hi all new be here!!! ive got a question on my prochem 150. well i replaced every part that operates the heat on that machine, ive had the electrical gone over, in working condition. it seems its a fuel delivery problem i replaced the fuel pump with new,it only has out 20 psi if i crank up the engine idle ill get heat but i never had to do that in all my yrs, could it be possible that the new jondon pump is defective??i was told that these pumps are just home oil heating pumps, im going to look into it , i know im vague on my description on what i did but any help would be appricated. thanks ahead of time.
It's going to be difficult to diagnose this problem for you because this may be one of those problems I have to see. I wish you could explain exactly whats happening a little better. I will do my best to help you though. First thing you must know is the engine does not control the Kerosene pumps revolution. Without water pump flow the fuel solenoid will not open though. Because a water flow switch sends power to the fuel solenoid. THe Kerosene pump is driven by separate motor. Some are DC and some are AC. Your problem may be the brushes in the motor if its a DC motor. Or a bad connection inside the motor. There is also a fuel adjustment on the pump. I have to look at my spec sheet to see the psi. Like I said its a hard to diagnose without seeing it. Otherwise I'm just throwing darts all over the place.
The thing that comes to mind when you say low PSI and no heat is scaling. Is this an older machine? Perhaps the heat exchanger is all plugged up with mineral deposits and you need to descale it.
My expiernce with the prochem 150 is that if you ran the pump with out a kero you need to replace it. BUy a after market hx and put it on . at least you will decent heat .
guys thanks for the help !!! ara my 150 model runs the kero pump off of the main engine via pully to squirel cage then break away rubber connector, i did try adjusting the increase screw on the pump no luck, i also switched the old diaphram water switch with i think a steamway switch fron jon don, always worked well, yes i cleaned the internal spring glide, and when this first happened i also replaced the water switch with a new one as well, when it was at the electric shop they said all is good with the elec flow no shorts ect.im getting spark, changed all kero filters blew out all the lines, de scaled the machine,doubled checked that the rubber connection break away set screws were not slipping, the only thing i can think is a faulty kero pump,i just need a break in my days to shut down and replace it. ive realized that i can clean the most dirtyest carpet with a chemical clean as well as steam. it schooled me rather fast i also replaced the kero spray tip with new . basically it fires sometimes but very sparse, weird if i tap on the selonoid with pliers while its running it will fire, breifly ...ive been through 3 selonoids and test each with a 9 volt battery they are opening. so either i replaced a new water switch thats not opening the selonoid which i did try the old ones as well or its the kero pump, im gonna try lowes for a new pump and see if it makes a diffrence but its been a pricy no fix so far.i love the 150 model for my commercial work nothing beats it heat range. but im seriously been thing of a heat exchange machine. ok sorry to ramble thanks guys ahead of time . mike.
85% of the time, the ignitor is on its way out. A standard multimeter cannot even tell if its bad. You will see an ark but it will be too weak to maintain ignition. When it runs right, it runs great though. I love the burner!
The psi on the kero pump should be at least 100 psi. some of the pumps have an orfice that needs to be screwed in to the pump. Check to see if there is an orfice installed on the return port Steve
hi steve yes i tryed to adjust the screw on the pump nothing. im still leaning towards the new pump being bad, ill keep you updated when i change it out this weekend. thanks for all the help, mike.
I'm not talking about the adjustment screw. There should be a 1/16" bypass plug that was supplied with the pump. The prochem 150 is a 2 pipe system. Remove the 1/4" plug from the return port and install the bypass plug inside the return port. Steve
hi steve , im kinda lost on what you are saying, i pretty much plugged and replaced everything right where it was on the original pump, i have no leaks, are you saying there is a special plug that i need to put in?? there was only blank plugs with the new pump, nothing that i saw as diffrent. sorry to sound lame here but im not quite following. and yes still no heat im awaiting a new pump from jon don , local stores did not have what i needed. thanks again mike.
Their is a plug supplied in a bag with instructions and a diagragm that is shipped with the pump in the box. There will not be an external leak. but an internal leak in the pump (bypass). The plug gets screwed in like an orfice does and blocks the internal bypass of the pump.
ok but im sure that internal bypass is there to lube the pump when the heat switch is off right?? do i screw it in part way to regulate the flow? ive never had to do any thing like that before. tks mike.
the internal bypass is there for a 1 pipe system with no return port. The kero / diesel will lube the pump when it gets pump. There is also an internal bypass in the pump which gets adjusted by the set screw. The plug needs to get tighten in all the way. Some dist. will install the plug before shipping, other dist. will just ship the part and let the installer do the rest. Steve
A two pipe system is better. Otherwise you have to bleed the lines whenever you run out of kero. Without a pressure guage your lost in the woods.
ok up date , it turns out after removing my waste tank and checking the blower pump muffler that after some time it has rotted a nice hole in the bottom that could not be seen from the top, yes of course it was louder than normal but it happened so slowly that i kinda got used to it. im getting old. any way after replacing the muffler i realized just how loud the machine had gotten, also how low the rpm of the machine was it seemed to be screaming with the bad muffler but after it was replaced it seemed lower so i kicked up the rpms a bit and the kero pump boosted to about 40 psi, i was hope full for heat again but now no spark;( so after this week ill wrench on it again hopefully my heat will return. take care mike.
Mike I seriously think the ignitor may be bad. It is not something that a standard multimeter can test. There may be a posibility your electrician overlooked this. I want to see you up and running bud. Do you know how to test it? Do you even want my help?
ara, yes i want help i have no clue how to test it, i really need that heat before winter, allthough i have become quite the chemical cleaner ok please lead me in the right direction ,mike.
OK, this is how you test an ignitor with the cooling fins which is probably what you have. Remove the ignitor from from its mounted possition. Remove the nuts that keep your plug wires connected to the two identical posts on the back of the ignitor. Remove the plug wires from the ignitor and place a screwdriver over both posts. Now, the screwdriver will draw current about 1 1/2 inches or more from the two posts if its good. If it is bad the current will be weak and will not reach more than an inch. It is important that you possition the screwdriver over both posts of the ignitor. Otherwise this test will not work. Make sure the screwdriver is possitioned an inch or more above the post. You will see the current being drawn up to the screwdriver. If it is done properly you will see two separate currents drawing up to the screwdriver. Do Not Worry! I have never been shocked. I always wear a glove when I do this though. You may feel a slight tingle but its no big deal. Like I said I have never felt anything. This is the way to test it because a standard multimeter cannot read the amount of voltage output even if it is bad. I stand behind this test as I have done it many times. And other professionals like me also encourage this method. One more thing don't forget to send power to the ingnitor via switch or however your system supplies current to the ignitor. here is a picture -------------{{{{{{{ <---screwdriver < < > > <-----current < < @ @ <----Two threaded posts
Mike, No offense but if you didnot fix it by now, you should take the machine to someone who knows how that heating system works. I do not want to see you machine go up in flames or you to hurt yourself. If fuel is going in to the burner with no spark, it is loading up the coil with fuel (very dangerous situation). If the spark ignites the fuel there is going to be a huge ball of uncontrollable fire coming out of the burner. Please be careful Steve
