I have a "Master" Kerosene space heater and the other day I filled it with
diesel thinking it would be a lot cheaper. It worked for a while and then
quite. The blowers still runs and it smells like a mist of diesel is being
made but it does not ignite. First of all can these heaters burn diesel or
strictly kerosene. (the smell is not an issue) Also what has gone wrong with
the ignition system, I assume it is similar to a burner in a furnace or
boiler. Thanks


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FWIW
I use diesel in my torpedo heater all the time. Your breakdown was just
a coincidence. Mine just needs a cleaning when this happens.

Diesel has more heavy wax in it than kerosene, not as refined a grade. I use
kerosene as an improved #1 diesel for extreme cold weather starting in the
John Deere.

Karl

So is it likely the eye or the electrodes are covered in soot?
"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
hlink.net...
FWIW
I use diesel in my torpedo heater all the time. Your breakdown was
just
a coincidence. Mine just needs a cleaning when this happens.

Diesel has more heavy wax in it than kerosene, not as refined a grade. I
use
kerosene as an improved #1 diesel for extreme cold weather starting in the
John Deere.

Karl




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I just removed the eye and "spark plug" and both look clean. There must be a
loose wire or something because when i bang it it works and then if a bang
it again it stops, almost like the Fonze. Could it be anything other than a
loose wire?
"habbi" wrote in message
...
So is it likely the eye or the electrodes are covered in soot?
"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
hlink.net...
FWIW
I use diesel in my torpedo heater all the time. Your breakdown was
just
a coincidence. Mine just needs a cleaning when this happens.

Diesel has more heavy wax in it than kerosene, not as refined a grade. I
use
kerosene as an improved #1 diesel for extreme cold weather starting in
the
John Deere.

Karl




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"habbi" wrote:

I just removed the eye and "spark plug" and both look clean. There must be a
loose wire or something because when i bang it it works and then if a bang
it again it stops, almost like the Fonze. Could it be anything other than a
loose wire?
"habbi" wrote in message
...
So is it likely the eye or the electrodes are covered in soot?
"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
hlink.net...
FWIW
I use diesel in my torpedo heater all the time (snip)

I did not read the original post, but I just fixed my sputtering
Lawnboy by replacing the O-ring in the jet. Runs GREAT now!

I have come to the conclusion that it must be a bad coil. The coil has 2
wires coming out of it and the lead for the spark plug. If I hook the 2
wires up to the black and white wires of 3 prong plug and the the green of
the plug to the threaded portion of the spark plug and then the lead of the
coil to the plug should the plug continously fire when pluged into a 110
volt outlet.
"Ms. Manners" wrote in message
...
"habbi" wrote:

I just removed the eye and "spark plug" and both look clean. There must
be a
loose wire or something because when i bang it it works and then if a
bang
it again it stops, almost like the Fonze. Could it be anything other than
a
loose wire?
"habbi" wrote in message
...
So is it likely the eye or the electrodes are covered in soot?
"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
hlink.net...
FWIW
I use diesel in my torpedo heater all the time (snip)

I did not read the original post, but I just fixed my sputtering
Lawnboy by replacing the O-ring in the jet. Runs GREAT now!


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It should run just fine on #2 diesel. Use it in mine
exclusively. Clean the plug and blow out the nozzle. Also
make sure the ignition TR works.
JR
Dweller in the cellar

habbi wrote:

I have a "Master" Kerosene space heater and the other day I filled it with
diesel thinking it would be a lot cheaper. It worked for a while and then
quite. The blowers still runs and it smells like a mist of diesel is being
made but it does not ignite. First of all can these heaters burn diesel or
strictly kerosene. (the smell is not an issue) Also what has gone wrong with
the ignition system, I assume it is similar to a burner in a furnace or
boiler. Thanks

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--
Remove X to reply

--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:

"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

You need to ground the threaded part of the plug to the CASE of
the transformer.

habbi wrote:
I have come to the conclusion that it must be a bad coil. The coil has 2
wires coming out of it and the lead for the spark plug. If I hook the 2
wires up to the black and white wires of 3 prong plug and the the green of
the plug to the threaded portion of the spark plug and then the lead of the
coil to the plug should the plug continously fire when pluged into a 110
volt outlet.
"Ms. Manners" wrote in message
...

