Hi. Just had our first few nights away this year and we had a slight, intermittent problem with the one 'Bright Spark' type single burner gas cooker we took with us. From time to time the suply of gas coming thorugh to the burner would dwindle down to very, very little, causing the flame to burn at a ridiculously low level even when the cooker was turned up to maximum. Tried various cartridges and the problem was very definitely with the cooker not the cartridge(s).
Anybody else had this or got any suggestions for fixing the problem? Or am I going to have to bin the cooker and buy a replacement? Cheers. MT
------------- Tackling life the Western District way
Just a question? was it quite cold outside when you was using cooker?
I once had trouble with very small cooking flame when it was cold one early Easter, but then when the weather warmed up a few weeks later the cooker and flame was great!
Thanks both for the advice! I will have a look and see if I've got mucky jets later today. The problem with low cooking flame was first thing in the mornings, then it was OK later on and in the evenings: so maybe outside temperature was a factor even though it didn't seem to be very cold. MT
------------- Tackling life the Western District way
Had the same problem, it is the ambeint temp affecting the gas pressure, if it's cold it drops and reduces the flame size, try keeping it warm somehow and this should cure the problem.
------------- You can't change the length of your life, but you can change the width and depth
Certainly sounds like temperature to me. If temperature drops to about 5 degrees or less, butane gas has trouble vaporising so you have trouble using it. This is why early or late season, or in winter, propane is commonly used (the red cylinders you see caravanners using) as it vaporises at lower temperatures.
If your cartridges are the type that fit inside the stove horizontally, I'm not sure if any of those type are available in either propane or maybe a butane/propane mix - I suspect not. If so you'll need to use a different type of stove.
You could check out the many single burner stoves that sit on top of cartridges (either pierceable or self-sealing) as some of the cartridges are butane/propane mix, for use at slightly lower temperatures. Or one that connects to a cylinder via a hose, in which case you can use a propane cylinder (with appropriate regulator). Or another option is the Trangia meths stove which of course will work in low temperatures.
I use my flat type stove in all weathers, it's the only one I've got. What I do is warm one gas can between my thighs for a few minutes, put it in the stove, and immediately replace it with another to warm up while I get some use out of the already warmed one. When the flame drops, I swap them around, so I constantly have one in the stove, and one warming. Sounds like a bit of a palaver, but it works, and personally, I just don't want to buy another stove!
P.S. I imagine this would work with other parts of the body too!!
Suzy, that's quite a picture you've just drawn for us! I will try to work out some way of strapping the gas cartridges onto the dog so he can warm them up for us .
It does sound as though the low flame thing was a temperature problem, thank goodness as I lurve my single burner stoves ( we have two) and would hate to have to give up on them. It must have been colder overnight in Cornwall than I realised. MT
------------- Tackling life the Western District way
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Topic: Gas flow on single burner cooker
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