Vanguard VN12A Quick start guide

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VENT-FREE NATURAL GAS HEATER

OWNER’S OPERATION AND INSTALLATION MANUAL

Models: VN6B and VN12A

WARNING: If the information in this manual is not followed exactly, a fire or

explosion may result causing property damage, personal injury, or loss of life.

— Do not store or use gasoline or other flammable vapors and liquids in the

vicinity of this or any other appliance.

— WHAT TO DO IF YOU SMELL GAS

• Do not try to light any appliance.

• Donottouchanyelectricalswitch;donotuseanyphoneinyourbuilding.

• Immediately call your gas supplier from a neighbor’s phone. Follow the

gas supplier’s instructions.

• If you cannot reach your gas supplier, call the fire department.

— Installation and service must be performed by a qualified installer, service

agency, or the gas supplier.

100845

CONTENTS SECTION PAGE

Safety Information.........................................................................2

Product Identification .................................................................... 4

Local Codes ...................................................................................4

Unpacking......................................................................................4

Product Features ............................................................................4

Fresh Air For Combustion And Ventilation ..................................5

Installing To Wall..........................................................................9

Connecting To Gas Supply............................................................13

Checking Gas Connections............................................................14

Operating Heater ........................................................................... 16

Inspecting Burner ..........................................................................19

Cleaning And Maintenance ...........................................................20

Troubleshooting.............................................................................21

Technical Service ..........................................................................24

Specifications ................................................................................ 24

Service Hints ................................................................................. 25

Replacement Parts .........................................................................25

Service Publications ......................................................................25

Accessory ......................................................................................25

Parts List (Model VN6B) ..............................................................26

Illustrated Parts Breakdown (Model VN6B) .................................26

Parts List (Model VN12A) ............................................................27

Illustrated Parts Breakdown (Model VN12A)...............................27

Warranty Information .................................................................... Back Cover

WARNING ICON G 001

WARNINGS

IMPORTANT: Read this Owner’s Manual carefully and completely

before trying to assemble, operate, or service this heater. Improper

use of this heater can cause serious injury or death from burns, fire,

explosion, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

WARNING ICON G 001

DANGER

Carbon monoxide poisoning may lead to death!

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning

resemble the flu, with headaches, dizziness, or nausea. If you have these signs, the

heater may not be working properly. Get fresh air at once! Have heater serviced.

Some people are more affected by carbon monoxide than others. These include

pregnant women, persons with heart or lung disease or anemia, those under the

influence of alcohol, and those at high altitudes.

Natural Gas: Natural gas is odorless. An odor-making agent is added to natural

gas. The odor helps you detect a natural gas leak. However, the odor added to

natural gas can fade. Natural gas may be present even though no odor exists.

Make certain you read and understand all Warnings. Keep this manual for

reference. It is your guide to safe and proper operation of this heater.

SAFETY

INFORMATION

Safety Information continued on next page

100845

SAFETY

INFORMATION

Continued

WARNING ICON G 001

WARNINGS

Continued

WARNING: Any change to this heater or its controls can be dangerous.

1. Use only natural gas. Do not convert heater to use different fuel type.

2. If you smell gas

• shut off gas supply

• do not try to light any appliance

• do not touch any electrical switch; do not use any phone in your building

• immediately call your gas supplier from a neighbor’s phone. Follow the

gas supplier’s instructions

• if you cannot reach your gas supplier, call the fire department

3. This heater shall not be installed in a bedroom or bathroom (VN12A - input

12,000 BTUs).

4. Never install the heater

• in a recreational vehicle

• where curtains, furniture, clothing, or other flammable objects are less than

36 inches from the front, top, or sides of the heater

• as a fireplace insert

• in high traffic areas

• in windy or drafty areas

5. Always run heater with control knob at LOW or HIGH locked positions

(VN12A) or ON position (VN6B). Never set control knob between locked

positions. Poor combustion and higher levels of carbon monoxide may result.

6. This heater needs fresh, outside air ventilation to run properly. This heater has

an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) pilot light safety system. The ODS shuts

down the heater if not enough fresh air is available. See Fresh Air for Combus-

tion and Ventilation, pages 5 through 8.

