Hello Folks - new to the forum, hope this is the right place to ask a question on a heater. My buddy has this Anderson White Gas heater in his garage, he bought is as a collector item years ago, doesn't know if it works as has never tried to use it. He offered to sell it to me, and I'm tempted, just due to the uniqueness of the item. I saw some posts on the forum regarding lanterns, but didn't find anything posted for a heater. Has anyone seen or owned one of these? Would love to hear about it. Thanks everyone! Phoo
Hi Steve, that heater was made by Willis & Bates in England and mostly sold under the Bialaddin or Vapalux brand names. IT IS NOT A WHITE GAS HEATER! IT IS A KEROSENE-ONLY HEATER! Please forgive my all-caps but this is critical information for your safety. They are fine little radiant heaters and that one will almost definitely require a new set of viton rubber seals before it can be used reliably and safely. Our host The Fettlebox sells top-quality seal kits to fit this heater.
Wow- thanks for letting me know Phil, I was just going from what he told me- guess it's a good thing HE never tried to use it. ;D Thank you also for the background on who made it and Fettlebox, I'll reach out! I wonder if they can provide some guidance on a rebuild. Well, this kind of excites me!
@Steve Campbell Welcome. You may find it useful to look at two such heaters (first version and a later one) HERE and HERE, including a couple of videos of the Mk1 in action.
Thank you sir! Those are great pics, looks like I've potentially some work to do. I usually can tinker my way successfully through projects, looks like you did a fair bit of work to get yours tiptop. Hopefully not biting off more than I can chew. What period of time were these manufactured presscall?
@Steve Campbell Welcome. From your photos, your Bialaddin Bowlfire heater looks in good condition. An initial cleaning with detergent to get the grime off, then see what needs extra careful cleaning. Don’t use abrasive cleaners or gear on the reflector. You’ll need to replace the seals and washers, and John has pointed you in the right direction. As said above use good quality kerosene, and alcohol for pre-heating. Cheers Tony
