Everybody knows that I love patio heaters. They’re incredible assets because they allow you to use your patio when the weather gets cooler. This means that you can enjoy this extra living space during a greater part of the year.
Although many patio heaters have an automatic ignition, sometimes it can fail. You need to know how to light a patio heater manually if the automatic ignition fails to work.
Pull up a chair, and let’s go through it together.
The Control Knob
The first thing that you need to do is turn the control knob to the pilot position. To accomplish this, you will turn it approximately 45 degrees counterclockwise.
Your patio heater manual will probably have specific instructions, so you can check it out if you have any trouble.
Light the Patio Heater
Now that you have turned the knob to the pilot position, you will need to light the patio heater.
You can use any kind of lighter that you may have, but a candle lighter is the safest way to avoid burning your fingers. There should be a match lighting hole, and you can insert the candle lighter. Once the candle lighter is in the hole, light it, and your patio heater should begin to get hot.
Set the Intensity
Now you can use the control knob to set the intensity of the patio heat. You can turn the knob on high or somewhere in the middle depending on how much heat you want it to emit.
Take Precaution
You will need to take certain precautions before you light your patio heater.
Remember that the patio heater might only seem to glow red and give off heat, but you are using fire to make it work. It is important to make sure that you don’t have any flammable items nearby, as they can catch fire.
In addition, the fire stays lit because the patio heater should be hooked up to gas or propane. You will want to make sure that you have the gas or propane tank hooked up before you light it.
Troubleshooting The Reason
Lighting your patio heater manually is a great start, but you’ll eventually want a more permanent solution. Here are some common reasons why outdoor heaters may not light.
Your gas tank is not hooked up: If your gas or propane tank has become disconnected, your patio heater will not light up. You simply need to check the connections and reconnect the tank before you try again.
You are out of gas: If you are out of gas, your patio heater won’t light. It needs gas, so you will have to get more before lighting it and turning it on.
Your gas delivery pipe has a leak: If you smell gas after you turn your patio heater on, you should turn it off right away. Your gas delivery pipe may have a leak, and this can cause a fire.
The gas regulator switch is off: The gas regulator controls the heat, and it connects the gas delivery pipe to the pipe that takes it up to the burner. If it stops working, the switch may turn off. Another possibility is that someone accidentally turned it off.
Your gas pipe is clogged: If you find that your gas pipe is clogged, you need to remove it and clean it.
The burner is blocked: Your burner should be clear and free of leaves and sticks. You should check it to make sure, and clean out any leaves or other debris.
The bug screen is clogged: Your bug screen should also be clear and free of debris. Check it, and clean it if necessary.
Patio Heater Maintenance
Similar to other appliances, your patio heater needs maintenance performed to keep it running well. Your manual will tell you everything you need to know about maintenance and troubleshooting.
If you leave your patio heater sitting for any length of time, little spiders or bugs may make homes inside of it (especially if you’ve gotten rid of the spider webs).
This is fairly common, so it is a good idea to thoroughly clean your patio heater before you use it. You can remove most of the screens on the patio heater and clean it fairly easily.
You should make a plan to clean your patio once a year, and if you are going to let any significant amount of time pass between uses, you will need to clean it.
Final Thoughts
If you are getting ready to enjoy your patio on a colder day, your patio heater can make a difference.
If you discover that it is not working, try to turn it on manually. If you are unable to do so, check the gas tank, the gas lines, and look for evidence of little spiders of other bugs making a nest inside.
Sometimes a thorough cleaning will do the trick and have you back under the warmth of your heater so you can enjoy your patio.