Atom KEROSENE STOVE User manual

ATOM KEROSENE STOVE
Installation and Operating Instructions
Installation
The Atom Kerosene Stove kit comprises the brass stove, stainless steel gimbaled potholder, U-
bracket mount, preheat wick, kerosene and alcohol bottles and assorted spares. The stove gimbal
assembly bolts to the galley countertop or stove locker using a stainless steel U-bracket. An
optional L-bracket and bulkhead mount plate or two slotted lat bulkhead mount plates are
available or custom installation. Overall dimensions are 12 3/8-inch to top o U-bracket, 12 3/4-
inch side to side at end o gimbal pins and 11 3/8-inch ront to back, plus 7-inch swing room or
gimbal. Your new stove’s burner is discolored because stove is tested prior to shipping.
1. Stove location may already be ixed by the layout o your existing galley. I possible, it’s
desirable to install the stove near the companionway with burner about 18 inches below a
iberglass, wood or Formica headliner. This is the best area or ventilation and quick access
to the cockpit. Having heat rom the stove run up the cabin headliner and directly out the
open hatch will please the cook on hot days. Also, it will be less messy i soot rom an
occasional lare-up can rise out the hatch. I the stove is not near the companionway,
consider installing a hatch or vent above the stove in the coach roo . In any case, vinyl or
other abric headliners above the stove should be avoided as they are di icult to clean and
a ire hazard. A sheet o stainless can be attached to the overhead with stand-o
clearance, i needed. A stainless steel serving tray drip pan can be installed on the
countertop under stove, but Formica is lame resistant enough or brie spills o burning
uel. Orient stove to gimbal side to side, not ore and a t. Pump slightly left of front center is
standard position and should work for most installations. Tank is filled from above or rear with
the supplied Kerosene fill bottle or a fuel funnel with a short hose leading to the tank filler.
2. If using U-brac et: Install the U-shaped bracket with 5/16-inch stainless steel bolts
thru-bolted to the countertop. I there is some raming or obstruction under the
countertop, use heavy lag screws instead o thru-bolts. There will be some spring in the U-
bracket su icient or you to pull the bracket arms outboard until the gimbal pins snap into
the 1/4-inch holes in the ends o the bracket. Cotter ring clips in the ends o the gimbal
pins ensure a secure it. Certain installations may require the U-bracket mount on the port
or starboard cabin trunk side or a ore and a t cabinet ace. This will work, but requires a
di erent gimbal lock mechanism.
3. If using L-brac et: I one end o the stove is against a cabinet or other vertical sur ace
you can use one upright L-bracket bolted to the countertop and one lat plate with a hole
in the center or the gimbal pin to insert in, screwed to the vertical cabinet side or a t end
o the coach roo . I there is no metal heat shield on the vertical cabinet side then to
prevent scorching, a stand-o block o at least 1-inch hardwood should be placed under
the lat mounting plate.
4. If using two slotted flat bul head mount plates: I the stove is set down into a
narrow locker and you pre er not to use the U-bracket, then two drop-in slotted brackets
screwed to the vertical cabinets can be used. In that case, you need to build out the width
o the cabinet with hardwood blocks, to the correct width or the gimbal pins to insert into
two slotted lat bulkhead mount plates. A pin or bolt to lock the gimbal should be it to at
least one o the blocks. Don't mount the support brackets so close together that they bind
the gimbal action.
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Operating Instructions
1. Open tank cap and ill with kerosene to just below top, using ill bottle. Tank capacity is
950ml (32 oz). You can also use Mineral Spirits rom a hardware or paint store or Jet-A
uel rom an airport. Never use gasoline or other camp stove uels.
2. Tighten cap and loosen vent next to cap.
3. Clean burner nozzle tip occasionally with provided wire pick as needed.
4. Unlock gimbal or use at sea by removing the locking bolts in U-bracket.
5. Place cooking pot on stove with water or cooking ingredients in pot so as not to burn an
empty pot. At sea, adjust pan clamps to it small pots by spiraling them inward.
6. Preheat stove by dipping preheat wick in bottle o denatured alcohol and clip wick under
burner above preheat bowl. Close bottle top. Light wick with butane lighter. (Lacking a
wick, preheat bowl can be illed with alcohol and lit. You can also preheat with high-proo
rum. Lacking alcohol, preheat with kerosene, setting stove in cockpit due to smoke.)
7. Once preheat lame has nearly burnt itsel out a ter about 90 seconds, close tank vent by
turning vent knob ully clockwise and pump the stove two to three pumps. Immediately
light burner with a butane lighter. Wick can be le t clipped under burner.
8. Pump more or higher lame. Momentarily loosen vent knob or lower lame.
9. Swing lead counterweight outboard to compensate or the weight o a rying pan handle
when using with unlocked gimbal. Lead weight locks in position with a wing nut.
10. To shut o stove, loosen tank vent. Do not retighten vent until next use.
Additional Notes and Troubleshooting:
To operate a pressure kerosene stove success ully you must ollow a simple methodical
operating procedure and learn some basic troubleshooting.
1. When pumping stove, support tank rom behind with one hand. At sea when the gimbal
is unlocked you may secure smaller pots with the three pan clamps i a heavy sea is
running. When cooking ashore or anytime the stove is unsecured, use extreme caution to
avoid spilling a hot cooking pot on yoursel .
