We can get attached to our camping stoves, especially during fire ban season. We rely on them for hot coffee, warm stews, and there’s nothing like bacon and eggs cooked in the outdoors. But what happens when you start having trouble with your unit, it’s not burning hot, or even worse… not at all! More often than not, there’s nothing majorly wrong – the jets probably just need replacing as they can get clogged up by dust, oil, and other grime.
We’re using the Primus Regulated High Output stove in this guide to demonstrate how you can switch your old blocked jets with new ones, for a majority of stoves this process will be pretty much the same.
What you’ll need
- screwdriver
- compatible replacement jets
- a can-do attitude!
Step 1 – Remove the wire grill
The first step is to take off the wire grill top, this is the bit that your pots and pans rest on. The grill on this stove isn’t secured so it just lifted off. Some of them have clips but all grill tops should be removable.
Removing the grill
Step 2 – Undo the burner head locator screws
Then, close the lid and flip the stove over so you can see the bottom. There (should) be two screws in the centre of the base, these keep the burners in place. Unscrew these 2 screws and place them safely aside.
These screws keep the burner heads in place so don’t lose them!
Step 3 – Remove the drip tray (if you have one)
Flip the stove back over and open the lid. Not all stoves have the same stainless steel drip tray featured on this Primus stove, so this step can be skipped in many cases. If your stove does have this drip tray, you’ll need to remove the screws securing it, the Primus stove had four of them – two on each side. The whole top plate, with the side windshields and lid attached, can then slide back revealing the inside of the stove. Don’t slide this too far, there are a couple of piezo ignition cables that you don’t want to pull out.
Not all stoves have a drip tray, this Primus stove had one secured in two places on each side.
Step 4 – Remove the jets
From here you can see the jets, they are located in the back of the gas control knob – not in the actual burner head. They simply need to be unscrewed using the normal ‘righty tighty, lefty loosey’ rule. Once they’re out, hold them up to the light and see if there is a tiny hole through the centre. If you can’t see any light, they are clogged and need to be replaced.
The jets are located in the back of the control knobs.
Step 5 – Replace the jets
Get your replacement jets and screw them into the stove – not too tight! You don’t want to strip the thread. Just firm enough so they don’t rattle out of place! Next, you’ll need to put the stove back together. It is a little trickier than pulling it apart… stay calm!
Replacement jets are cheap and compact assurance that you will have hot food on your camping trip.
Step 6 – Put it all back together
To put the stove back together, line up the burner heads so they go over the back of the jet/control knob, then slide the top plate back into place. The Primus stove has a little tab in the front that the tray slips under to keep it in place. There are also two small metal plates at the rear that need to slip into the stove cavity, rather than being left on the outside of the stove. You can then secure the top plate with the 4 screws. If your stove doesn’t have a drip tray, then this step is easy.
Flip the stove over again, taking care not to dislodge the burner head from the jet/control knob assembly inside. Holding one burner at a time, you’ll need to move it around to line up the screw hole in the base, all whilst making sure it stays located over the jet assembly inside… you want the gas to squirt into the burner head and not the stove cavity. If it slips off you should be able to move it around enough to locate it without having to take the stove apart again. Once it’s in place, and the screw hole is lined up, put the screw back in and repeat on the other side.
Your stove is ready for some gourmet outdoor cooking again.
Hey Presto! You’re done.
You’ve changed your jets over and your stove should be ready to roll!
The last thing you want is to pull out your stove for a spontaneous weekend away to find that the jets are clogged, so you should always keep some spares on hand just in case.
Have you got any handy tips for maintaining your camp kitchen gear? Sound off in the comments below.