Vanguard VGN30 Quick start guide

Save this manual for future reference.
®
WARNING: If the information in this manual
is not followed exactly, a fire or explosion
may result causing property damage, per-
sonal 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.
• Do not touch any electrical switch; do
not use any phone in your building.
• Immediatelycallyourgassupplierfrom
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 per-
formed by a qualified installer, service
agency, or the gas supplier.
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Model: VGN30
OWNER’S OPERATION AND INSTALLATION MANUAL
VENT-FREE NATURAL GAS GARAGE HEATER
WARNING:Improperinstallation,
adjustment, alteration, service, or
maintenance can cause injury or
property damage. Refer to this
manualforcorrectinstallationand
operationalprocedures.Forassis-
tance or additional information
consult a qualified installer, ser-
vice agency, or the gas supplier.

2
CONTENTS SECTION PAGE
Safety Information......................................................................... 2
Product Identification .................................................................... 4
Local Codes ...................................................................................4
Unpacking......................................................................................4
Product Features ............................................................................4
Installing To Wall.......................................................................... 5
Connecting To Gas Supply............................................................10
Checking Gas Connections............................................................11
Operating Heater ........................................................................... 13
Inspecting Burner ..........................................................................15
Cleaning And Maintenance ...........................................................17
Troubleshooting.............................................................................17
Technical Service ..........................................................................21
Specifications ................................................................................ 21
Service Hints ................................................................................. 21
Replacement Parts .........................................................................22
Accessories ....................................................................................23
Illustrated Parts List.......................................................................24, 25
Warranty Information .................................................................... Back Cover
Safety Information continues on next page
!
WARNING ICON G001
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, electrical shock, 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
resembletheflu,withheadaches,dizziness, ornausea.If youhavethese signs,the
heatermay not beworking properly.Getfreshairat once!Haveheater 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 exits.
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

3
SAFETY
INFORMATION
Continued
!
WARNING ICON G 001
WARNINGS Continued
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. Never install the heater
• in sleeping quarters, a mobile home, or 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
4. Open window or garage door to admit fresh, outside air when using heater.
Open window one (1) or two (2) inches. When used without fresh, outside air,
heater may give off carbon monoxide gas.
5. Never run heater in small, closed room.
6. If heater shuts off, do not relight until you provide fresh, outside air. If heater
keeps shutting off, have it serviced.
7. Do not run heater
• where flammable liquids or vapors are used or stored
• under dusty conditions
8. Never place any objects on the heater.
9. 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.
10.Make sure grill guard is in place before running heater.
11.Do not alter heater or its controls. Any change may create a safety hazard.
12.Do not use heater if any part of heater has been under water.
13.Turn off and unplug heater and let cool before servicing. Only a qualified
service person should service and repair heater.
14. Do not operate heater above elevations of 4,500 feet.

4
PRODUCT
IDENTIFICATION
Figure 1 - Vent-Free Natural Gas Garage Heater
Ignitor Button Control Knob
Heater
Cabinet
Front
Panel
Heat
Shield
Grill
Guard
LOCAL CODES Install and use heater with care. Follow all local codes. In the absence of local
codes, use the latest edition of National 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 garage 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.

5
INSTALLING
TO WALL NOTICE
Aqualifiedservicepersonmustinstallheater.Followalllocalcodes.
CHECK GAS TYPE
Use only natural gas. If your gas supply is not natural gas, do not install heater. Call
dealer where you bought heater for proper type heater.
INSTALLATION ITEMS
Before installing the 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 10, page 11)
• sediment trap
• tee joint
• pipe wrench
* AnA.G.A.design certified manualshutoffvalve with 1/8"NPTtap is anacceptable
alternative to test gauge connection. Purchase the optional A.G.A. design certified
manual shutoff valve from your dealer. See ACCESSORIES, page 23.
LOCATING HEATER
This heater is designed to be mounted on a wall.
!
WARNING ICON G 001
WARNING
Maintain the minimum clearances shown in Figure 2 (page 6). If
you can, provide greater clearances from floor, ceiling, and join-
ing wall.
Continued
!
WARNING ICON G001
WARNING
Never install the heater
•in sleeping quarters, a mobile home, or 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
NOTICE
Do not install or operate heater in areas where impurities in the air
(such as tobacco smoke) exist. Particles from these impurities may
discolor walls.

6
CAUTION
When installing, locate heater where moving vehicle will not hit it.
!
WARNING ICON G001
Figure 2 - Mounting Clearances As Viewed From Front of Heater
GRH/PV 009A
CLEARANCE-Garage heater
36"
16 3/4"
FLOOR
CEILING
Minimum
Minimum To Top
Surface of
Combustible Material
6"
Minimum
From
Sides Of
Heater
Left
Side Right Side
For convenience and efficiency, install heater
•where there is easy access for operation, inspection, and service
•where strong wind gusts from an open door or garage door can not blow
directly into heater.
An optional fan kit is available from your dealer. See ACCESSORIES, page 23. If
planning to use fan, locate heater near an electrical outlet.