2. For kerosene to burn without smoke or odor, it must be vaporized by a hot burner
preheated with denatured alcohol. Once stove is operating, heat rom the burner lame
itsel keeps the burner hot enough to vaporize the kerosene. To ensure proper preheating,
place your pot on top o stove be ore lighting the preheat wick. This prevents dra ts rom
cooling the burner, gets you started cooking with the preheat lame and prevents scorching
the boat’s overhead. I the stove emits black smoke the burner was not preheated enough
or it was allowed to cool during operation. This can happen by leaving the lame extremely
low or a long time or by a wind blowing across the burner. I this happens, release the
pressure and allow burner to cool one minute. Begin again by preheating with alcohol.
Whenever a sooty lare-up o the lame occurs, release pressure, let cool, clean nozzle with
pick and start over by preheating with alcohol.
3. There are three types of erosene burners. The Atom Stove burner is called a “roarer”
because o its relatively loud hissing noise, which is use ul because its volume tells you i
lame is on high or low without requiring that you visually monitor it. The second type is
the “silent” burner, which although having the questionable advantage o less noise, also
has a lower tolerance or blowouts by wind. Even the roarer burner cannot take too much
direct wind so you may need to set up a temporary windbreak next to the stove at times
or partially close a hatch. The third type is a silent burner that has an adjustment knob on
the side to regulate the lame instead o using the pump and vent knob or regulation. This
burner has more parts to maintain and prone to valve leaks.
4. Although preheating stove can be done by squirting alcohol rom a plastic bottle into
burner’s preheat bowl, the provided preheat wick is sa er and easier. Fill the supplied
plastic jar with alcohol and dip the wick into it until ully saturated. Always close jar lid
be ore lighting wick. Keep a hatch open during preheat to reduce alcohol umes eye-
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stinging e ect. I unable to ind denatured alcohol, you can use high-proo rum as a
substitute. In rum producing countries it may be the cheapest available alcohol. Another
source o alcohol is shellac thinner rom a paint or hardware store.
. If flame is low despite pumping, check iller cap and vent are closed. There may be a
leak at one o the three gaskets in the burner assembly. Try gently tightening burner to
reseal gaskets and, i needed, disassemble and insert new gasket above and below
preheat cup. Between tank and burner riser tube is a lead washer. I tightening does not
stop a leak here, insert a standard iber washer gasket on top lead washer and retighten.
6. A plugged nozzle (burner jet) requires you release pressure to extinguish lame, use
cleaning pick to clean nozzle, then pump stove and relight. I done within 20 seconds the
burner will remain hot enough that you can relight without preheating. I you wait longer
and allow the burner to cool, you must begin again by preheating with alcohol. To avoid a
sooty lare-up, i in doubt, shut down and preheat again. It is essential to use clean iltered
uel and clean the nozzle tip occasionally with cleaning pick. I burner still produces sooty,
erratic lame, it may be carbon plugged so replace with new burner and gaskets.
Rarely, the one-way pump valve in tank could ail, requiring a new tank.
7. Obviously, another cause o a non-existent lame is an empty tan . Allow stove to cool or
two minutes, re ill with kerosene and preheat again. Keeping tank at least ¼ ull will
prevent overheating which decreases the li e o the leather pump cup, gaskets and burner.
Removing the rubber cap rom supplied iller bottle may require pushing rather than
pulling rom end. Use the supplied screened unnel either when illing bottle or place in
tank iller hole. Check uel level by lashlight, or by cutting a narrow slip o paper and
dipping it into tank iller hole and noting uel level mark on the paper. A ull tank provides
4-5 hours cooking time. Mineral spirits can be used i kerosene is unavailable.
8. A dried-out leather pump cup can cause insu icient lame. I you eel little resistance
on pump handle, remove pump assembly and apply petroleum jelly to leather pump cup.
I this does not improve it, replace with a spare leather cup. Spares come with a wood
dowel and bolt to keep the cup spread open. Grip pump sha t with locking pliers, remove
nut and leather, unscrew brass cup assembly with pliers and screwdriver and reassemble
with new leather cup. You can resurrect the dried-out cup by soaking overnight in a cup o
vegetable oil with the wood dowel gently spreading open the end o the so tened cup. Take
care not to crack the leather. Spare leather cups can be covered in petroleum jelly and
stored on the dowel in a ziplock bag ready to reuse.
9. Always leave tan vent open when not using stove, otherwise temperature changes will
cause some kerosene to spill out burner nozzle tip onto preheat wick or bowl. In this
event, light preheat wick outside to burn o kerosene. I storing stove out o its gimbaled
bracket, empty kerosene rom the tank to prevent it leaking out the nozzle tip.
10. To change burners, use a wrench to hold burner riser tube while turning burner
counterclockwise using another wrench placed above preheat bowl. Replace iber gaskets
above and below preheat bowl. Carry at least one spare burner and gaskets.
11. The stove itsel is small so carrying a spare stove is recommended. I something
breaks, swap stoves and repair when convenient.
12. The stove can generate temporary cabin heat by placing an upturned clay lowerpot on
stovetop. Allow su icient ventilation or sa ety and to reduce condensation inside the boat.
13. An oven can be ashioned by placing a thick cast aluminum pot with lid on stovetop with a
baking dish inside on a mini cake-cooling rack. To retain more heat, wrap aluminum oil
over pot. Cornbread, tortillas, even pizza can be baked in a thick, covered rying pan.
Some recipes allow or baking in a pressure cooker.
14. The stove can be ta en ashore or used in cockpit i you provide a windbreak and a
board to set it on.
1 . Polish your brass stove tank with Brasso or rub with a mixture of 1 part salt to 20 parts white
vinegar mixed with flour to make a paste. Olive oil wiped on brass after polishing will retard
tarnish.
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