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Reparing Torpedo heaters


Buck531

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I posted this last year but I figured some new people might know someone who works on them. I have a 50k BTU torpedo that I got from my father in-law last year. He has a spark but that's about it. When I plug it in the motor starts spinning and sometimes shoots a flame and goes out.

 

Looking to see if anyone has any idea who can repair these things.

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I tried everyone from hell to heaven. Murrays, sunbelt and several other tool rental places. No one knew anyone that worked on them anymore.

 

I would call sunbelt and they said no and gave me someone else. I called that someone else and they said no and then gave me someone else. Round and round.. no one.

 

I know there isn't much to them. If anyone on here would like to take a stab at it be my guest.

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I tried everyone from hell to heaven. Murrays, sunbelt and several other tool rental places. No one knew anyone that worked on them anymore.

 

I would call sunbelt and they said no and gave me someone else. I called that someone else and they said no and then gave me someone else. Round and round.. no one.

 

I know there isn't much to them. If anyone on here would like to take a stab at it be my guest.

 

sure, just drop it off at my house and ill look at it for you lol

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-Call supplier

-Tell them you need a flame sensor for whatever model it is

-Install sensor in ~5 mintues

 

I found the thread I posted in Feb 2010 and you said it was the photo cell. I still haven't messed with it yet. I might mess around with the photo cell this weekend and see if cleaning it fixes it.

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I found the thread I posted in Feb 2010 and you said it was the photo cell. I still haven't messed with it yet. I might mess around with the photo cell this weekend and see if cleaning it fixes it.

 

Photocell and flame sensor = same thing.

 

I don't have access to the parts breakdowns anymore or i'd get you a part #.

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Huh? did you miss where I said it's kerosene?

 

couldn't find it, most of the ones I've used have been propane so that's the first thing that came to mind.

 

forgot about the flame sensor sounds like a likely culprit.

 

I posted this last year but I figured some new people might know someone who works on them. I have a 50k BTU torpedo that I got from my father in-law last year. He has a spark but that's about it. When I plug it in the motor starts spinning and sometimes shoots a flame and goes out.

 

Looking to see if anyone has any idea who can repair these things.

 

 

I tried everyone from hell to heaven. Murrays, sunbelt and several other tool rental places. No one knew anyone that worked on them anymore.

 

I would call sunbelt and they said no and gave me someone else. I called that someone else and they said no and then gave me someone else. Round and round.. no one.

 

I know there isn't much to them. If anyone on here would like to take a stab at it be my guest.

Edited by TheBussman
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I started dorkind around with it earlier. Plug it in (took the cover off) and the spark was there and bright. After it kicked off due to not lighting i put my finger on the end of the nozzle for the fluid to come out and it was wet.. no soaking.. but wet. I see where the flame sensor is. I cleaned it with some electrical parts cleaner and that didn't change anything. Guess I'll order the sensor and see what happens.
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mine is an older one, but if yours is anything like mine, you should be able to see the spray pattern when the unit is on. if its just leaking/ trickling and not spraying a good mist you can have one of a couple different problems. improper air flow which could be clogged filter, air leak in the metal line or the air pump isnt working correctly. another common problem is the nozzle could be burnt out or clogged.

quick and easy way of seeing if your air pump isnt working correctly, disconnect the metal line coming from the air pump and take a blow gun/ air compressor and apply light air pressure into the airline while the unit is plugged in. if it ignites due to a good mist than you know where your problem is. like i said, one of the vanes on my air pump was stuck and was not producing a good airflow which resulted in a bad mist/ no mist

 

here is what it should look like

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/kliped/IMG_20110926_135444-1.jpg

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Busted rotor? Explain?

 

On the back of the machine there's an aluminum cover. Inside that cover is a graphite rotor with 4 graphite vanes. You turn on the power, the motor spins the rotor, the rotor draws a vacuum from the fuel tank and pumps it to the nozzle. A few seconds later, the ignitor sparks and a flame is born. If the flame is good, the photo cell tells the machine to keep running. Bad or no flame, and the motor shuts off. The graphite rotors are fragile and shatter easily, from dropping the machine or what not. If a vane is stuck or the rotors broken, you won't get an adequate fuel supply and the machine probably won't ignite.

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