Lunch box cooker explosion.

Santa · Guru

Lunch box cooker explosion.

03_Troopy · Guru

Actually, and i'm not trying to pick nits as such, it says a butane cylinder FROM a portable cooker exploded. Doesn't actually say it was being used in a cooker. The reason I mentioned this is further down the page, it says in another incident, burning candles caused a butane cylinder to explode...

Be interesting to find out how many explosions where from misuse too.

And it seems they are back on sale in some places as well.

I'm still using ours anyway.

chaslib · Senior Member

Recently camped at Jandowae Dam in Qld .... Apparently a older gentleman while camping on the side of the dam recently in a converted bus made the mistake of using a cooker in his bus and while whatever was in it cooking, he went to check his traps and lucky for him, he was away from the bus when the cooker exploded Causing extensive damage. Another incident I would imagine of using these cookers inside or in enclosed spaces or with oversized pots, pans or trays on the burner. Hopefully the newly released models, have some safeguards against this type of unfortunate incident Resulting in most cases from not reading the safety guidelines! Like many of you, I continue to use mine, but with caution And will replace once I find the new releases .... This is all second information, however as it came from a couple of locals, I believe it is correct. Cheers

Baz421 · Guru

03_Troopy wrote:
Actually, and i'm not trying to pick nits as such, it says a butane cylinder FROM a portable cooker exploded. Doesn't actually say it was being used in a cooker. The reason I mentioned this is further down the page, it says in another incident, burning candles caused a butane cylinder to explode...

Be interesting to find out how many explosions where from misuse too.

And it seems they are back on sale in some places as well.

I'm still using ours anyway.

Bob in SA it showed the cooker slightly blown apart and a gas cylinder I've never seen before with the end blown out.

Baz421 · Guru

chaslib wrote:
Like many of you, I continue to use mine, but with caution And will replace once I find the new releases .... Cheers

You are taking a big risk to yourselves AND anyone nearby, plus a bushfire risk if out bush (and it's dry).

To the best of my knowledge large frypans/saucepans seem to be a catalyst for cylinder overheating and the following explosion.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

spoke to a Rep from Elgas (big retail gas cylinder supplier in the East as many of you will know) about a week ago.

They have been told that the fires and/or explosions were caused by oversize dishes being placed on the cooker and then the flame and heat being directed down onto the butane cylinder causing it to overheat, rupture and then of course a fire and possibly a fire. They have also upgraded the cylinder requirements to make the casing and crimping of the joints stronger to make the cylinder more robust. But many retailers, including K Mart are selling old stock.

If you have such a cooker (like us and we continue to use it), cook outside, make sure the cylinder is inserted correctly and don't use an oversized cooking dish

hako · Guru

That news article is full of contradictions - in one section it says:

In March, all mini-gas cookers were banned for sale after thousands are believed to have exploded due to a design fault and misuse, according to the Office of the Technical Regulator.

and then a few paragraphs later it says:

The regulators manager of gas, Trevor Tucker, said up to 20 burners had exploded nationwide in the past five years, including two at the Oakbank races a couple of years ago, resulting in people suffering burns.

Journalism at it's worst.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Still importing and selling them ? AKA is our only saviour ?

03_Troopy · Guru

Baz421 wrote:
03_Troopy wrote:
Actually, and i'm not trying to pick nits as such, it says a butane cylinder FROM a portable cooker exploded. Doesn't actually say it was being used in a cooker. The reason I mentioned this is further down the page, it says in another incident, burning candles caused a butane cylinder to explode...

Be interesting to find out how many explosions where from misuse too.

And it seems they are back on sale in some places as well.

I'm still using ours anyway.
Bob in SA it showed the cooker slightly blown apart and a gas cylinder I've never seen before with the end blown out.

Fair enough, but the link to the story and the link on that page to the "originally released" story didn't show the cooker or make reference to it.

03_Troopy · Guru

Bruce and Bev wrote:
spoke to a Rep from Elgas (big retail gas cylinder supplier in the East as many of you will know) about a week ago.

They have been told that the fires and/or explosions were caused by oversize dishes being placed on the cooker and then the flame and heat being directed down onto the butane cylinder causing it to overheat, rupture and then of course a fire and possibly a fire. They have also upgraded the cylinder requirements to make the casing and crimping of the joints stronger to make the cylinder more robust. But many retailers, including K Mart are selling old stock.

If you have such a cooker (like us and we continue to use it), cook outside, make sure the cylinder is inserted correctly and don't use an oversized cooking dish

The new Countersunk Release Valve (CRV) cartridges have a series of small holes inside the crimped top seam, so that they release pressure in a more controlled way if they are overheated. It will still cause a big flame, but is less likely to explode.

Butane gas cartridge CRV-4.jpg

campingnut · Member

(my first post on GN)I continue to use these stoves as I have since the early nineties. A stove that I bought a few years ago did have safety warnings but none of them referred to having a cooking pot or pan that overhung the canister bay. I rang one of the testers (in WA) that had put out recall notices and had examined some that had blown up and he said they had tested many brands under conditions of PROPER use and had not been able to reproduce any of the failures in the accidents. He also advised me to buy the new (slow blow) canisters mentioned above that stop explosions.

My favourite stoves have no canister and run off kero and white gas (coleman) or unleaded. Like any stove you need to know the dangers of what you are using. If you undo the pressurized cap on the petrol stove while its going to shut it down the release of fumes could cause trouble. Im tired of the hassles of 9kg in terms of bulk and weight. I only keep one for the fridge and the few times I use the gas range inside our motorhome.

Going back to the above canisters -if you want a small burner that you can use larger pans on or take in a small back pack to boil the billy consider these two little beauties. This way you could test for leakage of your canister (spray of detergent water on the cap) while the stove is being used.

this fella
www.ebay.com.au/itm/251993033837%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
gets screwed onto this fella (that joins onto the above canisters)
www.ebay.com.au/itm/121446277479%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

cheaper & smaller than a lunch box cooker and much easier to test for any leaks. Im tempted!

If you love cooking breakfast on a few little sticks you can't go past a rocket stove - search for rocket stove (and the word apostel) in utube -some great designs.

-- Edited by campingnut on Friday 28th of August 2015 11:08:05 AM

-- Edited by campingnut on Friday 28th of August 2015 11:09:29 AM

Nomes · Senior Member

I left a really good job because the boss wanted me to cook breakfasts in a cafe on 2 butane cookers using large fry pans. She also wanted me to cook on the proper burners but the pipes were joined directly to the LPG bottles all at the same time equal to 4 gas stove burners except many more jets.

I wonder why they only taught us as kids about safe use of electricity and not gas as well.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

It was tested before sale .. Not anymore ...