Chinese diesel heater

Mike T - it could be the diesel going soapy.

My pump is mounted vertically as recommended and is well wrapped with insulation to try to minimise the ticking noise. I have not insulated the header tank even though the whole assembly is mounted outside albeit fully enclosed (see blog image). The enclosure is a double decked affair with the heater on the lower level. The residual heat from the heater therefore warms the inside of the enclosure with the header tank directly above the heater. The fuel and the pump therefore benefit from protection.

Hello Alan

I've seen your external installation. Very neat.

Could you please explain and expand on

" Mike T - it could be the diesel going soapy."

Regards

Mike

Re vertically mounted pump, on the Eberspacher the pump has to be at an angle to work. Mine is around 60 degrees and works with heating oil and diesel piped up from a floor mounted beer barrel.

A 1Kw electric heater without any external ducting gives off exactly 1Kw of heat, there are no losses, except those which heat up the body of the heater, and they are reclaimed after the power is switched off.. Same with an electric kettle, the heating of the body and the surplace water eventually adds heat to the room, reducing slightly the power needed for heating. The surplace heat is only wasted if the room temperature is naturally high enough to not benefit from that added heat, such as in the summer.

Yes, a basic electric heater converts all of the electrical input to heat. The only exception as a a fan heater which has some noise output but that is insignificant.

Yes exactly that, but I suspect everyone knew what I meant.

Thanks for all the input from you members. I did go ahead last night & order one. The one without the enclosed cabinet. I also ordered a t piece & 3 metres of extra 75mm hose. So i can have 2 outlets in the workshop. This is all going to be mounted in my garage.next to the workshop ,behind the interior wall. I already have a power supply. The tank is a wall mounted 10 litre version. All tips taken on board.

From all what you guys have said about cost & what testers have done on video's, I am hopeful that it will be a fair bit cheaper than Electricity.

Steve.

Mike T - sorry been off lunching ... diesel at low temperature thickens up and goes a bit like soap. I am guessing that modern lorries have some form of heater in their tanks to protect against extreme cold ?

Alan, winter diesel has additives to mitigate against waxing. Summer diesel used in winter conditions will be more likely to solidify - that may be the problem.

I never thought of using a Webasto/Erbespacher (sp?) heater in the workshop.

In a previous life, we did the winter Olympics at Lillehammer in Norway in 1994.. The Outside Broadcast trucks were parked in minus 20°C or so for about three weeks without turning a wheel.

When the event had finished and we were de rigging, the Norwegian guys helping us really knew their stuff. They climbed all over the truck engines and the Diesel lines with blowtorches, to thaw the Diesel that had turned waxy with the low temperatures.

Some transport trucks in cold countries are left running all winter, 24/7, because if they are allowed to freeze up, it is game over.

It was so cold, the air seals on the pneumatic mast I used to carry my transmitter aerials aloft would freeze and not seal, so the mast would not extend. So I had to lower the mast and cover it with insulation all night, and leave the internal heaters on in the technical area. The next morning I had just one chance to extend the mast and lock-off each section as it extended.

People have got a much better method over here by way of ticktoc. It involves two terracotta flower pots, one being a size smaller than the other, + one terracotta tray the same size as the top of the biggest pot, a piece of threaded rod and a dozen tea lights.

Bolt it all together without any washers cos they are 50p each and you get what looks a bit like a terracotta tree rocket powered by burning tea lights.

The tray gets hot, the pots are heavy and lean just a little, the tray cracks , everything falls over, the tea lights spill wax, which goes up all in one go, and the Brigade gets a call out to free entertainment from yet another Darwin attempt to cheaply (£20 worth of materials + all the redecoration costs) heat a room.

Yes fire in Derby caused by one of those, see BBC News

John

I actually saw an advert for making one of those on youtube

"Use this simple hack to heat your home!"

Edited By Ady1 on 12/12/2022 01:53:02

A case of believing everything written on the internet, or shown on youtube, as gospel - without the reader thinking? Sums up about half the population I might suggest?

A bit off topic but back in the 70’s a colleague of mine owned a moskvitch car and it was built to cope with the worst that a Russian winter could throw at it. Under the bonnet on the side of the engine block was a hand wheel which when turned opened a valve in the engine cooling system and dumped the entire contents of the cooling system, this was because when the weather was 30 - 40 degrees below zero antifreeze wouldn’t protect the engine from freezing so every time the engine was shut down for any period such as overnight the coolant was dumped and fresh hot water was added to the engine before starting. A very simple, practical and inexpensive method of frost protection. Dave W

Good write ups you have done Alan. Thanks for the links.

Steve.

Well it's been a while since I posted this thread. What a fiasco. Ordering from suppliers who have no stock etc. But show so many in stock.

I did eventually get one & have done a couple of video's of it. I bit of a fudge together of clips & pics but the final outcome has been very successful. I am still working on a air recirc circuit to reclaim ceiling heat, where of course it always ends up. For anyone thinking of fitting one (without burning your property down) Highly recommended.

Steve.

Steve-

A bit off topic perhaps, but what a fantastic Ducati and ride through the countryside video you have.

I guess it goes to show that some of us may look like mere mortal workshop dwellers, some of us have a wild side/wild ride every now and then.

I need to get out my trusty CR500 and take a spin in the new year.

Pat J

Edit:

I have toyed around with diesel burners for my foundry for a number of years, and have seen both compressed air nozzles, and pressure atomization nozzles with gear pump.

The small diesel heating units do appear to be very nice, and so compact.

Edited By PatJ on 29/12/2022 10:12:40