Was given a 165,000 btu reddy heater with a dry tank. unit used to run until the fan cover got bent, stopping the fan. the original owner fixed the cover but could not get the unit to work after that.. that's why he gave it to me. cleaned the filter, looked at the flame detector, cleaned the fuel disperser. when turned on, the igniter glows red, the fan/pump turns, however, no fuel is coming from the fuel line. i put only a gallon of fuel in the tank. didn't make sense to fill the tank just ot see if the unit would work. why am i not getting fuel? how do you check the pump pressure?

The heater has a photocell that has to see the correct flame or it will cause the heater to turn the unit off.
I would suggest checking the the pump pressure and the output filter to make sure you are getting the correct amount of pump pressure to the nozzle.

Here is a link to the actual service manual.

http://www.desaparts.com/hsi.html

First, remove the top cover. Inspect for a varmint nest. If clear, manually spin the fan. If it does not you either have a broken rotor that is binding or you have a bad bearing.

If it spins freely, apply power- see if the motor runs with the top cover removed.
If YES, replace the top cover. Its possible that the top is binding the fan.
If NO, the start capacitor is defective. The cap on R115 is internal and is not servicable.

Reading material about a hummer

More than possibly a bad fan motor! if the motor isnt blowing enough air, the element will get too hot, and make it pop off!

Hi,

Here are a couple of tips that I wrote that tell you how to troubleshoot a Torpedo or Reddy heater...

Reddy Heater - Troubleshooting Torpedo Heaters

Torpedo Heater Pump Pressure Adjustment

heatman101


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When you say that the fan starts then stops I assume you also mean that the burner starts and stops. If this is correct and the unit is more than a couple of years old you probably need to change the filter in the back and set the pump pressure. Both the filters and the gauges to set the pressure can be found at www.reddyheat.com along with a good explanation as to why you need the gauges. The pressure is set by bleed air pressure and must be exactly 3.5 psig. The gauge is the only accurate way to do it. The filters clog and change the pressure. When the difference is enough the unit will not run. Now with that said there are several other things which you should check. Check the fuel tank for water. Remove any you find. Remove the cover on the right side as you look at the unit from the front and remove the circuit board. Check for cracked connections. If you find any resolder them and reattach the board. That should take care of the unit and get you back to making heat. Let me know if you need anything else.

hardrocko

Thanks for using FixYa

Is there a frost line on your LP tank, if so you may need to replace the tank with a larger tank or refill your tank. This can happen if the tank your using is too low or too small (use 100 lb tank or greater). If there is no frost line it may be an issue with the thermocouple. The manufacturer offers a service manual and owner's manuals on there site. This should assist you... www.desatech.com Thank you

flame sensor clean with steel wool usually right next to hsi should fix.

When you say the heater hums is the fan turning? Providing the fan is turning remove the top cover on the heater. Turn the heater on and watch the back of the burner area. Do you see any fuel mist coming from the nozzle? Do you see the ignitor sparking or glowing. Providing you see the ignitor working check the air pressure on the back on the unit. Remove the plug on the back of the unit that does not have a hole drilled in it. Insert a gauge into the hole (1/8" pipe thread) The pressure should be 5 to 6 psi. Let me know what you find and I can tell you how to proceed from there.

The model of the unit is usually the BTU output, in this case 165,000 BTU

Absolutely K1 or diesel can get old in a hurry, the ultra-low Sulphur diesel has been tinkered with so much that it turns to book varnish much faster than before 2010. Most of those heaters spray fuel past the igniters using a siphon much like a spray paint gun, the suction tube may have dry rot or a small air leak and it it takes but a tiny air leak to kill the siphon effect. Check the tube from the nozzle all the way down to the fuel tank or replace it if you're not certain it is not compromised or dry rotted.