Sunheat Heater Troubleshooting [5 Easy Solutions]

In our Sunheat patio heater troubleshooting guide, we take a look at the common heater problems, their possible causes that you need to diagnose, and their solution.

1. Pilot Won’t Light

A continuing draft, defective thermocouple, an accumulation of dirt, or an ineffective supply are all possibilities for why your gas furnace pilot won’t ignite. However, any one of the following issues may also be the culprit.

The cylinder valve is closed.

Blocked orifice or pilot tube.
Air leak in the gas line
Lower gas pressure than required with open cylinder valve.

Failed igniter.

Solution:

First, try opening the valve if it’s closed. The next step is to clean the pilot orifice and tube if needed. You should check the gas pilot aperture for soot or oxidation accumulation regularly, if not seasonally.

A short turn with a water heater cleaning brush or a blast of compressed air will maintain the gas pilot tube and surrounding parts clean and in good working order. If proper maintenance is performed once or twice a year, it should not need to be taken apart again.

You can try bleeding air from your gas line. Trapped air can also be behind the problem.

Just open the gas line and bleed it (by turning the control knob in) for 1 to 2 minutes, or until you smell gas.

If the gas pressure is low, you need to replace the cylinder and close the cylinder valve.

Test your igniter. A failed igniter needs to be replaced. You can purchase Sunheat heater parts online. Meanwhile, you can use a match to light the pilot.

2. Pilot Won’t Stay Lit

For a variety of reasons, your pilot light may go out. Some problems are simple to fix, while others require a little more effort.

Bad airflow

Your gas supply has been cut off
Dirt accumulation in pilot orifice
Your thermocouple is faulty or loose

A short-term gas shortage

Solution:

Relight the pilot light and reset your heater to fix this issue. But if this doesn’t work you may need to call in a professional for help.

3. Burner Won’t Light

A properly working furnace burner maximizes furnace efficiency and prevents carbon monoxide poisoning.

But, when it begins to malfunction, your furnace fails to heat your home. There can be several reasons why your burner won’t light. Here are the most common ones.

Frosted-over propane cylinder.
Blocked burner orifice.

The control knob isn’t in the ON position as it should be.

Solution:

If the propane cylinder has frosted over, you’ll need to wait for it to get warm and unfreeze. Check whether the control knob is in the correct position. If not, put it in the ON position.

You may need to clean your burner orifice to get your burners to work. Clean debris from the burners’ surface with a vacuum attachment and a soft-bristled brush.

Blower out any material lodged inside the burners with compressed air before flipping them upside down and striking their sides to release any unreachable particles. With a wet rag clean the interior of the burner chamber as a final measure.

4. Tripped Overheat Sensor

The limit switch triggers if the air within your furnace becomes too hot. This is a safety feature that protects your heater from damage due to overheating.

If the high limit switch on the furnace trips due to overheating, there is most likely an airflow issue limiting proper air movement through the system. Bad airflow can be a result of:

Physical obstruction by a wall or shelves that prevent airflow.
Dirty filter.

Solution:

Try doing the following things to prevent your heater from overheating and tripping the safety switch.

If your air filter is unclean, replace it. The most typical source of airflow problems is a dirty filter.
To guarantee appropriate air movement through the system and ducts, open all vents and registers around the house.
In case, there is anything like a wall or furniture that is too close to the heater, move the heater to a free space.

5. Broken Heater Switch

A broken On-Off switch means you can’t operate your heater. Due to overheating or any other reason, it could be that your power switch has gotten damaged.

Solution:

You need to purchase a new power switch that goes with your heater model. Check the wiring diagram on the heater’s user manual and replace the power switch. For some models, the wiring diagram is printed on the aluminum shell that you remove from the wooden box.

FAQ:

Are Sunheat heaters safe?

The Sunheat electronic zone heater is the safest and most energy-efficient infrared warmer available. You can purchase them only from authorized Sunheat dealers.

Can you leave an infrared heater on overnight?

Infrared heaters are generally safe to leave on overnight. They aren’t finicky, and any modern heater worth its salt has safety shut-off controls in case it overheats or falls over. Even so, if you’re leaving one on while you’re sleeping or out, you should be cautious.

Can you touch an infrared heater?

No, you shouldn’t touch any form of heater, including infrared heaters.

Can an infrared heater start a fire?

Infrared heaters do not cause fires or explosions because they do not use combustible fuel sources like kerosene or propane. They also do not produce pollutants like carbon monoxide.

Is an infrared heater better than an electric?

In terms of energy efficiency, an infrared heater outperforms an electric heater. Unlike electric heaters, which only use 80-90 percent of the heat produced, these heating devices use 100% of the heat produced. Infrared heaters are also available with a variety of power sources, including propane, natural gas, and electricity.

Conclusion

Other issues that can come up with Sunheat heaters are low burner flame, carbon buildup. You should consult your heater’s instruction manual if needed. Make sure that you’re looking at the original Sunheat heater manual if you have the original heater.

Hopefully, you now know how to troubleshoot a heater after reading our infrared heater troubleshooting guide.

Sunheat Heater Troubleshooting [5 Easy Solutions]

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