Mr Heater caught on fire

Geo-TH,In · Dec 16, 2016

I have Mr heater portable LP heater. It been trouble free, burns very clean, Can't even smell it until today when I fired it up. I'm thinking the cold O ring like seal, gas leaked out and instantly caught on fire when I lite the piolet light. I did check to make sure the regulator was tight before turning on the gas.

Good thing I had gloves on. Instantly open the pole barn door and sat it outside. The I put on welding gloves, reached in the fire to turn off the bottle. I can only imagine what would have happened if a person had this inside a house and didn't know what to do.

The lesson I learned, going to get some soap bubbles and check for a leak at regulator before I lite the piolet and never leave a portable space heater unattended unless you want to make the early news. I was going to warm my fingers up today while working on a little project on cold pole barn. I finished the project in the house.

BTW, I'm having a heck of a time downloading pics today. SORRY
geo.

Ivan in Mich · Dec 16, 2016

I had one of those round ones that go on top of a tank burn up a couple years ago. I was goig smelt fishing and I thought maybe I had better check it since I had not used it that year. I have a small tank I think it is a 10 lb tanks. I lit the heater and it went up. Got the tank shut off and it went out. I always was glad that I checked it because it would not have been a good thing to have that happen in an ice shanty. Might have soiled the drawers a little

Mike M · Dec 16, 2016

I hate those new style opd tanks. I had one where the inside part came unscrewed some and the connection would not seat. Wonder if you had any of that issue too ? Your connector looks like it screwed into the inside didn't it ?
Who would of ever thought that it could of done that ? Wonder if that is something the MFG. need to know about.

Geo-TH,In · Dec 16, 2016

MikeM,
I have a different regulator off an old BQ grill I plan to install. I have two Mr. Heaters. I thought they were the greatest thing since the pop top beer can and sliced bread. Both will get a different regulator.

Seconds after the fire started for some reason I thought of cold temps, O ring failure and the space shuttle going BOOM. I kept telling my self the bottle won't go boom until it reaches a critical temp. Without a long welding glove, I could have gotten burned.

The fire today was totally unexpected and scared me when I it went poof. Good think I was in front of it. There was a piece of paper in the bed of the Kaw Mule that did catch on fire. It scary to think what may have happened if I were inside house and curtains caught on fire.
Geo.

K Effective · Dec 16, 2016

I upgraded the first salamander-style kerosene heater I inherited to a propane unit bought used from a rental place. 300K BTU if I remember right, would have worked great from a 100lb propane tank, but would freeze the regulator and hose up from a 20lb tank after about ten minutes. So the common fix to the problem was to set the tank in front of the heater, off to the side just a little to keep it thawed. Pretty smart, right? When the safety switch failed and I could no longer get a replacement from a defunct manufacturer, I scrapped the whole thing.

Just picked up a multi-fuel unit when the neighbor moved away, Reddy heater brand, seems to work nice with fresh diesel in it. Low smoke or odor.

Geo-TH,In · Dec 16, 2016

LP, LIQUID propane. Any a liquid changes it a gas, it requires heat energy. I remember living in a Trailer when I went to college. The 500 gallon propane tank would ice up and very little gas pressure, furnace wouldn't keep the place warm when it got really cold outside.

300,000 BUT's per hour takes a lot of propane. one pound is 21,548 Btus, So you are burning about 14# of propane an hour. Not sure how much energy it takes to convert that many pounds of liquid propane to a gas, but guessing it will ice up even your 100# tank if it were outside in sub zero temps.

Bruce SEKs · Dec 16, 2016

I had a radiant heater that did the same thing. I am going to tear that plastic handle off and use wrench from no on. Mine was in a house. Luckily someone was there.

dpendzic · Dec 16, 2016

i would never set a propane tank that close to my heater

Geo-TH,In · Dec 16, 2016

My tank is behind IT heat. I just to it out to remove regulator.

wilson ind · Dec 16, 2016

George I found the same thing. The leak cannot be seen, however if you tighten the brass tip with 3/4 ( I think) wrench you may find it loose where it screws into the iron pipe

massey 333 · Dec 16, 2016

A question for you,Did you happen to put a different .(NEW" tank on.You had a fitting failure,not a heater problem.Please answer as I might have an answer to your problem.

Geo-TH,In · Dec 16, 2016

No, tank has been used a few years ago. Been sitting on pole barn. I even checked to make sure regulator was tight before turning gas on.

You could see flames coming around the threads if the bottles shooting back to regulator.

O ring failed.

massey 333 · Dec 16, 2016

OK,My reason was your Reg.end fitting.I have been moving and changing out my 1000s last two yrs.Ran into it this year,that LONG NOSE fitting(like yours) was bottoming out in the new valves and couldn't get a good seal.The new fittings are a short nose and work fine.So there was a design change sometime in valves.These were fittings to go on High Pressure Regulators but is the same fitting as HI-LO regs.

Texasmark1 · Dec 17, 2016

I use the tank mounted radiant heaters in my shop, mounted on 15# bottles which makes them very portable. Using a long nosed fire starter LP wand helps to keep my hand back from the fire, but I'll check the seal next time I change bottles. Thanks for the tip.

Bret4207 · Dec 17, 2016

I had a similar problem with an RV stove top I use int he milk room. I replaced the Oring with several different sizes, tried pipe dope and gas approved tef tape, etc. Kept getting a leak and fire at fitting on several different tanks. Finally bit the bullet and bought a new regulator set up...SAME THING!!! Even after meticulously cleaning the OPD valve I got a leak and fire. ( The tanks sits beside the stove, no other way to position it.) Finally I got a 12" Crescent wrench and really tightened that sucker down. No leak now. I think it's the OPD fittings because the one tank that didn't leak is an old 30lbs non-OPD tank that I use on my big torch. But that one isn't the one I wanted to use.

I also had a propane smell after installing a stove. Tried the high dollar "soap bubbles" from the plumbing store and couldn't find a leak. Finally took and old gas workers advice and got a wet rag and a lighter. I found the leak that way. Not the way I prefer to do things, but sometimes you have to resort to crude methods to fix stuff.

Mr Heater caught on fire

Geo-TH,In

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Ivan in Mich

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Mike M

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Geo-TH,In

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K Effective

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Geo-TH,In

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Bruce SEKs

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dpendzic

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Geo-TH,In

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wilson ind

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massey 333

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massey 333

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Texasmark1

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Bret4207

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