heater venting problems

[Brett Meyer]

I have a direct vent heater in my fish house and i have a problem with the venting. It usually runs fine but when a gust of wind comes up, or if it's windy, the flame goes out. It is a radient heater with the exhaust above the intake. If anyone has any sugestions let me know. I spent some money getting this heater fixed and would like to keep using it, but it's not very practical right now.

[Guest]

Brett,
I'm going to move this to the "Equipment-Expert information" forum. You might get more help there.

[Guest]

Sounds like you may also be spilling flue products into the house. Try to face the vent to the south or extend the vent with an elbow 12 inches above the roof. Use the match test(light a match and blow it out and make sure the smoke goes up the vent) to check for flow.

------------------
Mille Lacs Guide Service
651-271-5459
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[Brett Meyer]

The match does go out when I try and light it too. If i put that elbo on there do i just put it on the exhaust, and leave the intake, and will it work good, without trying to rig up some kind of damper on it? just trying to cover everything. I'll have to try that this weekend. That was the one thing i didn't want to do was run a pipe up, but if it works, i might as well.

[Brett Meyer]

I have tried facing the house in all different directions but the wind always turns on me and i don't feel like moving my house and re-drilling and all that stuff. I have also made some "beer case" baffles with no luck.

[Surface Tension]

A pictures worth a thousand words.....
What kind of air supply and vent cap/hood termination do you have? Do you have the owners manual with recommended installation instructions? I take it this is a horizontal setup?

[Brett Meyer]

It is a horizontal pipe set up, with the exhaust pipe about 6 inches dierectly above the intake, with a double intake/exhaust cap(?). I will try to get a picture this weekend up, maybe that will help. It is a Saf-Aire made by stuart warner. I got a from a buddy who bought it at an auction, so I am running blind on how it should have been installed. I did it to the best of my knoledge.

[This message has been edited by Brett Meyer (edited 10-03-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Brett Meyer (edited 10-03-2003).]

[Surface Tension]

Im intersted in seeing the hood/cap. Did it come with the heater?

[Surface Tension]

Is the regulator original?

[Brett Meyer]

I will try and get a picture of it up tomorrow. the regulator is new paid about $130 for it. The guys I got it from said that they don't make that model anymore, and that was the next best thing. other than the flame getting blown out it works fine.

[Brett Meyer]

here is a picture of that vent.
www.trevour.com/fishhouse

[Surface Tension]

I cant tell anything from the photos.
The regulator should have cost you around 25 bucks. If the hoods are original my guess would be wrong regulator or it has orifices for natural gas.
I searched around on the net for a manual and parts and got nowhere.
You might try bringing the shack to a furnace guy and have him take a quick look.

[Brett Meyer]

yeah it wasn't a regular regulator, it was the carborator thing for the furnace, that's why it was spendy. I talked to a few guys about it and they said i might just be able to extend the exhaust pipe a few inches. If that doesn't work i will bring it over to the heater shop.
Thanks for your help anyways!
I'll let ya know if i get it fixed.

[Guest]

Brett,, a few questions about your heater. does the pilot go out? are you sure its a dedicated direct vent appliance? if it is, then the intake pipe will need to be connected to the appliance as well as the exhaust vent. the vent kit that comes with the heater will have the proper connections. usually its a pipe within a pipe, check out Reznor or Modine heaters for a picture of the direct vent type kits. sometimes the intake pipe is too close to the bottom of the exhaust cap where it goes through the wall on the outside. some manufacturer recommend as much as a 6" clearance between the intake and the bottom of the exhaust cap. this is to insure that exhaust gases aren't recirculated through the burner. if its too close the exhaust can be sucked in when a gust of wind hits. also, there is an over heat safety inside the heater called a klixon make sure that it isn't dropping out the flame. if you had a natural gas heater and you were using propane you would of known it rather immediately. the propane regulator will be set at about 10", the nat gas regulators are set about 3-4". if you lite a match inside and it goes out you either have co or no air. if the house is so tite and the heater goes out, your venting is improper and you're burning the air in the house, or you're dumping carbon mon. inside from improper venting. also, the heater may not be sidewall ventable and it may need to go through the roof. Don't alter the appliance write to the manufacturer and find out what they say.

[Brett Meyer]

This heater came out of a house, and the new carb is for propane, and i beleive it says propane fuel on the heater. The match does go out when i try lighting it, it's sucking air into the heater fast enough to blow out the match. I have had my CO detector go off a couple times, had to be from the heater (not my cook stove). I have the original vent cap for it on. The only thing that i did to it was cut off the intake, and exhaust pipes about 4-6 inches. I think that is where i went wrong, the pipes are not long enough. plus i think i need to put some kind of a gasket behind the heater to prevent air going thru around the pipes.

I works great when the wind isn't blowing.

I'll try a couple things this weekend if i get a chance, and let ya know.

[This message has been edited by Brett Meyer (edited 10-15-2003).]