Propane heater woes...

Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I use a small, two-brick wall mounted propane heater to warm this place up. Most of the time it's set on low(one brick lit) but lately when I try to use the second brick to warm it up faster after a short time it poofs and starts stuttering for lack of a better description and I have to dial it back to the single brick. I've vacuumed it out, blown it out...can't seem to make it stop. It's on a fresh 100# cylinder so I know it's not starving.

I used it all last winter with no problems with the same regulator and a 20# cylinder. Any ideas before I replace it?
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Have you cleaned out the venturi? May be a little something in there that doesn't move until you bump up the fuel. I don't know much about them but had a problem with mine in the shop a couple of years ago and had a tiny piece of lint in there that was messing the whole thing up.
 

rodman

Ten Pointer
Have you cleaned out the venturi? May be a little something in there that doesn't move until you bump up the fuel. I don't know much about them but had a problem with mine in the shop a couple of years ago and had a tiny piece of lint in there that was messing the whole thing up.
I would start here also.
 

Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
OK, I will...as soon as I find out wth a venturi is!o_O
Is that what the pilot flame comes through? At one time it wouldn't stay lit when I released the knob to turn to low or high but I took an air hose and blew it out. That seems to be working fine now. Both bricks will light, just one of them makes a noise and wants to go out...but it doesn't completely.
 
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HotSoup

Old Mossy Horns
Have you cleaned out the venturi? May be a little something in there that doesn't move until you bump up the fuel. I don't know much about them but had a problem with mine in the shop a couple of years ago and had a tiny piece of lint in there that was messing the whole thing up.

This....
 

Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
LMBO! I tried to take a video to show what it was doing....must be like taking your car to a mechanic when you hear a noise. It was doing it every minute or so before, I video'd for 5 minutes...NADA. As soon as I quit...POOF!
I've already put the compressor away, I'll get a straw or something and blow it out tomorrow.

Thanks guys!
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Do you have a trap in your line right under where your supply fitting goes in your heater? A trap actually is a T with a nipple and cap on it. Sounds like you have condensation in your line.
 

Longrifle

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Thanks man, I had an air hose to it today and blew out everything because I'd had the venturi problem before. That makes a lot more sense to me and thinking about how it acts when it does it I can see how that could happen. I'll grab what I need and install one tomorrow...
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Thanks man, I had an air hose to it today and blew out everything because I'd had the venturi problem before. That makes a lot more sense to me and thinking about how it acts when it does it I can see how that could happen. I'll grab what I need and install one tomorrow...
This is the configuration you are shooting for.25372
 
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