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Author: Subject: Patio heater problem - could it be the gas bottle?
Steve Lovelock

posted on 22/4/11 at 07:34 AM Reply With Quote
Patio heater problem - could it be the gas bottle?

At the end of last summer I bought a patio heater and a got a new gas bottle. It worked, weakly, for a few minutes then died. Being a cheapie from eBay I had no contact for technical assistance and decided that it must have a blockage in the pipe work somewhere and left it. Having received a nice new compressor for Christmas I stripped the thing down yesterday and blew out all the pipe work but didn't find any obvious blockages. I put it all back together and as I was refitting the gas bottle I thought I should check it as well. It has a fancy gauge on it (cheap looking plastic thing) that shows it is full. I shock it and it certainly feels like it has plenty of liquid left in it. However, when I put the regulator on it and open the valve gas comes out but at no real pressure. I can stop the flow quite easily by crimping the rubber tube connected to the regulator. Anyway, the heater works but it has no power; it seems to be insufficently supplied with gas.

Now I could just go and buy another bottle of gas and put this one down as a dud but I'm not the Bank of England so thought I should seek opinions from you lot first. Two points: It is a patio gas type of gas bottle and I don't care for the environment so spare me any sob stories about the world going down the tubes because I am using gas to keep the misses warm whilst we have a beer and a bbq.

Cheers
Steve

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cliftyhanger

posted on 22/4/11 at 07:43 AM Reply With Quote
The regulator should reduce the pressure right down, so yes, don't expect it to blast out. However, it may be the regulator.
Worth borrowing a bottle and regulator off somebody to check? any camping gas type thing will do.
Or it could be a blocked jet in the heater, they can be pretty small and easy to clog.

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greglogan

posted on 22/4/11 at 07:54 AM Reply With Quote
Chances are its the regulator. If you're going to change it yourself, make sure you get leak test spray as well to check your joint.





Women are meant to be loved, not understood.

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907

posted on 22/4/11 at 09:50 AM Reply With Quote
It's easy to test the output pressure of the regulator with a water gauge.

Tape a length of clear plastic tube to a vertical length of wood (broom handle) so that it forms a U.

Fill the bottom of the U with water so you have about 300mm up both sides.

Leave one end open and connect the other to the reg outlet and connect the reg onto the bottle.

Calor gas regs are pre-set to 37 mbar so the water levels in the U tube should be 370mm apart.

( 10m of water = 1 bar )

SAFETY.

DO IT OUTSIDE
DISCONNECT REG FROM CYLINDER BEFORE DISMANTLING GAUGE
NO SMOKING

( p.s. I'll listen for the bang. )

Cheers,
Paul G

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Steve Lovelock

posted on 22/4/11 at 03:59 PM Reply With Quote
It's not the regulator as I have two and tried them both. 907, that doesn't sound like much pressure. I'll have a hunt around for some clear tubing.
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907

posted on 22/4/11 at 05:09 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Lovelock
It's not the regulator as I have two and tried them both. 907, that doesn't sound like much pressure. I'll have a hunt around for some clear tubing.




The reg should have 37 mbar on it Steve.


A while ago we changed an electric cooker for a new Calor range jobbie.
It was supposed to be for Calor but when I installed it and fired it up all the flames were tiny.
You couldn't have boiled an egg, even on the big wok ring.

I tested the reg and that was OK so contacted the company that sold me the cooker.
Turned out it had mains gas jets in it which are smaller. They sent me a new set and jobs a good un.


If yours isn't the reg then possibly a partially blocked jet? Midge's, thunder flies, spiders web?
The little devils get in anywhere.
It could have happened in the warehouse. Probably why it ended up on eBay.


Cheers
Paul G

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Steve Lovelock

posted on 23/4/11 at 10:09 AM Reply With Quote
The reg does have 37 mbar on it and I'm confident that it is ok as I have two and they both give off the same amount of gas. Also, I have thoroughly blown out the pipe work having stripped it all down and put a air line blower to it so I can't see it being blocked.

It's a pain as the thing cost £120 and so I can hardly chuck it away and buy another.

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