Buddy heater and 20lb tank problems

[HybridHunter]

Do the big tanks freeze up? I know I don't have an issue with the heater. I've tried several different heaters on a few different 20lb tanks and everyone has the same issue. The pilot flame slowly gets we then goes out. It takes forever to get it lit again. If I shake the tank it sounds just fine. I'm kind of lost and don't want to go back to the expensive 1lb tanks. Help guys, thanks.

[StanTheVan]

Are you using an inline filter?

[kevin1]

try turning on the valve on the tank very slowly, if you crack it open fast on an empty hose it will activate the safety valve inside the tank (thinks their is a leak)

[barrelslime]

X2 on the filter when using a 20lb tank.  It will goo em up inside

[DAPOS]

If the pilot goes out this way time after time, I'd be suspicious of lack of ventilation. Most folks "think" there is some "special" O2 sensor on the heaters, but in reality, the pilot light is the low O2 "sensor"! Because it is so easily extinguished, as the O2 decreases, the pilot does just as you are seeing, getting lower and lower until it goes out (especially if it is sitting on the ice as CO2 is heavier than air, and will settle to the floor). Once it is out, the thermocouple trips and shuts off the propane. I would think if it was getting "mucked up" by not using a filter, you wouldn't be able to relight it time after time, it would just stop lighting all together. Try this if you would. When you're at home....before your next fishing outing....take you heater outside and with the 20# tank on there, crank it wide open. Then, just check on it periodically to see if it shuts off out there as well. If it doesn't, I'm betting on poor ventilation as being the problem!

[dstaples002]

It's ventilation.  Tookeven 3 years to figure it out. Trust me it needs to be vented very good. Buddy heaters are very sensitive.

[Flint]

X3 on the filter. See how it works in open warm air. You will probably have to take wd40 spray straw and air compressor and blow the orfice out.

[HybridHunter]

Thanks guys! I just cleaned the orifice inside the brass fitting. I did think about the O2 being an issue. Although, last year it ran fine with 1lb tanks. However, last year I was in a different shanty, which I was in once this year with the 20lb set up and it worked all day just fine. Hmmmmm, starting to see a pattern here. I'm thinking the O2 is an issue. I'll see what happens with better venting and getting the heater up off the ice more tmrw. Thanks guys!

[Soclose2far]

I ran a 20lb tank using a hose with no filter for about a year. After that year my heater started doing the same thing as yours (also had a smell of propane). Switched back to the 1lb bottles and it ran fine. You have to run the buddy heater line with the "filter" if using the 20lb tanks. i used a friends filter and mine ran just fine. So 4x on the filter! Good luck

[Fryinpan]

WE always use a filter and a 5# bottle no issues in 3 years.

[HybridHunter]

Thanks for all the help guys! I run a Mr. Buddy 15' hose but it does not have the inline filter. I'll have to get one! Between that and the O2, I'd say it has to be the issue. I'll stop swearing at the $100, one year old heater now.

[anglerbrian]

Get the hose with the quick coupler this eliminates the need for a filter.. This has a built in regulater and no filter is required.
This is the hose recommended by Mr Heater.
  http://www.amazon.ca/Mr-Heater-Regulator-Disconnect-F271803/dp/B000UC7966

 I use this and have never had a problem. One of my friends has the same heater and did not know there was a quick connect fitting on his heater.

[Huntindave]

Get the hose with the quick coupler this eliminates the need for a filter.. This has a built in regulater and no filter is required.
This is the hose recommended by Mr Heater.
  http://www.amazon.ca/Mr-Heater-Regulator-Disconnect-F271803/dp/B000UC7966

 I use this and have never had a problem. One of my friends has the same heater and did not know there was a quick connect fitting on his heater.

This only work if you are using the BIG Buddy  heater.
  Quote from MR Heater"This is a 12-Feet hose with a built in regulator that will connect the Mr. Heater Big Buddy to a twenty pound propane tank."

The regular buddy heater does not have a quick connect fitting on it, only the screw on fitting.

[biggamefisher]

You only need to use a filter if not using the quick connect.  Reason, the quick connect has a regulator on the tank end connection, the regulator lowers the pressure of the gas before it passes thru the hose.  If using a typical BBQ type hose from the 20lb'er running to the 1lb regulator connection inside the heater, the gas is passing through the hose from the tank under high pressure and not regulated until it passes thru the connection at the heater. The higher pressure in the hose causes contaminants to be squeezed out of the hose compound clogging up the small passages in the heater, so by using a filter in this set up, eliminates the contaminants from passing through the heater and causing issues.

[da man cave shack]

Fillter is key my buddy work mutch better since I have used the filter and cleaned it oi when using the 20lb tanks.

[arrow2968]

Setting the O2 senser takes quite a while on my 12 ft hose . Your thumb  feels like its going to fall off after 2mins. Make sure you shut off the 20 lb tank and let the propane burn out of the line or you will gum it up.

[HybridHunter]

Setting the O2 senser takes quite a while on my 12 ft hose . Your thumb  feels like its going to fall off after 2mins. Make sure you shut off the 20 lb tank and let the propane burn out of the line or you will gum it up.

I know exactly what you mean! Today, the heater worked flawless. I got it up off the ice more than usual, didn't seal the skirt with snow, and kept the doors cracked a little along with the vents open.