Bialaddin Mk III bowl fire

I just received this bowl fire from my mate in Newcastle and I have some questions: I see a couple on youtube and they all have a cream coloured fount. with the pump and and the filler cap painted in the same colour. Is this how they left the factory? Those which I see with no paint on the pump and the filler cap look much nicer! I think I will repaint mine (it has spots flaking off) in this way (no paint on the pump/filler. What do you think?
The overall condition is superb, just a couple of rust spots on the grille.
Can someone tell me the model? I know there were three versions and I reckon mine is the third version from around 1960.
It is a beautiful heater and it will keep me warm in my garage!
Thanks in advance for any information you can provide!

Jim

 

I think the model number is F2700 - but I'm probably wrong again.

Just checked - see pages 34 and 35 in Ian's book for details and the diagnostic features of the three types...

 

Well, I got it into what I thought was working order (there was a nice vertical squirt of paraffin from the evaporator when I lifted the burner off it.) I Preheated in the approved manner, opened the pricker and got--- flames! 8" flames, yellow, no sign of blue. I removed the evaporator and replaced it with the one from my Bialaddin 315 lamp (which was working beautifully--- flames! Yellow, no sign of blue.
I blew out the burner with compressed air, removed the lower tube, cleaned everything I could and put it all back together. Yellow flames! Including a yellow flame coming out of the air intake! So there is no air being sucked into the burner. Any ideas what might be causing this problem?

Jim.

 

Just checked - see pages 34 and 35 in Ian's book for details and the diagnostic features of the three type

Would this Ian be Ian Ashton? He is the only one I can fond who seems to have enough knowledge to be able to write a book about Bialaddin! Added to which, my surname is Ashton, maybe we are related!

Jim.

 

I found Ian Ashton's book on Base Camp!

Jim

 

A good buy he does pop in now and again Jim

 

Or, if you're a cheapskate like me, you can read the entire book online without paying a penny.

I'm not denying Ian income by doing this - the book clearly states it's not-for-profit and what you pay is entirely to cover cost of production...

 

I did not find out how to find the book or to read it!

Jim

 

http://www.blurb.co.uk/books/1413766-vapalux-and-bialaddin-pressure-lamps

 

Thanks, Derek - saved me doing it.

I just love that Vapalux handlamp on the cover of Ian's book - I wonder where it is now...

 

THanks Derek, now I can see what's in it. Pity I can't print it!


Jim

 

I just tried the bowl by heating the burner with a propane blow lamp(and heating with the preheater). After a lot of heating, a blue flame suddenly appeared inside the mantle but it wandered up and down and eventually (after 5 minutes) disappeared. The mantle was reddish about half way down but not crimson. I let it cool down and tried it again but I could only get a blaze of yellow flame (and I noticed there were drops of liquid paraffin dripping down on to the preheater.
It is all rather alarming and I don't know what to try now.
Can anybody help me please?

Jim.

 

Priming with the pre-heater should be sufficient - about 2-3 minutes for a full prime. Then pump no more than 5-6 strokes and the radiator should light up. Let it run at this low pressure for a minute or so until the vapouriser and burner get somewhere near proper operating temperature. Then, and only then, start to pump it up, slowly at first, until your thumb hurts.

If you want the whole nine yards, lighting instructions for the lamps and lanterns are here:-

http://www.base-camp.co.uk/instructions%20Vlux.htm

The radiator burner is a bigger lump of metal than the one on the lamps and lanterns and takes more priming (that's why the pre-heater is larger) so be patient and don't try to rush things. Priming is a rare pleasure and the time taken to do it properly should be savoured...

 

Thanks, David, but I don't think you have read my problem. I can make it burn with y yellow flame, but it does not "pop" and there is no blue flame any where. I tried heating it with the preheater, augmented by a propane blowtorch. By this method, I eventually (after about 15 minutes) managed to get a blue flame (in fact lots of blue flames, from the holes in the base of the burner) but it was insufficient to produce a cherry red mantle and it went out after 5 minutes. I think it is a fault in the burner which is preventing it from obtaining enough air. (I blew down the air tube, which produced more blue flame). Any info on the construction and cleaning of the burner would be appreciated.

Jim.

