Courtney Thomas wrote:
Cindy,

Mine is an old one ['63] and I've come onto it with no instructions,
etc. I'm not even sure that I have all the parts. The Origo
manufacturer, U.S. distributor, as well as W.Marine, Defender, and Swego
vendors also have no information on my model [HEAT-PAL].

Courtney

Wow! 40 years old! It may be different than the current ones.

Ours is the HeatPal 5000. It consists of two nesting aluminum
"buckets". One has a bracket which holds the heating part, the
other is a cover which helps collect and radiate heat. The
heating section has 2 parts: An Origo stove cartridge - a
canister about 2" hight and 12" in diameter completely filled
with a wick material with a hole in the top exposing about 3" of
the wick surface. The other is a cover for the cartridge which
has a flame diffuser, a lever that partially or completely covers
the flame to control the heat, and little grate for setting pots
and things on.

You fill the cartridge by simply pouring alcohol onto the wick
until it won't take any more. (Yes, it's messy.) The fuel is just
denatured alcohol or "stove" alcohol. This can range from the
Origo brand alcohol (expensive, but not much smell and less water
vapor) to the generic alcohol they sell in the paint section of
the hardware store.

Once the cartridge is full and you have it all reassembled, you
light it by sticking a match or a BBQ lighter tip through the
diffuser. It usually takes two tries because there's an initial
"pop" which usually blows out the flame. You control the flame by
moving the lever back and forth. The second bucket gets turned
upside-down and is placed on top of the first.

Our boat has excellent ventilation so we haven't had any problem
with gases. I don't think these produce much carbon monoxide, but
they do use oxygen. Use common sense and I think they're very safe.

Why aren't they popular? I really don't know. I think most people
only sail when it's warm and just don't want to mess with
heaters. Others want a built-in diesel or propane heater. We
bought our HeatPal when we were chartering in cold weather
(cheaper rates) and still use it on our own boat. We've also used
it at home when the gas was out.

I'd be really careful about a 40 year old unit. These things are
dirt simple, but combustion is a tricky thing. Be sure to try it
out of doors before you use it on your boat.

Cindy

Here's what ours looks like...
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...roductId=12130

Cindy,

Thank you for the clarifying remarks.

I think mine, though forty, is structurally the same as yours.

Sounds like I may need a new 'cartridge' though.

Appreciatively,
Courtney



Cindy Ballreich wrote:

Courtney Thomas wrote:

Cindy,

Mine is an old one ['63] and I've come onto it with no instructions,
etc. I'm not even sure that I have all the parts. The Origo
manufacturer, U.S. distributor, as well as W.Marine, Defender, and
Swego vendors also have no information on my model [HEAT-PAL].


Courtney

Wow! 40 years old! It may be different than the current ones.

Ours is the HeatPal 5000. It consists of two nesting aluminum "buckets".
One has a bracket which holds the heating part, the other is a cover
which helps collect and radiate heat. The heating section has 2 parts:
An Origo stove cartridge - a canister about 2" hight and 12" in diameter
completely filled with a wick material with a hole in the top exposing
about 3" of the wick surface. The other is a cover for the cartridge
which has a flame diffuser, a lever that partially or completely covers
the flame to control the heat, and little grate for setting pots and
things on.

You fill the cartridge by simply pouring alcohol onto the wick until it
won't take any more. (Yes, it's messy.) The fuel is just denatured
alcohol or "stove" alcohol. This can range from the Origo brand alcohol
(expensive, but not much smell and less water vapor) to the generic
alcohol they sell in the paint section of the hardware store.

Once the cartridge is full and you have it all reassembled, you light it
by sticking a match or a BBQ lighter tip through the diffuser. It
usually takes two tries because there's an initial "pop" which usually
blows out the flame. You control the flame by moving the lever back and
forth. The second bucket gets turned upside-down and is placed on top of
the first.

Our boat has excellent ventilation so we haven't had any problem with
gases. I don't think these produce much carbon monoxide, but they do use
oxygen. Use common sense and I think they're very safe.

Why aren't they popular? I really don't know. I think most people only
sail when it's warm and just don't want to mess with heaters. Others
want a built-in diesel or propane heater. We bought our HeatPal when we
were chartering in cold weather (cheaper rates) and still use it on our
own boat. We've also used it at home when the gas was out.

