fire does not warm up

[misguided fool]

i have an old style gas fire with the 3 white china blocks in.
it take ages to light and then when it does it gives if only minimal heat, unless you are standing right in front of it you would not know it was on.

My freind has exactly the same fire and hers really warms the room
and her china block glow

i've checked the chinas they are not discoloured or cracked

so anyone any ideas what is likely to be wrong with mine?

ps both fires are Widney LPG gas fires.

 

[Newboy]

I not an expert on gas fires but logic suggests that lack of heat = lack of gas - thought about getting it serviced ?

 

[Noraslad]

It shouldn't take ages to light.

When was the last time it was serviced.

 

[misguided fool]

the fire is fitted in a static caravan and runs on lpg

it was already fitted in the van when i bought it in june 03.

i was told that when i bought it that both the boiler and the fire where serviced and checked by corgi registed engineers prior to sale.

but it has never had any guts, whereas my freinds one does, which is identical age & model.

 

[nstreet]

Did you see any documentary evidence of the services etc? If you just went by word of mouth, you are very trusting.

 

[felix]

Let's check the obvious first. What kind of gas are you using? Is it butane (blue bottle) or propane (orange bottle). Butane boils at -1 dec C so it can be difficult to get the stuff out of the bottle at this time of year. Propane boils at a much lower temperature (maybe -27 deg C but don't quote me on that) so unless you live on Baffin Island you get full pressure all year round.

If this is not the problem then you're looking at a duff regulator or a blockage. I find that caravan gas supplies are rather dirty and blocked jets are a common problem. I'm not blaming the Calor Gas for this. When gas inlet pipes are left open to the elements for long periods it's inevitable that dirt is going to find its way in. This usually manifests itself in blocked pilot jets but I suppose a nice big fly could lodge itself in your fire's main jet.

 

[kevplumb]

i will put this as polite

GET IT SERVICE'D SHARPISH

 

[misguided fool]

i did get a note saying it was services when i got it (a sort of tick chart of checks they had made) but the summer of 03 was a rare a nd hot summer so i never really checked it was working until last year when the summer was more traditionally english.

The fire does run on butane ( orange bottle)

i presume to check and clean the jets i remove the china blocks and the main jet will be at one end. i should then also take the opportunitity to clean any outlets underneath the blocks to remove any dust/debris from them aswell as the main jet.

 

[kevplumb]

seeing as you dont know what sort of gas you are using dismantling anything is definatley not advisable

FWIW butane comes in blue bottles and works at a different pressure

 

[felix]

I've checked what I wrote and, despite the can of Carlsberg Special, I didn't get it wrong.

ORANGE = PROPANE!!!!!

So unless those nice people at Calor Gas put the wrong stuff in the bottle you do not have a temperature problem. I've never been sold the wrong gas but you can check easily enough by swapping bottles.

You can check out your regulator without even taking it off if you also have a gas cooker on the same bottle. If you light all the rings and get full sized flames then your regulator is OK - and for that matter so is your bottle!

You are not likely to see the main jet at the end. Depending upon the fire design, you will see either multiple jets or a burner bar full of holes which look like jets but aren't the same thing. The main jet in the second case will most likely be obscured by the burner bar.

Kevplumb has a valid point. You really need to mug up on the workings of gas fires before you start taking one apart. For example, do you know what a draught diverter is and how it works? Put this back in wrong and it might just be the last thing you do.

 

[misguided fool]

hi felix

sorry mate, my mistake orange (propane). Thats what i get for too much cider last night.

yes, the caravan does have a cooker running off the same bottle and that seems to run ok (not as good as the mains supply at home but i would not expect it to be), so does the boiler.

i was kinda hoping it would be something simple like hoover the dust away from the holes then put the chinas back or maybe unscrew the jet clean it through and screw it back up (similar to clearing the washer jets on a car) and that this could be done without touching any of the inner workings that would be dangerous.

but im an optamist not a fool and if its likely to be more complicated or dangerous i would rather pay cash for the pro than blood for the bodge

 

[felix]

It's your choice and maybe the best. For what it's worth, in my student days we lived in an icebox of a flat with a big fat instantaneous multipoint water heater in the bathroom of all places. Thanks to the prevailing wind, an icy draught streamed in through two large vents on the sides of this thing and I contemplated blocking them off somehow.

Fortunately I found a good book on gas appliances in the library first. I still shudder slightly at the thought!

 

[Noraslad]

yes, the caravan does have a cooker running off the same bottle and that seems to run ok (not as good as the mains supply at home but i would not expect it to be),

I would expect it to be better than the mains supply back home, probably not as noisy but if you have the correct regulator fitted it's running at nearly twice the pressure.

Some caravan fires can be a damn nuisance to work on, air supply and flueing are very important. how you going to test it. How you going to test your working pressure. Leave it alone and get a guy in that knows what he's talking about.

 

[cozzmic]

Don't start taking anything apart. LPG (propane) is heavier than Nat gas and can pool in lower confined spaces, believe it or not you can drown in it like water. Get it serviced and get a safety certificate. Make sure you see a CORGI card and check the back for working on gas appliances in caravans. It is important.