Toyotomi (Zibro) LC-32 Burner Mat Replacement

[Wadey68]

Hi,
my first post, so thank you all for being here!

From reading the forum on these types of heater I think I have identified my problem as I have a large hole in the burner mat.

I have cleaned the old mat and residue off and replaced the mat with a silica fibre woven cloth I used Victas fire cement and bedded it into that.

How long should I leave it before I light the burner? I have it in the oven at 100C to help the cure.

Many thanks,

Lee

[TinyTool]

Hi Lee, welcome to the forum!
Good to have you here. I’d suggest waiting for hawkins111 to respond. He has shared a lot about Toyotomi heaters in the past and might have some useful insights on curing and the burner mat.

In the meantime, here’s what I found online:

• Fire cement usually needs a short air-dry, then gentle heating for a couple of hours before full use. The 24-hour wait you mentioned is safe but a bit more cautious than most guides suggest.
• Oven at 100 °C isn’t officially recommended. Too much heat too soon can crack the cement. The safer approach is to heat it gradually using the heater itself, starting on low.
• Burner mat material — I couldn’t find confirmation that generic silica fibre cloth is an approved replacement. The official Toyotomi mat is made specifically for the LC‑32, so it might be worth checking compatibility.

This is what I could find online. Again, I’d recommend waiting for hawkins111, as he may have firsthand experience with this model and can give more specific advice.

[TinyTool]

hawkins111, could you take a look at this question about replacing a Toyotomi burner mat?

[Wadey68]

Hi TinyTool,

thanks for the welcome, and thanks for looking into this for me.

I cured it for about 3 hours in the oven, no cracking and it feels hard and cured. I tried to light it today with no luck.
The reason I chose the silica fibre cloth for the mat material was because of this thread

https://homerepairforum.com/forum/indoor-home-repair/hvac/monitor-heaters/12349-material-for-making-a-burner-mat-cloth-for-monitor-40

Maybe it is not suitable for this heater? I am quite open to trying different materials because it will cost me £60 for a mat from US or Europe. I can find no stock in the UK.

The original mat looks like fibreglass to me, 500c ish 950F ish? Is that enough?

Lee.

[TinyTool]

You're welcome, Lee! I looked at the Monitor 40 thread you shared. From what I found, the Monitor 40 is a vented wall heater with a different burner pot design compared to your Toyotomi LC‑32 laser heater. The burner chamber size, airflow and heat distribution are all different, so a mat that works for a Monitor might not behave the same in the LC‑32.

Since the heater isn't lighting, a few things could be causing the issue:

• The mat material, thickness, or weave may not be suitable
• The mat might not be seated properly
• There could be something else entirely unrelated to the mat replacement

I understand the £60 cost is steep for a burner mat. Since I’m not an expert, it might be best to either wait for hawkins111 to weigh in, since he may be familiar with this model, or contact a Toyotomi dealership to get the exact specifications for the LC‑32 burner mat. They can also answer your question about whether a fibreglass-type material rated around 500 °C (950 °F) is sufficient. Getting the right specifications could help you find a suitable alternative material more safely if you need one.

It will be interesting to hear what hawkins111 or a Toyotomi specialist suggests. Keep us posted!

[hawkins111]

This type of heater is not sold in America by Toyotomi USA. I have never seen one and don't know anything about them. Sorry.

Tom

[TinyTool]

Thanks for checking in, Tom! I appreciate you taking the time to look at this.

Lee, since Tom isn't familiar with the LC-32 model, I'd recommend reaching out to a Toyotomi dealer or service centre in the UK that handles this heater. They should be able to confirm the exact burner mat specifications and help troubleshoot why it's not lighting.

In the meantime, a few things to check:

• Is the mat seated properly in the burner pot?
• Are there any error codes or unusual messages when you try to start it?
• Did anything else get disturbed during the mat replacement?

Getting the correct specifications from Toyotomi will give you the best basis for either buying the exact part or sourcing a suitable alternative safely.

Please keep us updated on what you find out. Your experience could help others working on LC-32 repairs!

[Wadey68]

Hi,
Thanks TinyTool

I would like to know what the important characteristics of the mat are., and how it 'holds' fuel. The original mat looks like a weave with gaps in. Is that important??

The temperature of 500°C for fibreglass should be good for the material, because the fuel will combust at 250°C that is delivered to the mat. Doesn't ensure longevity of the mat or suitability though.

I have been experimenting in safe conditions outside with a fire blanket ( the 1m x 1m silica fabric from earlier) and a powder extinguisher.

