In a recent discussion with my friend, we had remarked upon each other of whether we kept fuel in our stoves or if the stove containted some amount of fuel.( speaking of the stoves you use or wish to use)

I for one have kept fuel in most of the stoves I use with the exception of the Paraffin stoves I won't be using for some time around the home.

If I have a Paraffin stove fueled, it is assembled and the fuel cap is either loosely fitted or the pressure release is opened as to not let the heat of the day pressurize the tank. The stove would be out of the way on my small work area (fettling table! :wink:) in the garage.

The question is: For storage and care of your classic, is it best to keep some fuel in your stove, no fuel in your stove or your stove fueled and ready for its next outing ??

Have you had any circumstances ( tank leaks, faulty seals, a tin of kero soaked parts!, a wick problem )
that has occurred as a result of whether you leave the stove fueled or drain them as best as possible?

Always the curious!,

Georgi

You would have to consider Safty (fire) wick stove or not, Type of tank (steel bottom or brass), when you are likely to use it again.
This is like asking what stove is the best.

Handi Albert

I was the other half of the conversation, and it was primarily aroung the 8R and 123.

The concern was regarding the wick these stoves have sitting in the white gas for long periods. Does it break down the wick? Or will letting it sit dry be worse?

So comon' folks how do you store these great little stoves?

-franco

I usually store mine full, makes 'em easier to show to visitors. But then, I burned a gallon of coleman in them this year, so it's not like it gets stale in them.

I would venture to say storing them full would be OK for a couple of months, but years should be spent empty to prevent varnishing.

It's best, btw, if you store them filled to the max recomended level to limit the amount of air in the tank to oxidize the fuel.

Don't store a full stove with pressure in the tank. Dangerous.

J

Storing a stove for a longer periode with fuel, you may get som gum or grease looking stuff in the tank, and burner parts. Some months use to cause no problem, but I have got stoves stored for a number of years, and I have had to use hour working with chemicals and heat to get them work. On the other hand a steel tank has to be protekted against corrosion.

DSK

I don't think twice about storing a stove with white gas (e.g. Coleman fuel) in it. That stuff seems to last forever. I think it's the additives in automobile fuel that go bad and get gummy. I had a Primus 71 stored for over a year with Coleman fuel in it, and it fired right up. I don't know about the keeping qualities of kerosene. I haven't had any problems with it. My advice, if you're storing the stove for a long time, is to fill it with pure, clean fuel (Coleman fuel or marine grade kero, depending on the stove). That way there's no worry about oxidation or the wick drying out.
....Arch

I agree about the white gas.. The last two 123's that I bought via ebay still had white gas in them when they arrived to me. Who knows how old it was. (owners both said that the stoves had sat somewhere for 10 years or more) & both stoves fired right up when they got to me.. Old fuel and all. The wicks in both were very well preserved, & in fact looked to be brand new in the older stove.

I keep a little coleman fuel in them for storage. As said, white gas seems to keep forever. And it hasen't hurt the wicks in mine in 10+ years. Kerosene might be a different matter thou. I don't know what the shelf life of kero is. Or what it does when stored long term.

I've never emptied out the tanks of the Coleman 2-burner suitcases I've used over the years. The next season (or the next after): no problems.

Hi.

What you state is true. Commonly it's called "turning to shelac" which happens with automobile Gassoline in paticular.

It's why they sell those gass treatment stuff for gass powered engines that won't be used for a long time. Such as Generators, Snowmobiles, chainsaws, ice augers, ATV's in winter.

Coleman fuel does not turn to shelac even after years of storage. Kerosene, deisel, and home heating oil do form deposits of retified carbon after a while which turns into a glue like syrop.

The shelacing plays havoc on carburetors, filters, and in our stove cases seized cleaning needles and clogged fuel pipes and nozzles.

If you ask me if putting the gass treatment into a stove. I would not recomend it.

#1: Inside an engine there is extreme presure to burn off the mixture of gass and treatment. In a stove it's possible that one could poinson one's self with the gass treatment when starting & utilizing the stove.

#2: Adding methyl Hydrate (aka shalac thiner or fondu/alcohol stove fuel) to the fuel tank with the gassoline is a far better means of maintinaing the fuel's freshness. A table spoon of methyl hydrate in an Optimus 8r size fuel tank is perfect.

Now there is the safty of all this. I would prefer to have 3 ltrs of this fuel stoed , rather than have 50 lts, if a fire broke out.
If you are going to store fuel in your stove that has not got a tap to turn the fuel on or off leave the filler cap loose where the tank can breath. Other wise the fuel will come out of the jet.
Kerosene does go off , but takes a long time posabibly 4 to 5 years like petrol.

Handi Albert