I'd be really careful about a 40 year old unit. These things are dirt
simple, but combustion is a tricky thing. Be sure to try it out of doors
before you use it on your boat.

Cindy

Here's what ours looks like...
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...roductId=12130




--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

I'd think that a old fire brick would help a Heat-Pal make thing's
cozy. I'm going to try it on mine. Good idea's.

Cindy Ballreich wrote in message ...
Courtney Thomas wrote:
Have come into an old single burner and am considering it as a backup
source.

Opinions, caveats, advice ?


Opinions:
We have one and like it. It's easy to use, seems fairly safe,
produces quite a bit of heat, and has a pretty blue flame. And if
you run out of propane, it's a usable stove.

Caveats:
Be sure to use good quality alcohol - some types have a terrible
lacquer smell. (The really cheap stuff they have at Ace is
nasty!) Spillage is inevitable so be sure to fill the cartridge
on deck. It will produce quite a bit of water vapor so be
prepared for condensation. Make sure that your boat is well
ventilated.

Advice:
We've been told that putting a brick or large stone on the grate
above the flame will make it heat better, but we haven't tried
that. Of course the most effective places to put it are the same
places where it's most likely to get kicked over. Be careful.

Stay warm!

the brick is used to retain heat after the burner is turned off, say when you
want to go to sleep with some hope of waking up the next morning.

I'd think that a old fire brick would help a Heat-Pal make thing's
cozy. I'm going to try it on mine. Good idea's.

Cindy Ballreich wrote in message
...
Courtney Thomas wrote:
Have come into an old single burner and am considering it as a backup
source.

Opinions, caveats, advice ?


Opinions:
We have one and like it. It's easy to use, seems fairly safe,
produces quite a bit of heat, and has a pretty blue flame. And if
you run out of propane, it's a usable stove.

Caveats:
Be sure to use good quality alcohol - some types have a terrible
lacquer smell. (The really cheap stuff they have at Ace is
nasty!) Spillage is inevitable so be sure to fill the cartridge
on deck. It will produce quite a bit of water vapor so be
prepared for condensation. Make sure that your boat is well
ventilated.

Advice:
We've been told that putting a brick or large stone on the grate
above the flame will make it heat better, but we haven't tried
that. Of course the most effective places to put it are the same
places where it's most likely to get kicked over. Be careful.

Stay warm!

The brick, or an upside down flowerpot, is used to radiate the heat.

JAXAshby wrote:

the brick is used to retain heat after the burner is turned off, say when you
want to go to sleep with some hope of waking up the next morning.


I'd think that a old fire brick would help a Heat-Pal make thing's
cozy. I'm going to try it on mine. Good idea's.

Cindy Ballreich wrote in message
...

Courtney Thomas wrote:

Have come into an old single burner and am considering it as a backup
source.

Opinions, caveats, advice ?


Opinions:
We have one and like it. It's easy to use, seems fairly safe,
produces quite a bit of heat, and has a pretty blue flame. And if
you run out of propane, it's a usable stove.

Caveats:
Be sure to use good quality alcohol - some types have a terrible
lacquer smell. (The really cheap stuff they have at Ace is
nasty!) Spillage is inevitable so be sure to fill the cartridge
on deck. It will produce quite a bit of water vapor so be
prepared for condensation. Make sure that your boat is well
ventilated.

Advice:
We've been told that putting a brick or large stone on the grate
above the flame will make it heat better, but we haven't tried
that. Of course the most effective places to put it are the same
places where it's most likely to get kicked over. Be careful.

Stay warm!

not in the real world. no brick makes heat. the burner makes heat. the brick
heats up and then radiates retained heat ******after****** the burner is turned
off.

no brick makes heat. period.

The brick, or an upside down flowerpot, is used to radiate the heat.

JAXAshby wrote:

the brick is used to retain heat after the burner is turned off, say when
you
want to go to sleep with some hope of waking up the next morning.


I'd think that a old fire brick would help a Heat-Pal make thing's
cozy. I'm going to try it on mine. Good idea's.

Cindy Ballreich wrote in message
...

Courtney Thomas wrote:

Have come into an old single burner and am considering it as a backup
source.

Opinions, caveats, advice ?


Opinions:
We have one and like it. It's easy to use, seems fairly safe,
produces quite a bit of heat, and has a pretty blue flame. And if
you run out of propane, it's a usable stove.

