Big Buddy Fan: Finding a Fan For a Big Buddy Heater (Guide)
Comfort levels are never the same. If you like cooler temperatures, your partner may like warmer ones. You may like a fan, your partner may like the radiating heat. Sometimes it is hard to get both fan and radiating heat in the same heater, but it can be done.
They are around. Some people said they are older models as Big Buddy discontinued the models that came with a fan. However, Amazon seems to have a good supply of those heaters with a fan. So may other outlets that sell this type of heater.
To learn more about the Big Buddy and fan situation, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can find a Big Buddy heater that fits your preference. Not all models may come with a fan
Big Buddy Fan 101
Does Big Buddy Have a Fan?
Some models do and others do not. You may have to contact Mr. Heater at their website to find out which ones will or won’t have a fan. One of the ones that do is this one: Mr. Heater F274830 MH18BRV Big Buddy Grey Indoor-Safe Portable RV Propane Heater (4,000, 9,000, and 18,000 BTU).
One of the ones that do not is this one: Mr. Heater MH18B Propane Heater, Red. You may have to look long and hard to find a model that has a fan. Some people had to go to different outlets that deal in older models of different products to get theirs.
There is a legitimate non-business reason why the Big Buddies may not be including a fan and we will get to that reason in a few sections. Everything changes depending on people’s and official attitudes.
What was once safe is no longer safe for whatever reason someone may have. Unfortunately, the responsible people do not seem to carry enough weight to stop others from banning devices that are safe to use.
Which Big Buddy Heater Has a Fan?
As we just said, this gray model, Mr. Heater F274830 MH18BRV Big Buddy, does come with a fan. It is powered by 4 D cell batteries or an AC adapter. You have to scroll down at Amazon to find that information.
Then this model, Mr. Heater MH18B Propane Heater, does not come with a fan assembly or the switch. If you add either of those or a fan, you may void your warranty.
For this model option, Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Propane Heater with 10-Feet Propane Hose Assembly and Propane Tank Refill Adapter, there is no mention of a fan included or if the fan assembly has been removed or not.
Finally, this Big Buddy fan unit, Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater, does not mention a fan either.
It may be a difficult search to get that accessory these days as some people feel that fans are not needed with radiant heat. Or they think that the fan would be too dangerous. They think it is a greater fire hazard with a fan than without one.
We say does not mention because advertisers do not always put all the information in their ads like the first two models did.
Big Buddy Heater With Fan Model Number
Mr. Heater's 18,000 BTU Portable Tough Buddy Propane Heater seems to be the only model that comes with a fan. Its numbers are: Item #131258 and Model #MH18B. We checked the Mr. heater website and they did not mention on the ones we looked at if there was a fan or not.
If it says radiant heat, then most likely it may not have a fan. At least the one we saw at Menard’s did not say it had a fan. Of the 5 models we checked at Amazon, the only one that had a fan was the one mentioned in previous sections.
Most said they did not have a fan or did not say anything at all. To get a heater with a fan, you may have to check to see where the fan was made. The US-based source will ship the exact stock back cover with an integrated fan.
What that means is that you need to contact the US company to get the fan. They will ship the exact stock number you want with the fan included.
Why Did Mr. Heater Remove The Fan From Big Buddy Heater?
The upcoming information comes from the Mr. Heater website and it talks about why the fan is no longer included in many purchases:
“Due to recent governmental changes to import tariffs, Mr. Heater has removed the fan on some models of the Mr. Heater Big Buddy® (MH18B). We apologize for the inconvenience and confusion this has caused some customers. Please feel free to contact Mr. Heater Technical Service with any questions by phone at (800)-251-0001 or email on the Contact Us form.”
This was and was not a business decision as the tariffs would be quite high if they included fans and the bottom line does have some influence. However, different governments have a bigger influence when it comes to shipping, making, and exporting products.
How do You Install a Fan In a Big Buddy Heater?
Step one- remove the back of your heater
Step two- you can attach a power box to power the fan but it might be overkill. Use a power source that is appropriate for the fan and give it enough power to power all fan speeds. You can use 8 AA batteries as well.
Step three- there is a hole in the Big Buddy backing where you need to attach the fan.
