Cycling UK Forum

I've recently gone and got myself an Optimus Nova+ stove which is great in that it has plenty of power for cooking and is easy to control the flame down to a simmer but there is one thing that's bothering me about it.... how do I turn the damn thing off?!!

Not literally but I've followed the instructions to the letter about not overfilling the fuel bottle, applying 25 strokes to the pump to build up the pressure and flipping the bottle over when I've finished cooking so that the pick-up pipe is sucking air not fuel and according to the manual:

"The flame should go out after a few minutes depending on which fuel you are using and how open the control valve is.

To release the pressure in the fuel bottle faster, you can let the stove burn at full throttle. It will take about 30-40 seconds for the flame to extinguish, and another 30 seconds for the remaining air to seep out."

If by "a few" minutes they mean "about 15" then these instuctions are spot on. If, on the other hand the flame should die out in 3-4 minutes or 30-40 seconds if I turn it up to maximum then what am I doing wrong? I tried the turning it up to full blast trick and it still took 15 minutes for the flame to go out after eventually dying down to a sooty yellow flame. At this rate, to cook anything all I need do is ignite it then turn it straight off.

Does anyone else have one of these and how long does it take to go out? Are there any tricks I should know about to get it to go out faster under its own steam without me manually turing it off and leaving the fuel in the system under pressure?

In the fuel bottle there should be a small plastic hose that sits to onside. This is the fill hose to the stove, so you need it to be in contact with one side of the fuel bottle. Then it fills when at the bottom and lets the air in when turned over.
Sorry if you already know this part.
You do need to know the position of this hose inside the bottle. I tend to just turn the thing off at the control on the stove, then when cold stand the bottle upright and unscrew the pump slightly and let the air out.

I have one but have not had this problem. Are you by chance turning the stove off and then turning fuel bottle?

If you prime your stove and light it, then adjust stove to medium flame, let it burn for 30 seconds and then flip the bottle to see will it turn off after a minute or so.

To shut down, all I'm doing is flipping the bottle and waiting for the flame to die out but the time it takes is nothing like the time quoted.

Just after timing mind to turn off and it took 45 seconds

Well at least you've given me a target to aim for now.

I'll have a play about with it tomorrow and see if I can get more of a bend on the fuel pick up pipe so it sits against the side of the bottle which I don't think it's doing at the moment.

Best if you just give it about ten pumps to prime and let it burn for a minute or so then turn your bottle too off that would best replicate use in the field,

That is what I did with mine, put a bit more of a bend in the pipe so that when it is flipped over the pipe will draw air instead of fuel.

I have only used mine in testing and not actually on tour yet, but I was thinking that surely this method will not work with a full bottle of fuel. I notice there is a fill line on the fuel bottle itself, so will have to figure that part of the equation when I get on the road.

Good luck with yours.

If you still have problems , google classic camp stoves for advice, ther'e the experts.

Mattie wrote:
but I was thinking that surely this method will not work with a full bottle of fuel. I notice there is a fill line on the fuel bottle itself, so will have to figure that part of the equation when I get on the road.

Good luck with yours.

It actually does work while the bottle is at the full marked capacity, that's the way my bottle was last night when I timed it for Marco.

I have been using the stove this past 3 years and find it to be without doubt the best stove I have ever used, can be a bit fiddley when first you use it, but with use and practice its second to none IMHO.

I have 2 off these stoves, one returned from my son. When he saw mine he "borrowed" it. One is even the Optimus Brunton Nova from the US nearly 10 years old.
He had the problem of the thing not going out at all, it was then that we found out about the fill hose. It must be able to be clear of the fuel.
Is yours the earlier one, if so that can take a while to go out.

Marco, here are a few pics that you may get an idea of what angle your tube works at. This tube is not modified or bent it is as it came from the factory.

Can I ask what fuel you're all using?

I'm running mine on paraffin so whether that makes any difference I've no idea but I've adjusted the fuel pick-up to be against the side of the bottle so that it's at the top when the bottle's in the off position and the bottle is only half full so there's no way the pick-up is submerged when I flip the bottle over but having just tested it again it still took more than 15 minutes at a roaring flame before I gave up and closed it off manually.

The parrafin might be the problem. At the minute I am using Essence F bought in France in a supermarket, I have also used Essence c, Coleman fuel, Primusfuel and Hepthane based petrol sold as fuel for lawnmowers. All have given pretty much the same results and all powered down the same, unlike yours using parrafin.

http://www.aaoil.co.uk/environment-Aspen-4T-alkylate-petrol

johnb wrote:Marco, here are a few pics that you may get an idea of what angle your tube works at. This tube is not modified or bent it is as it came from the factory.

I don't think the angle's the problem as I've got it up against the side of the bottle like you have. At the moment the bottle's only half full so in theory the fuel level should be roughly along the centre line of the pump with the fuel pick-up well clear of the paraffin.