Garage heater trouble shooting
Hey guys,
I don’t stop in here very often, I tend to hang out at Knots more. This question seemed like it would be better posted here though.
I have a Mr Heater, natural gas burning, hanging garage heater that is only a year old. It won’t seem to light now. I figured it was the ignitor and they are cheap so I ordered one and a flame sensor also. I replaced both and it still won’t fire. I can light the flame with a lighter when the thermostat calls for heat and you can hear the gas valve click open so that isn’t the problem. After replacing the parts and having no change I tried to see if the ignitor was getting any voltage (Don’t know what it should get) with my multimeter set on the lowest volt setting and didn’t get anything. I took off the wire that goes from the circuit board to the ignitor and tested it for continuity and it was good. I then checked the connector on the circuit board that the wire plugs into and still didn’t get any voltage. BTW when I checked the voltage I just grounded the probe to the heater itself. Right or not?
Anyway, I now suspect the circuit board but they are fifty bucks and I don’t want to buy one unless I know that is the problem. If it makes any difference I do woodworking in the garage so the heater is exposed to sawdust.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Rob
Replies
Very commendable, sustained deductive logic...right up to the point where you decided to post your question on BT. ROFLMAO.
i have one of these and it went goofy,i messed around replacing parts and finally was about to throw it. called the factory and they said some had trouble with a ground,to run a wire frome the supply wire ground to the frame of heater. boom that got it. after about 5 hrs and a 100 in parts.
you might try it,takes 2 minutes and 10 cents. larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Larry,
I assume you mean to run a ground wire from the main electrical supply to the frame of the heater right?
What symptoms did your heater show that this fixed? Everything on mine works except for the ignitor.
Rob
yes,i had 12/2 wire with ground,the heater even had a ground wire that i had attached correctly. but it took a extra wire just run to the frame of the heater.
mine would start when the therm called for heat,the fan would kick on like it's suppose to,run for whatever 30 seconds,the it woud be time for the pilot to ignite and that was the end of the story,the fan would shut down ,it would think about it for a minute or 2 and try again.
so i replaced the ignitor ,computer board and was getting ready to replace the valve when i called them and they told me about the ground wire.
try it it won't hurt anything and maybe you'll get heat. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Thanks again Larry. I'll give it a shot.
Rob