Wet wick?

Heyseed · Mar 12, 2017

I use a KeroSun heater to keep some back rooms above freezing in the real cold days. The thing works great but I have noticed a few times that it is slow/hard to light. It acts like the wick is wet. With condensation, filling it out in the rain etc. I am sure that there could be a small amount of water in the tank. Is there a dry-gas type of additive I can add to the fuel? I know I could run it dry and dump the tank, but that involves taking the whole thing apart. Not hard to do, but it is messy. I put a new wick in the thing at the start of the season. Those warm days we had in February had me thinking I could put it away for the year, but we are on track for some nasty weather by Monday.
thanks

UncleTom · Mar 12, 2017

i have used 99% isopropoyl alcohol in a small amount.

paul · Mar 12, 2017

For my oil fired (heating fuel, diesel, all the same product) house furnace, my furnace guy suggested I put 5-6 of those gas line anyifreeze bottles in my 200 gallon tank in fall to take care of the condensation over summer.

Be sure to read the label, some are gasoline only; the more expensive typically in a red bottle is what you want labeled for diesel fuel as well.

Paul

MarkB_MI · Mar 12, 2017

It's unlikely the wick is wet with water. Any water in the fuel will separate and go to the bottom of the tank. If you see water, it's best to dump the fuel and replace with fresh fuel, rather than trying to get it to disperse.

Make sure your igniter is getting hot enough; a marginal battery or bad connections can cause trouble. Also make sure the igniter can contact the wick; an old or defective wick can sit too low for the igniter to hit it.

Burn the tank dry every two or three tanks of fuel to clean the goo off the wick.

Lastly, when replacing the wick, the best wicks are made in the UK and the worst, in my experience, are from China. Ace Hardware stores carry the English wicks.

Fritz Maurer · Mar 12, 2017

Is that the late afternoon sun causing it to look darker, or is the white really supposed to be that color? I don't care if it's original or not, I think it's beautiful. Would a 350 be the same color too?

jeffcat · Mar 12, 2017

Mark sounds like his finger is on the button. One thing I would add is once or twice when the fuel is empty but not quite out. Stop at Lowes or Depot and pick up a gallon of this stuff. It is a synthetic kerosene. Cost is around $10.oo per gallon. As Mark said you want to use this stuff straight and let the wick burn totaly clean. With my kerosene lamps this stuff makes virtually no smell at all. It also burns with a lite cream color flame. Also burns hotter. It should make your wick sparkel. Yes, change those batteries.

stonerock · Mar 12, 2017

agree with uncletom

K Effective · Mar 12, 2017

Dad always told me just to be REALLLLLLY careful where I wet my wick...

Heyseed · Mar 12, 2017

it was a cream color white. Beautiful tractor.

Heyseed · Mar 12, 2017

thanks Jeff, I will look for some of that and try it.

Heyseed · Mar 12, 2017

thanks Mark, I light this thing with a flame, no batteries involved. There is no way to see inside the tank, I already replaces the wick with a brand name wick, no Chinese junk.

Wet wick?

Heyseed

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UncleTom

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paul

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MarkB_MI

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Fritz Maurer

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jeffcat

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stonerock

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K Effective

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Heyseed

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Heyseed

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Heyseed

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