Primus Omnifuel Stove issues

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 harry-shutler 09 Oct 2017
Morning all,
Hopefully someone might be able to help out. So ive had my primus stove (the slightly older model of this one http://www.primus.eu/omnifuel ) for quite a few years and its stopped working. Firstly ive pulled it all apart, cleaned every part of it, re greased the parts that need greasing and done everything i can thik of to get it working again.
I just spits/sprays petrol, there doesnt seem to be a build up of gas, although there is obviously a build up of pressure as theres enough pressure to spray fuel 3m up in the air. Any ideas before i buy a service kit or accept that its had a good run and buy another?
 HeMa 09 Oct 2017
In reply to harry-shutler:
Did you clean the fuel-hose and also cleaned/changed the nozzle.

Oh, and with liquid fuels, you need to prime it.
Post edited at 09:39
OP harry-shutler 09 Oct 2017
In reply to HeMa:

yeah i flushed it all through with water, then with a can of air blew it all clean, i then polished and cleaned all of the nozzels.
I primed it like usual, it had a good pressure as it was able to spray a constant stream of fuel up in the air untill i turned it off so there was definately pressure. It just doesnt seem to be holding gas.
 JoshOvki 09 Oct 2017
In reply to harry-shutler:

What are the symptoms of it not working? Does it light and just go out, or splutter first? Easiest way would be to make a video I guess. Isn't really much to go wrong with it, if there is enough pressure for fuel to spurt out then there is enough for it to burn. What are you using as fuel?
 HeMa 09 Oct 2017
In reply to JoshOvki:
> What are the symptoms of it not working? Does it light and just go out, or splutter first? Easiest way would be to make a video I guess. Isn't really much to go wrong with it, if there is enough pressure for fuel to spurt out then there is enough for it to burn. What are you using as fuel?

Yah, to me me it sounds like the problem is between the keyboard and the chair .

As in, there is enough pressure, but the liqurad doesn't vapourise -> bad priming = operator error...



Or the nozzle is much too worn (i.e. too big hole)...
Post edited at 10:27
OP harry-shutler 09 Oct 2017
In reply to JoshOvki:

I use petrol. Normally it would spray out a little liquid fuel which i would then light, after about 30 seconds it will burn this off and it will just be burning the pressurised gas. the only symptoms of it not working is that it just constantly sprays fuel and never gas.
"Isn't really much to go wrong with it" this is the frustrating thing, therre are barely any parts, nothing is blocked, its all clean its building up pressure. Ill make a video as soon as i get out of work.
Over the past 10 years of using it ive never had an issue untill this weekend.
OP harry-shutler 09 Oct 2017
In reply to HeMa:

hah i wish it was me, atleas t that way id know what was wrong.

As in, there is enough pressure, but the liqurad doesn't vapourise - exactly, but im still priming it the way ive been doing it for the past 10 years.
(nozzel looks good to me, but then its impossible to tell if its worn slightly larger over the years. I guess the only thing to do is to buy a service kit. 1 service in 10 years isnt bad at all to be honest.
 HeMa 09 Oct 2017
In reply to harry-shutler:

> hah i wish it was me, atleas t that way id know what was wrong.



> As in, there is enough pressure, but the liqurad doesn't vapourise - exactly, but im still priming it the way ive been doing it for the past 10 years.

Do you wait whilst priming until it looks and sounds just like how it should when use it. I.e. prime longer.

Oh and try a gas-cartridge first. They don't need priming, but will show if there is a problem on the fuel-line, nozzle or even the vaporization-loop.
 Tobes 09 Oct 2017
In reply to HeMa:


> Oh and try a gas-cartridge first. They don't need priming, but will show if there is a problem on the fuel-line, nozzle or even the vaporization-loop.

To OP, remember to switch the wee nut/valves when changing from liquid to gas fuels.

This wouldn’t be part of the ‘original’ problem would it?
 HeMa 09 Oct 2017
In reply to Tobes:

That be the nozzle... so it could.


But this might not be needed, as different incarnations of the himalaya multifuel - omnifuel are different... some require a different nozzle while others are truly omni in the sense that switching fuels doesn't matter (sure, you need to unscrew the pump in order to get the gas cartrigde connected...).
 Tobes 09 Oct 2017
In reply to HeMa:

I must have an older version (which needs that valve to be switched) wasn’t aware they’d updated and changed that requirement, which would make things better when out n about (not having to fiddle about with small parts etc)

Think mine must be around 10 years old now, used every type of fuel in it (handy in parts of Africa where kerosene is the easiest thing to get hold of)
 Mal Grey 09 Oct 2017
In reply to harry-shutler:

Shoot me if I'm saying something obvious, but a mate of mine has an Omnifuel and he spent a weekend spraying himself with fuel trying to light it, having managed to lose the little spreader plate that sits on top of the burner. Fortunately found again in the bag once I bothered to pay attention to his plight and noticed the stove looked like it was missing something...



 mangoletse 09 Oct 2017
In reply to Mal Grey:

That's my first thought too - as with the spreader the fuel should be spraying sideways, and running down into the priming sponge not 3m in the air!
 benp1 09 Oct 2017
In reply to harry-shutler:

Spreader plate is very important. I couldn't get my Omnilite to light a while ago, I'd taken the spreader plate off to tinker with it and that was the problem.

If you're lost it you can get another in the service kit

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