Eric the Heater Guy
Patio heater repair across SoCal — from heaters that won't ignite to units that won't stay lit. If your patio heaters aren't working, your outdoor seating isn't working.
Tell me what the heater is doing — not the model number, not the part you think it needs. Most commercial patio heater and heat lamp failures fall into a short list, and each one points somewhere specific. I service all major brands, including heat lamps I didn't sell you. Here's what I'd be checking on a service visit.
Likely area: the ignition chain — igniter, pilot assembly, gas supply.
What I'd check on a visit: whether the pilot is getting gas and spark, whether the igniter is actually firing, and whether gas is reaching the unit at all.
When parts may be needed: igniters and pilot assemblies are the usual suspects.
Likely area: flame sensing and the safety circuit — thermocouple, tilt switch, flame sensor.
What I'd check on a visit: whether the safety circuit is doing its job or failing, and why it's cutting the flame minutes after lighting.
When parts may be needed: thermocouples, tilt switches, and flame sensors.
Likely area: burner and emitter condition, gas pressure, regulator.
What I'd check on a visit: flame quality and actual heat output against what the unit should produce. Some "weak" heaters aren't broken — they're starved by an undersized gas line.
When parts may be needed: regulators, burners, and emitters.
Likely area: the pilot assembly — fouling, alignment, gas flow.
What I'd check on a visit: pilot flame quality and stability before touching anything downstream. Most pilot issues are upstream of the parts people want to replace.
When parts may be needed: pilot assemblies and orifices.
Likely area: burner fouling, damage, or gas delivery.
What I'd check on a visit: burner condition and flame pattern across the full surface — uneven flames tell the story.
When parts may be needed: burners and emitter screens.
Likely area: controls, wiring, and connections — on electric infrared units and electronic-ignition gas heaters.
What I'd check on a visit: the control chain and connections, tested before anything gets replaced. I test; I don't swap and pray.
When parts may be needed: switches, controls, and elements.
Likely area: housing, mounts, reflectors.
What I'd check on a visit: whether the damage is cosmetic or structural — and whether repair still makes economic sense versus replacement.
When parts may be needed: housings, mounts, and reflectors.
Shut the heater down. Don't try to light it, don't keep using the patio around it.
Gas leaks jump the queue — call (818) 590-5952 directly. This is the one symptom where the right move is a phone call, not a form.
Some fixes are regulated work. I won't pretend otherwise.
If a diagnosis points at a gas line modification, a new electrical circuit or panel work, structural re-mounting, or anything requiring a permit, that work belongs to a licensed installer — and I'll tell you so upfront. I document exactly what's needed and coordinate the licensed work, so you're dealing with one point of contact instead of two trades pointing at each other.
I respond to every service request within 48–72 hours. If your patio heaters aren't working, your outdoor seating isn't working — I don't sit on tickets.
Answer a few questions below — brand, fuel, and symptom get me most of the way to a diagnosis before I arrive.
Most jobs diagnosed on the first visit.
Back to heating, with findings explained clearly.
Ask about seasonal maintenance before peak season.
One dead heater on a twelve-heater patio is a seating problem.
Restaurant patios run heaters hard, and they tend to fail in groups — same age, same exposure, same wear. I service multi-unit installs and full fleets, scheduled around your service hours, and I work on heaters I didn't sell. Most of my service work is on existing installs.
After the repair, ask about a maintenance plan — one preseason visit beats a row of dead heaters in December.
Beyond the limit of repair? Sometimes the answer is a second life.
I keep a rotating stock of refurbished, demo, and pre-owned Sunglo heaters — inspected, tested, and backed by me. When one of your units can't be saved, a refurbished replacement keeps the patio heated at a smaller price tag.
Five answers and I show up already knowing what I'm walking into. Brand, fuel, and symptom get me most of the way to a diagnosis before I arrive.
Brand-specific diagnosis, parts, and service notes.
Wall- and ceiling-mount gas units — ignition chain, flame sensing, burner and gas-pressure diagnosis.
Portable gas heaters — pilot and thermocouple faults, regulators, rebuild-grade teardowns.
Electric infrared — elements, controls, wiring, and mounting.
Looking at the equipment itself? Sunpak · Sunglo · Infratech · Italkero · Sunwood Marino · SunStar
Keep them running: maintenance plans. Buying instead of fixing? Get a quote.
Usually, yes. A heater that ignites then shuts off is typically suffering from a flame-sensing or safety-circuit fault — thermocouple, tilt switch, or flame sensor — which is a straightforward repair, not a replacement.
Yes — most of my service work is on heaters I didn't sell, including other brands' installs. That's the business.
I respond to every service request within 48–72 hours across Ventura, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara counties. Gas leaks are prioritized — call (818) 590-5952 directly.
Yes — brand-specific parts for Sunpak, Sunglo, Infratech, Italkero, Sunwood Marino, and SunStar: igniters, pilots, thermocouples, valves, burners, emitters, and controls.
I'll tell you straight. If the repair costs more than the unit's remaining life is worth, I'll say replace — and quote the replacement too. I also keep refurbished Sunglo heaters in stock.
Yes — multi-unit service for restaurants, hotels, and venues, scheduled around your operating hours.
Eric the Heater Guy