Little Buddy Portable Heater

I love my Little Buddy! But, lately, it would not stay lit or would go out immediately when the gas valve was turned up. Here is what I did to fix the issue:

Pilot Outage Repair

If the pilot light will not stay lit when the control button is released or goes out while the heater is in operation, the pilot orifice may be partially blocked.

Disclaimer: all procedures should be performed by a licensed technician - the following is what I did to clean the pilot orifice.

Remove the four Phillips heads screws as shown (top and bottom - two on either side) See both arrows in the picture.

Pull out the bottom back side of the sheet metal panel.

The top is held together with the small tabs. Pull up on the sheet metal back panel to remove it.

Looking into the heater from the back side after the back cover is removed.

Locate the pilot orifice gas supply tube.

Use two wrenches - one to steady the joint while loosening the gas tube nut with the other. Do not just reef on it with a pair of pliars or something! Use two wrenches. Wrenches are 11 and 12 millimeters.

Gas tube nut removed. Do not bend the gas tube. Gently shift it over slightly when removing the orifice in the next step. The orifice is next in line.

Use two wrenches to remove the orifice.

This is the orifice. Inside the tiny hole in the middleis a crystal film and the orifice is precision drilled into the film. DO NOT POKE anything into the orifice or you will surely destroy it!

Use alcohol to soak the orifice for 10 minutes.

Orifice soaking in alcohol - allow it to air dry. Do Not blow high pressure air into it.

Reassemble in reverse order. Before replacing the back cover, install the propane tank and test fire the pilot. Spray a soap solution on the fittings to check for leaks. Any bubbles will indicate a leak - if so tighten the fittings slightly more and recheck. Your Little Buddy should light up and hold the pilot flame - and then remain lit when the gas valve is turned up. If not, then you likely have a different problem.

By the way, you are using the filter, aren't you? Mine has never been operated without the filter and still the pilot plugged up. Without the filter it would have been a lot sooner ... just saying.

If cleaning the orifice doesn't solve the issue or you prefer a quick swap, you can replace the entire unit with a complete pilot assembly. Replacing the assembly is often much easier than cleaning the tiny orifice line—it comes pre-aligned with a fresh thermocouple and igniter wire, allowing you to unbolt the old bracket, reconnect the main gas line fittings, and have the heater safely running again in minutes.

Happy Heating