Old kerosene torpedo heater

[Donald]

Working on a old kerosene torpedo heater. Has the blower motor in the back that appears to also have a small air pump built into it. The air pump goes into the nozzle assembly where it is used as a Venturi effect to pump kerosene from the tank and blow it out the nozzle.

Put a auto vac/pressure gauge on the hose from the air pump and I see about 1 PSI.

Does 1 PSI sound right. Or do I misunderstand how it works?

 

[Rand]

I have no idea but natural gas for in home use can be as low as .25psi

so depending on how its made 1psi could be plenty high.

 

[Donald]

Update - Ok the air pump has a rotating plastic piece with 4 vanes that I assume are flung out by centripetal force. One of the 1/2" square vanes is off the plastic as on top of the end cap for the picture.

The 4 vanes need to slide in and out about 3/8" as the rotating plastic piece (which is off center) goes around.

Some of the vanes move easier than the others.

Either the vanes need to be cleaned or lubricated. Unsure which. Graphite as a lubricant?

 

[Vern_in_IL]

 

[Donald]

Ok. I will have a look.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Good luck-- in my line of work (structural steel fabrication) the work sometimes gets real slow in the winter, and the guys are always looking for something to do. Many times in winter, their idea to pass the time is the work on all the old torpedo heaters that have broke down. I've literally watched 5 or 6 guys work on one heater for a week and never get it going right. If they did get it going, it spewed smoke, couldn't maintain a flame, or any number of other issues. After 10+ years of seeing this, I've decided for myself I'll never try repairing one and chalked it up to cheap Chinese junk (which it is.) Our work keeps replacing them every year or two, but at least the broken ones give they guys something to do

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
Good luck-- in my line of work (structural steel fabrication) the work sometimes gets real slow in the winter, and the guys are always looking for something to do. Many times in winter, their idea to pass the time is the work on all the old torpedo heaters that have broke down. I've literally watched 5 or 6 guys work on one heater for a week and never get it going right. If they did get it going, it spewed smoke, couldn't maintain a flame, or any number of other issues. After 10+ years of seeing this, I've decided for myself I'll never try repairing one and chalked it up to cheap Chinese junk (which it is.) Our work keeps replacing them every year or two, but at least the broken ones give they guys something to do

My heater is old enough it might be US made. The air pump seems like a finicky area.

 

[tom slick]

If it helps that is called a rotary vane pump.