ParaSafe Primus Stove

ParaSafe Primus Stove

We evaluated the ParaSafe Primus Stove based on our criteria, as outlined in our methodology.  The stove met a majority of the criteria, although it fell short in its accessibility and social acceptability.  Please read below for more details.

ParaSafe Primus Stove most satisfied the following criteria:

Safe

This stove comes equipped with several different safety features. It will self-extinguish if it is lifted five millimeters or tilted only ten degrees. It is designed so there is no risk of it exploding or leaking paraffin.  This is a crucial quality to have in a new alternative in order to prevent fires caused by the burning of paraffin.

Healthful

This stove’s emissions has a safe carbon monoxide-to-carbon dioxide ratio and has no fatal ultrafine particles like the existing pressure stoves. This will prevent the stove from causing respiratory illnesses and will also be healthy for the environment.  Additionally, the red-hot parts of the stove are unexposed to prevent burns.  This is a great feature to have for families with children.

Inexpensive

The ParaSafe Stove burns paraffin forty percent more efficiently than the existing flame stoves, which helps residents save money by spending less money on paraffin. The price of the stove varies by vender. The company wants to support local businesses, so they will give them stoves at a cheaper price (about R100) than if they are sold to a large chain store such as ShopRite (about R200).

When we contacted ParaSafe, we received a quote on the stoves for R90 each if forty-eight stoves or more were purchased, and they would also include a heating attachment.

Sustainable

The stove is very durable and is advertised to last for years rather than the three-to-four-month lifespan of current primus stoves used in informal settlements.

The ParaSafe Stove least satisfied the following criteria:

Accessible

This stove is not easily purchased within Monwabisi Park, which will make it difficult to be a sustainable alternative to regular flame stoves.  There is a ShopRite nearby, but it is about a twenty-minute walk from Monwabisi Park’s Section C, which is enough to make residents hesitant in purchasing the stove.  If this stove were to be promoted on a wider scale, it would need to be sold within the park by putting the company in contact with legitimate stores in the settlement.

Socially Acceptable

When we presented this stove next to the Arivi Safe Paraffin Stove (read more about this here), we found that the ParaSafe Stove was not as appealing to the residents.  Since the stove was not aesthetically pleasing to the residents we presented to, other residents may also be reluctant to purchase it for the same reason, making it hard to market.

For more information on the ParaSafe Stove, visit their website at: http://www.promethea.biz/parasafe_index.html