"habbi" wrote:


I just removed the eye and "spark plug" and both look clean. There must

be a

loose wire or something because when i bang it it works and then if a

bang

it again it stops, almost like the Fonze. Could it be anything other than

a

loose wire?
"habbi" wrote in message
...

So is it likely the eye or the electrodes are covered in soot?
"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
. earthlink.net...

FWIW
I use diesel in my torpedo heater all the time (snip)

I did not read the original post, but I just fixed my sputtering
Lawnboy by replacing the O-ring in the jet. Runs GREAT now!



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I have a "Master" Kerosene space heater and the other day I filled it with
diesel thinking it would be a lot cheaper. It worked for a while and then
quite. The blowers still runs and it smells like a mist of diesel is being
made but it does not ignite. First of all can these heaters burn diesel or
strictly kerosene. (the smell is not an issue) Also what has gone wrong with
the ignition system, I assume it is similar to a burner in a furnace or
boiler. Thanks


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Check the intake filter(screen) at the bottom of the tube, or actually
inside the pickup tube - it could be covered with crud - also check
the gap on the plug. It should fire and run fine.
Ken.

The transformer is dead. A new one is over $100.00 and the 20 year old
heater is only around 300 new. So could I hook up and old AC 110 to DC 12
volt transformer from an old video game or something and connect it to an
automotive ignition coil. Would the small plug in type transformer supply
enough current for the automotive coil to opperate. Or what about using an
old tranformer from a oil fired home heating boiler. I was told they have 2
leads of 5000 volts each and maybe I could just use 1 and get the needed
5000 volts? Thanks for any ideas.

"Roy J" wrote in message
...
You need to ground the threaded part of the plug to the CASE of
the transformer.

habbi wrote:
I have come to the conclusion that it must be a bad coil. The coil has 2
wires coming out of it and the lead for the spark plug. If I hook the 2
wires up to the black and white wires of 3 prong plug and the the green
of
the plug to the threaded portion of the spark plug and then the lead of
the
coil to the plug should the plug continously fire when pluged into a 110
volt outlet.
"Ms. Manners" wrote in message
...

"habbi" wrote:


I just removed the eye and "spark plug" and both look clean. There must

be a

loose wire or something because when i bang it it works and then if a

bang

it again it stops, almost like the Fonze. Could it be anything other
than

a

loose wire?
"habbi" wrote in message
...

So is it likely the eye or the electrodes are covered in soot?
"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
. earthlink.net...

FWIW
I use diesel in my torpedo heater all the time (snip)

I did not read the original post, but I just fixed my sputtering
Lawnboy by replacing the O-ring in the jet. Runs GREAT now!



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On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 13:26:58 GMT, "habbi" wrote:
The transformer is dead. A new one is over $100.00 and the 20 year old
heater is only around 300 new. So could I hook up and old AC 110 to DC 12
volt transformer from an old video game or something and connect it to an
automotive ignition coil. Would the small plug in type transformer supply
enough current for the automotive coil to opperate. Or what about using an
old tranformer from a oil fired home heating boiler. I was told they have 2
leads of 5000 volts each and maybe I could just use 1 and get the needed
5000 volts? Thanks for any ideas.

Feeding sinewave AC to an automotive coil will burn it out. It isn't designed
for that. The output voltage would be disappointingly low in any case. The
output voltage of the coil is proportional to di/dt, the rate of change of current,
and a sinewave has a *much* smaller rate of change than a make and break
switching waveform.

A home heating oil transformer, or neon sign transformer, would produce
the sort of voltage you need from mains AC.

