Pressurized kerosene tank question

[Haiku]

I have an old Force 10 kerosene heater. I've tested it and it works. The only problem is that the pressure relief valve on the tank leaks. I've taken it apart and cleaned it but it still leaks. I've tried looking for parts but no one makes them anymore.
I have read that people just use pressurized garden sprayers as tanks. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what type? I only need a 1gal tank. Poly or stainless? I will be using it very infrequently so it would be easy enough to only fill it when I need it, therefore there wouldn't be kerosene sitting in the tank for extended periods.

Thanks!

 

[Glyn Judson]

Pressure valve woes.

Dear friend, I wish I could help in your search more but alas, I can't. Given that those wonderful heaters were made right down the road from you in Richmond BC, I wonder if there might still be a small chance that a local independent chandler would have one in their back room? Lam Marine Supplies looks like a good start: http://www.yellowpages.ca/search/si/1/Ship+Chandlers/Vancouver If you do end up using it in your boat, let me pass on a tip to lengthen the life of your heater, one passed on to me by a guy on the Force 10 staff. The official instructions recommend that after each use, the fuel control knob be turned past full in order to enable the "pricker" to clean carbon deposits from the orifice. Having owned one of these heaters in my previous boat (have the propane one in our present boat now) and having replaced numerous prickers and orifices, which prickers eventually jam in the orifice, I got the following tip. First of all, never risk using the pricker, instead turn the flame to the full position immediately prior to turning the heater off and with that flame ablaze, tap the burner five or six times with a small tool such as a screwdriver, kitchen knife or similar. Proof that you have done it sufficiently will be in the form of minuscule amounts of burnt carbon floating up above the flame. Following that, immediately shut the burner off. I guarantee the aforementioned method to work which will preserve your orifice, which is probably also not replaceable. Hint: Because I wanted a saltier look, I used 3/4" copper pipe for the stack. I had to shim the heater nipple with brass shim stock to get a good fit for the copper pipe but beyond that it held up just fine for the six years we owned the boat. Cheers, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

 

[Haiku]

Thanks for the info, Glyn.
I contacted Dickenson a while back and they said they don't deal with anything like that anymore. I got several different numbers and names and eventually ended up back at the beginning.

I actually like the idea of the garden sprayer. It has a built in pump and they're cheap. I think I'll try a plastic one first. As long as it doesn't leak, I think it will be fine. Especially since my boat is generally in pieces and not useable when the weather is cold enough to warrant using a heater.

 

[ignacio]

I had a 1.5 pressurized kerosene tank as well....still have it actually, but it also leaked. I ended up buying the 2 gallon stainless tank from Dickenson and installed the 2psi pump to feed the heater. Works great.

Thanks for the info, Glyn.
I contacted Dickenson a while back and they said they don't deal with anything like that anymore. I got several different numbers and names and eventually ended up back at the beginning.

I actually like the idea of the garden sprayer. It has a built in pump and they're cheap. I think I'll try a plastic one first. As long as it doesn't leak, I think it will be fine. Especially since my boat is generally in pieces and not useable when the weather is cold enough to warrant using a heater.

 

[Haiku]

I ended up trying out the heater this past weakened and it worked. I don't remember doing this, but it looks like I put Teflon tape on the flared fitting from the tank to the heater. I think this may have been where it was leaking from as well as the relief valve. Neither are leaking anymore so it looks like problem solved.

Now for my next question. What type of fuel to use? I've read several different suggestions. Kerosene, kerosene with mineral spirits added, just mineral spirits.
Any first hand experience?

 

[Haiku]

Also one more question. Has anyone had experience refurbishing the cosmetic appearance of the heater itself? It doesn't look terrible but could do with some work.

 

[Glyn Judson]

Where to buy kerosene.

Dear friend, Way back when kerosene for my Force 10 heater cost a bit over $8.00 per gallon. I see it's gone up even more, at least at Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-1-gal-Kerosene-Plastic-GKP85/203000700 It worked out that I was burning around five gallons a year and on the recommendation of a colleague of my wires, who worked with her at the local Chevron refinery, I arranged with a local aircraft fueling station to purchase five gallons a year. They call it Jet A which my Chevron friend told me was identical to kerosene. He said that when an order for either was received, he'd slap the appropriate label on the barrel or whatever and dispense the fuel from the exact same spigot for both fuels. It turned out that it was quite a bit cheaper at the airport. I already owned a 5-gallon safety can so there was no real issue on the part of the fueling station in dispensing it to me instead of to the tank of a private jet. Fun story: One time I came for my annual supply and a new kid was sent out to meet me at the truck. We chatted on the way and he told me that he got a kick out of serving me because he'd heard that there was a guy who came in around once a year wanting to buy Jet A and that guy was me. For you locals reading this it was the El Segundo refinery that our friend Chris worked at and it was Gunnell Aviation at Santa Monica Airport where I bought the Jet A each year. Cheers, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del

 

[Haiku]

That's very interesting, Glyn. It doesn't get more refined than jet fuel.

Being that I regularly burn through 1500gal of Jet A in a day, I should get a deal as well! However, even in my pilot uniform, I doubt very much security would be very pleased about me carrying jet fuel through an international airport. I might just have to stick to good ol' fashioned kerosene.

 

[Eriksverre]

Force 10 conversion

This is another option. I bought the heater body by itself. After searching for burners and tanks for a while I decided to just modify the heater slightly and add a coleman multi fuel stove. it was 90$ and it saves having to hide a tank. I burn kerosene in it. That little tank will burn for over an hour. That is plenty to take the "chill" out of my e27 up here in the PNW.


Erik

 

[Tom Metzger]

On my previous boat I had a pressurized kerosene stove that I had converted from alcohol. I bought the kerosene from a neighborhood gas station. Here in the northeast lots of gas stations have pumps for it. It cost roughly the same as diesel.

I still buy a gallon now & then to use as a solvent for cleaning winches, etc.

 

[Haiku]

Just to finish off this thread, here is the finished result.

 

[efedorenko]

How do I fill that kerosene tank (part #40000)? There are 4 vents on top of it: one is a fuel line which goes to the heater, one for the gauge, one for the pump. What is the fourth one for? For filling the tank. I doubt as it's super narrow.