7
Methods For Attaching Mounting Bracket To Wall
Only use last hole on each end of mounting bracket to attach bracket to wall. These
two holes are 16 inches apart from their centers. Attach mounting bracket to wall in
one of two ways.
1. Attaching to wall stud
2. Attaching to wall anchor
Attaching to wall stud This method provides the strongest hold. Insert mounting
screws through mounting bracket and into wall studs.
Attaching to wall anchor This method allows you to attach mounting bracket to
hollow walls (wall areas between studs) or to solid walls (concrete or masonry).
Decide which method better suits your needs. Either method will provide a secure
hold for the mounting bracket.
INSTALLING HEATER TO WALL
Mounting Bracket
The mounting bracket is located on back panel of heater. It has been taped there for
shipping. Remove mounting bracket from back panel.
Figure 3 - Mounting Bracket Location
GRH/OV 003B FRONT PANEL REMOVAL G H
Figure 4 - Removing Front Panel Of Heater
Removing Front Panel Of Heater
1. Remove two screws near bottom corners of front panel.
2. Lift straight up on grill guard until it stops. Grill guard will slide up about 1/4".
3. Pull bottom of front panel forward, then down.
4. Remove cardboard packing from grill and heat shield.
Mounting
Bracket

8
18 3/4"
Min.
11"
Min. 16"
Adjoining Wall
Only Insert Mounting
Screws Through Last
Hole On Each End
Floor
Marking Screw Locations
1. Tape mounting bracket to wall where heater will be located. Make sure mount-
ing bracket is level.
Attaching Mounting Bracket To Wall
Note: Wall anchors, mounting screws, and spacers are in hardware package. The
hardware package is provided with heater.
Attaching to wall stud method
For attaching mounting bracket to wall studs
1. Drill holes at marked locations using 9/64" drill bit.
2. Place mounting bracket onto wall. Line up last hole on each end of bracket with
holes drilled in wall.
3. Insert mounting screws through bracket and into wall studs.
4. Tighten screws until mounting bracket is firmly fastened to wall studs.
Attaching to wall anchor method
For attaching mounting bracket to hollow walls (wall areas between studs) or solid
walls (concrete or masonry)
1. Drill holes at marked locations using 5/16" drill bit. For solid walls (concrete or
masonry), drill at least 1" deep.
2. Fold wall anchor as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 5 - Mounting Bracket Clearances
2. Mark screw locations on wall (see Figure 5).
Note: Only mark last hole on each end of mounting bracket. Insert mounting
screws through these holes only.
3. Remove tape and mounting bracket from wall.
!
WARNING ICON G001
WARNING
Maintain minimum clearances shown in Figure 5. If you can,
provide greater clearances from floor and joining wall.
3. Insert wall anchor (wings first) into hole. Tap anchor flush to wall.
Figure 6 - Folding Anchor
Continued
32 1/2"

9
4. For thin walls (1/2" or less), insert red key into wall anchor. Push red key to
“pop”open anchor wings.
IMPORTANT: Do not hammer key!
For thick walls (over 1/2" thick) or solid walls, do not pop open wings.
Figure 9 - Installing Bottom Mounting Screws
Figure 7 - Popping Open Anchor Wings For Thin Walls
5. Place mounting bracket onto wall. Line up last hole on each end of bracket with
wall anchors.
6. Insert mounting screws through bracket and into wall anchors.
7. Tighten screws until mounting bracket is firmly fastened to wall.
Placing Heater On Mounting Bracket
1. Locate two horizontal slots on back panel of heater.
2. Place heater onto mounting bracket. Slide horizontal slots onto stand-out tabs on
mounting bracket.
Figure 8 - Mounting Heater Onto Mounting Bracket
Stand-Out Tab
Horizontal Slots
Mounting Bracket
(attached to wall)
Installing Bottom Mounting Screws
1. Locate two bottom mounting holes. These holes are near bottom on back panel
of heater (see Figure 9).
2. Mark screw locations on wall.
3. Remove heater from mounting bracket.
4. If installing bottom mounting screws into hollow or solid wall, install wall
anchors. Follow steps 1 thru 4 under Attaching To Wall Anchor Method, page 8.
If installing bottom mounting screw into wall stud, drill holes at marked loca-
tions using 9/64" drill bit.
5. Replace heater onto mounting bracket.
6. Place spacers between bottom mounting holes and wall anchor or drilled hole.
7. Hold spacer in place with one hand. With other hand, insert mounting screw
through bottom mounting hole and spacer. Place tip of screw in opening of wall
anchor or drilled hole.
8. Tighten both screws until heater is firmly secured to wall. Do not over tighten.
Note: Do not replace front panel at this time. Replace front panel after making
gas connections and checking for leaks (see pages 10-12).

10
CONNECTING
TO GAS
SUPPLY
NOTICE
A qualified service person must connect heater to gas supply.
Follow all local codes.
!
WARNING ICON G 001
WARNING
Never connect heater to private (non-utility) gas wells. This gas is
commonly known as well-head gas.
IMPORTANT: Check gas line pressure before connecting heater to gas line. Gas
line pressure must be no greater than 14 inches of water. If gas line pressure is
higher, heater regulator damage could occur.
Installation must include a manual shutoff valve, union, and plugged 1/8" NPT tap.
Locate NPT tap within reach for test gauge hook up. NPT tap must be upstream
from heater (see Figure 10, page 11).
Apply pipe joint sealant lightly to male threads. This will prevent excess sealant
from going into pipe. Excess sealant in the pipe could result in clogged heater
valves.
CAUTION
Use pipe joint sealant that is resistant to liquid petroleum (LP) gas.
!
WARNING ICON G 001
CAUTION
Use only new, black iron or steel pipe. Copper tubing may be used
in certain areas. Check your local codes. Use pipe of 1/2" diameter
or greater to allow proper gas volume to heater. If pipe is too small,
undue loss of pressure will occur.
!
WARNING ICON G001
Install sediment trap in supply line as shown in Figure 10. Locate sediment trap
where it is within reach for cleaning. Locate sediment trap where trapped matter is
not likely to freeze. A sediment trap traps moisture and contaminants. This keeps
them from going into heater controls. If sediment trap is not installed or is installed
wrong, heater may not run properly.