Replacing Electric Stove With Propane Stove

[Montenido]

Hi everyone,

I am looking at several trawlers at the moment. The one that I like the best has an electric stove. Would it be worth the trouble to swap this out for a propane powered stove, along with all that entails? Has anybody done this before? I know that I hate electric stoves on land, so I don't relish the thought of using one while on board.

Any and all comments are greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Bill

 

[chester613]

My thoughts exactly. Unless you are always at a marina in a slip with shore power, why would you want an electric stove? I have the same plans. It seems like my favorite boats have electric stoves. The only problem I see, is how to run the propane lines. They should be protected from impact, leak free of course and you have to go from the inside to the outside at some point. The seal where you come thru must be absolutely water tight. Then a proper box for the tanks and a safety switch. Sounds easy enough? Also sounds expensive, if you want the yard to do it. I will be watching this thread closely.

 

[Marin]

Friends we boat with swapped out a very troublesome diesel stove/oven for a propane range on their custom lobsterboat. They mounted the propane locker in the cockpit behind the cabin bulkhead so the hose run was very easy. It is trickier with a Grand Banks/CHB/etc. style cabin cruiser where the propane locker is typically up on the flying bridge. But it can certainly be done. The ABYC has guidelines for a safe propane installation.

 

[Larry M]

We did this on a Mainship we owned and never regretted it. Done correctly, following the applicable safety regs, it was not that hard. Planning on where to store the propane tank (s) and hose run was the most difficult part. If in doubt though, get some professional help.

 

[TDunn]

It isn't all that tough to do. You will have to build a propane locker that is gas tight and vented overboard from the bottom of the locker. In other words the entire locker must be above the waterline. Put a regulator and solenoid valve in the locker and run a continuous run of hose to the stove only. You should also install a propane detector in your bilge and connect it to a control board that will shut the solenoid valve if propane is detected.

You can buy pretty much everything you need from Trident (locker with solenoid valve and regulator, hose, propane detector safety circuit). Most stores carry Trident propane systems. Their lockers are pricey, but easy to install and include everything you need.

Figure on spending about $1,500 for propane system components if you buy a ready made locker.

 

[hmason]

Having had alcohol, propane, and electric, we much prefer the electric. We are full time cruisers. We have a ceramic cooktop (Seaward Princess) which replaced the older coil top. I can't think of a single negative. If you are cruising you're using the generator anyway. If you're at a marina you're plugged in.

It heats instantly, heat lowers as fast as propane, and it's a cinch to wipe clean. Baked on food is removed with a razor blade in seconds. The oven does not need a pilot light, etc. Finding a propane refill station is not a issue. The wife absolutely loves it.

Howard

 

[Xsbank]

There are no pilot lights on marine stoves.

I had an electric stove on my GB and I ended up putting a Coleman stove in the cockpit so I could make morning coffee without having to start the genset first thing in the morning and suffering the rudeness of my neighbours.

Electric boats were a fad brought about by poor sales and the image that boats could be more user-friendly than their perception. Get Susy Homemaker on board with a galley just like her kitchen at home and more boats would be sold. That dovetailed nicely with the marina culture where boats would always be tied up at night and never anchored out.

All that is perfectly fine if that suits your style but the pendulum has swung farther from the marina mentality (at least out here, I think) and more of us wish to be self-sufficient without having to run the genset day and night.

Did you all know that a rule in BC marine parks is no machinery to be run from dusk to dawn? I cannot fathom (you saw what I did there?) people running their gensets into the wee hours so they can sit there and watch television in an anchorage. I wish everyone knew that rule (while I'm on a roll, that should also apply to yahooing by rafted party-morons too!).

 

[Heron]

I had an electric stove on my GB and I ended up putting a Coleman stove in the cockpit so I could make morning coffee without having to start the genset first thing in the morning and suffering the rudeness of my neighbours.

.

Having a small boat, my options are limited.....I have an Origo combination Alchohol and Electric...Meets all my needs, anchored out or at the dock.
If I had a big boat, propane would be my choice...
Had it on my last boat and it was a perfect set-up...(no generator)

 

[hmason]

My morning coffee is made by a Nespresso running silently off the inverter. My toast is being made by a toaster oven also running off my inverter. The only propane I use is for my Weber Baby Que which needs a 1pound bottle. I have no interest in carrying around 20 to 40 pounds of propane along with hoses, connections, solenoid, sniffer, propane locker, etc . I use my generator to top off batteries, run AC or heat, refrigeration, hot water and probably some stuff I'm forgetting. No problem using the stove.

No soapy water on connections to test for a leak for me. Been there done that.

