Curb-Find Propane Heater! Can We Fix it? Without Buying Parts? Pilot Light Won't Stay Lit.

Описание: Set out to the curb on trash day is a table top propane heater, and it doesn't work. And the trash truck is coming - "Save Me!"

[Note: here is a link to a Tall Patio Heater repair (thanks to Ron for the suggestion!):
   • Curb Find! Tall Patio Heater - Can We Fix ...   ]

In this video we look at what went wrong, how I fixed it, and how I improved its performance with some simple maintenance. No replacement parts needed. Let's fix it.

Symptom: when I got it home I tested it and while the pilot light would light as long as I held in the knob, as soon as I released it, the pilot would go out. Holding it in lit longer to heat up the thermocouple did not help. There was no way to get it to go to Low to operate. So, that's why it was put out at the curb with the trash cans. "It had not been working right lately anyway," it appears. We'll address that too (yellow flame).

After finding the main problem with this I figured that its repair, especially without replacing parts, may not be shown online, so I picked up the camera and showed the repair and reassembly and test. Then I videoed an intro and some initial disassembly info. Then a few days later, went back and addressed the burner maintenance. Then a bunch of editing to try to make it continuous. Enjoy

This is for entertainment and not instruction; if you follow what I do it is at your own risk. Please do not disable the safety switch (I do not!) as it may be tempting to do so; don't mess with fire safety.

Brands this design also appears to be sold under:
Hampton Bay, Garden Radiance, Northern Trail, FireSense, Garden Treasures, etc.

References and other information:
Contact cleaners: DeOxit or other suitable contact cleaner, e.g. CRC, RadioShack, MG Chemicals, etc. Isopropyl alcohol may work too. Do not file or sand the switch contact points!


Camera: Canon G7X Mark III
Mic: Rode VideoMicro
Video Editing Software: Power Director
Aircraft backing vocals courtesy: Nearby Class Bravo departure procedure

Jump to:
0:01 What cha' got there?

0:49 Getting into the controls
2:10 How the controls (are supposed to) work
3:07 What's wrong - the switch
3:55 The problem exposed - and fixing the core issue
4:44 Reassembling the switch and the tilt (dump) switch assembly
7:18 Testing the tilt switch via electrical continuity
8:05 Reassembling the tilt (or dump) switch back into the heater case
12:27 Testing to see if the repaired switch will function to shut off the gas if tilted
15:06 Reassembling the heater
18:20 Testing it out after assembly, and noting the flame being too yellow
19:51 Yellow Flame, going back in to fix
20:26 Disassembling and inspecting the burner assembly
21:10 Cleaning out the gas mixer tube and burner assembly
22:12 Reassembling the burner assembly
23:21 Testing it all out - all done
24:14 / Review and wrap up