Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

[rs2k]

Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin? I'm worried about the fumes.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

Depends on how air tight your cabin is. I used mine the first couple of years before I was able to get into a slip with electric. I used mine without any problems in the past. I would suggest to keep a glass of water handy as it will extinguish an alcohol fire quickly by diluting the alcohol. Keep in mind that with alcohol, you cannot see the flame, so use lots of caution.

I would open a window from time to time to exhaust the old air while letting fresh in. Hope this helps.

 

[Splat]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

To my knowledge burning of any fuel including alcohol will cause a significant risk of carbon mon oxide poisoning, and should only be used in proper ventilation.

Carbon monoxide is a odor less tasteless colorless gas that attaches to your red blood cells and prevents the transfer of oxygen. Its nothing to mess with. The warning signs if one knows what to look for can vary but include blurred vision, headache, nausea, inability to concentrate, loss of fine motor skills etc......

I have to re check my chart but I believe OSHA allows a exposure rate of 80ppm for 8 hours. Here in the mill we routinely see levels over 200ppm.

The problem with carbon monoxide is if the levels are low, say 150-200 ppm the onset of symptoms will occur gradually over several hours and can often be recognized. In higher levels 300+ppm the symptoms can happen very quickly and you just drop. We joke here at work if you get caught in a bad gas pocket and ignore your alarm and don't leave you'll have about enough time to realize you forgot how to lift your legs(from the gas impairment) before you'll be staring at the ground wondering what's happening. In severe cases simply moving to fresh air won't work, the use of a hyperbolic chamber to force the co out of your blood stream is needed.

Its nothing to mess with.

Bill

 

[Jib73]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

After reading some of the previous posts, I'm not sure if Im the guy to take advice from, but here goes. . . I had an alcohol stove in my tiny galley aboard a 1972 27' Hunter and used it for meals and tea for months with no trouble. I felt that it was a safer alternative to propane on such a small vessel, and also readily available. Use the same safety you would for any kind of fuel on board, i.e, don't leave it lying around where it can leak, turn it off as soon as you are finished with it, and certainly keep it away from open flames. I loved the simplicity of my alcohol stove.

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

I`m no expert either, but I know that alcohol stoves used to be fairly common on sailboats.

 

[rs2k]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

I think investing in a CO detector would be a good thing to do then.

 

[MudSkunk]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

if there is adequate ventalation burning 100% alcohol produces carbon di-oxide and water vapor. alcohol fires will only produce carbon mon-oxide if there is not enough O2 present.

if your concerned get a proper ventilation fan. but then i am not a huge fan of open flames on a boat to begin with. no where to run if things go wrong...

 

[Mark42]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

Yes, alcohol stoves are safe for use in a cabin. There should be some ventilation for fresh air as combustion uses up the oxygen. Also, like others mentioned burning alcohol produces water vapor..... LOTS of water vapor. So condensation is a problem in enclosed spaces. Keep a window cracked open or use a proper vent fan.

BTw, alcohol is used in boats rather than propane because the alcohol vapors are lighter than air and will not sink and collect in low areas of the boat where explosions often happen. Propane is heavier than air and will collect in the bilge and can cause explosions.

 

[Splat]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

Learn something new everyday. Very cool, water vapor........ I'll have to remember that.

Bill

 

[dingbat]

Re: Is it safe to burn an alcohol stove in a closed cabin?

Here in the mill we routinely see levels over 200ppm.

Bill

What mill are you talking about?