Patio Heater - Top Repair Tips For Gas/LPG Patio Heaters.

1. First check our patio heater problem solving page to establish where the problem with the patio heater could be. Do not attempt a repair unless fully briefed on the likely cause of any fault. The most common mistake on patio heaters that fail to light is misdiagnosing the pilot has a blockage and drilling a small hole to fix the problem!! Never, Never, Never drill the pilot light on the burner when making a repair. This results in a very high pilot flame or flame thrower that cannot be controlled. Once the pilot has been drilled the burner is a total write-off!
2. Before changing the piezo ignitor check to see if it works. Just unclip the ignitor lead at the back, these normally have a male/female connectors that pull off. To test press the piezo red button and at the same time place your thumb on the other end. You should feel a sharp sting and hear it click, if not then the piezo ignitor needs replacing to make a repair.
3. Always start with the most common problems and work through the list checking each consumable component fitted inside the patio heater burner. Please note, not all patio heaters ship with a stainless steel burner, many budget patio heaters ship with chrome or polished tin plate burners that can be very difficult to open due to corrosion.
4. First consumable part to wear out on gas patio heaters is the thermocouple, see parts commercial thermocouples and domestic thermocouples. Thermocouples can last anywhere between one year and up to five years depending on use, storage and type. Changing a thermocouple during repair fixes 90% of all firing problems - see thermocouple function page. When making a repair make sure to check the measurement of the replacement part, there are a few different types of thermocouples on the market.
5. Second on a patio heaters consumable list is the electromagnetic valve. If a new thermocouple hasn't repaired or fixed the lighting problem take a look at the electromagnetic valve part number AFX496. The electromagnetic valve sits inside the patio heater's gas control valve, you will need to remove the gas control valve to access it.
6. Third on the consumable list is the tilt switch . They can cause similar firing problems to mimic a worn thermocouple. Very easy to repair on most patio heaters, these are attached via two leads that push on to the tilt switch within the burner. Just unclip and swap for a new tilt switch to make a repair. On some heaters the tilt switch is soldered on via 2 leads, if your tilt switch has been soldered you will need to adjust accordingly to make a repair.
7. Always make sure to conduct a leakage test when making any repairs on gas patio heaters. Most patio heaters are liquid sealed at the factory using a clear seal and pressure tested for leaks. When making any repairs it's best to use plumbers tape to ensure any joints opened during repair are sealed against leakage. See patio heater problem solving page on details on how to test for leaks.
8. If all above components are working OK then you'll need more specialist help. Patio heaters within the branded Urban BFX range can be returned for repair outside the warranty by using our patio heater repair service. Generic patio heaters that do not carry the BFX logo and serial number cannot be accepted - there are many cheap and cheerful tin plated burners on the market,these are disposable and non repairable. Due to high demand for burner repair on generic patio heaters we have made available replacement stainless steel burners for domestic patio heaters and some high end commercial burners. For those burners that cannot be repaired please see our domestic replacement burner.
9. Patio heaters with a damaged reflector are very simple to fix. Please view our reflector information page before fixing and single piece reflector to order a new reflector.