 

[caltexflanc]

We thought we might do it, as Ann liked cooking with gas but could never cost justify it and I had some qualms about the safety factor. We ran the generator anyway for battery charging, water heating, laundry so it was no big deal.

 

[Insequent]

My morning coffee is made by a Nespresso running silently off the inverter. My toast is being made by a toaster oven also running off my inverter. The only propane I use is for my Weber Baby Que which needs a 1pound bottle. I have no interest in carrying around 20 to 40 pounds of propane along with hoses, connections, solenoid, sniffer, propane locker, etc . I use my generator to top off batteries, run AC or heat, refrigeration, hot water and probably some stuff I'm forgetting. No problem using the stove.

No soapy water on connections to test for a leak for me. Been there done that.

You must be joking - my Nespresso makes as much racket as a generator!

 

[hmason]

You must be joking - my Nespresso makes as much racket as a generator!

Really? You need to get that fixed.

 

[janice142]

I am looking at several trawlers at the moment. The one that I like the best has an electric stove. Would it be worth the trouble to swap this out for a propane powered stove, along with all that entails? Has anybody done this before? I know that I hate electric stoves on land, so I don't relish the thought of using one while on board.

Hello Bill. If a propane stove makes your cooking a pleasure and electric does not, you already know the answer. In the scheme of things, swapping for what you desire won't kill the budget.

I prefer propane for cooking too though I admit I looked at those single induction flat-tops recommended in the Galley Tools thread. Those are nifty too.

 

[MartySchwartz]

Hi everyone,

I am looking at several trawlers at the moment. The one that I like the best has an electric stove. Would it be worth the trouble to swap this out for a propane powered stove, along with all that entails? Has anybody done this before? I know that I hate electric stoves on land, so I don't relish the thought of using one while on board.

Any and all comments are greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Bill

We did exactly that and yes, it was worth it to us. Key points:

1. As previously mentioned you will need to add the propane tank storage and probably will have to run the piping and electrical for the controls.
2. If you do not already have the stove you will have to buy one. We actually had one already (free from sister-in-law). We subsequently bought a new one for the oven thermostat control.
3. If the current stove has cabinets over it you will need to remove them if they are closer than 18" (I think that was the distance, might be 24").
4. Do your homework and take your time to do it right. It is not that big a job but it does take some time and $$$ to do it.

Marty......................

 

[caltexflanc]

If you look at the Galley Tools thread you can see a few examples of how much we've suffered having an electric range and oven.

 

[AKDoug]

I had an electric range for the first two years, and switched to propane this season. I can literally cook breakfast in the time it took the electric stove top to heat up!

Rather than to install a propane locker, I mounted the bottle on the roof of the cabin unenclosed. I was on board for almost 3 months straight this summer and never went through a 7 gallon horizontal aluminum bottle I had mounted.

My next improvement will be to mount a second regulator and solenoid for the BBQ and run a line to the stern with a quick disconnect fitting. The only time I ran the generator all summer was to vacuum the cabin on the way back into port.

Silence is golden!

 

[Montenido]

Thanks to all of you for your well presented responses. I'm pretty handy, so I am confident in the installation part of it. All my boats (I'm on my 3rd) have had propane stoves, and since I do most of the cooking, I think I would like to go that way. As with other things on a new-to-me boat, I should probably live with the electric stove for a while and see if really needs replacing.

I like the idea of running another line to the BBQ. That would make life much easier.

Thanks again, Bill

 

[River Cruiser]

I have electric and gave serious thought to converting to propane and decided against it. When I'am in the slip there is no problems and I don't run out of propane and have to switch bottles. When anchored out I do not mind running the gen to cook breakfast and dinner, those times plus a little TV time in the evening keeps the house battery charged. I think the gen needs to be used rather than just set in the bilge, plus electric's dependability and safety were the reasons I stayed with it.


Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

 

[FF]

The locker for the bottles must be top opening and have nothing but propane & propane items inside.

Must drain overboard , with no opening window below.

A solenoid to switch on the gas is needed , usually with a bilge sniffer to turn it off , just in case.

I prefer to use the of/on with light setup from the solenoid folks and install, a high off the floor mechanical 2 hour timer.

This keeps kids from switching on the nice operating lamp.

The preferably 2 stage regulator should be hooked to a supply hose with in one single run.Proper hose has USCG markings.

AS a safety I frequently would run the propane hose thru a discarded Hyd hose , to protect it from damage.

Many propane ovens will have a pilot setup to obtain thermostat regulation for the oven.

IF a propane range is in the works , will the propane reefer be far behind?

 

[ranger58sb]

Thanks to all of you for your well presented responses. I'm pretty handy, so I am confident in the installation part of it. All my boats (I'm on my 3rd) have had propane stoves, and since I do most of the cooking, I think I would like to go that way. As with other things on a new-to-me boat, I should probably live with the electric stove for a while and see if really needs replacing.

