[Rhodes22-list] Stove Safety Recall

[DCLewis1 at aol.com]

Folks,
 
The stove that came with our R22 is a Kenyon B23000. In checking around for  
operating instructions for that stove I discovered it was subject to a safety  
recall.  I posted that info on 5/19/06.  For information regarding the  
recall see:   
 
_www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01198.html_ 
(http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01198.html)   
_http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_ppro/is_200107/ai_1124042216_ 
(http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_ppro/is_200107/ai_1124042216) 
 

Rather than flirt with disaster, I contacted Kenyon to find out about  the 
recall.  The lady I spoke with @ Kenyon (Beth) told me that indeed  there was a 
recall, the problem was that users would sometimes use the grill  that came 
with the B2300 upside down (i.e. as stored), and heat radiated from  that upside 
down grill assembly radiated into the gas regulator assembly, things  got 
hot, gas leaked, and there had been fires, people had been hurt, etc.   The new 
stove that they would send out in fulfillment of the recall had a grill  that 
could only be used one way and would solve that problem.
 
We returned our stove and promptly got back a new stove and carrying case  at 
no charge (of course we had to pay the postage to mail our stove back).   The 
point of this present post is to report general features of the new stove,  
Kenyon Express II model B23200.
 
The new stove came in a black plastic container that looks good, but in no  
more than 3 weeks of intermittent light handling has torn in one spot.  I  
think it’s a bit flimsy, but serviceable, as a way to store and carry the  stove.
 
The stove is labeled: "Not for household use.  Gas-fired portable cook  stove 
for outdoor and indoor commercial use only."  I'm not sure which  category we 
fit into if the stove is installed in a galley.
 
The gross form factor for the stove (length, width, height) is similar to  
the old stove, it’s as deep and thick as the B23000 but may be 1/2" shorter  
(i.e. length parallel to the front edge of the counter-top).
 
The stove is black and gets pretty hot just sitting in sunlight.  It’s  
awkward to touch and hold if it’s been sitting in direct sunlight.  As I  recall, 
the B23000 was green and did not get as hot.  If you are going to  use the 
stove under the countertop, this is not an issue.  If you are going  to use it out 
of doors, this may well be an issue.
 
The pot supports are indeed attached directly to the stove top in a way  that 
they cannot be removed and used upside down.  This means  when  installed in 
the galley the stove top will always protrude above the counter-top  by about 
3/4".  The top of the previous stove could be flipped so that you  could have 
a smooth counter-top and so that a cutting board could fit over the  hole in 
the counter-top for the stove.  With the new stove you will have to  put a 3/4" 
to 1" high border around  the cutting block, if you intend to  set it over 
the stove top, and the stove top will always be protruding above the  countertop.
 
The hips on the 4 pot supports that come up from the top of the stove are  
spaced sufficiently far apart that the top will not pass freely through our  
counter top (i.e. straight up),  but it's close; by passing one side  through, 
and then the other, it is possible to get the stove top through the  counter 
cut-out.  The possible problem is that the pot supports are close  to, or bearing 
against, the aluminum border that edges the stove cut-out of the  
counter-top.  I’m concerned that heat from the pot supports will be  conducted to the 
counter-top thus creating another type of fire  hazard.
 
I may try to install the stove just to see how it works, there are  
modifications that could be made (i.e. file the pot support fingers back so they  do 
easily clear the cut-out space) that might allow for safer  operation.  But we 
may also just carry the stove as a separate item and use  it in the cockpit 
when we need a stove.  And I may look around to find  another safer stove that 
will fit in the available space better (if anyone knows  of a suitable stove, I 
will appreciate their telling me of it).
 
Some people may be tempted to just try to operate their Kenyon B23000 stove  “
as is” being sure to flip the stove top as appropriate.  This would  respond 
to the issue identified by the lady at Kenyon.  I’m concerned,  however, that 
she may have not fully understood the extent of risk and it’s  origins.  If 
there were a simple, cheap fix to this problem, like  implementing a different 
grill structure so that the stove could only be used  one way, I think Kenyon 
would have gone for it in a heart beat.  I suspect  they’ve had to change more 
than the stove top - they've issued a whole new  stove.
 
Dave