Mr. Heater issues

[ChuckN]

I have a Mr. Heater cooker for a fishhouse heater. I store the heater in a nice and dry area every summer, but when winter rolls around I go to fire it up and it won't work properly. It spits, sputters and eventually dies. It's not the easy thermocoupler fix..

It appears the propane stuck inside the valves, thermocoupler and jet turns to gel and the entire thing is junk. I usually run the gas out by turning the tank off first, but I still have this issue.

Has anyone seen this or successfully cleaned it to work again? I've disassembled and cleaned it and it's toast. I love these heaters, but hate buying a new one every year.

[Surface Tension]

Chuck a good cleaning should get it going again. Did you clean the orifice out?

The gel. Unregulated(high pressure)propane will leech oil from the hose. The hose designed for Mr Heaters is supposed to be resistant to that but it can still happen. If this is a hose you made, get rid of it. After every use turn the valve off at the tank and allow the heater to burn out. Also is this a tank you own? I've seen tanks build up a greasy goo. Before the OPD vavle and when the tank was empty you could tip it upside down and drain that crud out.

[Jim Almquist]

Chuck I don't have a answer to your problem and that is because I have a cooker that I use maybe 3 or 4 times a winter and give it no special care and it works like a champ. Do you run this off 1 pond tanks or a 20 pound ? The only reason I ask is that there have been problems with the Buddy's running off a high pressure hose without a inline filter and if the goo you are finding is actually a oily sludge. Have you tried to adjust your thermocouple just to see if it got bumped and might be too close or too far away ?

[ChuckN]

The hose is a Mr. Heater brand hose, the tank is fresh propane 20lb tank. I used the hose/propane tank this summer and fall extensively with a portable BBQ and Buddy Heater. I know there was no gunk in the hose or the tank.

This must have been propane stuck inside the heater itself, inside the "pipes" somehow.

I bought a new heater and I guess it's just a bad omen hanging over my heaters.

[Geppy]

does it ever take a while to light then when it does it sends a fire ball to your face? thats happened to a buddy of mine and they brought it gander and got a brand new one

[wishing for walleyes]

Could you possibly have bugs getting in there over the summer months?

[Hard617]

I had problems with mine flaming a little this year and wouldnt glow on the bottom last year. seemed like the grill was bad or something. I took it apart the other day and the orifice was getting clogged with soot. a little carb clean and a little air to er, she's good to go. runs like day 1

[ChuckN]

No flaming issues. No bugs.

The problem lies inside, with the way the gas moves in from the connection nozzle all the way to the pilot jet that dispurses gas into the chamber.

The heater spits, sputters and dies. I can hear sounds that it's working hard to push gas through, and gives up.

Carb cleaner didn't work. I already disassembled the darn thing and cleaned...

I tried it again and this time where the hose connects to the heater and (on/off-low, medium, high knob) it frosted up nicely. Definitely a problem I wish I could figure out.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Did you just have the tank filled? Sounds like liquid propane is getting to the heater?

[notenufftime]

the tank is proably over filled

[ChuckN]

I thought of that, but the tank is about 2/3 full and I've been using it without problems with the tank and hose.

I already tried a 1 lb propane tank attached. Same thing problem arises.