bill wrote:
worked fine for years. recently it acts like it has a clogged filter,
but i dont believe it has a filter. it spits and sputters and
belches a lot of air. any ideas?

If there's no leak below, air is getting into the line somewhere which
means a seal has failed or something has a perforation. Those little
heaters don't last forever. If you're not confident in locating and
repairing it (which may or may not be easily serviceable), you should
replace the unit. Scalding a family member loses you major points.

R