7. Neverrunheaterinsmall,closedroom.Opendoorintonextroomtohelpventilate.

8. Keep all air openings in front and bottom of heater clear and free of debris.

This will insure enough air for proper combustion.

9. If heater shuts off, do not relight until you provide fresh, outside air. If heater

keeps shutting off, have it serviced.

10.Do not run heater

• where flammable liquids or vapors are used or stored

• under dusty conditions

11.Never place any objects on the heater.

12.Surface of heater becomes very hot when running heater. Keep children and

adults away from hot surface to avoid burns or clothing ignition. Heater will

remain hot for a time after shut-down. Allow surface to cool before touching.

13.Carefully supervise young children when they are in same room with heater.

14.Make sure grill guard is in place before running heater.

15.Do not use heater if any part has been under water. Immediately call a quali-

fied service technician to inspect the room heater and to replace any part of the

control system and any gas control which has been under water.

16.Turn off heater and let cool before servicing. Only a qualified service person

should service and repair heater.

17.Operating heater above elevations of 4,500 feet may cause pilot outage.

100845

PRODUCT

IDENTIFICATION

LOCAL CODES Install and use heater with care. Follow all local codes. In the absence of local

codes, use the latest edition of National Fuel Gas Code ANSI Z223.1, also known

as NFPA 54*.

*Available from: American National Standards Institute, Inc.

1430 Broadway

New York, NY 10018

National Fire Protection Association, Inc.

Batterymarch Park

Quincy, MA 02269

UNPACKING 1. Remove heater from carton.

2. Remove all protective packaging applied to heater for shipment.

3. Check heater for any shipping damage. If heater is damaged, promptly inform

dealer where you bought heater.

PRODUCT

FEATURES

Safety Device

This heater has a pilot with an Oxygen Depletion Sensor Shutoff System (ODS).

The ODS/pilot is a required feature for vent-free room heaters. The ODS/pilot shuts

off the heater if there is not enough fresh air.

Piezo Ignition System

This heater has a piezo ignitor. This system requires no matches, batteries, or other

sources to light heater.

Heater

Cabinet

Grill

Guard

Burners

Front

Panel

Figure 1 - Vent-Free Natural Gas Heater (Model VN12A Shown)

Control Knob

Piezo Ignitor Button

100845

FRESH AIR

FOR

COMBUSTION

AND

VENTILATION

WARNING ICON G 001

WARNING

This heater must have fresh air for proper operation. If not, poor

fuel combustion could result. Read the following instructions to

insure proper fresh air for this and other fuel-burning appliances

in your home.

Today’s homes are built more energy efficient than ever. New materials, increased

insulation, and new construction methods help reduce heat loss in homes. Home

owners weather strip and caulk around windows and doors to keep the cold air out

and the warm air in. During heating months, home owners want their homes as

airtight as possible.

While it is good to make your home energy efficient, your home needs to breathe.

Fresh air must enter your home. All fuel-burning appliances need fresh air for

proper combustion and ventilation.

Exhaust fans, fireplaces, clothes dryers, and fuel burning appliances draw air from

the house to operate. You must provide adequate fresh air for these appliances.

This will insure proper venting of vented fuel-burning appliances.

PRODUCING ADEQUATE VENTILATION

All spaces in homes fall into one of the three following ventilation classifications:

1. Unusually Tight Contruction; 2. Unconfined Space; 3. Confined Space.

The information on pages 5 through 8 will help you classify your space and provide

adequate ventilation.

Unusually Tight Construction

The air that leaks around doors and windows may provide enough fresh air for

combustion and ventilation. However, in buildings of unusually tight construction,

you must provide additional fresh air.

Unusually tight construction is defined as construction where:

a. walls and ceilings exposed to the outside atmosphere have a continu-

ous water vapor retarder with a rating of one perm or less with open-

ings gasketed or sealed

and

b. weather stripping has been added on openable windows and doors

and

c. caulking or sealants are applied to areas such as joints around window

and door frames, between sole plates and floors, between wall-ceiling

joints, between wall panels, at penetrations for plumbing, electrical, and

gas lines, and at other openings.

If your home meets all of the three criteria above, you must provide addi-

tional fresh air. See

Ventilation Air From Outdoors

, page 8

If your home does not meet all of the three criteria above, continue reading.

