5 Sources of Patio Heater Problems (Troubleshooting Guide)

Having a patio heater around your garden or lawn enhances its beauty by a few times. In winter, these little heaters happen to be an even bigger blessing, right? 

Yeah, but not anymore if your patio heater has got into some issues and stopped working. 

Now, what makes a patio heater stop working? Is it fuel? Or the dirt or the gas burner itself? We had been up to find the answers to these questions on your behalf. Let’s figure out the complete guide on patio heater troubleshooting. 

What Are The Most Common Problems of A Patio Heater?

Before we prescribe the fixes, we should be aware of the problems, right? So, let’s have a look at the list of most common problems occurred in a patio heater- 

1. Patio heater doesn’t stay lit. 
2. The patio heater flame is too low. 
3. The patio heater bug screen is blocking the flame. 
4. Gas transmission is not taking place in a patio heater. 
5. Patio heater flame is blinking on a regular basis. 

If these are the problem(s) that you are dealing with, we’ve got it all covered in the next section. Keep reading- 

5 Sources of Patio Heater Problems

There are several problems that might take place in your patio heater. But in most of their cases, the sources of all these troubles are confined to some limited reasons. At this point in the discussion, we are up to find those common areas of reasons and how to fix them anyway- 

Source 1: Low Gas Level

As you know, the patio heater runs of gas as its fuel. Just like many other gas-driven things, patio heaters won’t also work if the gas level is low or empty. So, whenever you find a problem with the patio heater (especially when it stops working), the first thing you might look up to is the gas level. 

To find the gas level indicator, you have to look at the base of the heater and take out the gas cylinder. Usually, a cylinder which is full or even half full weighs quite heavy. 

In case you feel the weight of the cylinder very low, your patio heater might need a gas refill. Even if a small amount of gasoline is remaining, you need to refill that anyway. As a matter of fact, a minimum amount of gas is always required to keep the negative pressure up and drive the gas burner. 

Source 2: The Gas Regulator

There is a gas regulator in your patio heater which has the duty of connecting the gas tank and the gas pipe. This way, the gas gets to flow up to the gas burner. 

If the regulator is turned off anyway, the whole patio heater won’t work at all. For that, you might need to check out the flip switch on the gas regulator. It’s located on the top of the cylinder. If it’s switched towards an ‘Off’ position, make sure that it’s taken back to the ‘On’ position over again. 

Source 3: Gas Pipe

The pipe of the gas is the main gateway from the gasoline cylinder to the gas burner. In case it gets some blockage on its way of the gas propagation, the gas flow will hinder and as a direct impact, the patio heater won’t work effectively. 

To check that out, remove the gas pipe from the regulator and also detach the other end of the pipe from the gas inlet. 

Now, blow some air with an air blower or air compressor and make sure that there is no more of the blockage in the path of the pipe. Once done, put it back into its position over again. 

Source 4: The Gas Burner

The next thing on the podium is the gas burner itself. In fact, it’s one of the most occupied parts of the entire patio heater setup. So, there is a good chance that it might get into trouble over regular use. 

To check that out, disassemble the burner and check for any kind of blockage. Also, another thing to check is the burner aperture. It might not be set correctly, and that might cause trouble to the patio heater that we are concerned about. 

Once done with the basic checking of the burner, check out the small chamber of the burner where gas and air are mixed up. There can be some sort of build-up dirt on that chamber. And if you notice some, make sure to clean it properly. 

However, dealing with the burner is one of the most complicated tasks of patio heater troubleshooting. So, you need to know how those delicate parts of a burner work. Also, make sure to maintain these few safety concerns while dealing with a patio heater burner- 

1. Make sure the gas is turned off. 
2. Take the gaslight mantle off. 
3. Beware of pressure while running pipe cleaners through the burner hole.

Source 5: The Bug Screen

For each of the patio heaters, there is a screen that prevents the bugs (that fly towards the flame) from entering into the heater core itself. But sometimes, if you don’t clean the bug screen for a long time, this might occur a blockage to the flow of the flame. It may also smother the flame anyway. 

However, the fix to this problem is pretty simple. All you need to do is to clean off the bug screen and put it back on its place over again. For that, you need to remove the screen in the first place. Now, take an air blower and bow the basic dirt and dead insects off the bug screen. Once done, do a deep washing of the bug screen with a quick wash. 

Finally, dry off the bug screen properly and put it back in its place.  

Bottom Line

Apart from the major causes, there might be some more micro-level steps in a patio heater troubleshooting process. Anyway, in case you find it troublesome, you might call up an expert.