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Canister failure: has this happened to you?
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Apr 5, 2013 at 2:38 pm #1301347
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Apr 5, 2013 at 2:42 pm #1973186That happened to me once
I just left stove on canister until I used it up
I think it's just a bad canister, not something you did
I'm guessing I've used 30 canisters so 1 in 30 had this failure
Apr 5, 2013 at 2:55 pm #1973187A few days into a week long trip, I had a canister develop a slow leak when the little valve didn't close completely.
By the time I discovered the problem ("what's that funny smell coming from my pack?"), I'd lost most of my fuel.
Cut the trip short, since my dinners required cooking, and wood fires were prohibited.
This was with a recently-purchased, well-known brand name of canister (which I don't recall now), and a nearly-new Snow Peak stove. And no, I'm not particularly rough on gear. I'd been using canister stoves of one kind or another for about 20 years at that point.
I switched to Esbit.
— Rex
Apr 5, 2013 at 3:01 pm #1973190It's only happened to me once in all the times I've used canister stoves, but it sure got my attention in a big way.
You can leave your stove on and just use the stove's valve to control the gas — or you can just try again. I found that simply putting the stove on again and taking it off was enough to get the valve to seat.
All of this brings home a very important practice: Never put on or take off a canister near an open flame or anything hot enough to ignite the gas.
I wrote a post related to this subject: Canister Gas Stove Reliability & Maintenance.
Apr 5, 2013 at 3:58 pm #1973208Good points Jim.
Apr 5, 2013 at 4:44 pm #1973231I have had one Lindahl valve canister stick open on me (out of maybe a hundred or so) and one PowerMax. That was the big surprise as it was winter and I needed all my fuel. I stuck the end back on and kept it there until the next morning. I knew I had enough fuel once I got past breakfast (as I was with my wife I needed plenty of fuel in the morning;-) because I had another canister for the next day's cooking and snow melting chores. If solo it may have been more worrisome.
Apr 5, 2013 at 4:49 pm #1973233Yeah, that has happened. I used about 15 canisters before on them. One was a fast leak, such as you describe. The Lindal valves are not an expensive item and can do that on occasion. As Jim was saying, this is usually recoverable by simply replacing and removing the stove. It did not happen again.
The other was a slow leak as Rex described…but I didn't notice the leak till evening, soo, I cannot say if this could have been reset.
Apr 5, 2013 at 5:08 pm #1973245I was on a Bpl meet last and the Msr canister one of the guys had failed.
Ever since then I test each can when it comes in to house and before I go on a trip.Apr 5, 2013 at 6:39 pm #1973269I leave me stove attached to the canister throughout any trip. Gives me two chances of preventing a leak. If the stove "off" valve doesn't work I can remove the canister and then, hopefully, the canister's off mechanism will work. Both would have to fail for me to lose all the gas in the canister.
All of this depends on my ears (weak) or nose (strong) detecting the leak in the first place.
Apr 5, 2013 at 7:06 pm #1973274I had a canister valve stick open and slowly leak on a very cold evening. My only recourse was to screw it back onto the stove, which worked. Once I got the canister warm, the canister's valve worked again.
Apr 5, 2013 at 7:22 pm #1973282A different failure I had was, my exponent F1 ultralight started slow leak when it got real cold.
I used the stove for evening meal. Made sure it was screwed onto canister very tight and the needle valve tightly closed. Then, over night when it got cold, it started leaking between canister and stove.
First time it did this I figured I just didn't screw it on tight enough, then I made sure it was tightly screwed from then on. Happened two more times.
This failure coupled with leaky Lindal valve = no solution
Apr 5, 2013 at 7:36 pm #1973287I had this same thing happen last year in the Rockies with a snowpeak canister– first the flame started expanding to the area where the stove screws into the canister. We got the stove shut off and canister unscrewed, at which time the gas started leaking out super fast. We tried to screw it back in but to no effect — left the canister away from camp and let it leak out.
Apr 5, 2013 at 7:46 pm #1973291What stove?
That's the other thing that happened with my Exponent F1 Ultralight – leaked between stove and canister and flamed up a bit. Melted some cosmetic pieces a little. I just quickly blew it out, then screwed it on tighter.
Apr 5, 2013 at 7:59 pm #1973293I think it was a snowpeak giga stove — not my stove — I actually have the F1 and haven't had this problem (yet) with it.
Apr 6, 2013 at 6:24 am #1973345IIRC, I was on the AT last summer and I heard a story about a disabled guy who runs a hiker hostel. He and his friends/family contribute a lot to maintaining that section of the AT.
Story I heard was, his leaking canister stove hit a spark and blew up, and his leg or legs were amputated and he's in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
So, I don't use canister stoves.
Apr 6, 2013 at 6:52 am #1973350If you estimate you might need over 110g – bring 2 110g cans.
I also put a little grease on the threads and o ring of the stove (keep it clean, of course). I forgot what type of grease.
A couple of things I try to keep in mind is to not tighten too much and gently screw and unscrew the stove holding it close to bottom of the stove. I think that helps the threads integrity.
