rubber that is draped over them. We had three fires in the old kerosene stove and we never regret making the change to propane.

Jim15-072 Dana Photos 152011-2.jpg15-072 Dana Photos 152011-1.jpg15-072 Dana Photos 152011-3.jpg089a Dana LP Gas Installation H.jpg
 
I replaced my old propane stove with a Dickinson Mediterranean 3 burner. Great unit. You will have to build shelves in the stern locker. I have 3 squat 10 lb. tanks, two on port, one on starboard. The hatch opening lower lip had to be cut out slightly to allow the tanls to fit in. One of our members had a slick sliding shelf in the stern locker. Maybe Jim Ball on the Mahulia. Check archives for propane installations.
 
I did this project myself as well using the aft locker, and actually ran the hose myself the whole way. Only really difficult part was from the bulkhead aft of the galley to the space behind the stove. It required blindly excavating a path through the ancient foam insulation surrounding the ice box (I mostly used the trusty old disassembled coat hanger that I'm sure you already have at least one of) then slowly and painstakingly working the propane hose through. It was not very much fun, and no doubt further reduced the already poor ice box insulation, but it worked.

Having experienced a rather scary alcohol stove flare-up (on a wooden boat, no less), propane cooking was pretty high on my list of must haves. All in all it is a pretty straightforward project, very doable as long as you follow the extremely important safety guidelines already noted above.
 
I did the same thing as others above. Worked out fine. I have only a 6 lb tank. Your venting is already there but sealing the compartment is not so that has to be done. My two cents would be to not run the propone hose together with either a DC or AC line electrical wire that made be there or for the wire powering the solenoid switch. They should be separated in the event the wire over heats and is not protected at that point by a breaker switch. That would not be good. Not likely to happen but my manual for the propone stove made that a key warning in the installation instructions.
 
When I ran the propane hose from the lazzerette to the galley, it was encased in Interduct. Interduct is the plastic piping that is used in the electrical industry to protect fiber optic cable. Mostly it comes in a corrugated orange. It protects the gas hose from abrasion and nearby heat sourses. John is very correct that any electrical wires should NOT be run near or around gas hose.

Jim
 
if you pull out the galley cabinets outboard of the stove ( doable, but some work--take the fiddles off the counters; cabinet screwed in to fore, and aft bulkheads), you can run the hose behind the cabinet and exit it through the pan cabinet just behind the stove.
 
We are contemplating the same project as Richard (the original post). Can anyone advise me on what stove would fit in the space without remodeling the galley.
Thanks,
Ken
 
Ken

When we switched from kerosene to propane, we went with a Force 10 two burner stove. It was a perfect drop-in replacement. No alteration in the galley was required.

Jim
 
Thanks Jim and Keefer. Measurements for the Galley Maid are:
13.5 deep
21.5 wide
16 high plus 2" guard rail
The Force 10 American compact looks pretty close but the standard looks about two inches higher. I guess that doesn't require any modification to the cabinetry. Thanks again for your help.
Ken
 
Ken

The only measurement that really matters is the distance between the brackets that the stove drops into.

Jim
 
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