Buddy heater

[metalbender]

Had grief with my buddy heater last two times out.  Got a mite frustrated.  Had a nice fat blue pilot flame, as I let the button up, went out. Didn't matter how long I held down, same results.  Gave the heater a bit of a shake, lightly smacked it on the ice and away it went.  Took it apart last night to check connections on the thermocouple, saw the wire running to a black plastic bit and to the pilot area.   The black bit is the tip over switch, shuts off the tiny electrical current to the gas valve.  Tested the switch with an ohmmeter, showed open circuit at times when horizontal.  Deep six the switch, put the wires together, heat shrink, reassemble. Heater works great. I attribute the fault to the heater being bounced around quite a bit in the box on the front of my track sled. Might reinstall it with a way to give it a rap to dummy it up when it fails to co-operate.

[sra61]

I'm pretty frustrated with these little heaters. I had exactly the same thing just happen with mine, and replaced the damn thing again! Mine rides around in the bottom of my sled of my flipover. So you just took out the tip over switch? I'm going to tear into mine.

[metalbender]

Just leave it in and join the wires together. Both female ends crimp a bit, use heat shrink to keep together and insulate. The wire is stiff, will hold shape. You could also enlarge a slot in the bottom rear to access the critter for a couple of taps with suitable prod to reseat the ball for a connection within.

[3300]

thanks for the share and good catch!

one could use mercury switches instead if you want to keep it protected. like the ones in the furnace thermostats.

[sra61]

Thanks for the help. I would have gone with a different heater, but it's just the perfect size for my flipover, and there's really not anything else out there.

[metalbender]

The mercury switch in a bit of foam zipped in place sounds like a great idea.

[feklar]

I had same issue, there is a youtube video out there on how to clean them with a q tip and rubbing alcohol.  Once I did that everything was magically better.  I'd try it before installing new switches etc. 

[metalbender]

The tube vids address a different problem.  With a non functioning tip switch, there is a nice fat blue pilot, contacts the thermocouple.  The pilot immediately goes out upon releasing the button. No continuity through a dirty tip switch, no pilot, no heater function.  The original switch is open at the bottom, allowing contaminate intrusion.