Easily Diagnose -Test and Repair Photocell in Portable Heaters

[@Trialnerror]

FOUND A GREAT PRICE ON A REPLACEMENT PHOTOCELL IN THE EVENT CLEANING DOESN'T FIX YOURS: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005R21U78/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=trialnerror-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B005R21U78&linkId=3191b36563aed5da61657cb7f9e8e999

[@mountainman5025]

Great video but get rid of the background music...very annoying

[@steelthunder76]

Now this was some good information thank you very much shortened to the point

[@Trialnerror]

Glad I could help! Thank you for watching!

[@jdb585]

Great video. My heater will run for about 2 minutes and then shuts off. Photocell is okay and I cleaned the nozzle, but the problem persists. I did notice that my fan doesn't spin freely. Every couple of revolutions there is a drag. Is that normal?

[@jdb585]

@@Trialnerror Thank you for the reply! I did take it a part and all four "blades" seemed fine and no grooves or signs of wear. I hate tossing parts at something but I think I might have to and I'll start with the photocell. Reddy Heater 115,000 btu.

[@leonardmccracken2203]

Thanks for the video, The photo sensor on my heater shows 00.00 resistance with bright light shinning on it, Does that mean it's defective? Thanks

[@wohldog5248]

I have cleaned the photo cell and the terminals are in good shape. My heater will run great as long as the top is off. Put the top back on and it runs for a few seconds and quits. Any ideas. Thanks

[@dyannevans9179]

I have the same heater and it's doing the same thing . I've taken it apart several time now and still doesn't work, I have not taken the photo cell out but I will try that. After trying to fine someone that had heater like mine so I could see what to do on a fix. Glad I came across your video . Hope this will fix mine. Ron from Ga.

[@CobyRupert]

Thought I had a photocell problem. It would light, then go out seconds later.....but this is also when the igniter turns off. Photocell seems ok on meter. Cleaned connections. When I turned the air pump down to 2.8 psi (from recommended 3.0 psi, I had previously run it at 3.2 psi), it ran fine. Why would turning air pump down correct problem.? Does this mean it was getting too much fuel? Nozzle worn? Does running it with the cover off make it act like too much fuel if big fan is not pushing as much air through chamber, or is the big fan unrelated to nozzle flame action?

[@terryorszulak931]

Hi, I have a Desa heater that was running and no stopped. It's getting great spark, looks like the nozzle is spraying fuel but it won't light??? Any Ideas??

[@warrencheney4936]

I have a Master heater that won't do anything has power to the circuit board but nothing happehs at all. Any ideas what it may be?

[@waltmooredanwilson8754]

Thanks for sharing your video. I enjoyed watching. Take care and God Bless.

[@lisaheasley2632]

My heater is shooting flames past the end and real smokey. I adjusted the pump still the same

[@brianwalsh2604]

Hi. I have a problem with my sip1000 heater it runs perfectly with the top off. The moment i put it back on it puffs out a lot of smoke and flames out. Any ideas

[@pancakeairsoft7145]

I have a like new Dyna glo 75k btu and I’m not getting any air out of the outlet in the back but the fan still works

[@cowtowndaddy]

Hello question my heater green light flashes and fan barely spins then stop no ignition. Got any ideas ? Thanks in advance.

[@Fine_art_aerial]

Hey there! I have one that fires up and runs for 2-3mins then starts blowing smoke.. Any ideas what it might be?? Thanks brother!!

[@billarroo1]

Nice troubleshooting, thanks William

[@ufochannel01]

thanks best info so far. mine is doing just that running and puffing out intermittent firing.

[@douglascass9778]

What exactly does the photo cell control?

[@andrewgray2245]

It looks for the flame. If the flame goes out for any reason, it shuts down the motor so your not just pumping diesel fuel without the flame.

[@hotroddr32]

Something like this is going on with my heater, but the odd thing is that it wont run with the cover on it. I've replaced the ignitor which I know was bad too, but its weird. It will run forever with the cover off but within seconds of putting it back on, the heater shuts down. I know this is an older video but any suggestions?

[@joseguevara8998]

I have the same problem, did you find the solution?

[@5152104615]

Mine is doing the same thing. Runs with the top off but shuts off when I put the top back on.

[@polariskid13]

Hey there have a Remington 50. 80,000btu heater a few years old has spark plug ignition. It will runs well for awhile with garage door open and then it will cough and sometimes shut itself off so far it has fresh fuel adjusted plug gap and inspected everything else wondering where to look next for the issue any help would be appreciated thanks.

[@Trialnerror]

Did you put a gauge on the air pressure of the pump? Should be in the 3.5-6 psi range to pull fuel consistently. Assuming you checked the fuel filter as well?

[@joewiddup9753]

Did you figure it out? This one sounds like mine. I put a resistor in place of the photocell to fool the control board and it just continues to spray unturned fuel after it flames out.

[@Luka9m]

I have a reddy R40 and it runs great for 15 minutes then shuts off. I unplug it for a little while then plug back in and it does the same. Runs about 15 minutes. Ordered a new fuel filter, air filters and photocell. Should receive them by Friday. Can you think of anything else it could be?

