Denatured Alcohol

  • May 28, 2020 1:59 PM
    Message # 8998955

    I just found this out , here in California DA is not for sale any longer . We have a Origo Alcohol stove , it is non pressurized and uses DA . I recently purchased a gal. of Coleman camp fuel at $18. , that was fine with me , as that was what I was paying for DA . I was told the Coleman fuel would work . I have not used the Coleman fuel yet . Has anyone used it ? Also after a little research , I found that Coleman fuel is white gas . After the fact , I found a gal. of white gas for sale at Walmart for $9. 

    So a'm I correct , Coleman fuel is white gas ? And white gas at Walmart is fine to use in a non pressurized stove ?

    Also while on the subject , what is your means of cooking in the galley ?

    Thanks , Mark . 

    Last modified: May 28, 2020 2:41 PM | Anonymous member
  • May 29, 2020 7:24 AM
    Reply # 9000806 on 8998955
    Hey Mark - I don’t know much about denatured alcohol or DA stoves but I still have two Coleman lanterns that I use when we go camping - they both use Coleman fuel. My understanding is that Coleman fuel is white gas. My lanterns are both pressurized and the fuel works great.

    A word to the wise however, Coleman fuel/ white gas is extremely flammable!!  I would be very uncomfortable using it in raw form or on my boat period. 

    Maybe others have different experience and advice. Either way, I hope you find the right fuel for your stove. 

    Don

  • May 29, 2020 10:45 AM
    Reply # 9001240 on 8998955

    I can confirm what Don has said. 

    I worked at a Coleman authorized repair shop in the early 70's where we sold both white gas and Coleman fuel.  The Coleman fuel was more expensive, but many customers bought it just because the label said Coleman.  The actual instructions that came with the Coleman stoves and lanterns back then said that they could burn either Coleman fuel or white gas.  The white gas would not burn as clean as the Coleman fuel.

    As I recall the Coleman fuel sold for $1.99 a gallon back then, which seemed atrocious as a gallon of gas for my car was .28 cents!

  • May 29, 2020 4:59 PM
    Reply # 9002100 on 8998955

    We might become Propane cookers down below . Back in the 90's we had a Propane fire down below so we switched to a Origo stove and Denatured Alcohol and have used that ever since , up in tell now . Thank you Sacramento . 

    I did a test today with the Coleman fuel , all seemed good at first . Instead of a clean looking blue flame I got a yellow/orange flame , and it was a lot bigger . No big deal I just turned it down and fine , I boiled a pot of water mainly to see if the stove would over heat , it has over heated twice and the only way you can get the fire out is smother it out with a wet cloth . 

    So all was looking good in tell I looked at the bottom of the pot , it was coated with a heavy soot . Like the soot you get when you first fire up a acetylene torch with no oxygen . I'm thinking the Coleman lantern / stove is injecting oxygen into the burn. 

    So white gas is not going to work . Propane is looking good . 

    Last modified: May 29, 2020 5:15 PM | Anonymous member
  • June 05, 2020 4:57 PM
    Reply # 9018290 on 8998955

    I'm happy , I found a substitute to Denatured alcohol . It is called Heet , it is billed as gasoline antifreeze . There are two types one comes in a yellow bottle that is the one that works , my main concern was soot . This stuff burns clean as DA  , and is a $1.98 per 12oz.at Home depot . On Youtube there was some concern about vapors while burning and getting on your skin . 

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gold-Eagle-12-oz-HEET-Gasline-AntiFreeze-HEE28201/207078276?mtc=Shopping-B-F_D25T-G-D25T-25_1_HAND_TOOLS-Multi-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-HandTools_PLA_PrioritySKUs&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D25T-G-D25T-25_1_HAND_TOOLS-Multi-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-HandTools_PLA_PrioritySKUs-71700000067189882-58700005873234873-92700053720272514&gclid=CjwKCAjw2uf2BRBpEiwA31VZj6DR3hm-vvQum0JZ-HktUwedKFFNIA13Mrt_8weSimWd7RYuBl3sPxoCF1kQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

    Gold Eagle 12 oz. HEET Gasline AntiFreeze

    Last modified: June 05, 2020 4:59 PM | Anonymous member