Camp stove questions before my husband burns down my house

[msomnipotent]

We are checking our gear before we head out on our camping trip, and none of the stoves work. My husband has been hiking (actual hiking and not "lodging" according to him), yet I still feel that our lives are in danger. I go into my laundry room, which is the first room attached to our house and our 3 car garage, and I smell some sort of gas. I open the totally enclosed garage and my husband has the Coleman two burner propane stove kinda sorta lit and it is going phft,phft, phft, phft, as if something is blocking the gas from hitting the first burner. The second burner farthest away from the gas acts perfectly fine. I yell useless common sense at him and open the window, yet I am afraid to open the garage doors lest I recreate a scene from the movie Backdraft. I have no clue so I want to play it safe. He opens valves on another can of gas to light something called a whisperlight and my concrete is on fire. He moves the whisperlight and the concrete is still alight. More fumes. I remind him once again, righty tighty lefty loosey. He still insists something is wrong with the stoves as he has clearly followed directions as the pamphlet for such directions are clearly opened and at his feet and not currently on fire.

Question 1: What would cause a Coleman stove using Coleman fuel to go 'phft phft phft" on one burner closest to the gas tank and not the other? The fire level as goes "phft phft phft". I would think a bad line or bad gas would affect both burners.

Question 2: Should my concrete floor on fire ever be considered "normal", because I don't think a 4 foot flame on concrete should ever be considered normal, especially after the 20 year old whisperlight is moved from the area and the concrete floor is still going strong. I have known my husband for 15 years and the fuel he is using for the whisperlight is at least as old as that. The fuel was stored in a cool basement and no noticeable evaporation was present. Oddly, the Coleman stove is only a few years old and the fuel is maybe two years old at worst. Personally, I think it is time for a lot of our equipment to magically disappear and be replaced by something better, if there are any suggestions. We do car camping, but backpacking is hopefully in our future.

[Sniper-T]

rofl!

chances are the jets in the coleman are gummed up. it'll take a dis-assembly, and a cleaning, and it should be fine.

righty-tighty... Exact WRONG advice. Any non-breathable gas fittings are left hand threads.

So in this case righty loosey, lefty tighty!. Sounds like the whisperlites fittings were loose

He probably spilled a 'little' gas on the floor, which then somewhat soaked in. lighting it will burn it off, but it will take a while. The only way to extinguish it without using a fire extinguisher is to smother it.

The fuels should still be good. I have cans of fuel at least that old too, and don't think twice about using them.

Oh, and hubby really should have had windows open. But at least be happy that he was working on a non-flamable surface. Had he been out back spilling fuel on the wood deck, or picnic table, you mighta needed a fire extinguisher. Good on him for working everything up prior to the trip! It would really suck to get out somewhere and have the stuff not working.

[msomnipotent]

Ohhh, righty loosey this time. Good to know! Thanks for all the advice.
I can already tell that this trip is going to hell. There is a hole in the rain fly of our brand new tent and the manufacturer will not call back about the warranty. And our inflatable bed is no where to be found. Good times!

[Sniper-T]

After you get your leaky tent set up and your bed is made on a pile of leaves (sans inflatable), and you're sitting back watching the fire, and the stars, listening to the crackle... all these minor inconveniences will melt away, and you'll feel that inner peace!

Embrace the Nature!

Oommmmmmmm!

At least until morning when that piece of $%&#^ F^%#$ing Stove wont heat up a %#@$@ cup of F*&@ing coffee!

lol

[IDTANDY]

Gotta shake the bugs out. ;)
Always vent when using any stove.
The chance Carbon monoxide poisioning exhists.Threated more than my share of it in Dive Chambers.
They have rebuilds kits for those stoves.

[realist]

The nice thing about propane is that when it is leaking it will give off a little fog signature to remind you to tighten the connections. I highly recommend that both of you get more familiar with the equipment. The rebuild kits are good to have even if you don't need them, they will be in the future. The Whisperlite is a good stove, but as you have experienced if you spill fuel it can be a problem, on concrete no problem, in a tent a problem. Lastly ventilation is important, you a have got to make sure of this or you will die. One thing that we do when we set up camp is make sure that the food prep is away from the tents. This will make it a safer experience for you both.

[msomnipotent]

I know I really need to start learning how to use the camping stuff. I used to camp a lot when I was younger, but it was primitive. Just a little tent and a fire pit. I don't even know how to use our gas grill yet. On my list of things to learn, though. I put spare stove parts on my Amazon wish list so I don't forget. Thanks everyone!

[ladyhk13]

I guess it is a matter of survival now girl!!! You have to protect yourself from duh dh! If it weren't serious it would have been a funny story.

[msomnipotent]

I suppose since he didn't burn down the house, I can laugh. I should have taken a picture, but then it would have been considered "evidence" if something did happen.

[ladyhk13]

Yeah, while I was reading it I was picturing it and saw the humor knowing that obviously he didn't burn down the house. But hey, maybe he learned that he needs to clean the things more often and probably should have taken them outside in the driveway.

[The Stig]

I know I really need to start learning how to use the camping stuff.

That sort of the take-away lesson I got from your post.

It's a good way for couples to bond (ie figuring stuff out together) and in the event something happens when only one spouse is around, that person could still function.