[@crossroadspropertyinvestme6125]

My photo cell passed the ohms test, I have new fuel, my hoses have no cracks, I cleaned the filters for air intake, I pulled the fuel filter from the tank, I took the nozzle out and sprayed with brake cleaner, I took the two port adapter that precedes the nozzle and has the two hoses connected to it and cleaned it as well, the spark plug is sparking, the fan is turning, but no ignition of fuel. Any thoughts?

[@lilvedo1]

Mine will run few minutes the turns off havent checked photocell any ideas it has new lines for air pump and fuel the unit is only couple years old

[@kennagy5001]

Why would it run with cover off then die when cover is put back on?

[@Trialnerror]

Increased air flow through the chamber as the top cover seals that entire half of the tube.

[@tylerjones7660]

Problem I’m having with my master MH-135T-KFA is it runs fine with the hood off put the hood back on and it blows out and smokes flashing up E1 code any help would be great thanks

[@Trialnerror]

Dial up the pressure on the pump a bit, see if that does it. The back of the motor housing will have two screws. One will be solid and one will have a hole in it. Turn the one with a hole clockwise 1/2 a turn per try until it stay's firing. If you crank it all the way in and it's still not staying lit, then you may need to rebuild the pump (very easy to do).

[@dadtechmech]

nice tutorial i have the same problem like that it always stop in a few seconds thanks for sharing

[@j.t.henderson3497]

I have a master 190 . Replaced rotor and photo cell. Will not build pressure. Can you help . Owner's manual is useless.

[@ian7583]

Just done this running like new thanks so much 😎

[@Trialnerror]

Great to hear!

[@MrHarleyreinke]

What do you do if you have replaced everything except the coil and the heater still doesn't build enough pressure? Or when you change the nozzle it won't relight. Lol

[@BK33REVIEWS]

I have my fuel cap rusted so I grabbed some pliers and twisted now it just spins any idea how to fix

[@Trialnerror]

Try putting a ton of downward pressure while turning it at the same time. If there's anything left of the little plastic clutch, that should get it off.

[@BK33REVIEWS]

@@Trialnerror ty will try that today

[@jamespacker297]

Hi I have a master b100 heater with the old spark plug which I bought secondhand it had been stood for 2yrs so I have drained the tank and filled it with diesel and it would only light with cover off, under the advisement of master I purchased a new nozzle and spark plug and now it wont even ignite any ideas

[@Gus-tp6ts]

Only lighting with the cover off is indicative of a bad photo cell

[@edbard3766]

Nice video. I clean every part of the blower and it was the photo cell. I jumped/bypassed the photo cell and it ran well. New part ordered today. Thanks again.

[@ashleyjohns3788]

I have a heater that won’t ignite. All the way what do u think it might be please help ready heater 125000 btu looks just like yours but bigger

[@brettagostini2732]

I'm having this same problem. Heater burns for about 15 seconds then shuts down with the "Flame" error light lit. I've done all the trouble shooting in the manual, and no good. My photocell seems to be working, ohms do what they seem to be meant to. But I bought a new one just to try out. However, the new ones have wires too short for my old heater. They won't reach the board. Before I start cutting up this brand new photocell to attempt to lengthen the wires, I'd like to bypass the photocell entirely to test if that is actually the real problem. Is bypassing as simple as connecting a jumper wire between the spade contacts?

[@Trialnerror]

No, you need to produce the right amount of resistance to bypass the photocell. For a test, just electrical tape on a little extension for the new sensor. If it works, then you can solder or crimp on the right extensions. Either way, good luck buddy!

[@travisbradley569]

My heater shuts off after a few seconds with the cover on. Took the cover off and it runs just fine. Any ideas?

[@Trialnerror]

Yep, not enough fuel. Turn the pressure up on the back of the pump a turn or two and see if that solves it.

[@drj2162]

i have a protemp pt70 kfa. when i switch it on the green light goes on but it does not strt. any ideas?

[@scottst.vincent6964]

Do you have an owner's manual for it? Should be a troubleshooting section in it. If you don't have one, you should be able to find one online.

[@mooregoodink7734]

Thank you for your fine video. My ReddyHeater 55,000Btu starts and runs for about one to two minutes then quits with a blown fuse situated in the circuit board. The original fuse was 6.3amp (from memory) despite the manual specifying a GMA10. Eventually, I found this 10amp fuse and fitted it and, after the machine ran for 90secs, it exploded my hot circuit igniter. Do you have any ideas that might help?

[@mooregoodink7734]

Since my last correspondence, I purchased a new igniter, which seems to be working fine, except the installation booklet accompanying the igniter states it should not remain on for more than a few seconds after the gas ignites. My voltmeter shows it continues to receive a constant 120 volts long after ignition. I switched the machine off after half a minute of operation. Any further thoughts?

[@mooregoodink7734]

Installing a new circuit board resolved my problem. Now power to the igniter fades soon after combustion, just as it should

[@REAL_LIFE]

Great video music is a little loud is there any way to by pass the photocell?

