Stove heater accessory

[Graham W]

Roger Barnes has posted a new video about a weekend spent camping on his boat near Douarnenez https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE9FF1ew3VI&t=968s.  In it (at 4:26 and 6:27) he shows a heater attachment sitting on his Origo 1500 single burner spirit stove.  It seems to give out plenty of radiant heat as he has to stack metal plates around it to protect his wooden galley box.

There appear to be two or three basic versions of the heater attachment on the market, all probably originating in China and at widely different prices.  This one, the design of which has been knocking around since at least 2010, gives an idea of what they look like and how they work https://www.amazon.co.uk/Camp-70656-Adaptor-Cooker-Multi-Colour/dp/B008TNS50C/ref=asc_df_B008TNS50C/.  It’s probably possible to fiddle with the lugs at the foot of the accessory so that it can be locked on to many different types of camping stove.

I’ve looked for the Pan2000 heater featured in Peter’s ‘Seatern Diaries’ but it doesn’t seem to be made any more - see https://seatern.uk/2014/06/pan2000-cabin-heater/.  Similarly, the Origo 5100 HeatPal, which includes a burner, ceased manufacture years ago https://waldenlabs.com/origo-heatpal-5100-alcohol-heater-review/. Secondhand ones occasionally go for £200+.

The usual warnings apply about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning when used in enclosed spaces such as a boat tent.  Ventilation and a portable CO alarm would be a very good idea if using one of these heaters.

[Sea Simon]

Thank you for the CO warning GW.

Having had some personal involvement in this subject, its important to me; sorry,  I can't say nothing!

please be aware that there is a very real danger of fatality, be it from CO generated by cookers, heaters, internal combustion  engines (both generators and propulsion engines).

For relatively readable narrative reports, which also contain useful references to supporting information/data have a look at the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) website.
E.g.

https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/carbon-monoxide-poisoning-on-scallop-dredger-eshcol-while-used-as-overnight-accommodation-at-whitby-england-with-loss-of-2-lives
Two gassed by a cooker used as a cabin heater.

And
https://thefishingdaily.com/featured-news/maib-issues-reminder-on-carbon-monoxide-awareness-week-2020/

Ventilate, get a CO alarm etc...

[Martijn]

Carbon monoxide detectors are next to useless in combination with alcohol stoves as they react not only to CO but also to ethanol vapour.
See https://secure.pbo.co.uk/expert-advice/carbon-monoxide-alarm-alcohol-stove-68269

[Graham W]

Carbon monoxide detectors are next to useless in combination with alcohol stoves

That was such an interesting new (to me) fact that I did some extra research.  Apparently CO monitors are sensitive to quite a wide range of gases and vapours, including hydrogen sulphide, one of the main constituents of flatulence.  An extra reason for more ventilation?

I couldn’t see any CO monitor in the Barnes video but perhaps his ventile cloth boat tent is quite draughty.

The stove heater accessory that I linked to is designed specifically to fit a Bright Spark butane canister stove with the flame failure safety feature.  Presumably if the alarm goes off with one of those, it’s genuine.