I lost the original thread... I'm having trouble with a Mr. Heater "Buddy"
heater. I RTFMed today. Manual says "if the heater turns itself off,
check the pilot light; if the pilot light isn't working, blow it out here
here and here with compressed air"

So I did all that. I put 100 PSI air to the business end, opened up the
valve and backflushed it. I could feel the air coming out the input side
of the plumbing, so that ought to have dislodged any spider webs.

The pilot is still weak. It looks like it's just ever so barely
occasionally touching the thermocoupler. Instead of a straight, pointy
blue cone of flame, it's sort of a blue whisp that's ill defined at the
tip, and tends to curl upwards slightly, away from the thermocoupler.

Looks like low pressure, but I tried three different throwaway cylinders and
two grill tanks at various points along the way, so it's not likely supply
pressure.

The pilot doesn't seem to ever want to stay lit after I release the knob,
but if I jiggle the knob just right, I can sometimes get the burner to
light. It fires up, whumps a few times, and burns long enough that the
ceramic element is thinking about turning orange in spots, then the heater
shuts off with a click.

The click tells me it's shutting itself off for a reason, but I'm stumped.
I hate that I paid $80 for this POS less than a year ago, but I'm out of
clue here, and am just about to smash it with a sledge hammer and spend the
winter crocheting afghans instead of working in the shop.

Any other ideas?

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Silvan wrote:

The pilot is still weak. It looks like it's just ever so
barely occasionally touching the thermocoupler.

Looks like low pressure, but I tried three different throwaway
cylinders and two grill tanks at various points along the way,
so it's not likely supply pressure.

The pilot doesn't seem to ever want to stay lit after I
release the knob, but if I jiggle the knob just right, I can
sometimes get the burner to light. It fires up, whumps a few
times, and burns long enough that the ceramic element is
thinking about turning orange in spots, then the heater shuts
off with a click.

Sounds like the pilot orfice is partly blocked/restricted. You
might try to clear it with a fine wire.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html

I have one of those sitting out in my garage even as I type. A year or
so ago I had the same problem you described. I called and they
recommended I use Mr. Heater hoses and gave me several things to try.
Try them I did but to no avail. I called back and they said send it
in. I did that, to the tune of about 20 bucks if I remember correctly.
Well, I got it back some time later and it worked just fine (with my
new Mr. Heater hoses).

Then, as the weather turned colder this year I broke it out again and
.... same problem. I tried all the things in the manual etc but decided
not to invest any more time or money on it. The heater is really nice
when it works. But .....

Michael, I didn't know you could crochet an Afghani. Is that why they
don't allow crocheting needles on airplanes?

wrote:

Then, as the weather turned colder this year I broke it out again and
... same problem. I tried all the things in the manual etc but decided
not to invest any more time or money on it. The heater is really nice
when it works. But .....

Hrm. So I'm probably in for fewer headaches in the long run if I just opt
for the sledge hammer and find some better heater instead then?

Pity. Although it never actually got my shop warm anyway. Supposed to have
enough BTUs to do the job in spades, but it never did more than toast my
ankles. Probably wouldda had to leave it on for hours to do any good, and
I was a tightwad with the gas.

Michael, I didn't know you could crochet an Afghani. Is that why they
don't allow crocheting needles on airplanes?

Could be.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Silvan wrote:
I lost the original thread... I'm having trouble with a Mr. Heater "Buddy"
heater. I RTFMed today. Manual says "if the heater turns itself off,
check the pilot light; if the pilot light isn't working, blow it out here
here and here with compressed air"

So I did all that. I put 100 PSI air to the business end, opened up the
valve and backflushed it. I could feel the air coming out the input side
of the plumbing, so that ought to have dislodged any spider webs.

The pilot is still weak. It looks like it's just ever so barely
occasionally touching the thermocoupler. Instead of a straight, pointy
blue cone of flame, it's sort of a blue whisp that's ill defined at the
tip, and tends to curl upwards slightly, away from the thermocoupler.

Looks like low pressure, but I tried three different throwaway cylinders and
two grill tanks at various points along the way, so it's not likely supply
pressure.

The pilot doesn't seem to ever want to stay lit after I release the knob,
but if I jiggle the knob just right, I can sometimes get the burner to
light. It fires up, whumps a few times, and burns long enough that the
ceramic element is thinking about turning orange in spots, then the heater
shuts off with a click.

The click tells me it's shutting itself off for a reason, but I'm stumped.
I hate that I paid $80 for this POS less than a year ago, but I'm out of
clue here, and am just about to smash it with a sledge hammer and spend the
winter crocheting afghans instead of working in the shop.

Any other ideas?

1. maybe trash in the pilot jet. I would disconnect it from
the controller and reverse flush it with air. Maybe use a
wire to dislodge it from the orifice first, as someone else
has suggested.

2. Don't know about this machine, but some controllers have
an adjustment for the pilot. It is often underneath a screw
cover which has to be removed first. Look for a largish
screw near the pilot line.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Love means never having to say 'Put
down that chainsaw'








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Gerald Ross wrote:

1. maybe trash in the pilot jet. I would disconnect it from
the controller and reverse flush it with air. Maybe use a
wire to dislodge it from the orifice first, as someone else
has suggested.

I didn't use a wire because the manual specifically said not to do that. I
did backflush it with air, and air came out the other end.

2. Don't know about this machine, but some controllers have
an adjustment for the pilot. It is often underneath a screw
cover which has to be removed first. Look for a largish
screw near the pilot line.

Worth a look. Thanks.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Gerald Ross wrote:
1. maybe trash in the pilot jet. I would disconnect it from
the controller and reverse flush it with air. Maybe use a
wire to dislodge it from the orifice first, as someone else
has suggested.

Silvan wrote:
I didn't use a wire because the manual specifically said not to do that. I
did backflush it with air, and air came out the other end.

Try blowing out the pilot area with brake cleanner. It'll turn to
gas as it "dries" and will remove grease, dirt and generalised
crud.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

Dave in Fairfax wrote:

Try blowing out the pilot area with brake cleanner. It'll turn to
gas as it "dries" and will remove grease, dirt and generalised
crud.

That's actually a good idea. I didn't think of that.

I did take it apart. There really is a ruby in there, with an eeeeeency
hole in it. The ruby was gunky. I polished it. That seemed to cure the
heater's woes, and I was getting ready to write up a success story, but
then it just cut off on me a bit ago.

I damn near just hurled it, cylinder and all, out into the street.

I think it's either the thermocoupler or the tip switch.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/