I didn't know that.

[DR Buck]

I have a Reddy kerosene heater.   It's one of those forced air things that sounds like a jet engine.   We always called them torpedo heaters.    Mine is rated at 110,000 BTU.   I bought it new in 1994 when we were building our house in western PA.   Since then it's been used lots for things like thawing out frozen cattle water tanks, warming equipment with frozen fuel lines, heating the barn and garage when I had to be out there working, and most recently heating my new under construction wood shop.

A couple days ago when I was running it while working on insulating the shop it started sputtering, flaming out and putting nasty smelling fumes in the air.   It was so bad I had to shut it down.     Since it was to cold to work without it I decided to check it out and see what was wrong.    Now, I've had this thing a long time and had no idea where the user/service manual was so I went on line to find and download a copy   :P.

WoW!   Was I surprised.      This thing has filters in it.   ;D  And other routine maintenance replaceable parts.         In the 23 years I've owned it I NEVER EVER opened it up to repair or replace anything.     The manual says filters are supposed to be cleaned and replaced every few hundred hours.   My air filter disintegrated in my hand when I pulled it out.  ;D   I was afraid to pull the fuel filter without having a new one in case it was to break apart.   The spark plug gap was 2 to 3 times the recommended spacing because most of it was burned away.  There's even a section in the manual that says to replace the nozzle once a year.    :D :D :D 

So now I'm waiting on a $100 worth of parts to arrive so I can rebuild this thing.      Still only 25% of the cost of a new one, if you can find one.   After the deep freeze weather the last two weeks, there isn't a heater to be found in central Virginia.  :D

[moosehunter]

I had one, left unused in a shed for 2 years.  Rodents got into it and built themselves a fine home. Chewed up everything that wasn't steel. Had to toss it in the recycle bin,  nothing left to fix >:(
mh

[JimTwoSticks]

5 will get you 10 most people that own a torpedo heater have never opened it up. I'm one of them 
Thanks for the public service announcement

[sandhills]

My bil had a basically brand new one that never worked, we were moving him from Iowa to Nebraska and he was fed up with packing ect. and said leave it I've tried everything.  I winked at my fil and grabbed it as soon as he left the garage, took one google search and about 5 minutes so he now has a heater that works.  I can't think what it's called but it had a sensor that tells it it's ignited, it was bent just enough it wasn't "sensing"  :D.

[Kbeitz]

thermocouple 

[DR Buck]

My bil had a basically brand new one that never worked, we were moving him from Iowa to Nebraska and he was fed up with packing ect. and said leave it I've tried everything.  I winked at my fil and grabbed it as soon as he left the garage, took one google search and about 5 minutes so he now has a heater that works.  I can't think what it's called but it had a sensor that tells it it's ignited, it was bent just enough it wasn't "sensing"  :D.

Photocell