torpedo heater parts

[volaredon]

i have a "green machine" 100K BTU salamder heater that's gonna hafta make due "1 more winter" til I get my gas line plumbed to the garage to run my 100K BTU Modine unit heater --- I got the heater and it's "hung" from the joists so that's an improvement vs the last 6 winters...

Problem being with the salamander is that while I have had the thing ~10 years and got it used when I originally got it, every time it sits from Spring til the next winter, I gotta take the thing apart and play with it to get the blower motor to spin up without releasing "smoke" ya know, spin the fan with my fingers, (with it unplugged of course) drop some "3 in 1" on the shaft and then plug it in and "help" the fan get going...
this was an expensive commercial grade heater when new, I got it free when I originally got it but had to put a coil in it to get it working back when I got it... Worst case, where can I get a replacement motor fairly reasonably?? Being that I have my heater "hung" and just have to run the line, and I'll have "better" heat next season, I don't wanna pour much $ into this heater, the keorosene bill kills me bad enough as is, when it "does" run.

 

[volaredon]

^^^ BUMP 69 looks and no responses....
I got it going again, by the same yearly ritual as years past but before I pulled it apart and squirted it up I tried plugging it in a couple times and tried to help it spin up w/my finger..> I know not the safest way but it didnt work anyways... oiled it up and now its going again

The problem was each time I plugged it in and tried it (about 3X before I took it all apaart to oil things up) it released some of its "magic smoke" and I am not sure how much it has left inside it, hopefully something dont short out and catch fire due to less insulation or something like that I was wrong on the name it wasn't "green machine" but rather "the green line"
I would really like to find a new motor for this heater anyone know where?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

www.reddyparts.com

 

[volaredon]

thanks, looked there and I couldnt find anything at all for my heater it dont appear to be a Desa or Remington... actually Desa's used to be made in the next town over from where I grew up til ohh the late 80s or so, what's left of the old factory's still there and empty

Thanks for the link though!!!!

I tried the place that I got the transformer for this thing from ~10 years ago and they seem to only have stuff for Desa/Remington as well

 

[Herb67SS]

Can't tell you how many of these things my buddy and I have been given because they didn't act right, etc. etc. there is generally a replacement part or adaptor for even the old models of these heaters. For example, you may not be able to get the old style air vane kits but there is an adaptor that allows you to retrofit the new style vanes to the older short Rear shaft fan motors. I suspect if you replaced the fan motor with a new one, you could use that adaptor kit and all would work fine. You just need to get creative. If you have a square end air pump housing, Desa parts should work. If its round-ish, Reddy parts will work. Those things are not that complex. Just be sure to set the air pressure correctly. Even that is a simple process. Start with 5lbs and tweak up or down til the unit runs well without overheating or making fumes.

BTW - you should be burning off-road diesel fuel if you can't get clear kerosene. Anything else can cause problems. Off-road diesel burns cleanest with the most heat output and least fumes. That's all we burn and we never have problems with our 5 OLD units.

 

[mrpowderkeg]

I have had issues with my old reddy heater. It would get stuck starting. It turned out the vanes from the pump were dirty and sticking. The pump does not pump fuel, but air. I pulled my pump cover out, and cleaned up the pump rotor, vanes, and housing, and it worked great after that. Also you may want to put new filters in it, as the one filter traps any dust that comes off the vanes as they wear. I can get most of the parts including a pump rebuilding kit, filters, etc at my local hardware stores.

 

[volaredon]

Can't tell you how many of these things my buddy and I have been given because they didn't act right, etc. etc. there is generally a replacement part or adaptor for even the old models of these heaters. For example, you may not be able to get the old style air vane kits but there is an adaptor that allows you to retrofit the new style vanes to the older short Rear shaft fan motors. I suspect if you replaced the fan motor with a new one, you could use that adaptor kit and all would work fine. You just need to get creative. If you have a square end air pump housing, Desa parts should work. If its round-ish, Reddy parts will work. Those things are not that complex. Just be sure to set the air pressure correctly. Even that is a simple process. Start with 5lbs and tweak up or down til the unit runs well without overheating or making fumes.

BTW - you should be burning off-road diesel fuel if you can't get clear kerosene. Anything else can cause problems. Off-road diesel burns cleanest with the most heat output and least fumes. That's all we burn and we never have problems with our 5 OLD units.

I get "k-1" from the local gas station I have used regular diesel and cannot stand to be in the garage with the heater while it runs.

 

[volaredon]

I have had issues with my old reddy heater. It would get stuck starting. It turned out the vanes from the pump were dirty and sticking. The pump does not pump fuel, but air. I pulled my pump cover out, and cleaned up the pump rotor, vanes, and housing, and it worked great after that. Also you may want to put new filters in it, as the one filter traps any dust that comes off the vanes as they wear. I can get most of the parts including a pump rebuilding kit, filters, etc at my local hardware stores.

I put new filters in when I did the transformer like 10 years ago as the originals just crumbled. I did just clean them out and they are still OK (just foam anuway_