Trouble With Torpedo Heater

My Torpedo heater doesn't fire up any more it will blow a lot of diesel fumes out with the flame. first it quit running about a week ago so I took the filter out of it then it fired up fine, then it quit running again so upon further investigation the hoses were cracked so i replaced them but it wouldn't run anymore with the cover on it, and I just cleaned the nozzle. It was still having some trouble running so I shortened the line a little more and now it blows out the fumes while it barely lights. It is a Dayton 175,000 btu.
 
First thing: Are you using kerosene or fuel oil? Second thing: How cold is it when you ar etrying to run the heater?

Answers to these two are relevant. IF you are using #2 fuel oil (heating oil, diesel fuel), it may not be atomizing enough to burn properly. If the temperature is below about 20 degrees, the fuel oil wants to re-condense into droplets instead of burning properly.

Some solutions: Use a smaller heater to warm the large one, and see if it lights properly then. Also, check the spark plug gap. If the gap is too wide, the heater will work well on kerosene, but not so well on heating oil. Gap should be set to about .025 IIRC.
 
Pull out the burner assembly and clean and check the electrodes.Newer has the igniter,check and make sure their clean and working.
LOU
 
(quoted from post at 17:29:20 02/18/15) First thing: Are you using kerosene or fuel oil? Second thing: How cold is it when you ar etrying to run the heater?

Answers to these two are relevant. IF you are using #2 fuel oil (heating oil, diesel fuel), it may not be atomizing enough to burn properly. If the temperature is below about 20 degrees, the fuel oil wants to re-condense into droplets instead of burning properly.

Some solutions: Use a smaller heater to warm the large one, and see if it lights properly then. Also, check the spark plug gap. If the gap is too wide, the heater will work well on kerosene, but not so well on heating oil. Gap should be set to about .025 IIRC.

I use off road fuel. And yes it has been under 20 degrees. It doesn't use a spark plug it uses an igniter.
 
Diesel fuel and cold temperatures do not make heaters work very well.

You need to check the fuel filter that is under the suction line at the top of the fuel tank.

Then clean everything up and check your nozzle for plugs and pattern.

Then you need a low pressure gauge to check the air pressure out. This gauge only reads for 0-10 or 0-15 PSI.

Also google Ready heater trouble shooting. They make many of the heaters. Dayton is just Grainger's brand name. You can easily find step by step trouble shooting articles in just few seconds.

The dump the diesel fuel if you want a more trouble free heater in real cold weather. I can't stand the fumes off a torpedo heater with diesel fuel. K-1 is not problem.
 
Did you look at the link I posted... they recommend a 0-15 PSI gauge, looks to me like a 0-10 PSI would work as well.

If you don't have a gauge in that range they sell one for $28.50, they can be found for $6 and up on ebay.
Testing pressure
 
I had to go to kerosene, mine would not run on diesel when the temps got low. On Kero. it will start at about any temp we have around here -8 this morning -17 wind chill. Doesn't fume on kero like it will on diesel either. Keith
 
I bought a used Ready heater. Probably paid to
much, but I figured the fuel in it was worth the
price.
I fought with it most of last winter, and ended up
dumping the diesel in my tractor, and scrapped the
rest. I have an antique CO-OP heater that works
GREAT on diesel. Have to give it a decent cleaning
about once a year, and start it in the shop, before
taking it out to the nasty COLD.
 

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