That is all there is to it. Just make sure your connections are secure. You can use different fan models or designs to add the unit to your Big Buddy heater. When it comes to electricity, make sure you know what you are doing as it is easy to make a mistake.
Let someone who has electrical experience do the job as they can easily find the problem if a mistake was made. It takes about 15 minutes to do those few steps. Once done, you should have better and faster heat coverage.
Big Buddy Heater Fan Adapter
These you should be able to find just about anywhere. Amazon seems to have more than enough vendors selling them. You just need to find the vendor you can trust and who has the right price.
Mr. Heater, the maker of Big Buddy, also sells their own adapters for their Big Buddy lineup. You just need to go to their website and find the one for the model you own.
Prices are reasonable, even on the Mr. Heater's website. It is only $22.00 approx. You can also try Walmart and other big box stores or the Home Improvement outlets to see what selection they may have.
Don’t forget to check electrical supply stores and other outlets that sell electrical supplies. The prices at these places may vary but they should be reasonable as well.
Big Buddy Fan Not Working
There will be a few reasons why the fan will not be working. It is an electrical part and most of the problems will be electrical in nature. One source may be a loose wire or other connection. Wires can get loose from time to time especially if they are jostled about when you are traveling.
Another source would be that it is not plugged in. This happens more often than not. Someone may not realize that a family member unplugged it and keeps turning the power on and off.
A third possible source would be the fan motor. If it has worn out, it will not turn anything and would need to be replaced. Or the power cord got cut or broken. This happens when it is put in and out of storage frequently.
A fourth possible option is the power source or batteries are out of power. They may need to be recharged or replaced. Then a broken fan switch may be the reason you are having trouble with the fan.
About the only part that won’t cause you a problem would be the fan blades. Unless they get bent too far and stop the rest of the blades from turning.
Mr. Heater Big Buddy Fan Noise
Most of the time, the Big Buddy fan is considered to be quite quiet. That is good news for light sleepers or those who do not want to be disturbed. There are fans that make a lot of noise but this does not seem to be one of them.
About the only time it is really noisy is when the heater is running out of fuel. Then the whole unit may make a lot of noise. The fans may provide white noise and if you do not like that, you may consider it to be noisy.
of course, noise is subjective at times. There are some people who are never bothered by minor noises like fans. Then there are those people who think a cat’s meow is too noisy.
Your experience and ear sensitivity will play a role in how noisy you view Big Buddy fans. Then in small places like an RV, trailer, or tent, you may think those fans are quite loud.
Finding a Mr. Heater Big Buddy Replacement Fan
Fans are a common product and you may not be limited to just buying a Big Buddy model. You may find that other fans may work and are better to use. It will depend on how you want your Big Buddy to look when the fan is attached.
The first stop would be Amazon. This marketplace carries at least one model of a back cover with the fan. We also found different smaller outlets that advertise that they have these replacement fans in stock.
There is a place called Equip Supply and their replacement fans are about $11 cheaper than you can find on Amazon. Another place called ereplacementparts has replacement parts for different Big Buddy heaters.
Their prices seem to be reasonable and you can talk to them about a back cover with a fan or just a replacement fan. If you buy at Amazon expect to pay between $50 and $60 while the price at Equip Supply is $45.
Big Buddy Heater Fan Kit
We checked at Amazon and while they have many fans it doe snot seem that they have any Big Buddy fan kits. They had replacement fans but no kits on the results page. You may have to pick up the parts separately.
You can try Mr. Heater. Search their product pages and see if they have any available. Or you can contact them directly using their contact page and talk to them about this part.
We say that because our search did not turn up anything significant in the way of fan kits. You can try the two parts stores we mentioned earlier to see if they have any available.
There are some YouTube videos talking about conversion but whether it will work for your model of Big Buddy heater is another thing. But do your own checking to see if you can find one. You never know when Home Depot or Lowe’s, etc., may have on in stock.
Some Final Words
While many Big Buddy heaters do not come with a fan, you can still get the fan included. You just need to talk to Mr. heater or the store you like to shop at. They are still available in the US. In other countries not so much.
On cold nights, the Big Buddy can be a very big aid to your RV’s or trailer’s heating system. They are powerful and radiate the heat quite well without the fan. You may want to try that option as well.
