If you are thinking of ordering a radiant tube heater from kleen rite you may want to think about a different brand. The brand of radiant tube heater I purchased from them is built by Ultimate Products. I have ran this carwash heater in my automatic bay for 13 months and the blower fan on the end of the burner tube went bad. The bearings are freezing up and it doesn't start half the time. I called Ultimate Products to purchase a new fan only to learn the fans have been on back order since July and they have no idea when they will get more in. Kleen Rite doesn't stock them either. The fan motor is a fasco motor special built for Ultimate Products and no one can cross reference a different fan to work on this unit. Ultimate Products can't give me any usefull information or a date when I can purchase a new one. Ultimate Products is currently looking for a different supplier that can build a fan for their heater. I am stuck here. I have a new heater and no way to get parts to make it work. I am afraid my automatic will freeze up because this is my only source of heat in my automatic bay and my automatic does not weep.
Beware Ultimate Tube Heater From KleenRite
- Thread starter sparkey
- Start date
lag
Member
I am not familiar with ultimate heaters. Do they have any distrubtor with the part? We use Detroit radiant products. Maybe they can help?? Good luck
What model Ultimate Products heater did you get? If I was to order an Ultimate products heater today what kind of fan would come on that heater? The motor should last longer than 13 months. What is the part number of the Fasco motor that’s on your heater? I think I would find a good motor shop and have them rebuild the motor before I froze up.
lag
Member
Also is ther an oil port.. The kind we use have it
I ask if they could remove a fan from a new unit and ship it to me and they told me the new units are being shipped without fans until they locate a supplier. I don't see why anyone would buy a heater without the fan to make it work, maybe they are not being honest.
I think the fan only lasted 13 months because it is a mild steel fan on a stainless steel heater. I was told that the newer fans are stainless if they ever get any more.
As far as distributer I asked ultimate products if any distributer had a fan I could get and they said no one had any. If anyone knows of a different type heater that has a fan that will work in a wet enviroment I would sure like to know. The fan is 3000 RPM, and fits on a 4" pipe, has approx 6" diameter fan wheel. The exact part number is at the wash so I am doing this from memory. I find lots of fans in the grainger book that look like they would work, but they are all open motors. Open motors and automatic bays = trouble.
I think the fan only lasted 13 months because it is a mild steel fan on a stainless steel heater. I was told that the newer fans are stainless if they ever get any more.
As far as distributer I asked ultimate products if any distributer had a fan I could get and they said no one had any. If anyone knows of a different type heater that has a fan that will work in a wet enviroment I would sure like to know. The fan is 3000 RPM, and fits on a 4" pipe, has approx 6" diameter fan wheel. The exact part number is at the wash so I am doing this from memory. I find lots of fans in the grainger book that look like they would work, but they are all open motors. Open motors and automatic bays = trouble.
I can't get the motor apart to change bearings. It is totally rusted shut.
Buzzie8
Member
Interesting. I just went through all of this last month. Two motors from Ultimate went bad and after much research I found that Sparkey was correct. No real good replacement alternatives from Grainger or anyone else. But, after I bucked up around $500. Ultimate shipped me two new motors with fan shrouds. That was in November.
One last thought, I think your heaters will work with out the motors, just not as efficiently. After looking at the condition of mine, I think they were limping along for the last few winters. Not sure, but they might be used for making sure that exhaust fumes from the natural gas are leaving bay. Let me know what you end up doing because it looks like I should have a couple of these in the parts bin.
One last thought, I think your heaters will work with out the motors, just not as efficiently. After looking at the condition of mine, I think they were limping along for the last few winters. Not sure, but they might be used for making sure that exhaust fumes from the natural gas are leaving bay. Let me know what you end up doing because it looks like I should have a couple of these in the parts bin.
Last edited:
pitzerwm
Active member
It might be way too much work, but what about running the 4" back into the equipment room and cobble up whatever blower you can to move the air?
car washing systems inc
Member
Do you have a part # for some reason i think i have one in my shop.
washnvac
Well-known member
Heater will not fire without fan/blower on.
I.B. Washincars
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I agree with BP. If they are like mine they draw, not blow. I would think that if you are backed into a corner you could use some 4" aluminum dryer vent and cobble something up.
soapy
Senior Member
I have had this happen to me in years past. I now carry a spare fan. In a pinch I have adapted similar heater type of fans to work. The fan has to provide enough vacuum to trigger a vacuum switch up by the burner. Most heating supply houses will carry a variety of fans that turn at a similar speed moving similar amounts of air. You should have a local fabricator who can make you a mount for the tube to adapt to the motor. Johnstone supply or grainger should sell a fan that will work. Blower fans that are used on fireplaces also will work.
Waxman
Super Moderator
I agree about taking the unit to a local motor shop.
I used to fret about spares for my many motors associated with my IBA.
Since finding a good, local electric motor repair place I worry no more.
A good motor shop is 'old school'; reasonable labor rate, knowledgeable owners, and quick turnaround.
Bottom line for me is too keep as much moving parts / machinery as I can out of the car wash bay, but if you find a way to fix your unit and/or get a cheap replacement then go with that.
I used to fret about spares for my many motors associated with my IBA.
Since finding a good, local electric motor repair place I worry no more.
A good motor shop is 'old school'; reasonable labor rate, knowledgeable owners, and quick turnaround.
Bottom line for me is too keep as much moving parts / machinery as I can out of the car wash bay, but if you find a way to fix your unit and/or get a cheap replacement then go with that.
The stainless blower is part number FA-0110
The mild steel blower is part number FA-0120
I finally recieved my replacement "stainless fan motor" today for my ultimate junk heater. Not bad for 2 months work and approx 35 phone calls to ultimate products. Their service is terrible. They promised they would call me back each of the approx 35 times I called them to inquire when I would recieve a replacement motor. They didn't return my call once nor did they have any idea when I would recieve a replacement motor until three days before I recieved it. When I got my new "stainless fan motor" the fan was made of stainless steel and the motor was made from mild steel. I called and ask why I recieved a mild steel motor and they informed me that they were having trouble getting stainless motors so they went to the mild steel motors. The price was still the same as if it were a stainless motor.
Beware of ultimate products stainless tube heater. They give you the run around when you need spare parts and blow you off when you are in desperate need of parts. I wonder if the ultimate products doors are the same way?
Beware of ultimate products stainless tube heater. They give you the run around when you need spare parts and blow you off when you are in desperate need of parts. I wonder if the ultimate products doors are the same way?
We just replaced the fan/motor on our unit as well. They sent us the same thing, a stainless steel fan housing with a steel motor.
We have a full attic above our automatic - could I simply plumb the 4" pipe into the attic and mount the motor up there? I don't really want to buy a $400 part every winter to keep my heater running.
We have a full attic above our automatic - could I simply plumb the 4" pipe into the attic and mount the motor up there? I don't really want to buy a $400 part every winter to keep my heater running.
soapy
Senior Member
I think the company that builds ultimate heater products is Ambi-Rad. Ultimate has an exclusive for all car wash heaters and regular ambirad dealers are not supposed to sell to car washes. I installed a different type of ambirad radiant heater in my last 2 washes. The burner box and fan unit are enclosed in the same box and it all mounts on one end of the burner tube. I have 7 of these heaters running and they have been much more reliable than the 6 ultimate heaters that I have that use a fan unit on the opposite end of the burner unit.