I got my old LC-DX320 out of the garage which I am fairly sure was sounding like it was a burner mat problem. The symptoms were loss of heat output, the odd E-0 or E-7? and eventually not starting and E-2. I replaced the mat on this unit today with a 15 Oz /400g fibreglass cloth. I cured it in the oven for an hour and rebuilt the heater. This fired up staright away, although the flame had a slight amount of dancing yellow/orange in there.. I turned the heat setting down and I got an E-7. I relit it OK and ran on a moderate heat for 45 minutes and turned it down to minimum for 15 minutes. The flame appeared much better/blue at this stage and good heat output. So, this cloth could be a potential, but I will keep testing it.



DX320 - New mat cemented in



DX320 - New mat after running for an hour.

I went back to the LC-32, replaced the mat with the same material as the DX and rebuilt. This wouldn't fire and had the same E-2. I noticed that these 2 heaters appear to have identical pumps and burner pots and the same 3.2KW output. So I swapped them over for a quick test. The LC-32 now fires up and works and the DX is not firing and E-2 error. Pump then???

Well, I shutdown the LC-32 after a 10 minute burn, left it for 2 hours and fired it up again. This time I was greeted with greyish smoke on the strat up, it ran fine after this. I ran it for an hour and it seemed to be working fine. I have finished with LC-32 for now as the pump isn't working. Anybody have experience to repair these pumps?



I have now have the DX320 running with the pictured mat and it's original pump.

I will check the mat condition after several hours of running.

[TinyTool]

Hi Lee,

You've done some great work figuring this out and swapping the pumps between the two heaters was a smart move. From what you described, everything points to the pump being the likely problem, since the LC-32 worked fine with the DX pump and the DX showed the E-2 code with the LC-32 pump.

From what I found, these small solenoid-style pumps can fail in a few ways. Sometimes the coil stops working, and other times old fuel residue blocks the internal parts. A few simple things you can check:

• When the heater tries to start, see if the pump makes its usual clicking or vibration. If it stays completely quiet, it might not be getting power or the coil could be bad.
• If you have a multimeter, check whether the pump is getting voltage when the unit starts up. If power is present but the pump does nothing, it's likely faulty.
• If it clicks but you still get an E-2, it could be struggling to move fuel. Try cleaning the small screen or nozzle on the outlet side, and make sure the fuel pickup sock and line are clear.
• You can also do a short test by letting the pump run into a small container to see if fuel comes out. Do this carefully and outdoors.

About the mat, it looks well seated in your photos. The small gaps in the weave are important because they help the fuel spread and vaporize evenly. What I found is that fiberglass can handle the temperatures these heaters reach, although I couldn't find an exact number for combustion temperature. Kerosene heaters burn vaporized fuel, so the flame temperature varies depending on airflow and fuel mix. Some fiberglass materials have an acrylic binder that burns off around 400°F (about 200°C), which could explain the light smoke you saw at first startup.

There isn't clear information comparing fiberglass to the original Toyotomi mat material, but what I found suggests fiberglass can work if it's seated properly and the burn pattern looks even. Longevity might vary depending on the weave and binder used, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on the flame and the mat's condition over time. If the flame stays mostly blue and the mat holds up after several hours of use, it should be fine to keep testing it.

Worth focusing on the pump diagnosis first to see if it's repairable or needs replacing. Once that's sorted, you'll get a clearer picture of how the new mat performs. Keep us updated, thanks!

[Wadey68]

Thanks again TinyTool when I get back to looking at the LC-32 again I will deifinitely take onboard your suggested tests.

I put an ohm meter across various points on the pumps (whilst disconnected) and compared the results from both - i didn't see any major differences between the 2 pumps, this could obviously change when it is running. I have an oscilloscope too, so I can get a more dynamic look at the pump signals and voltages when it is running.

On saturday I ran the DX for a few hours outside at full load and min load, it ran perfectly. This prompted me to move it indoors for the evening, it ran faultlessly for 5 or 6 hours with a lovely even blue flame. I also ran it last night for the same period of time with the same results. I will carefully test this for the rest of this week, not leaving unattended and extingusiher onhand, and then examine the burn mat and post some results and pictures afterwards.

Thanks TinyTool for all your input and keeping this thread going.

[TinyTool]

You’re welcome! It’s good to hear the DX320 is running so well. That mostly blue flame suggests the mat is seated properly and fuel is spreading reasonably evenly. Running it at full and low load for a few hours like that is a smart way to test it safely. Good thinking on using the oscilloscope for the LC-32 pump. If the signals look normal but it’s still not pumping fuel, then it’s likely something stuck inside mechanically. Once you finish testing, checking the mat’s condition and flame pattern will show how well it’s holding up. Keep an eye on it and post updates when you can.