[@Trialnerror]

Not that I know of. I suppose the correct value resistor could do it but never tried because when you run out of fuel the fan will never shutoff and it will blow out a ton of smoke from unburnt fuel spray hitting the chamber. Fire hazard as well but I'm not one to worry about safety lol.

[@REAL_LIFE]

I bypassed it and it worked so ya know!

[@REAL_LIFE]

It's not my heater it's one from the 18th century at work they wont buy parts if it was mine I'd fix it right lol I sound like a cheap ass bypassing it lol

[@Trialnerror]

@@REAL_LIFE LMAO no worries, I don't judge. Good luck getting your company to crack open their cheap ass wallet!

[@Trialnerror]

@@REAL_LIFE No way? What did you just put a jumper between the two wires?

[@crossroadspropertyinvestme6125]

Thank you for your help! I have an A50 John Deere that I picked up used and it isn't working at all. I would really like some help trouble shooting it. I have a few hoses that are try rotted that I need to replace, then get a new spark plug, and I guess I will clean the connections at the board, as well as clean my photo sensor. I ll let you know how it goes but you've given me a good start. Video was well done. I will subscribe and hopefully let you know how my restoration goes :))

[@migueldominguez2025]

Hi there your video are very helpful, I just purchased a new Dyna-Glo Delux forced air heater and it seems to only work on high speed it doesn't work on low speed but the weird thing is that it's brand new I just purchased it from Menards today, it does show an error code which is says it could be a photocell so if there's a chance you can help me out and diagnose the issue it would be great thank you so much.

[@squeakgt]

i have the same problem w my thermoheat KL75. I took my heater apart to clean and maintenance, there were no issue at all. Now it only works on High. Low runs for a few minutes then kicks out. Did you figure your problem out?

[@squeakgt]

Trial n' Error thanks. I figured it out. It was the high low switch. Fixed that now it runs great.

[@Charliegirl2]

I bought a dyna glow stand heater. Brand New I had to put a new wick. That didn't fix it. It never burned right. I was really worried I was going to burn the house down. It's gone to the dump. Now trying to get the ready heater going. It's really old but it will probably be the one that will work after I fix it

[@twboegel2918]

Excellent!

[@richer4poorer]

My photo cell looks great but it cannot sense a flame because it does not flame up. Getting fuel, igniter glowing correctly.

[@kylerjackson8262]

You dont have any fuel. Try cleaning fuel filter

[@richer4poorer]

no fuel filter on it.

[@kylerjackson8262]

You blow air through the gas line. Made sure no cracks or cuts in air and gas lines?

[@willhall7777]

Thank you for the video

[@Trialnerror]

Thanks for watching!

[@mirothis]

Remmington 135 3 years old Always worked flawlessly Just rolled it out and I'm getting nothing No power, no LED light No ignition Nothing !!! Checked fuse Changed switch Checked ground Finally put new PCB board and still Nothing !!! Thoughts ??? Could it be the actual plug I'm lost and cold Thanks in advance to anyone that has any idea

[@TheHopson]

How many ohms during normal operation?

[@12345678989814]

If I'm not mistaken he said 500 ohms is what it wants to see

[@dougie46350]

Hi.. you said you worked on these as a job b4 so... my ignitor is glowing...motor blows...fuel sprays....but it runs for 5-8 sec and never lights!!!!! Why.... please why lol

[@edwardzamorski3711]

same thing with me did you ever find out why please help

[@dougie46350]

@@edwardzamorski3711 I ended up taking the fuel line out of tank and replacing it ...I think the line was bad and was sucking air ...hope that helps

[@wisamabazly]

Mine still shuts off runs 2 min than shuts off again. And all smokes everywhere.

[@donbellmy2achannel533]

Gives me something to check

[@bongomakers]

My heater stopped working. When I take the top cover off it works fine. Put the cover back on and it won't start. Any ideas?

[@leslieharmon805]

clean filters on back of air pump

[@bestbuilder1st]

Sorry, I coulnd't make it past 1:30- the music was too distracting

[@Trialnerror]

No need to apologize. I forgive you.

[@ian7583]

Nice one m8👍

[@Trialnerror]

Thanks you sir!

[@keithcitizen4855]

how interesting a photo cell saves un burnt fuel being pumped in

[@mekanik911]

Why can't anyone make a video without all that noise in the background. Drives my ass crazy.

[@Trialnerror]

Because we want to drive your ass crazy.

[@shinealight9433]

Too loud starting music I leave negative feed for that.

[@Trialnerror]

I literally don't give a flying fuck.

[@Charliegirl2]

@@Trialnerror that was a funny come back. Thanks for the info I hope this helps get my heater running. I didn't pay any attention to the music 🎶.

[@Charliegirl2]

@@Trialnerror Me again. I cleaned the photo part and think it was not pointing exactly where it needs to be anyway it's finally working. Thank you so much. Finally some heat after 3 different types of kerosene heaters.

[@Pyrichia]

Dear lord please replace those multimeter leads.