Unconfined Space

An unconfined space has a minimum air volume of 50 cubic feet for each 1000

BTU/Hr input rating of all appliances in the space (cubic feet equals length x

width x height of space). Include adjoining rooms only if there are doorless

passageways or ventilation grills between the rooms.

Confined Space

A confined space has an air volume of less than 50 cubic feet for each 1000

BTU/Hr input rating of all appliances in the space (cubic feet equals length x

width x height of space). Include adjoining rooms only if there are doorless

passageways or ventilation grills between the rooms. Continued

100845

FRESH AIR

FOR

COMBUSTION

AND

VENTILATION

Continued

WARNING ICON G 001

WARNING

You must provide additional ventilation air in a confined space.

DETERMINING FRESH-AIR FLOW FOR HEATER LOCATION

Determining if You Have a Confined or Unconfined Space

Use this worksheet to determine if you have a confined or unconfined space.

Space: Includes the room in which you will install heater plus any adjoining rooms with

doorless passageways or ventilation grills between the rooms.

1. Determine the volume of the space (length x width x height).

Length x Width x Height = ___________________ cu. ft. (volume of space)

Example:

Space size 18 ft. (length) x 16 ft. (width) x 8 ft. (ceiling height) =

2304 cu. ft. (volume of space)

If additional ventilation to adjoining room is supplied with grills or openings, add the

volume of these rooms to the total volume of the space.

2. Divide the space volume by 50 cubic feet to determine the maximum BTU/Hr the space

can support.

____________ (volume of space) ÷ 50 cu. ft. = (Maximum BTU/Hr

the space can support)

Example:

2304 cu. ft. (volume of space) ÷ 50 cu. ft. = 46.1 or 46,100 (maximum

BTU/Hr the space can support)

3. Add the BTU/Hr of all fuel burning appliances in the space.

Vent-free heater ___________________ BTU/Hr

Gas water heater* ___________________ BTU/Hr

Gas furnace ___________________ BTU/Hr

Vented gas heater ___________________ BTU/Hr

Gas fireplace logs ___________________ BTU/Hr

Other gas appliances* +___________________ BTU/Hr

Total =___________________ BTU/Hr

Example:

Gas water heater 40,000 BTU/Hr

Vent-free heater +10,000 BTU/Hr

Total =50,000 BTU/Hr

* Do not include direct-vent gas appliances. Direct-vent draws combustion air from the

outdoors and vents to the outdoors.

4. Compare the maximum BTU/Hr the space can support with the actual amount of BTU/

Hr used.

_________________ BTU/Hr (maximum the space can support)

_________________ BTU/Hr (actual amount of BTU/Hr used)

Example:

46,100 BTU/Hr (maximum the space can support)

50,000 BTU/Hr (actual amount of BTU/Hr used)

The space in the above example is a confined space because the actual BTU/Hr used is

more than the maximum BTU/Hr the space can support. You must provide additional fresh

air. Your options are as follows:

A. Rework worksheet, adding the space of an adjoining room. If the extra space provides

an unconfined space, remove door to adjoining room or add ventilation grills between

rooms. See Ventilation Air From Inside Building, page 7.

B. Vent room directly to the outdoors. See Ventilation Air From Outdoors, page 8.

C. Install a lower BTU/Hr heater, if lower BTU/Hr size makes room unconfined.

If the actual BTU/Hr used is less than the maximum BTU/Hr the space can support, the

space is an unconfined space. You will need no additional fresh air ventilation.

100845

FRESH AIR

FOR

COMBUSTION

AND

VENTILATION

Continued

VENTILATION AIR

Ventilation Air From Inside Building

This fresh air would come from an adjoining unconfined space. When ventilating to an

adjoiningunconfinedspace,youmustprovidetwopermanentopenings:onewithin 12" of the

ceilingandonewithin12"of theflooronthewallconnectingthetwo spaces(seeoptions1and

2, Figure 2). You can also remove door into adjoining room (see option 3, Figure 2).

WARNING ICON G 001

WARNING

Rework worksheet, adding the space of the adjoining unconfined

space.

The combined spaces must have enough fresh air to supply all

appliances in both spaces.