Caveats:
Be sure to use good quality alcohol - some types have a terrible
lacquer smell. (The really cheap stuff they have at Ace is
nasty!) Spillage is inevitable so be sure to fill the cartridge
on deck. It will produce quite a bit of water vapor so be
prepared for condensation. Make sure that your boat is well
ventilated.

Advice:
We've been told that putting a brick or large stone on the grate
above the flame will make it heat better, but we haven't tried
that. Of course the most effective places to put it are the same
places where it's most likely to get kicked over. Be careful.

Stay warm!

Oboy! Glad you asked.

We had an old kerosene cookstove and a kerosene space heater. And while
I've had some success with using kerosene, these two things were
completely unacceptable, even after rebuilding.

Replaced the cookstove with a two-burner Origo and could not believe the
amount of heat produced. My wife loves it (well, relative to the
kerosene stove).

We both agreed that if we ever went down the ICW in cold weather again,
we would unhesitatingly purchase the Origo space heater (which is
basically the same thing as the stove).

A minor caution: there is a smell that bothers some, not that everyone
warms up to the smell that's put into the propane or the kerosene smell.
One advantage of kerosene, of course, is that the soot doesn't smell much!

The alcohol system is really cost-effective compared to propane.
Kerosene may be cheaper still, but I'd rather freeze (and did).

Chuck

ps: you can easily get replacement burners from Origo. They last a long
time, but not forever. Tend to burn a bit with you let them run out of fuel.




Courtney Thomas wrote:
Have come into an old single burner and am considering it as a backup
source.

Opinions, caveats, advice ?

Thank you,
Courtney

Chuck,

How do you know it's time to replace the burner ? A hole in it or what.

What alcohol do you find the most satisfactory ? Source and cost ?

Gratefully,
Courtney



chuck wrote:

Oboy! Glad you asked.

We had an old kerosene cookstove and a kerosene space heater. And while
I've had some success with using kerosene, these two things were
completely unacceptable, even after rebuilding.

Replaced the cookstove with a two-burner Origo and could not believe the
amount of heat produced. My wife loves it (well, relative to the
kerosene stove).

We both agreed that if we ever went down the ICW in cold weather again,
we would unhesitatingly purchase the Origo space heater (which is
basically the same thing as the stove).

A minor caution: there is a smell that bothers some, not that everyone
warms up to the smell that's put into the propane or the kerosene smell.
One advantage of kerosene, of course, is that the soot doesn't smell much!

The alcohol system is really cost-effective compared to propane.
Kerosene may be cheaper still, but I'd rather freeze (and did).

Chuck

ps: you can easily get replacement burners from Origo. They last a long
time, but not forever. Tend to burn a bit with you let them run out of
fuel.




Courtney Thomas wrote:

Have come into an old single burner and am considering it as a backup
source.

Opinions, caveats, advice ?

Thank you,
Courtney



--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

Courtney,

I don't know how you know when to replace the burner. I suppose when you
feel that performance is falling. As has been suggested, they'll
probably last a very long time if you don't let them run out of fuel. We
lived aboard for a year, two adults, a child, and for a couple of
months, a teenager. Cooked all meals on the two-burner stove and the
burners are still functional some years later.

As I recall, we simply used the West Marine gallons. Found the plastic
to be far less likely to rust in the bilges.

Burning anything inside a cabin without a chimney is something to be
cautious about. In warm weather, the hatches are open. In cold weather,
human presence produces an awful amount of humidity and condensation. We
never noticed any additional condensation from the alchohol stove. But
if it had been running all night, it might have been noticed. I defer to
folks who have actually used one that way for their experience.

Chuck

Hi Courtney,
I had a boat that was for sale and I didn't want to install a
furnace. I had a single burner Origo and made up a
chimney using a large can and 3/4 " copper pipe which vented out the
main hatch or porthole. I used a small fan
to circulate the warm air. I was absolutely amazed at the amount of
heat (West Coast of Canada) that this produced.
and although I went through plenty of methyl hydrate, I did try a
heat pal (Origo) once and even that worked well but I much preferred to
vent the exhaust due to health concerns/safety. hope this helps
cheers john

Courtney Thomas wrote:

Have come into an old single burner and am considering it as a backup
source.

Opinions, caveats, advice ?

Thank you,
Courtney