Propane regulator?

[StoneHeartFarm]

Richard,

Sounds like your pilot is dirty. If the flame isn't steady and mostly blue (if it's orange or has a LOT of yellow--not just the tip) then the pilot probably needs to be cleaned. My unit is a little different than yours since I have radiant panels rather than visible flame, but I think the pilots might be about the same. I have to clean mine at least once and sometimes twice a year. The pilots build a white crust on them that keeps them from burning properly and thus they don't keep the thermocouple heated properly and then there is a loud snap and the heat goes out. The guy who sold me mine told be how to clean it so he wouldn't have to do a service call.

Basically, I remove the front shroud and the metal grid covering the pilot and radiant plates. On mine, the pilot is located in the middle at the bottom of the plates. It is a silver tube about the size of my little finger. If you look at the side of this tube, there is a small brass trap door with a spring hinge that lets you open it just a small crack. I take a Q-tip and shove it down the pilot hole and watch through the trap door. Break up all the white crusty stuff (which I'm sure Hank Hill could identify), remove the Q-tip and blow some compressed air through the trapdoor hole. Then I use compressed air to blow the dust off the radiant panels and light the pilot to test it.

If you are the least bit concerned about doing this, hire a friendly furnace man and have him do it, (keeping a close watch over his shoulder). Propane is not something to mess with. If you only have to do it once a year, then have it serviced before the heating season starts. Be aware, that these non-vented units put a lot of moisture in the air and that if you use them alot, the humidity level in the house will go up. Make sure you have adequate attic ventilation so the moisture has somewhere to go. I've seen a lot of moisture damage and wall staining, especially in real tight houses.

Hope this helps

SHF

 

[Richard]

Thanks SHF but indeed, the pilot is fine. I have taken the logs out of the fireplace to get better look and all is well. What happens is when the gas is turned 'on" so that the pilot light lights the flame front, I get my typical "whump" as the burner lights then almost immediately, another "whump" as the flame dies from apparent fuel starvation.

With Thanksgiving, I have yet to phone service dude..I plan/hope to get that ball started today.

Thanks
Richard

 

[Egon]

Does your unit have an adjustment to regulate the amount of air going to the burner?
Egon

 

[Egon]

Another question:
What do you have to do to relight the pilot light after the main burner shuts everything down? Do you have to reset a regulator by the Tanks?
Egon

 

[Richard]

Unsure of exactly what you mean here (due to my ignorance)..so from the outside..

I have my 100 pound tanks connected to my outside regulator that has an A/B switch to switch between the two tanks. As far as I know, there is no adjustments available here. Following plumbing inside, it goes I am told, into yet another smaller, regulator (unfortunately, INSIDE the fireplace and may be difficult to reach). Somewhere before or after this regulator, I have my "inside" shutoff valve. ("inside" because I also can shut off at the tank valve outside)

Plumbing goes into the firebox and presto...I have my (missing) heat.

Richard

 

[Richard]

To rellight the pilot, (presuming full tanks/shutoffs "on") I turn the firebox flame adjustor "on" and push/hold. While holding, push the pizo clicker button and after maybe 4 attempts, it will typically light the pilot. After pilot lights, I can then turn this knob further on which lights the burner. It is at THIS point that I get a quick flame front then just dies out, sometimes taking the pilot with it, sometimes not.

I have no reset buttons anywhere that I am aware of and after 3 years, am having my first problems.

I spoke with local gas company last week and he said to check out my "thermal-coupling".

Right /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif. I have a service call in to the guy that installed all of this. Hopefully, he will call me back now that Thanksgiving is over.

Richard