Dayton 3VE52

Basics

• A Portable Oil Fired Space Heater
  • Often called “torpedo heaters”
  • Electric Forced Air

Repair

• This has (Constand?) Spark Ignition, Photocell Based Flame Detection, and Vane Pump Air Compressor (~10 PSIg Max supposedly) based Siphon Sprayer for fuel delivery/atomization
• Check for Fan/Spark, if both are good it’s probably a Fuel and/or sensor issue
• Air Filters+Hoses can be Dry Rotted
• Frontmost Hose is Air, Rear Hose is Fuel-In

To-Do’s

• Find the PCB Schematic (If available)
  • With this information in mind (or with some PCB Reverse Engineering if it is NOT available) determine which components are shorted out/giving “bad” readings leading to burner shutoff
    • Main Suspects:
      • The Cad Eye
      • The Thermostat Dial
      • The Thermal Sensor (May be Bimetallic Strip based or perhaps a proper Pyrometer etc)

Spare Parts

Air/Fuel Hoses

• I replaced ALL OF THEM with some 5/16in SAE 30R7 Hose
  • MIGHT have been a bit overkill, i need to read up on Fuel Hoses etc
  • Although to an extent most/all plastics will Dry Rot / Undergo Rubber Reversion eventually etc so (Custom Bent, Rigid) Metal Fuel Lines is the most durable solution
    • Short of Corrosion / Galvanic Corrosion concerns/situations where flexibility would be preferred in high vibration environments or something
    • Ease of recycling is another advantage over Modern Multilayer/ Metal Reinforced Hose

Spark Plug

• A Kerosene Wicks . Com listing for Spare Parts only has the Spark Plug

Tune Up Kit

Amazon

• An Amazon Listing for “ Pro-Parts PP204 HA3004 1/2" Rotor Kit and 70-054-0200 SP-KFA1005 Filter Kit for Reddy Desa All-Pro Remington Master Knipco Dayton Heaters” ( ‘’’~26 USD as of this edit’’’ ]
  • Has just the Air Filters and the Vane Assembly
  • All you really need, as O’reilly auto parts etc may have the hosing + a fuel filter could be hacked together from other Off The Shelf ones

Grainger

• User: Eric called Grainger
  • The model their work has is old as hell and thus disconnected for the specific part numbers
  • They did still have a “tune up kit” available
    • For $269…
    • It had:
      • A New Spark Plug Assembly
      • A New Rotor Assembly
      • A New Brass Nozzle
      • Some sort of Filter(s); they didn’t specify

Sourcing

Amazon

• An Amazon Listing for a “ Dayton 3VE52 Oil Fired Heater, 210 K BtuH 120 V” ( ‘’’~850 USD as of this edit’’’ )

Grainger

• A Grainger Listing for a DAYTON Portable Oil and Kerosene Torpedo Heater: Wheeled Mounted, 5,000 sq ft Heating Area ( Model Number “3VE52” )
  • ~775.45 USD as of this edit

External Links

• The “Operating Instructions and Parts Manual” for the Dayton 3VE52 (and several other related models)
  • Need to check if this is the OFFICIAL manual, or one made by Grainger etc
  • Either way it has useful information + part numbers
  • A Rudimentary Wiring Diagram was made available, but no PCB Schematics
• A Video by the YouTube Channel “sixtyfiveford” Titled “Diesel Kerosene Forced Air Heater FIX EVERYTHING” ( ‘’’~22 Minute Watch’’’ )
  • Good overview
  • Their main issue was a “Mouse House” blocking the main chamber (luckily the mouse had moved on lol), and a “stiff fan” which they relubricated with a Thin Oil. They chose Automatic Transmission Fluid ?
• A Video by the YouTube Channel “Joe’s Bus Barn” Titled “Dayton oil fired heater” ( ‘’’~13 Minute Watch’’’ )
• A YouTube Short by the YouTube Channel “DoItYourselfWithJoe” Titled “Torpedo Heater Repair”
  • Showcases the Compressed Air Fuel Siphon Test