Gary

The transformer is dead. A new one is over $100.00 and the 20 year old
heater is only around 300 new. So could I hook up and old AC 110 to DC 12
volt transformer from an old video game or something and connect it to an
automotive ignition coil. Would the small plug in type transformer supply
enough current for the automotive coil to opperate. Or what about using an
old tranformer from a oil fired home heating boiler. I was told they have 2
leads of 5000 volts each and maybe I could just use 1 and get the needed
5000 volts? Thanks for any ideas.

"Roy J" wrote in message
...
You need to ground the threaded part of the plug to the CASE of
the transformer.

habbi wrote:
I have come to the conclusion that it must be a bad coil. The coil has 2
wires coming out of it and the lead for the spark plug. If I hook the 2
wires up to the black and white wires of 3 prong plug and the the green
of
the plug to the threaded portion of the spark plug and then the lead of
the
coil to the plug should the plug continously fire when pluged into a 110
volt outlet.
"Ms. Manners" wrote in message
...

"habbi" wrote:


I just removed the eye and "spark plug" and both look clean. There must

be a

loose wire or something because when i bang it it works and then if a

bang

it again it stops, almost like the Fonze. Could it be anything other
than

a

loose wire?
"habbi" wrote in message
...

So is it likely the eye or the electrodes are covered in soot?
"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
. earthlink.net...

FWIW
I use diesel in my torpedo heater all the time (snip)

I did not read the original post, but I just fixed my sputtering
Lawnboy by replacing the O-ring in the jet. Runs GREAT now!



---
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The old oil furnace transformer may work BUT I have a concern about
the spark eating away the tips on the sparkplug - typically the oil
furnace has a little more robust electrodes to handle the spark. Is
there an electric eye that shuts off the transformer after ignition?
If so, then you may be okay.
Ken.

On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 13:26:58 GMT, "habbi" wrote:
The transformer is dead. A new one is over $100.00 and the 20 year old
heater is only around 300 new. So could I hook up and old AC 110 to DC 12
volt transformer from an old video game or something and connect it to an
automotive ignition coil. Would the small plug in type transformer supply
enough current for the automotive coil to opperate. Or what about using an
old tranformer from a oil fired home heating boiler. I was told they have 2
leads of 5000 volts each and maybe I could just use 1 and get the needed
5000 volts? Thanks for any ideas.

Feeding sinewave AC to an automotive coil will burn it out. It isn't designed
for that. The output voltage would be disappointingly low in any case. The
output voltage of the coil is proportional to di/dt, the rate of change of current,
and a sinewave has a *much* smaller rate of change than a make and break
switching waveform.

A home heating oil transformer, or neon sign transformer, would produce
the sort of voltage you need from mains AC.

Gary
Gary, he typed AC110 to DC12, but regardless, your point about the
spark being weak may be valid.
Ken.

Well I hooked up a 10,000 volt transformer from an oil fired boiler. I put a
big glob of silicone on one contact and ran my spark plug lead from the
other one. I grounded the transformer to the body of the heater and
everything is now working perfect.
Ken Sterling wrote in message
s.com...
On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 13:26:58 GMT, "habbi"
wrote:
The transformer is dead. A new one is over $100.00 and the 20 year old
heater is only around 300 new. So could I hook up and old AC 110 to DC
12
volt transformer from an old video game or something and connect it to
an
automotive ignition coil. Would the small plug in type transformer
supply
enough current for the automotive coil to opperate. Or what about using
an
old tranformer from a oil fired home heating boiler. I was told they
have 2
leads of 5000 volts each and maybe I could just use 1 and get the needed
5000 volts? Thanks for any ideas.

Feeding sinewave AC to an automotive coil will burn it out. It isn't
designed
for that. The output voltage would be disappointingly low in any case.
The
output voltage of the coil is proportional to di/dt, the rate of change
of current,
and a sinewave has a *much* smaller rate of change than a make and break
switching waveform.

A home heating oil transformer, or neon sign transformer, would produce
the sort of voltage you need from mains AC.

Gary
Gary, he typed AC110 to DC12, but regardless, your point about the
spark being weak may be valid.
Ken.


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