Kipor IG2600

[gary955]

Now that we've made our tug fit for navigation and completed a coastal cruise from Southampton to Henley on Thames, it's time to make it more habitable. We need a generator as a back up for battery charging (as we're going electric for the fridge) as well as a power boost for doing things like washing and hovering. This Kipor looks like it might just fit the bill, as well as being portable so that we can take it to the narrowboat if necessary. the importer thinks that it should just about run a washing machine. Our washer will be an old hot and cold fill model with a clockwork programmer so not too demanding. But I've been wondering........might it run a standard domestic electric oven? most single ovens seem to have an element of 1800w to 2000w which suggests it should be OK and am I right in thinking that a heating element is a resistive load that wont have a big in-rush current?

[Tony Brooks]

It seems to be a petrol model so I am not so sure its suitable for seagoing use and it may be difficult to stow on a narrowboat so the insurance is still valid.

It says Digital inverter so its wave form should be OK. The bumph quotes 2300 watts so as long as it can cope with the starting current there is every chance it will work the washing machine.

I come back to it appertaining to be petrol powered. Hopefully you will have the space on the tug to construct a suitable "gas tank" type structure in which to store it and its petrol. Not sure that's possible on a typical narrowboat.

[roland elsdon]

Tony are you suggesting that running your petrol generator with the exhaust poking through the part opened doors or the well deck is against your insurance, and keeping fuel in it whilst it's stored in the engine room or under the rear boards, or keeping petrol in the cabin area is unwise. I thought it was only me that looked at these death traps and wondered why there are not more deaths

[Tony Brooks]

I have seen too many petrol boats go up to take chances. Even if it had nothing to do with a fire etc I think any insurance company would take a petrol generator and/or petrol aboard but not in a BSS approved store as a get out of jail free card and they would void the insurance.

[gary955]

Thanks for the reply's. I could mitigate the risk from the petrol by storing both the genny and the petrol in a ventilated wooden box on the deckhouse next to the gas bottles. Or of course, use gas as the fuel and eliminate the petrol altogether.

Any view on whether the genny in question would run an electric oven?

[cereal tiller]

15 minutes ago, gary955 said:

Thanks for the reply's. I could mitigate the risk from the petrol by storing both the genny and the petrol in a ventilated wooden box on the deckhouse next to the gas bottles. Or of course, use gas as the fuel and eliminate the petrol altogether.

Any view on whether the genny in question would run an electric oven?

Gas oven is best,used on 99% of boats,Electric Oven means running a Generator each and every time you need to use it.

[Tony Brooks]

42 minutes ago, gary955 said:

Thanks for the reply's. I could mitigate the risk from the petrol by storing both the genny and the petrol in a ventilated wooden box on the deckhouse next to the gas bottles. Or of course, use gas as the fuel and eliminate the petrol altogether.

Any view on whether the genny in question would run an electric oven?

Wooden box will probably fail the BSS inspection. I think you need non-combustible.

Given  the figures you quote then probably, but I agree with Cereal Tiller. I doubt the engine on the generator will be designed for long life so using it for an over, even every other day, may well have you buying a new one in a few years time.

[WotEver]

24 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Wooden box will probably fail the BSS inspection. I think you need non-combustible.

Agreed, but I don't think there's any 'probably' there Tony. The requirements are identical to a gas locker. 5.2.2 here:

https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/268789/ecp-private-boats-ed3_rev2_apr2015_public_final.pdf

[chubby]

why would anyone want to have a generator running on gas in  order to power an oven running on electricity , when u can just have a gas oven ?????

Sounds bonkers ....

Edited July 22, 2017 by chubby

[gary955]

34 minutes ago, chubby said:

why would anyone want to have a generator running on gas in  order to power an oven running on electricity , when u can just have a gas oven ?????

Sounds bonkers ....

I agree it does sound a bit bonkers, but when we're doing a complete domestic fit out then it might have a significant impact on initial outlay. We have to have a generator to make ourselves self sufficient off grid (it also enables us to buy a much lower power invertor), so that's a "must buy" expensive purchase. We also need an oven but gas ovens are rare these days and expensive, whereas basic electric ovens are cheap as chips, so the £200 difference in the oven purchase price can help pay for the genny or go towards some solar

[Richard10002]

At some time in the future, when you are starting the gen you so you can use the oven, you will wish you had spent the £200 extra for a gas oven, where you press a button and on it comes.

If you are short of £200 in a fit out, I would suggest it could be saved elsewhere, with a better long term outcome.

[chubby]

Ive never fitted out a boat & so the follwing opinion is not based on such experience but 

I would suggest that you are asking for trouble sooner or later . Probably sooner .....& later ! 

Electric oven on a boat is , for me at least , just a recipe for trouble . Gas ovens ....expensive ? If so then why not second hand ? They just make more sense . Do you really want to set up the generator each time you fancy a fried egg sandwich ? Its noisy & a PITA id imagine . But then i dont own a genny as i just don t want or need one . 

If youre fitting out a boat then id think long and hard about fitting gas piping etc now and biting whatever costs involved . Im sure you could organise a gas oven that doesn t cost a mint . 

Just an opinion , but i think an electric oven running off a genny will  soon become a wearying , expensive & noisy chore 

cheers

[WotEver]

42 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

If you are short of £200 in a fit out, I would suggest it could be saved elsewhere, with a better long term outcome.

If you are short of £200 in a fit out I would suggest you stop working on the boat for a week/fortnight/month/whatever until you've saved up the £200. 

[Taslim]

10 hours ago, gary955 said:

I agree it does sound a bit bonkers, but when we're doing a complete domestic fit out then it might have a significant impact on initial outlay. We have to have a generator to make ourselves self sufficient off grid (it also enables us to buy a much lower power invertor), so that's a "must buy" expensive purchase. We also need an oven but gas ovens are rare these days and expensive, whereas basic electric ovens are cheap as chips, so the £200 difference in the oven purchase price can help pay for the genny or go towards some solar

Unless you are talking about separate oven/hob then not so.  I picked up an LPG converted, flame out protected compact domestic 'cooker' (4 burner+oven/grill) for under £200.

Look for studio appliances or stuff suitable for multiple occupancy dwellings.

 

[Momac]

The only way a petrol generator will pass a BSS exam is if the generator , and its fuel, are ashore when the inspection is done (or otherwise concealed from the inspector).

Running  a portable petrol generator on the boat results a high risk of death due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The generator should stand ashore and as far from the boat as it sensible to avoid exhaust fumes entering the boat.

People have died . One from a stupid installation that allowed the fumes onboard. Another from running the engine on a petrol boat while at a mooring. I understand death is fairly quick but I suspect that is not your aim.  

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