I think I do sit too close to the stove while boiling water. That is something this thread has reminded me not to do.
Apr 6, 2013 at 7:24 am #1973357I just want to eat sometimes. You can't beat the ease of use. I've only had trouble with the valves on those big Coleman car camping canisters leaking. With the old pierce the canister style stoves I did have one leak in my pack. Standing on the trail wondering what the funny smell was…
IF I took Max's appraoch to life I would never do anything, go anywhere, have any fun. Geez. And you should not spread stories based on here say. This is how urban legends start.
Apr 6, 2013 at 7:44 am #1973359IF I took Max's appraoch to life I would never do anything, go anywhere, have any fun. Geez. And you should not spread stories based on here say. This is how urban legends start.
there were all these people who walked their dogs … but unfortunately some of them got hit by crazy drivers, others got shot, some got robbed, and others got attacked by bigger more vicious dogs
happens every day
i should stop wokking the dogs ;)
Apr 6, 2013 at 7:47 am #1973362My forum profile pic is me lifting a bike over my head at the top of a mountain after over 800 miles of a 1,500 mile unsupported trip… I don't think I'm really starving myself. ;)
I just use a wood stove, the Vargo Titanium Hex. Rather not blow up while hiking.
Apr 6, 2013 at 8:08 am #197336920 years, 6000 boils, no canister fires.
You are being extremely neurotic. This thread isn't about fires or canisters blowing up. The OP didn't catch fire.
Apr 6, 2013 at 8:40 am #1973372Nothing tires me out faster than BPL'ers leaping to the gallows when I have an opinion that differs from theirs, but I'll bite.
The OP did remark on an issue that another user connected to fires. "Reminds me not to remove my canister near an open flame."
It's obvious, but I'm sure a lot of people have ignored the obvious before. And in that one moment of carelessness, there's the threat of a gas explosion in a pressurized metal canister. Oops.
I'm not saying "Canister stoves are dangerous and explosive, and you shouldn't use them."
I'm saying "I can be clumsy and forgetful as the next guy, so I'd rather use a different stove."
If you want to use it, go for it, but don't tell me I'm wrong for deciding it's a risk. It is.
Apr 6, 2013 at 8:54 am #1973376Well, a spark from your wood fire could jump out and burn your clothes, or set fire to the woods. There's a reason they aren't allowed in certain areas.
You could knock over your alcohol stove and burn your clothes or set fire to the woods.
You could be hit by lightening and burn your clothes or set fire to the woods.
You could be a pyromaniac and just like to set fire to the woods.Max I love reading your posts…you try so hard but your idealism, self-assuredness and overall, well, self-righteousness (and I don't mean that in a bad way…) always seem to get the better of you.
My favorite quote from my mom when I graduated from college: hurry up and leave home now while you still know everything!!
Apr 6, 2013 at 9:12 am #1973381I had one other canister failure – only for Pocket Rocket
The distance from the Lindal valve to the top of the rim is a little greater for one canister
The Pocket Rocket has a normal O-ring plus a washer between the rim of the canister and the stove. After it warms up a little and expands, the pin on the stove that pushes the Lindal valve moves out a little so it no longer opens the valve. I have to screw the stove on tighter to get it to work, but over-tightening is not good. Removing that outer washer eliminates the problem. Maybe I'll just leave that washer off.
Regarding safety of canister stoves – you do have to contantly watch them or they might explode, but this is unlikely. White gas stoves are more dangerous. Alcohol stoves have a flaming liquid which could be dangerous if it got on you or your stuff, plus the flame is somewhat invisible. Esbit is a noxious substance with poisonous fumes and soot, plus could start a forest fire. Nothing is perfect. No stove would be pretty good, but I like some hot food in the morning if it's cold.
Apr 6, 2013 at 9:30 am #1973387Max, this isn't about you agreeing or disagreeing with users experience. However, you have no experience in miss threaded canisters or exploding stoves. So what could have added to this thread apart from scaring the crap out of newly lightweight backpackers coming to BPL to learn?
Please remember that:
Not every thread is a.) Chaff related and b.) About you.
Apr 6, 2013 at 9:47 am #1973392Be WARNED.
I once heard from a guy about a guy that that knew someone that lost his face and eyelids. The canister didn't seal properly and some static from his fleece jacket ignited it into a roaring flamethrower, right at his face. Shrapnel from the canister scalped him.
Long story short, his face was gone, the hair on the top of head never grew back, and his eyes dried up and shriveled into raisins without their eyelids. His wife left him (with the children, they couldn't bear to look at him), and he now lives in a small trailer outside of Hesperia, CA stockpiling ammo, drinking heavily, yelling at the mailman, and listening to Michael Crichton books on tape and InfoWars podcasts all day long.
Personally, I've been VERY VERY VERY lucky.
15+ years of using canister stoves and I've never had a single problem, ever.But this is hardly the norm, you probably will never be as lucky as I am, and I have been known to live on the edge.
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