Author Topic: Gas heater (Read 3364 times)

White Horseradish · « **on:** February 10, 2014, 10:18:24 AM »

I have been charged with installing a space heater in my parents basement to keep pipes from freezing and such.

This is a gas heater, something they got used for cheap. It has a pipe on the back of it that looks to have a pressure regulator, some doohickey for the pilot light, and what looks like a solenoid valve with two wires coming out of it. I am assuming those are fairly standard, and something that can be controlled with a regular furnace thermostat, power to the two wires should open the valve.

I can plumb the gas line no problem. What I don't know is what I need for a power source. I've replaced thermostats and rewired stuff, but the power for the controls has always been there already. Home Despot has 24V transformers that look like things I've seen in heating systems before, but I'm not sure it's the right thing. The installation manual for a thermostat was no help, it assumes there are marked wires there already.

Nick1911 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2014, 10:20:47 AM »

Does the gas valve have anything of interest written/stamped on it?

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:28:25 PM »

IF all it takes is a elecrtical supply then the 24v transformer should do the trick.
First order of business is to ID the make & model of the heater and look it up on the innernutzweb.

K Frame · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:42:26 PM »

If it has a standing pilot light it may create its own power source.

But, you MUST know exactly what you're dealing with before you try messing with it.

Are you even sure what kind of gas it uses? Natural gas v. LPG appliances are different.

If there's no sort of identification plate on it that shows both the serial number and the manufacturer/model number, throw it away and get another cheap unit from Lowes.

roo_ster · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:48:11 PM »

Yeah, I am not getting a warm & fuzzy off this unit.

White Horseradish · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2014, 02:10:35 PM »

Natural gas. It was removed from a gas line in the same city.

There is a name and model, but the manufacturer doesn't list it. I guess they quit making them.

It does not have a power source. The solenoid is the only electrical thing in it.

I'll look at the valve more closely.

Jim147 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2014, 02:16:27 PM »

Watts and volts should be stamped on the coil bracket or on a sticker on the coil itself. The few I have seen of this design have all been 24 volt.

jim

K Frame · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2014, 02:21:00 PM »

Didn't they also make milivolt units that took a mechanical thermostat? Basically used the thermostat as a circuit loop?

Or were those only used with a thermopile?

Jim147 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2014, 02:35:59 PM »

Thermopile, creates something around 350mV. I have a commercial customer using them with temp controls for griddles and deep fryers.

Most of the current thermostat control small wall heaters use a hydraulic gas valve with a built in temp bulb.

jim

K Frame · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2014, 10:45:10 PM »

I'm finding references to some gas heaters using thermopiles, but it seems that they are older ones. I'm thinking that maybe the old floor furnaces that were in a lot of southern homes used thermopiles.

geronimotwo · « **Reply #10 on:** February 11, 2014, 06:52:34 PM »

around here we have had a number of floods, so i'm very catious about reusing gas appliances. if the gas valve has been underwater, or it looks corroded enough to make you suspect that it has, replace the valve.

280plus · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2014, 07:06:29 PM »

Pics?

bedlamite · « **Reply #12 on:** February 11, 2014, 07:13:11 PM »

Quote from: 280plus on February 11, 2014, 07:06:29 PM

Pics?

This, along with model and make would probably help.

White Horseradish · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2014, 07:06:31 PM »

All the pics I took suck. Anyway, the thing on the back says "Honeywell gas valve 24 volts 60 cycles"

I guess that makes the 24VAC transformer ok.

I'm a little baffled that the thermostat manual does not say this.

280plus · « **Reply #14 on:** February 14, 2014, 12:45:08 PM »

Are there any markings on the T'stat saying it too is 24V? It's probably fine I'm just curious.

White Horseradish · « **Reply #15 on:** February 14, 2014, 10:59:44 PM »

No, the thermostat (and the thermostat manual) say nothing. They just describe wire colors.

280plus · « **Reply #16 on:** February 15, 2014, 10:11:17 AM »

Weird. Well, one of two thing will happen, it will work or it will fry.

Scout26 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 15, 2014, 08:35:15 PM »

Yes, but without the manufacturer info, he has no way to order the replacement magic blue smoke.

Triphammer · « **Reply #18 on:** February 15, 2014, 10:23:30 PM »

OK
First, get it hooked up to some gas. Preferably someplace where you can move away from it & get to a manual valve pretty easily.
I assume there's no control box or you'd have your answers.
Light the pilot, it sounds like a standing pilot so you want the thermocouple pilot safety to keep the pilot on.
If that works. Wait a minute, It does have a pilot safety, right? Some of the old nat. gas units used a standing pilot w/o a safety. Nat gas is lighter than air and was thought to dissipate quickly. It doesn't.
If the pilot safety works then jumper the valve terminals. If that works then you've got a millivolt system. If not, apply 24 volts AC to the valve terminals.
Your description sounds like a separate pilot control & main valve. Puts your unit pre 1960 or there about.

280plus · « **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2014, 09:13:41 AM »

Quote from: scout26 on February 15, 2014, 08:35:15 PM

Yes, but without the manufacturer info, he has no way to order the replacement magic blue smoke.

Yea, you need that smoke in there or it won't work!

K Frame · « **Reply #20 on:** February 16, 2014, 02:35:01 PM »

Did anyone just hear an earth-shattering kaboom?

White Horseradish · « **Reply #21 on:** February 16, 2014, 08:33:45 PM »

Quote from: Triphammer on February 15, 2014, 10:23:30 PM

OK
First, get it hooked up to some gas. Preferably someplace where you can move away from it & get to a manual valve pretty easily.

I got a shutoff just above where it's going to go and another where that line branches off the main.

280plus · « **Reply #22 on:** February 16, 2014, 09:02:19 PM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on February 16, 2014, 02:35:01 PM

Did anyone just hear an earth-shattering kaboom?

I was wondering what that was.

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Author Topic: Gas heater (Read 3364 times)