I like the idea of running another line to the BBQ. That would make life much easier.

We prefer electric, on the boat. We have propane at home, works well, but it would too much bother on the boat... both doing a conversion, and then managing the additional system afterwards.

Just have to learn/practice the differences between electric and gas (instant on/off with gas being one). And we need to run the genset 2x/day to keep the batteries topped off, anyway, so it's easy enough to make that coincide with breakfast/dinner cooking times.

I think about installing an inverter to use for quiet early morning coffee, and maybe late night microwave, but haven't gotten a round tuit.

We can use a small one-burner propane thing in the cockpit for quiet coffee... but I usually don't go to the extra trouble. We also augment our cooking with a propane grill in the cockpit, pain in the neck but it offers at least some change in diet. (Could use that for quiet coffee too, but again, I usually don't.) These use small screw-on canisters, not as much fuss as a plumbed system. Still... we usually only drag those out if we'll be anchored at the same place for at least a couple days.

I intend to switch our inside cooktop to induction if/when it ever craps out.

-Chris

 

[ksanders]

I think the preferances of electric Vs propane are based more on what you use and prefer at home than anything else.

It also seems dependant on wether you have a quiet reliable generator.

We have an electric princess stove and oven on the boat and love it. Yes we have to run the generator but we have to run it anyway to recharge batteries. Heating time for the burners is about the same as at home, very fast. The oven takes probably 10 minutes to come up to temperature, but once there it's there.

 

[MYTraveler]

I run my generators 24/7 if not plugged into shore power, so the concern about needing to fire up a generator to get a cup of coffee was never a concern, but since we still prefer a gas range, when my boat was built, I spec'd a gas range (but electric oven), despite recommendations from my boat's builder to the contrary. My propane lines are all copper and chafe protected, and there are safety sniffers, so I believe safety is not an issue. I have a two-bottle (8 gallons each, as I recall) system, and each bottle lasts quite a while. I have never been without propane nor have I been inconvenienced by the need to get a refill. My builder's advice to go electric was based in part upon resale value, so I addressed that by having the power line installed so it would be an easy matter for someone to switch.

 

[boatpoker]

Safe Boat Propane Installations

 

[FF]

We have propane at home, works well, but it would too much bother on the boat.

For many folks a 20# bottle will last about 3 - 4 months , mostly depends on the oven use.

A pair is normal so most folks go all season with no trip to the 7-11 for a swop bottle.

To cook with propane you flip a switch on , them light and cook as normal.

Done.

 

[hmason]

Our ceramic top electric heats up very, VERY, fast. When we tried it the first time we were surprised at how fast it is. And no open flame onboard makes me feel good.

 

[O C Diver]

Thought about switching my electric stove for a propane one. To date I think I've used it once to cook a pizza. Everything else in the galley runs off the inverter. Just need to add a propane grill and propane dingy outboard.

Ted

 

[ranger58sb]

]"We have propane at home, works well, but it would too much bother on the boat."[/COLOR]

For many folks a 20# bottle will last about 3 - 4 months , mostly depends on the oven use.

A pair is normal so most folks go all season with no trip to the 7-11 for a swop bottle.

To cook with propane you flip a switch on , them light and cook as normal.

Done.

The "bother" I meant would mostly be about all the work required to switch over from the current (pun) electric stovetop to anything different.

-Chris

 

[FF]

"The "bother" I meant would mostly be about all the work required to switch over from the current (pun) electric stovetop to anything different."

A Different bother could be the noise on board and in the anchorage, another the PM and repairs a noisemaker makes.

Finally there is finance , My guesstimate is the all up cost of operating a noisemaker is near $10 per hour.

Assuming it aboard on initial purchase there is still fuel parts and repair , normal PM and of course the replacement , purchase and install costs.

Compared to a $15 propane refill every 3 months , electric seems expensive, in dollars and lifestyle.

Unless of course you need conditioned air 24/7 , then cooking is almost free.

 

[ranger58sb]

All good points, but I've already got a genset installed so no work required there. Already have to run it 2x/day at anchor, so cost is already there. Already have to maintain/service genset, so effort is already included. IOW, all that genset stuff happens no matter what fuel our cooktop uses.


Replacing the cooktop -- which works perfectly well already -- takes additional effort. Got better things to do.


That could be different if the existing cooktop went south. But it hasn't. And even if it did, swapping with a new induction version would still be less work than engineering a propane (or other fuel) cooktop.


Different strokes of course...


-Chris

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

This is a good discussion. We have contemplated switching to propane, but the Admiral likes the old princess electric stove/oven.


We would like to upgrade to a glass top/oven combination.