Dumb question - What fuel do alcohol stoves run on?

[crofter]

I've been looking at buying or making an alcohol tin can stove. Both American and English site refer to "alcohol" - which I presume is spirit alcohol that seems to be available in the US. None of the US sites mention meths.
The references on BCUK that I have found generally refer to alcohol but one has mentioned meths.
Am I right in presuming that alcohol stoves can take meths or is there some other form of alcohol available in the UK that I should use?

Ade

 

[leon-1]

In the UK we do indeed use methylated spirits in alcohol stoves, I think this is due to legislation in the UK ie, we cannot get pure ethanol in the UK (unless you are a research establishment or the like) so we have a mix of ethanol and methanol (normally about 5% methanol), which renders the ethanol poisonous.

 

[Adi007]

UN1170 methylated spirit is 90% ethanol, 3% methanol with traces of wood naptha and pyridine and the color comes from 1.5 ppm methyl violet.

A good trick to reduce sooting when using meths is to mix it with 10% water.

 

[crofter]

Thanks Adi and Leon.
I thought that meths would be ok so I'll try it out with that.
Ade

 

[woodrat]

many over hear use automotive fuel de-icer which is alco. based do you have it over there?

 

[hootchi]

many over hear use automotive fuel de-icer which is alco. based do you have it over there?

Yeah, we've got de-icer but not sure if it alcohol based or not, and meths will probably be cheaper.

 

[brucemacdonald]

I don't think so - in the UK car screenwash is usually detergent with a bit of alcohol in it, but it is designed to be diluted.

Am I right in thinking that what we in the UK call "methylated spirits" or "meths" is called "denatured alcohol" in the US?

Best wishes

Bruce

 

[leemann]

Meths over in your neck of the woods is what we call denatured alcohol.

Lee :wave:

 

[Adi007]

I'd love to see a Trangia running on screenwash!

 

[woodrat]

not screenwash you guys , the stuff you put in your petrol tank so you gas lines don't freeze due to condinsation. one of the brand names over here is "heet" , I checked it out and its meth. alchol based, but from what I could find the reports say it puts out slightly less btu's than straight denatured al.

 

[Doc]

As a doctor I can order up to 3 litres of industrial methylated spirits, which is ethanol plus a bit of methanol and wood naptha - no dye, it is colourless.

There are loads of customs and excise rules about it though.

 

[Adi007]

I wonder is if burns cleaner? Probably does because Methyl Violet is described in the Materials Safet Data Sheet as:

Fire:
Not considered to be a fire hazard.

Lower down:

Hazardous Decomposition Products:
May produce carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrogen chloride when heated to decomposition.

Hydrogen chloride isn't going to be good for the little burner.

 

[george]

At work we buy methanol in 50 gallon drums - run through one a year for trangia fuel.

It works out at much less than a £1 a litre.

george

 

[M_Parker]

I realise this thread is 9 years old, but it shows up when asking about fuels for alcohol stoves. With meths becoming increasing hard to get hold of EkoFuel developed a fuel specifically for use on alcohol camping stoves or penny stoves - http://www.ekofuel.org/alcohol-camping-fuel.html

There's also a post about different types of alcohol you can use in an alcohol stove - http://www.ekofuel.org/blog/alcohol-stove-fuel-different-types/

 

[Reverend Graham]

B&Q do Bio-ethanol for £5 for a large bottle, works fine with Trangias and penny stoves, cheaper than meths now.

Rev G

 

[M_Parker]

Is that the La Hacienda stuff? I've just checked on B&Qs website (http://www.diy.com/nav/rooms/fires-...tre-Bottle-Pack-of-12-13388564?skuId=13859270), £54 for 12L - Ouch!

 

[decorum]

Is that the La Hacienda stuff?

They also sell an own brand bio-ethanol. I can't find it online, but I did find it in my local store a couple of weeks back (by the bio-ethanol stoves not with the meths ~ which is where I looked first ). 2L for £5 iirc.

 

[rik_uk3]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Methanol-...391?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33855ab4f7 Works fine, just don't wash in it or drink it.

 

[Reverend Graham]

Decorum,

That's the stuff.

Rev G

 

[Gray]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Methanol-...391?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33855ab4f7 Works fine, just don't wash in it or drink it.

This is what I use too, just over a pound per liter