 

No, I read it thoroughly and thought that insufficient priming, too much pressure too soon or insufficient pressure were possible culprits and needed to be ruled out. Have you checked the seals in the filler cap? If they're leaking you'll soon lose pressure. If the pump-leather is worn you won't be developing much pressure to lose.

A burner fault is possible but usually they're pretty reliable. Presumably you're still using the vapouriser known to be good...

 

I only said that, David because you did not answer any of my questions. I have in fact checked all the items you mention and they are ok! In fact there is absolutely no difference between the behaviour of my three vaporisers and they all work fine in my 315. I am more and more and convinced that the burner is not receiving enough air, Maybe I should try heating and quenching it a few times, in case some tubes are blocked?

Jim

 

That was your question. I tried to answer it...

 

Thank you, David, I can now go off to my holiday in Egypt knowing that all my problems are solved!
Is there anyone else on the forum who can provide me with useful suggestions on what could be causing my problem, please?

JIM

 

As David said, the most likely issues would be vapouriser, pre-heat or pressure related and seeing that you have eliminated those possible causes, the burner could have problems such as worn or loose or missing parts, leaks or blockages. Perhaps someone familiar with the Bowlfire burner design could give you some specific and detailed pointers.

 

Thank you, Phaedrus. That is what I need, someone who is familiar with the construction of the burner and can give me an idea how to remove any obstruction in the airways. Alternatively, if anybody has or knows of a good burner for sale which I could buy, I would be very happy.


Jim

 

Bowl fire burners are rarer than Hens Teeth!

I've been wondering if a normal burner can be fettled to take a heating element? Will have a play someday!

 

I had no trouble finding Tilley bowl fire burners for the HRH2. Just bought a couple of cheap rough looking bowl fires from the Bay, scrapped the fires and used the burners. Perhaps not so simple with Bialaddin though because you see less of them. ::Neil::

 

Burners do appear now and again on eBay, sometimes for very little and sometimes for a lot, but yes, a scrap bowl is usually the cheapest way to go. I'd even offer to buy the handle from you if it was a Mk1 or 2.

If you're feeling flush you can always buy a new one: http://vapalux.com/shop/burner-unit-2/

 

Considering what you'd pay for an old one from the bay plus cost of parts to replace any knackered bits, that's not a bad price for a new one!

 

Despite pricing in EURO it's coming from Korea by EMS, in the UK that will be about £92 by the time VAT and RM surcharge is added, plus any card exchange fees.

Doesn't look like so much of a bargain to me, but I have no idea how things work in Guernsey.

As for your burner, if you can strip it down as far as expat did with his, I would try heating and quenching a few times to see if it helps

 

Yeah, we don't pay tax on anything other than income (at present) or imported nylon goods (go figure).

EMS is usually fairly reasonable (or it has been in the past for us - no idea about now though).

Me, I'd heat & quench the old burner first several times and then see if it can be dismantled. If not, apply some penetrating oil and soak for a while...

 

The bowl fire is working!
As described in my post "Anchor and Egret" I thought the oven cleaner might work on dead spiders and general crap, so I squirted some into the burner (in the sink!) and left it overnight. I washed it out with hot water in the morning and put it on the bowl fire and Preheated it. When I pumped it a few times (about 5), I got the flames like before, so I though "what the hell and gave it 20 strokes of the pump. It went "pop" ans the yellow flames disappeared and were replaced by blue ones at the burner and the whole mantle got a nice cherry red. It was giving a beautiful red glow which was too hot for me to stay within 3 feet of it. I turned it off, waited until it was cool, then went through the preheat procedure and this time it stared normally. One thing I noticed, if it was at its normal working temperature, the blue flames descended about one third of the mantle and only the part of the mantle below this point was red. it did not go lower after an hour and the heat output was the same, so I won't bother to find the reason for it.
I think this procedure with the oven cleaner seems to work and you might try it if you have a blockage somewhere.

Jim.

 

Obviously a Tilley, but for comparison:

 

Hi Derek!
Excuse my nosiness, but that cooker looks quite narrow?....Might the place in which the photo was taken be also of a narrow nature?... ..
Regards,
T
p.s. Great backdrop there,..Looks very cosy..

 

That was the French Pechenard I installed in my former shed in St Albans:



It was super cosy:



This was the 'narrow' one: