Chapter 4
Troubleshooting
1. The pilot light was not left on long enough
Make sure that you leave the pilot light on for at least 60 seconds between each
step to allow the heat to penetrate into the pad and spread a little bit.
2. The thermocouple is out of position
If the thermocouple is more than a ¼” from the catalytic pad or tilted at an angle
(more than a few degrees), the heat from the pad may fail to get the thermocouple
hot enough to allow gas to flow through the control. If the thermocouple is out of
position, remove the bottom grill on the heater and loosen the screw holding the
thermocouple and adjust the thermocouple so the plate is parallel to the pad and
1/8” from the pad.
3. The pilot light is too small
Refer to the tips in problem B above for recommendations.
4. The thermocouple has failed
If none of the above recommendations help and the pad remains glowing by the
pilot light when the control is pushed down in the PILOT position and the pilot
light is temporarily extinguished, the thermocouple has failed and needs to be
replaced.
Cause: Gas supply problems
If the gas supply to the heater is partially restricted the heater will only be able to get
enough propane for the pilot light. Check that the selection lever is pointing toward a full
tank and tank valve is open at least a full turn. If you have the tools, check that the heater
is receiving 11” water column of propane vapor throughout the lighting process.
Problem D: Catalytic Pad Takes a Long Time to Get to Full Temperature
Cause: Catalytic pad was not sufficiently prewarmed earlier in the lighting process
If the area of the catalyst warm enough to activate the catalyst is too small it will take a
long time for the pad to get to full temperature. If you haven't already done so please try
lighting the heater following the instructions found in this manual.
When the extended lighting instructions don't work, this problem is typically caused by
one of three reasons:
1. The pilot light was not left on long enough
Make sure that you leave the pilot light on for at least 60 seconds between each
step to allow the heat to penetrate into the pad and spread a little bit.
2. The pilot light is out of position
If the pilot light hits the plate on the thermocouple instead of hitting the catalytic
pad, the pad will barely heat up. Adjust the postion of the pilot light assembly
and/or the thermocouple so that the large flame of the pilot light touches or nearly
touches the pad near the edge of the thermocouple plate.
3. The pilot light is too small
Refer to the tips in problem B above for recommendations.
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