Heater doesn't light
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
Heater doesn't light
I got a portable kerosene heater the other day, and it doesn't want to actually light off. It has spark, blows a very fine mist of fuel vapor out the tail end so it has fuel, the fan blows, and of course it does try to power up. It's just driving me nuts because it's all there, but no fire. Can this be a wrong fuel thing, or is there something I am missing?
FWIW, the brand is a Porta-heat by Lawn Boy, 100kbtu.
FWIW, the brand is a Porta-heat by Lawn Boy, 100kbtu.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,413
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From: cape may county NJ
Thats a nice little unit I have one that I have had for 15yrs and it fires right up,Things to check spark plug gap,clean fuel and filter(located in fuleline where it hooks to the nozzle,it sits in the line when unscrewed) clean photocell lens inside the combustion chamber.It also has to have the right air pressure on the air pump(a low pressure gauge is needed with a 1/8"pipe thread to check pump pressure and if I remember right it should be 3lbs to start)You should get a manual for it almost any older 100,000BTU will be the same/Reddy,Dayton,Master to name a few.there are two plastic plugs on the filter end cap one with a hole(pressure adjustment) and one without (gauge hooks here) and they can get cracked easy(threading gauge to tight and over tightening plug).
The plug with a hole (pressure adjutment) has a ball and spring in it put your finger over it when it startes up and see if it will fire if so turn the screw in a turn or two and try it again.I will check if I still have a repair manual for mine but I don't think I do as I have been working on them for so long I don't use them much.
The plug with a hole (pressure adjutment) has a ball and spring in it put your finger over it when it startes up and see if it will fire if so turn the screw in a turn or two and try it again.I will check if I still have a repair manual for mine but I don't think I do as I have been working on them for so long I don't use them much.
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
Spark is very good, gap is set, plug is indexed per the instructions on the cover panel, filters all look decent, it has fuel and blows a very fine fuel mist out the tail end while it's trying to run.
Will these things run on diesel? I'm pretty sure that's what is in it right now, it's bright cherry red. All the K1 I've seen is a bluish-clear, and they don't have pump Kero around here.
Will these things run on diesel? I'm pretty sure that's what is in it right now, it's bright cherry red. All the K1 I've seen is a bluish-clear, and they don't have pump Kero around here.
i ain't rite
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From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,413
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From: cape may county NJ
I know you are not to use diesel only kero or #1 or#2 homeheating oil(forget which one) in it and that might be a problem,our pump kero was red this year so it might be kero.It might have to much air pressure try backing the adjusting screw out a turn.If its getting fuel and you have a steady spark it is either the wrong fuel or the wrong pump pressure,if the filters where bad it would still run just not right and it will stink of kero when it is running.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,463
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From: Staten Island, NY
The heater should NOT be blowing kerosene mist out of the tail of the unit. If anything the mist should be coming out of the front. When you plug it in the fan in the rear comes on to start air flow. The pump (or siphon) sprays a mist of fuel into the airstream and the ignitor lights it off. Sort of like a jet engine without the turbine. If a fuel mist is coming out of the TAIL of the heater, something is blocking airflow through the heater.
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
I haven't had time to screw with it. I've been parting and fixing trucks, keeping my daily driver alive, and trying to clean up the mess my sister in law left.
I do need to go get some K1 too, and make sure it's got the right fuel in it.
I do need to go get some K1 too, and make sure it's got the right fuel in it.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
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From: Blue Hill Township
I have a 55,000BTU kerosene heater that does the same thing every once in a while. The Kerosene that I run in it is dyed red. I also run diesel in it which is when it acts up every once in a while. She likes to start easier with the Kerosene but once its warm it never has a problem.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,868
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From: Rhode Island
I would definitely try to get some kerosene. My neighbor has one that is rated for diesel, and instead of a sparker, its got a glow-plug like thing right next to the spray nozzle. It makes the "glow plug" glow bright orange before it turns on the fan/fuel pump, and even then it has some trouble lighting off pure diesel. Kerosene it lights off just fine however.
I think it would take a bit more then a spark plug to light off diesel. I took the ignition transformer off an oil burning furnace, it was rated at 10,000 volts @ 250 watts. It made a bright blue spark 1.5" long.
I think it would take a bit more then a spark plug to light off diesel. I took the ignition transformer off an oil burning furnace, it was rated at 10,000 volts @ 250 watts. It made a bright blue spark 1.5" long.