Portable Gas Fire

[Donz.]

Hi peeps

We have a portable gas fire (the sort you put an orange Repsol bottle in) and use it every winter.

This winter my mum gave us another one so have been using that (as it still had gas in) and the other one has waited a while. Went to fire the old one up today - it has a new bottle in - but it's not 'taking'. What I mean is that while the ignition flame comes on after sparking, the fire itself doesn't actually get started - only the flame stays lit. Also the flame isn't very strong so I am wondering if its not quite reaching the fire part?

Any ideas why? I was wondering if it might be the gas connector & pipe need changing?

[country boy]

You could try changing the bottle for a part used one, we've had instances where a new bottle simply will not gas on a particular appliance.

[Campo Steve]

My brother-in-law had two gas fires. As he isn't resident here, and isn't over much, if at all, in winter they don't get used much. These fires also wouldn't fire up.

He took the cover off, without touching any gas connections and gave it a good clean with a vacuum cleaner. Result, they now work perfectly. Problem was cased by a build up of dust.

This may not be the case with yours but it has worked twice for him.

[murbisa]

I think dust is often the problem when the fire hasn't been used in a while. I get the electric pool bed inflator and blow it out which seems to work well.

[peteroldracer]

Cleaning the sensor probe that detects that the pilot light is lit can help - use a cotton bud or similar dipped in alcohol (not beer, although vodka/gin would do if you don't have industrial alcohol!).