Gas Flashback

[Yummyrum]

Well after a lot of fucking about with this burner I've managed to get it to run very well if I just use the outside ring ........until the last two times when its started doing this .

Misc 005.jpg

And I quickly blow it out and away it runs for another 20-30 mins and flares up again. ~x( This time it is leaking around the tap so I pulled the tape out and swapped sides with the inner burner which I don't use anyway and so far ( two more runs ) its gone OK .

I am quite convinced I know why I found this piece of shit at the Tip store for $20 :angry-banghead: Think its time for scrap metal :think:

This highlights why we should never leave stills unatended

[Andy]

this is why i have to use electric. gas scares me. a compressed bottle of explosive and flammable material, burning it to separate the flammable vapour/liquid out of a solution. no thank you

[Yummyrum]

Yup Andy I can't wait to fuck of gas too.I just use it a lot to boil up my big pot for clarifying molasses

Funny isn't it. Anything to do with Electricity and its Danger beware only use a licensed sparky yet we can all fuck about with gas and make 747s and stick HP regs on burners normally sold with standard regs and there is no warnings to get a licensed gas fitter or plumber to check it :laughing-rolling:

Having said that ,although I have seen several gas related accidents on these forums ,I have not seen any electrical accidents reported ( other than some melted elements) :think:

[MacStill]

Funny isn't it. Anything to do with Electricity and its Danger beware only use a licensed sparky yet we can all fuck about with gas and make 747s and stick HP regs on burners normally sold with standard regs and there is no warnings to get a licensed gas fitter or plumber to check it :laughing-rolling:

A lot of it is due to appease the sparky's on board when people start talking about dodgy electrics, we've had a couple of really big blues on here over electrics, however at the end of the day everyone is responsible for their own safety & if it feels wrong it generally is.

I still believe a properly set up electric system is far safer than the best gas burner, that's my opinion gained from a bad experience using gas.... fuck gas!!

[1 2many]

Well after a lot of fucking about with this burner I've managed to get it to run very well if I just use the outside ring ........until the last two times when its started doing this .

Misc 005.jpg

And I quickly blow it out and away it runs for another 20-30 mins and flares up again. ~x( This time it is leaking around the tap so I pulled the tape out and swapped sides with the inner burner which I don't use anyway and so far ( two more runs ) its gone OK .

I am quite convinced I know why I found this piece of shit at the Tip store for $20 :angry-banghead: Think its time for scrap metal :think:

This highlights why we should never leave stills unatended

I have had the same issues myself on 4 ring burners and to me the problem seems to be draft as in not enough draft to get the gas where you want it to burn. I see in your pic you have the air supply closed right up have you tried with them set out about 4 or 5mm the draft should once lighted pull the flames out of the ring. But yest thay can be tricky.

[Yummyrum]

Interesting point 1 2 there is definitely something in that :handgestures-thumbupleft:

In the first photos on page one ,I did have the bricks flat ,I now have them on their side so there is lots of airflow through the holes in them.This did aid the first issue I was having and gave me extra "room" under the keg for the flames.

This latest issue I think is due to a poorly machined morse taper on the valve which allows gas to escape where it shouldn't have .I couldn't tighten the nut any more underneath or I wouldn't be able to move the tap

[Yummyrum]

I still believe a properly set up electric system is far safer than the best gas burner, that's my opinion gained from a bad experience using gas.... fuck gas!!

I'm hearing ya boss . :handgestures-thumbupleft: fuck gas

[dogbreath vodka]

I am quite convinced I know why I found this piece of shit at the Tip store for $20 :angry-banghead: Think its time for scrap metal :think:

Used gas for thirty years in many different situations..... it's as safe as you make it... maybe the real problem is the above.

Buy a quality still and then a cheap arse gas burner from a dump shop 8-} ..... doesn't make sense to me.

What's a 3 gas ring burner at a camp store worth .... $40?

You could have saved yourself all that frustration by spending an extra $20.
A gas fill will cost you more than that.

Nuff said

DBV

[Yummyrum]

In all fairness ,Dump shops do have genuine bargins ,I had know Idea at the time if it was a good one or not ,I bought that piece of shit many years ago and only recently dragged it out and tried it ...but you are absolutely right DBV ,new ones cheap and there's no reason to risk using such a dodgy thing anymore .

I guess what I'm trying to establish was do I have a dud or are all these gas burner rings susceptible to these kind of issues and the kind of comments I have received is that many do unfortunately.

So...are some brands better than others ?

[SBB]

the problem seems to be draft as in not enough draft to get the gas where you want it to burn. I see in your pic you have the air supply closed right up

1 2 many it Might be just the way the photos taken, but that air setting looks all wrong to me too.

[Yummyrum]

I have had the same issues myself on 4 ring burners and to me the problem seems to be draft as in not enough draft to get the gas where you want it to burn. I see in your pic you have the air supply closed right up have you tried with them set out about 4 or 5mm the draft should once lighted pull the flames out of the ring. But yest thay can be tricky.

Thanks SBB ,you made me re-read what 1 2 was saying . I think you are referring to the air control wheels being screwed almost right up .
That's where I have to put them to get the best balance between a clean flame that stays on the ring and doesn't want to flashback out the air intake while providing a substantially bigger flame with the HP reg than I got with a standard reg.

[SBB]

Mate Ive never played with High Pressure regs much, I got one in the shed ready to go and will soon. The thing is that more gas equals needing more air, Even with a normal reg my air controls are wound out a shit load more than that.

[Tater Patch Kid]

always have the draft door,wheel open all the way and start the burner with a low vokume gas flow.You have to warm up the cast iron before you give it gas. Just run it slow during warmup with No flame liftoff. After things are warmed up the burner should run better.

Think it is too rich at first.

My burner is low pressure, 30,000 btu,s it does not flashback any but i do get flame lifting when the burner is cold.

[drunkmore]

What gas are you using That type burner only works well on LPG if you try it on natural gas ( read. House supply ) it will do weird shit on you.

[bt1]

Air mixer plate is near closed in that shot. Why?

it also seems to be leaking from the tap base...bearing grease shaft, refit and test it. It relies on tolerance taper to seal so some additional stiffness may be required to get it to seat.

bt1

[Yummyrum]

always have the draft door,wheel open all the way and start the burner with a low vokume gas flow.You have to warm up the cast iron before you give it gas. Just run it slow during warmup with No flame liftoff. After things are warmed up the burner should run better.

Think it is too rich at first.

My burner is low pressure, 30,000 btu,s it does not flashback any but i do get flame lifting when the burner is cold.

Bingo guys.
I could not believe that such a simple piece of engineering could be so dodgy..Persistance has paid off but the warm up advise was the critical thing.
I have to light this up and tun down the HP reg and air and run it for about 5 min minimum then I can slowly wind up the Reg and air plates.
I can even run it with both rings flat out .It roars now .No flash backs .
Not sure if its specific to my set up but this is the magic proceedure.

Yes bt1. I also swapped over the tap mechs and re greased noticed one had a small casting "crase" in it .Think this was agrivated by poor burner function and showwd its ugly head.
Thanks


CHEERS