Is anybody running an original condensing-era Stanley electric pilot preheater/starter? As near as I can tell, all of them were later removed for some reason. Was there some problem with them? Seems like a neat idea, push a button (or attach a wire), wait 10 seconds, turn off electricity, then light pilot with a match. No need for a torch to preheat the pilot vaporizer.

According to Stanley literature, the pilot vaporizer tube itself was used as the electric heating element. Current was fed through the tube, directly heating it by resistance. Details in the literature I have seen are sketchy. Did they put a (high temperature?) dielectric coupling somewhere in the pilot fuel line, and/or use a stainless steel tube? Perhaps one or both of those design features had problems, and this later led to the electric vaporizers' removal?

The thermostatic switch described as being part of this electric-preheat unit sounds like it is of a type that I know to be unreliable in electric toaster ovens. Perhaps that was the problem?

At one point, the Stanley factory also fitted a trembler coil and spark plug to ignite the pilot after the pilot vaporizer tube had been electrically heated, but the Stanley Dealer Bulletins report that this was discontinued soon after, due to unreliability.

On a slightly related topic, I have heard of some Stanley pilots being fitted with a tiny glow-wire loop (inconel or nichrome wire) to relight the pilot in case it blows out on the road. Are these loops electrically heated, or just heated by the pilot/main burner for re-ignition immediately after a blow-out?

Peter

On a slightly related topic, I have heard of some Stanley pilots being fitted with a tiny glow-wire loop (inconel or nichrome wire) to relight the pilot in case it blows out on the road. Are these loops electrically heated, or just heated by the pilot/main burner for re-ignition immediately after a blow-out?

Peter I did that on my pilot when I was running the original burner. Just a loop of nichrome wire. The pilot keeks it red.

Rolly

Thanks Rolly! That's a neat feature too, and about as simple as it gets. Could be electrified and used to light pilot in the first place, but no point if you've already got a torch lit to heat the pilot vaporizer. Seems odd that the Stanleys didn't think of that instead of the coil & spark plug. Electric resistance heaters were well-known at the time.

I'm working on something similar for my somewhat Stanley-like pilot light. Mine doesn't juice the tube though; it has a separate heating element arranged to both preheat pilot vaporizer and light pilot when pilot fuel valve opens.

Peter

Hi,,,Nergaard has had an original Stanley pilot in use over 20 years w/ little trouble,,electric through vapor tube/style,1922 / 735 And now has 20,000 mi on the piston valve block,,exhibited at our Feb meet/dinner,,and back in the car and running again,,for first weekend of spring,,[SACA/NE bulitan ]
,,Ben