Shop cold- Reddy heater problems

[myxpykalix]

I've had this similar heater in my shop for 4-5 years and tonite it just wouldn't light up.

Normally you hear the fan start up, then fuel sprays and igniter ignites fuel it goes WOOSH and heat comes out...

Now the fan comes on i don't hear any snapping like a spark plug and in a few seconds the fan stops. My reasearch tells me it could be the igniter or the fuel nozzle. Anybody had experience with these heaters and know how to fix it?

[POPS 64]

Jack , I had one when I had my old shop and it used to do it usually once a year after it got older . Pull cover off pull the spark plug and clean it and you can pull the nozzle and clean it with starting fluid . Good luck Jeff

[barrowj]

Jack,

I had one too that eventually kept having issues that I junked it and got a new one. If there is trash in the fuel tank, you will need to drain and either filter it or throw it away. Do a full clean of the fuel line, filter and be sure the igniter is clean.

[johnh]

Mine almost always needs the impellors freed up or replaced every fall. Google for how to do that.

As a quick ghetto-fix, sometimes I can lift the motor end off the floor a few inches and drop it (bounce it) a couple times. This jars the stuck impellors and it starts pumping fuel again. Be careful.

[myxpykalix]

I haven't taken it apart yet but i don't think the impellors are stuck because it blows cold air for a second or two before it shuts down. From the videos i've watched and the advice here i'm going to check the plug and igniter.

[shilala]

Jack, when a fuel oil burner fires, the igniter comes on with the fuel pump.
If there's not ignition in a very short time, the photocell reports "no ignition" back to the relay and it shuts down.
Usually it'll only try to burn a few times and then lock out, otherwise it'd pump oil all over the world.
Real furnaces have points and rely on the spark gap heavily. Reddy Heaters just have a spark plug, but that gap has to be right, as well.

From what I've said, you can guess the photocell may be covered in soot, or a mouse built a nest in there while you haven't been using it.

As others mentioned, the nozzle needs to be clean. It creates a cone mist at such an angle that it passes through the spark so the fuel will ignite. That's where your only real "setting" is, the fuel oil and spark have to intersect for her to fire.

You really have to get in there and see what it's doing and not doing in order to fix it. But they're super simple and rudimentary. You won't have any trouble.
You will stink like fuel oil all day, but that's the fun part.

[jerry_stanek]

That one has a electronic module that my be bad I have one like that and had to get a new module. Luckily I worked for a trade show company that I set up the Desa display and they gave me a new one.

[JimmyD]

This will be of no help, but I like to brag. It was 82 here in Arizona today, no need for a heater!

[myxpykalix]

yes but when it's 82 here, it's 112 there!

Well after taking the lid off I could see the glow plug light up but nothing coming out of the nozzle so while unscrewing the glow plug module with the nozzle i promptly broke it when i touched it!
I went to lowes to see if they had any parts and of course they didn't.

I can look up a parts place but does anyone have any place they've dealt with ok?

[Dish]

Jack try a local lawn mower repair business or hardware store that has a repair department.