Stove Fuels - Advice Please

[Big_bazza99]

I have an Optimus Nova + that I run on parafin however I also have a trangia and a couple of other stoves I have made - a coke can stove and a Lynx can stove, all of which I have run on meths.

Can anyone advise - can I use parafin (yes I know this is lazy and I could try it)?

What fuel burns best hottest - meths, alcohol, parafin anything else?

Where is a good source for the fuel? Places like B&Q are £3 for 500ml which seems high.

Any help or thoughts appreciated.

Thanks, Paul

 

[johnboy]

You cannot use Paraffin ( Kerosene) in a Trangia or any stove designed to run soley on meths...

Best case it'll burn as a smokey stinking mess. Worst case It'll melt the aluminium can and you'll get a lot of burning fuel everywhere....

Kerosene needs to be vapourised ( turned into a fuel air mix) to burn well and to maximise it's potential heat output...

 

[Adrian]

As johnboy said, you can only use meths/alcohol in a Trangia or other meths burner. I believe that alcohol/meths has a lower energy rating than parafin/kerosene. I'm not sure how parafin compares to petrol.

In my own Nova insert in my Trangia, the best I've found is the Primus Powerfuel. Cheaper than Colemans, burns well and cleanly and easily obtainable from Cotswold branches everywhere - about £5 per litre. I did try parafin, and although good, the smell gave me a fairly foul headache. I gather that the Aspen 4T fuel is excellent, but nowhere near me stocks it.

 

[rik_uk3]

When burning paraffin in a Nova you will often see yellow tipped flames until you put a pan on the stove, the pan due to a quirk of the burner design helps complete the paraffin combustion and it should then burn nice and blue (no smell either).

4T is very good Adrian but so is panel wipe which you will be able to buy in London easily and is a lot cheaper than power fuel.

 

[dasy2k1]

my local hardware store will sell parrafin at £2 for 5l, so its by far the cheapest fuel avalible to me, now all i need is somthing to burn it with!

 

[rik_uk3]

my local hardware store will sell parrafin at £2 for 5l, so its by far the cheapest fuel avalible to me, now all i need is somthing to burn it with!

Which store, I know a couple of stove collectors who will jump at that price.

 

[Ogri the trog]

my local hardware store will sell parrafin at £2 for 5l,

Jeez Louise - where is that, thats less than half the price I pay for parafin.

And I still can't find anywhere local that sell Aspen 4T

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Adrian]

Thanks Rik - I'd completely forgotten about panel wipe! Next on the list when I've worked through the stuff in the cupboard.