taskswap
WKR
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2021
- Messages
- 554
Just spit-balling here. You say you got a new filter, but not why...
A big difference between the 1lb tanks and the 20lb is the 20lb tanks will generally have some oil in them. You need the filter to trap and remove this when running off the hose. You usually don't with the 1lb cylinders because they're filled with clean propane, UNLESS you refill them yourself, where a common mistake with cheap refilling rigs is to tip the 20lb cylinder on its side or upside down trying to get a better fill, which can contaminate the smaller cylinder.
A very small amount of oil is enough to foul a Mr Buddy (or Big Buddy) heater. I did this once myself and confirmed the issue by dismantling it and some oil came out of the works. I was never able to fully clean it, I had to replace it. It's not really designed for easy disassembly and servicing and I cracked a line trying to get it open. The moment this happens no combination of new filters, hoses, or cylinders will fix the issue because the contamination is now inside the heater itself.
So the question is, is it possible at any point in its life the heater could have been exposed to contamination in one of these ways? If so, unless it's still under warranty, replacement may be your only option. YMMV but I tried everything - compressed air, cleaners, swabs, etc. Nothing helped. A new unit started right up.
A big difference between the 1lb tanks and the 20lb is the 20lb tanks will generally have some oil in them. You need the filter to trap and remove this when running off the hose. You usually don't with the 1lb cylinders because they're filled with clean propane, UNLESS you refill them yourself, where a common mistake with cheap refilling rigs is to tip the 20lb cylinder on its side or upside down trying to get a better fill, which can contaminate the smaller cylinder.
A very small amount of oil is enough to foul a Mr Buddy (or Big Buddy) heater. I did this once myself and confirmed the issue by dismantling it and some oil came out of the works. I was never able to fully clean it, I had to replace it. It's not really designed for easy disassembly and servicing and I cracked a line trying to get it open. The moment this happens no combination of new filters, hoses, or cylinders will fix the issue because the contamination is now inside the heater itself.
So the question is, is it possible at any point in its life the heater could have been exposed to contamination in one of these ways? If so, unless it's still under warranty, replacement may be your only option. YMMV but I tried everything - compressed air, cleaners, swabs, etc. Nothing helped. A new unit started right up.