Forced air kerosene heater(salamander)

[bobb]

Howdy,
I know I'm probably outta line with this,but I need some help...any takers?

BTW I had a heck of a time findin' y'all! Thanx for havin me!

[bgsengine]

So whats wrong with it? We work on them regularly.

[bobb]

Thank you,for the speedy reply,.
When I turn it on,it will fire up,then spit and sputter a couple times, then shut down.

Usually with a tinkerin' I can make 'em work.Not this one.Here is a list of what
I've done so far: Drain Tank and fill w/fresh fuel.No sign of rust,or water.
New fuel filter,fuel line,air line.
Cleaned the foam,and felt filters(did not replace felt filter.)
Replaced photo cell.
Cleaned noz

Now for the wierd part; If I place a rag,over the intake end,choke it, it'll fire
up and run perfectly! I'm stumped!

[bgsengine]

You need to check the system air pressure.

On the side of the heater on the label- one of them, you should find an Operating Pressure specification (or will need the heater brand and *exact* model number) - Usually between 3 - 6 PSI - To get an accurate reading requires a low pressure gauge (# HA1180) There's an adjustment screw in the end cap next to a plugged port (or the port will have a gauge in it) - Behind that screw is a spring and check ball - the adjustment screw applies pressure to the ball to control system air pressure (Part number PP217 for the kit, assuming it is a Desa variant) - If you plug that off (which you might be doing with the rag) it increases system pressure because the air bypasses that check ball as system pressure builds past the spring weight. (You'll feel air sputtering or blowing out that relief hole in that adjustment screw)

a "seat of the pants" adjustment would be to turn the screw in/out to adjust pressure until flame starts to shoot past the end cone of the barrel , and then back off just a bit until you have an orange hot glow of the cone, but no flame blowing past.

9 times out of 10, when it is a pressure problem, we find a cracked end cap, or someone's been messing with the adjustments to try and "fix" it

Have also found heaters with rotted hoses coming off the air pressure outlet of the air pump.

First thing we do with *every* one of those that comes in the shop is to check and verify the air pressure.

If you got your brand and exact model handy, I can tell you part numbers you'll need for whatever is found wrong.

They are technically very simple machines - very little to go wrong with them most times, and 95% of the problems are either a nozzle, or an air pressure problem.

Photocell would be a problem only IF the heater otherwise burns correctly and shuts down.

We did have a Dura-Heat that was shutting down like that as it got warmer , which was a bad circuit board assembly.

So, it would help a lot to review the posting rules and include your make and model numbers of the equipment. (and serial if you have it, though that's rarely needed.)

[bobb]

This heater is a remington,170T. Model# WPO714299 S.N.11/07
I have tried the "seat of pants"adjusting method.
I will check the housing for cracks,and check air pressure with a gauge.
Ithink I will get a new felt filter,maybe the cork gasket is bad.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3708/12486948124_7bba477da9_z.jpg

[bgsengine]

Ohh a T model - with thermostat - adds a little twist to diagnostics now I think. Have not seen any *yet* that had tstat problems but anything's possible.

But still got to verify air line pressure is correct at all times the heater is running (whether burning or not) if pressure stays correct , you've eliminated about half the possible issues already. But , a spit and sputter after firing up typoically indicates lean fuel so you likely have pressure too low (air leak) or restricted nozzle - cleaning the nozzle does not always do the job, and the bakelite nozzle holder body can also have cracks or leaks that needs to be checked too. Nozzle is PP223 (HA3029) , Photocell is PP236 (make sure you didn't install a PP216)

when checking pressure, have a spray bottle of soap and water handy to spray over the end cap (M16545) to check for cracks, as well as all along the air line and nozzle body.

[bobb]

O.k.! I,m on it boss...

[bobb]

Finally found time to work on the heater,(rained out at work)Got it workin like brand new! Bg,I
can't thank you enough...Now on to my next project...

[bgsengine]

Finally found time to work on the heater,(rained out at work)Got it workin like brand new! Bg,I
can't thank you enough...Now on to my next project...

Might help to also tell what you did to fix it, so others with similar problem can learn from it.

But, glad you got it working.

[bobb]

Well,I used a gauge to check the air pressure,it read a steady 5 psi,no leakage.
Still would'nt fire up properly. I had previously removed the nozzle,and cleaned it.
I removed it again,to check the housing for cracks.It looked fine to me.As I was
examining the nozzle assy., I noticed how the inner core threaded into the outer...
Itook it apart,and,noticed a lil' orifice way down in there. I cleaned the parts
with brake cleaner,and compressed air,reassembled,and Bingo! There she was!

Sooo, I think the main problem was a restricted nozzle!

This concludes my summary. Thanx!