Figure 2 - Ventilation Air from Inside Building

Remove

Door into

Adjoining

Room,

Option 3

Ventilation Grills

Into Adjoining Room,

Option 2

12"

Ventilation

Grills

into Adjoining

Room,

Option 1

Continued

100845

FRESH AIR

FOR

COMBUSTION

AND

VENTILATION

Continued

VENTILATION AIR

(Continued)

Ventilation Air From Outdoors

Provide extra fresh air by using ventilation grills or ducts. You must provide two perma-

nent openings: one within 12" of the ceiling and one within 12" of the floor. Connect these

items directly to the outdoors or spaces open to the outdoors. These spaces include attics

and crawl spaces. Follow the National Fuel Gas Code NFPA 54/ANSI Z223.1, Section 5.3,

Air for Combustion and Ventilation for required size of ventilation grills or ducts.

IMPORTANT:

Do not provide openings for inlet or outlet air into attic if attic has a thermo-

stat-controlled power vent. Heated air entering the attic will activate the power vent.

Figure 3 - Ventilation Air from Outdoors

Outlet

Air Ventilated

Attic

Outlet

Air

Inlet

Air

Inlet Air Ventilated

Crawl Space

Crawl

Space

To Attic

100845

INSTALLING

TO WALL

Continued

NOTICE

Aqualifiedservicepersonmustinstallheater.Followalllocalcodes.

CHECK GAS TYPE

Use only natural gas. If your gas supply is not natural, do not install heater. Call

dealer where you bought heater for proper type heater.

INSTALLATION ITEMS

Before installing heater, make sure you have the items listed below.

• piping (check local codes)

• sealant (resistant to propane gas)

• manual shutoff valve *

• ground joint union

• test gauge connection * (see

Figure 12, page 14)

• sediment trap

• tee joint

• pipe wrench

*An A.G.A. design-certified manual shutoff valve with1/8" NPT tapis an acceptable

alternative to test gauge connection. Purchase the optional A.G.A. design-certified

manual shutoff valve from your dealer. See Accessory, page 25.

LOCATING HEATER

This heater is designed to be mounted on a wall.

WARNING ICON G 001

WARNING

Maintain the minimum clearances shown in Figure 4 (page 10). If

you can, provide greater clearances from floor, ceiling, and join-

ing wall.

WARNING ICON G 001

WARNING

Never install the heater

•in a bedroom or bathroom (VN12A)

•in a recreational vehicle

•wherecurtains,furniture,clothing,orotherflammableobjectsare

less than 36 inches from the front, top, or sides of the heater

•as a fireplace insert

•in high traffic areas

•in windy or drafty areas

WARNING ICON G001

CAUTION

This heater creates warm air currents. These currents move heat

to wall surfaces next to heater. Installing heater next to vinyl or

cloth wall coverings or operating heater where impurities in the air

(such as tobacco smoke) exist, may discolor walls.

WARNING ICON G 001

CAUTION

If you install the heater in a home garage

•heater pilot and burner must be at least 18 inches above floor

•locate heater where moving vehicle will not hit it

IMPORTANT:

Vent-free heaters add moisture to the air. Although this is beneficial, in-

stalling heater in rooms without enough ventilation air may cause mildew to form from

too much moisture. See Fresh Air for Combustion and Ventilation, pages 5 through 8.

100845

2. Mark two mounting screw locations on wall (see Figure 5).

INSTALLING HEATER TO WALL

Marking Screw Locations

1. Determine where you will locate heater.

Figure 5 - Mounting Screw Locations

Mounting

Screw

Locations

10 7/8"

Minimum To

Maintain 8"

Clearance

From Wall

7 3/4"

20 1/4"

Minimum To

Maintain 3"

Clearance

From Floor

FLOOR

JOINING WALL

WARNING ICON G 001

WARNING

Maintain minimum clearances shown in Figure 5. If you can,

provide greater clearances from floor and joining wall.

INSTALLING

TO WALL

Continued

For convenience and efficiency, install heater

• where there is easy access for operation, inspection, and service

• in coldest part of room

Figure 4 - Mounting Clearances As Viewed From Front of Heater

36"

FLOOR

CEILING

Minimum

Minimum To Top Surface

Of Carpeting, Tile Or Other

Combustible Material

Minimum

From

Sides Of

Heater

Right

Side

Left

Side

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