Portable gas cooktop indoors?

rusnak · 11-29-2016, 12:25 PM

I know, I know. The exhaust fumes will build up and that's why you don't use butane, propane, or natural gas without a vent.

I'm building a new office soon. It has not exactly a kitchen in the sense that we won't have room for a stove. But I don't really like electric stoves, especially portable ones. There is a small vent, like a hood without an ansul system, and it would be a huge expense to plumb in a gas line. So I'm wondering if I put a fan on the vent, and make it a mini hood, can I use a portable propane gas stove? I use a lot of propane heaters in the winter, so I have a lot of the 5 gallon tanks, and propane is reasonably priced. Is there a risk in brining a propane tank indoors?

Maybe I should just buy an electric cooktop stove?

vash · vash's Garage

i see those portable burners indoors all the time.

the best seems to be the Iwatani 35FW or something. looking on amazon, looks like lots of them are used indoors.

rusnak · 11-29-2016, 12:54 PM

I saw something similar to that on Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke, on PBS. I don't think butane burns as hot as propane, but maybe it's safer? I'm thinking propane because I use it all the time for heaters, and have a lot of tanks. I use a portable propane Everest camp stove quite often as well, and have become very familiar with them - but then I use them outdoors.

Hugh R · 11-29-2016, 01:10 PM

Methane, ethane, butane, propane are similar but different heat values per cubic foot or mole, whatever you want to measure it as, but 1-4 carbons respectively. Same order of BTUs, propane (4 carbons) makes 4x more CO than methane (1 carbon) per mole of gas. I wouldn't, but if you do (don't) get a CO detector placed right near by.

masraum · 11-29-2016, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Methane, ethane, butane, propane are similar but different heat values per cubic foot or mole, whatever you want to measure it as, but 1-4 carbons respectively. Same order of BTUs, propane (4 carbons) makes 4x more CO than methane (1 carbon) per mole of gas. I wouldn't, but if you do (don't) get a CO detector placed right near by.

Clearly Hugh knows this from when they cook stuntmen.

That's the kind of info that you need to make sure that they are medium rare.

rusnak · 11-29-2016, 01:26 PM

I think a CO detector is a good idea in any case, both in the warehouse, and in the back office.

I started reading some more, and found out that the issue is oxygen depletion. I'm not going to run the stove as a heater because when I go outdoors in the mobile office, I have a propane heater. I didn't know that it has a low oxygen cutoff switch.
Mr. Heater Big Buddy Indoor/Outdoor Propane Heater — 18,000 BTU, Model# MH18B | Propane Portable Heaters| Northern Tool + Equipment

Anyway, I think I want CO detectors. I think I'll ask the architect about them, and see if the GC can install plug in ones with battery back up.

Hugh R · 11-29-2016, 01:27 PM

We use propane for almost all sustained fire gags, because its cheap and portable. Body burns are a different story entirely. Mostly alcohol.

Hugh R · 11-29-2016, 01:30 PM

Be aware of CO detectors, some only go off with a time-weighted average over the worker exposure limit for a day, you want ones that will go off at a peak reading of 50 parts per million.

rusnak · 11-29-2016, 01:33 PM

^ 50 PPM, got it. I am thinking that I want residential ones. The reason is that the office is well...part office, part warehouse, and part retail store. When the vents are on in the store, they can suck air in from the warehouse when people go in and out to the office or what have you.

Hugh R · 02:03 PM

It isn't oxygen depletion that gets you, its the CO build up. Air is 20.9% O2 and you can survive with much lower concentrations, its the CO that binds to your hemoglobin and won't allow oxygen transfer to the blood. This is why fire victims are given pure O2, not air, to help drive the CO out of the blood/to overcome the CO in the blood .

Hugh R · 11-29-2016, 01:42 PM

I still wouldn't do it.

tabs · 11-29-2016, 01:52 PM

For my new Shanghai Woks I am gona git me a 100K Burner...they are Propane, but I am going to look into converting it to NG. It is for outside use only. I have already scoped out what is locally available. About $100 will do er.

Hugh R · 02:02 PM

In your link the first thing that you see is the propane tank outside the cabin. And the front door wide open, this is for a REASON!!

We've had a lot of issues in British Columbia in crew lunch and holding tents with propane heaters and people passing out due to the CO concentrations.

Tabula, for conversion from a propane burner to NG you just need a bigger /larger orifice on the jet to the burner, your seller can probably just reem it out with a specified drill bit, that is pretty normal, again for use outside.

rusnak · 11-29-2016, 02:00 PM

I decided to add a programmable CO detector that will turn on a fan relay, and suck CO out and O2 in.

https://www.jmac.com/Macurco_CM_6_p/MACURCO-CM-6.htm?gclid=CMzd5ZSEz9ACFVU7gQoddP4GCw

Probably put one or something similar in the warehouse, and one in the back area.

rusnak · 11-29-2016, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

In your link the first thing that you see is the propane tank outside the cabin.

We've had a lot of issues in British Columbia in crew lunch and holding tents with propane heaters and people passing out due to the CO concentrations.

Tabula, for conversion from a propane burner to NG you just need a bigger /larger orifice on the jet to the burner, your seller can probably just reem it out with a specified drill bit, that is pretty normal, again for use outside.

Yes, that is how I used mine. I set up a garden shed as my office, and ran the tank outside. It's so drafty, I don't think it needed any more vents. OTOH, I only sat in it for short periods of time.

rusnak · 11-29-2016, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

I still wouldn't do it.

You're probably right, I shouldn't do it inside.

Still, the CO monitor and fan relay seem like a great idea to me, even without use of a propane stove indoors.

Hugh R · 11-29-2016, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

i see those portable burners indoors all the time.

the best seems to be the Iwatani 35FW or something. looking on amazon, looks like lots of them are used indoors.

Looked at those, NONE of them say for indoor use. Just because you see them indoors doesn't mean its alright.

Hugh R · 11-29-2016, 02:10 PM

Good!

I read every year about some family in Los Angeles found dead because they brought a charcoal or gas fired BBQ into the home to cook for Turkey Day or Xmas.

rusnak · 11-29-2016, 02:14 PM

LOL! The Weber Genesis grill will have to stay at home. The fire sprinkler system may go off if I light that puppy up either in the store or in the warehouse. If I can find ways of posting pics without getting sideways from my franchise agreemet, then I'll post pics of the store area. The warehouse and office, no problem. It's going to be a 2 story building.

Hugh R · 11-29-2016, 02:20 PM

Los Angeles County requires that gas fireplaces have their flue locked open for a reason. About 15 years ago, my then 16 year old daughter turned the gas fire place on and then couldn't find a fire place clicker, she went looking and forgot about the fireplace. At 1AM I woke up to take a leak and smelled gas, I didn't turn on any lights and found the fireplace roaring out NG that was unlit. Even with the flue locked open, it could have been nasty.