Troubles with torpedo heater

[Tech89]

I have a Master torpedo propane heater that my girlfriend got me Christmas before this last Christmas. Well this winter is the first time I've actually wanted to use it due to it getting pretty cold out. I went and bought a 100 pound cylinder. It'll run good for a short amount of time and then the flame almost completely dies out. If I re-light it it'll do the same thing. Every once in a while it will shoot a small flame out the end. Sometimes it'll do this a few times in a row and then stop. The first time I tried running it this year it was about -20F. Today it was about 27F. The regulator and line get frosty. Could my propane be freezing? I really don't know much about propane torpedo heaters. Any help or suggestions are welcomed. Thanks.


-Pat

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[38 Dodge Coupe]

I had a smaller version of yours and when the thermocouple goes bad it will cause your unit to shut down. It is an easy fix and as I recall around $25.00 for a new part.

 

[Ohmthis]

That's a large (BTU wise) heater. That much draw will use a lot of propane. When it uses it gas, the tank temp drops and like you said things frost up. This temp drop also causes a pressure drop, without enough pressure there isn't any gas, no gas=no fire. You can put a heated blanket around the tank if you plan to use it for a long period of time. I've seen this several times with propane tanks of several sizes.

 

[RPH]

100 pound tank is too small to run that heater, especially in cold weather. I have a smaller one that I use to heat a section of the barn. I have to run a pair of 100 pound tanks to keep the volume of gas up. Get a bigger tank and watch that the regulator doesn’t freeze up too.

 

[Tech8901]

Thanks everyone. So would 2 100 pound tank be more suitable for something like this? Honestly I don't need one this big. Thinking about going with a smaller one now.

-Pat

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[Tech89]

Sorry something goofy has been going on with tapatalk and really screwed with my account.

-Pat

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[Bretny]

100lb tanks are rated to 75kbtu each. 2 100lb tanks would be better. At -20* and 180kbtu you will be leaving alot of propane in the bottle as it wont vaporize very fast at that cold temps.

Do you really need that big of a heater?

 

[Tech89]

100lb tanks are rated to 75kbtu each. 2 100lb tanks would be better. At -20* and 180kbtu you will be leaving alot of propane in the bottle as it wont vaporize very fast at that cold temps.

Do you really need that big of a heater?

Not really. She just said she got the biggest one they had haha. Have a big shop, but I just kinda aim it where I'm working.

-Pat



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[Bretny]

Sell it and get a smaller one. I have ran a 50k in my 2 car garage on a 20lb tank prety well.
Having 2 100lb tanks makes the thing prety un portable at that point.

 

[Bubbles]

i run mine off a 20 pound tank. dam thing is as loud as a jet engine.
it leaves 7-5 pounds in the tank that's unusable you will smell the propane when the take gets low.

 

[James-W]

Do you use propane for anything else, like the house furnace? I was thinking if you do use propane for other things, maybe you could tap into your BIG tank that runs the furnace rather than use smaller tanks.

 

[Tech89]

Do you use propane for anything else, like the house furnace? I was thinking if you do use propane for other things, maybe you could tap into your BIG tank that runs the furnace rather than use smaller tanks.

We do, it's about 75 feet from the garage probably.

-Pat

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[RPH]

If you have access to the large tank then tap that. Might be hard in the winter but it would be high on the priority list. Gas delivered and you don’t have to muscle the big tanks around. And they are heavy and bulky.

 

[James-W]

We do, it's about 75 feet from the garage probably.

That being the case, I wouldn't dream of doing it any other way, even if you decide to get a smaller heater. I believe you will find the propane is less expensive that way as well. When you get smaller tanks, they tend to charge more than when you have a huge tank that they come to your house to fill. It is just a better situation all around.