If you are a regular reader, this might seem like "deja-vu all over again". Second one of these MH-18B heaters to kaboom on me. The first one was on a recall list, so Mr. Heater replaced it gratis. This replacement just kaboomed after 3 years service.
The sequence of events:
My son and I went out to the shop building to fetch a tool for him, and we were going to putter around a bit, but it was cold, so I lit off the Big Buddy heater. I noted that the pilot flame was about 4 to 5 times as big as usual, and when I valved in the ceramic panels from the Pilot setting, there was considerable excess flame as they began to glow. I shut down the unit at it's valve, but didn't close the tank valve. We went back into the house.
About 45 minutes later, I went back out to the shop by myself, shut off the tank valve as I noted a propane smell present. I aired out the shop for a few minutes, then opened the tank valve and lit the pilot again. The pilot flame was again way too big, indicating excess propane operating pressure. I shut off the tank valve again and was letting the pilot flame burn itself out when there was a loud "POP" noise, and flames began to issue from the top of the heater's cabinet. I immediately shut off the heater valve. Not good, these flames, but they weren't huge flames as with the previous Kaboom, either, so I tried for about ten good huffs to blow them out with mouth blowing. I almost got them out, but then the cabinet started to smolder, so I reached for the fire-extinguisher. Just as I was about to set off the messy powder to snuff the fire, it exhausted it's fuel supply and went out. I now have another kaboomed Mr. Heater Big Buddy.
I've since spent several hours online trying to get to the bottom of this. Since the first 2004 recall, there haven't been any others. I fired off a technical complaint to Enerco. We'll see what that brings. In the meanwhile, I'm down to my one-panel Portable Buddy heater, plus a smaller one, total of about 12,000 BTU, about 2/3 of what the Big Buddy would give me. Add that to 1500 watts (6K BTU) of electric heat available, and that should be good for heating the shop building unless it gets below 20 or so.
I've sworn by these heaters, even through the last Kaboom, but now, I'm not so sure. I think I'll look around for something different. Maybe a second one-panel Buddy. I think that Primus makes one, too, and that would be good Nordic hardware.
*****************************************************************************
UPDATE: 011513 0800 PST: Your blogger just successfully concluded negotiation with Enerco to take back the kaboomed Mr. Heater Big Buddy unit and replace it gratis, including shipping both ways. The Customer Service rep and I both agree that the most likely point of failure was the rubber diaphragm in the Gas Regulator.
I also just found out that Enerco seems to have bought the Primus (Swedish) name, as Enerco is selling at least the Portable Buddy heater with the added name of Primus on it.
I just go an email from Northern Tool & Equipment. Featured prominantly is the MH-18B, when you click on the link-No Longer Available.
Posted by: Steve_in_CA | January 14, 2013 at 12:25