Mr. Heater Question

[Bassboy1645]

Okay when i fire her up she makes a loud high pitched whine ....as im holding the saftey switch in...when it warms up the whine goes away... you can remove your finger from the switch and the unit should stay on. mine dosent! The cylinder is getting low but im thinking it shouldnt matter. is this a gas level issue or a problem with my heater?? seems like i dont have too good of luck with this product since i got one last winter. this is my third one due to defects and such...

[hill7410]

I had similar experience with mine i think she went down hill after it took a dive off of the atv. buddy had same problem with the cooker when he put the pan on it would howl. I just plan on buying a new one every other year.

[Dahitman44]

If it is the Big Buddy -- they had a TON of problems a couple of years ago. My little Buddy still works -- sort of.

Have to re-light it a lot.

[marine_man]

First off, what type of heater is it - a traditional sun flower or a buddy variety?

If it's a traditional buddy variety I would try using a thin piece of wire to clean out the orifice near the two large diameter vent holes in the heater - on the end that's closest to the valve.

As far as the safety switch, or thermcouple, goes - it sounds like you need a new thermocouple. They're less than 10 bucks at most big box stores or fleet...

marine_man

[fivebucks]

Before you replace the thermocupler, try bending it closer to the sumflower or further away. My sunflower sometimes gets bumped and I just have to readjust the postion of the thermocupler.

[hanson]

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Before you replace the thermocupler, try bending it closer to the sumflower or further away. My sunflower sometimes gets bumped and I just have to readjust the postion of the thermocupler.

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That was going to be my response as well. The thermocouples are easily bumped and I would start there. Bend it slightly back towards the screen on the sunflower, notice I said slightly as it doesn't take much. Repeat, your lighting process and if the heater goes out after removing your finger from the button, bend the thermocouple back in a little more.

All of my Mr. Heaters whine like that when I start them, so thats really nothing to worry about unless I'm out of the loop on something as well.

[LMITOUT]

Mine squeals when it's first lit once in a while too (Mr. Cooker).

I also had the issue with it not staying lit unless I held in the plunger and a new thermocouple was the cure. It was probably 8-10 years old when that happened.

[schweady]

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All of my Mr. Heaters whine like that when I start them, so thats really nothing to worry about...

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Seems like every time someone's heater makes that familiar whine, somebody in the party is bound to say, "Fish call."

[slipperybob]

I think it has something to do with heat/expansion of material and air displacement all at once...in opposite when you shut it off, a lot of snap/crackle/popping noise as it cools down.

[Down Deep]

All possible solutions have already been stated. All I want to add is that it is very wise to buy a spare coupler and carry it with you. Also, tape the right sized open ended wrenches that you will need right on the box.

DD

[vikingmeatwad]

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I had similar experience with mine i think she went down hill after it took a dive off of the atv. buddy had same problem with the cooker when he put the pan on it would howl. I just plan on buying a new one every other year.

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Yep, when tailgating my Heater/Cooker howls big time when we have a pan on it. I need to turn it way down and it seems to stop. It does it less often without the pan but I thought it might be normal.

I can play a cool song with it though.

[Surface Tension]

Sometimes the heater will sound like a horn. Everything has to be right just like when you make a empty brass whistle.

Put your finger over the air intake hole for a second. Watch out because the burner might flame. That interruption in air flow is usually enough to change the those properties that makes the horn sound.