# Mr Heater BIG MAXX garage heater died???



## Melensdad

Finally got some really cold temps and my garage heater craps out.

I only run the heater when the prolonged temps are below freezing and then only to bring the garage temperature up to about 40 degrees.  My goal is simply to keep the stuff in the garage from freezing solid and to make starting the engines easier.  

If I am working in the garage then I may turn it up to keep me warm, but that is only short term.

So now the fan turns on, and the fan runs, blowing cold air around the garage.  The electronic ignition "clicks" continuously but obviously the gas burners are not lighting.  Gas line is open so there should be gas flowing to the heater.


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## tiredretired

You didn't say if you have gas coming out.  Sometimes the orifice gets partially plugged and there might not be enough gas flow to ignite.  This happens to me on my Jotul gas fireplace insert.  

Can you light it manually with a fire stick?  *BE CAREFUL CHECK FOR RESIDUAL GAS!!!!!!!*, so you don't end up looking  like Wiley E. Coyote.   

This requires disassembly and cleaning.


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## bczoom

Are you running off natural gas or propane?  If propane, have you changed the tank or have you kept the valve at the tank closed since the last time it worked?  I have a propane Reznor and if I change the tank or close the valve for extended periods I sometimes need to crack the line at the heater and let the air bleed out and get the gas to the heater again.


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## Melensdad

Natural Gas

And I can see no way to manually light it.


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## bczoom

Did you check/try the reset switch(es)?

Do you have 24VAC to the gas valve?  If so, the valve may be bad.  If not, the control board may be bad.

http://www.mrheater.com/product/faqs/big-maxx-troubleshooting/


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## road squawker

Melensdad said:


> ...So now the fan turns on, and the fan runs, blowing cold air around the garage.  The electronic ignition "clicks" continuously but obviously the gas burners are not lighting.  Gas line is open so there should be gas flowing to the heater.



IF  you have power to the gas valve and it still doesn't ignite, then it may be in "safety lockout" mode.

HEATING SEQUENCE OF OPERATION
1. When the thermostat calls for heat, the combustion air
blower starts immediately.
2. Combustion air pressure switch proves blower operation
before allowing power to the ignition controller. This switch is
factory set and no adjustment is necessary.
3. After prepurge of approximately 30 seconds, the spark
ignition is energized and the solenoid valves open in the gas
valve.
4. The spark then ignites the gas, the ignition sensor proves the
flame and the combustion process continues.
5. *In the event that the flame is not detected *after the first 10-
second trial for ignition, the controller will repeat steps 3 and
4 an additional two times before locking out the gas valve.
Ignition control will then automatically repeat steps 3, 4, and 5
after 60 minutes.
To interrupt the 60-minute lockout period, move thermostat
from “Heat” to “OFF” then back to “HEAT.” Heating
sequence then restarts at step 1.

good luck


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## Big Dog

I have 2 in my garage that keep it at 64F year round .............. Around year 3, I had a transformer go out in one that displayed the same symptoms. Service tech just installed an off the shelf (not OEM) transformer and it's been good since. That was about 4 years ago ..................

http://s3.amazonaws.com/szmanuals/be1149d9f3f8972ccb3141c009659fc4


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## Melensdad

I think I need to call the service out to fix this.


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## Big Dog

Melensdad said:


> I think I need to call the service out to fix this.


Wha'd ya find out?


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## Melensdad

Big Dog said:


> Wha'd ya find out?



I found out I am too busy with the high school fencing season to schedule an appointment with the service tech and the temps are now at/near ZERO in my garage


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## bczoom

Bob,

Was out in my building tonight putting kero in one of those portable (round, white) kerosene heater thingys and was thinking of you.

You have that big, beautiful building and only one heater?  It got down to zero in there?  What happened to the apartment above?  Pipes freeze?

Have you considered a secondary or backup system? I run a pair of Reznor heaters (independent of each other, including propane tanks) and then use either alcohol or kerosene heaters on nights like tonight where it's 5° just to keep it above freezing.


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## Melensdad

bczoom said:


> Bob,
> 
> Was out in my building tonight putting kero in one of those portable (round, white) kerosene heater thingys and was thinking of you.
> 
> *You have that big, beautiful building and only one heater?  It got down to zero in there?  What happened to the apartment above?  Pipes freeze?
> *
> Have you considered a secondary or backup system? I run a pair of Reznor heaters (independent of each other, including propane tanks) and then use either alcohol or kerosene heaters on nights like tonight where it's 5° just to keep it above freezing.



The Mr Heater that failed is in the workshop, which is separated from the majority of the building by an insulated wall.  The majority of the building has a regular furnace & A/C unit.  Its only the tractor and workshop side the that relies on the ceiling hung Mr Heater.  

It may seem odd that there are 2 separate sides, but this building was built in 2 phases.  

The smaller workshop area was built as a stand alone building before my sister-in-law moved to Indiana.  When I decided to add an apartment I also added all the remaining garage bays but since the original structure already had heat & A/C and 4 insulated walls I didn't see the need to incorporate the new central heat & A/C system into the original structure.  We took great pains to make sure the original building and the new addition are impossible to distinguish from the outside.  It takes close examination from the inside to figure out that the new area was added several years after the original structure.


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