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Chinese diesel heater

Do I buy one ,, workshop

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Harry Wilkes05/01/2023 15:34:24
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1613 forum posts
72 photos

Oh dear it would seem some of us have 'keyboard diarrhoea' frown

H

mgnbuk05/01/2023 15:39:11
1394 forum posts
103 photos

There are two fundamental issues with the cheap chinese diesel heaters:
They are not designed for this application. .........

A heat generator is a heat generator.

I feel the same heat from one of these units regardless of whether or not it is mounted in a motorhome, boat, truck or building. I would be at just the same level of risk of CO poisoning, fire etc. when inhabiting a space heated by one of these devices either in my motorhome or in my garage - as I don't sleep in a space heated by one when in the garage like I did in the van, possibly at higher risk when using the heater for it's "intended" use ?.

I chose to heat my garage with one after experiencing similar units fitted in 2 French built motorhomes that used them for space heating. One of these installations was reliable & offered well distributed heat throughout the 6.7 metre van. The other was unreliable & the van suffered from a cold bathroom, yet both were the ostensibly the same model of van from the same French builder & used the same Webasto Evo 55 heater - quality of installation made the difference. You would have thought a motorhome manufacturer building thousands of vehicles a year using the same heaters would be able to get this right but, sadly (and expensively, as I sold that van on account of the poor heating system performance ) this was not the case.

A 2KW fan or convector heater makes little impression on my double garage / workshop & the way it is wired I can't use more electrical heating capacity. Being a detached building , I can't put radiators in run from the house CH, which probably doesn't have the extra capacity required anyway. I did try a Clarke "Little Devil" propane torpedo heater that I inherited from my father (which he used to heat his garage / workshop) once. Only once because, while it heated the space effectively, the condensation on my bikes was horrendous - direct combustion heaters put a lot of moisture into the atmosphere in addition to the combustion by products. I did consider at one time fitting a pot belly stove fuelled by scrounged wood, but installation of one compromises how I could layout the workshop & would probably be more of a fire risk than the diesel heater. An added complication now would be the requirement to use an Eco Design / Defra approved stove, so a lot more expense than the old pot belly units that Machine Mart used to sell + recycling pallets doesn't comply with the "ready to burn" fuel requirements either. Waste oil heaters are a no-no now also.

The indirect combustion diesel heaters offer an economical, workable solution to my particular issues. I am comfortable with my installation (steel frame heater mounting sat on a concrete floor, adjacent to a steel workbench, exhaust through a concrete wall, fuel drawn from a dip tube in a floor mounted tank away from the heater & only operated while I am in attendance). I would be happy to replace it if you could suggest something "approved" that I have overlooked ?

I have not come across any suggestion of a Chinese heater failing in a dangerous way or the heater itself (as opposed to the installation) being responsible for a fire. Indeed the opposite seems to be the case - plenty about on how these fail in such a way that they don't start or shut down having detected a fault.

Nigel B.

Steviegtr05/01/2023 16:31:45
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2668 forum posts
352 photos

There seems to be some porky's going on.

Just been on Vevor .com website. This is cut & paste through notepad direct from there site.

Diesel Vehicles & Indoor Use The bus heater is commonly applied for cab heating of various diesel vehicles, such as cars, RVs, buses, vans, trucks, boats, etc. It is also suitable for homes, warehouses, factories, offices, and other indoor uses.
Steve
Dave Halford05/01/2023 16:58:57
2536 forum posts
24 photos
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 16:31:45:

There seems to be some porky's going on.

Just been on Vevor .com website. This is cut & paste through notepad direct from there site.

Diesel Vehicles & Indoor Use The bus heater is commonly applied for cab heating of various diesel vehicles, such as cars, RVs, buses, vans, trucks, boats, etc. It is also suitable for homes, warehouses, factories, offices, and other indoor uses.
Steve

Steve,

There's more than 40 of them, which version is yours? Given you can't trust the paint colours.

Come to that one of them shows the heater outlet inches away from a sleeping child in a car seat and I don't believe for one minute anyone would take that sales pitch seriously.

You have to click the right photo arrow once to see that one

Edited By Dave Halford on 05/01/2023 17:00:12

jimmy b05/01/2023 17:14:08
avatar
857 forum posts
45 photos
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 15:26:51:

This whole post seems to me to be a very good reason not to post any workshop or build videos on this forum.

Seems to me even if you have a cable or pipe out of true or a seemingly non complient clamping on a workpiece it will bring down the wroth of some people on you.

Just my 2 pence worth on the subject.

regards

This why I don't post that I power my workshop with an extension lead, fed by a 3 pin plug.

I'm no doubt living on borrowed time (not that I care).

Jim

Steviegtr05/01/2023 17:14:21
avatar
2668 forum posts
352 photos
Posted by Dave Halford on 05/01/2023 16:58:57:
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 16:31:45:

There seems to be some porky's going on.

Just been on Vevor .com website. This is cut & paste through notepad direct from there site.

Diesel Vehicles & Indoor Use The bus heater is commonly applied for cab heating of various diesel vehicles, such as cars, RVs, buses, vans, trucks, boats, etc. It is also suitable for homes, warehouses, factories, offices, and other indoor uses.
Steve

Steve,

There's more than 40 of them, which version is yours? Given you can't trust the paint colours.

Come to that one of them shows the heater outlet inches away from a sleeping child in a car seat and I don't believe for one minute anyone would take that sales pitch seriously.

You have to click the right photo arrow once to see that one

Edited By Dave Halford on 05/01/2023 17:00:12

Hi Dave. The actual burner seems to be in only 2 sizes. The small bodied 2Kw & the badged 5-8KWSome as you will have seen are self contained with the fuel tank sat on top of the burner unit on a tin shelf. I have the open separate one. It is not a Vevor but basically they are much the same. A copy of an Eberspacher or webasto. It is a bit ironic the the Vevor pdf file says not suitable for buildings & then on there website it says they are. Not sure if there are some sort of get out clause in there. Some of the sellers show flames belching out of the front of them Others pics like the one you describe.

What i do find a shame is that basically talking of buying inferior Chinese products , when most or a large proportion of Forum members own Chinese mills & lathes & drill presses &. You see the point. Most electrical items are now produced there. Even some of the Branded items we think are worth the extra for are not made here any more. The UK has become a Distribution centre & commerce.

Steve.

Edited By Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:19:05

Steviegtr05/01/2023 17:20:32
avatar
2668 forum posts
352 photos
Posted by jimmy b on 05/01/2023 17:14:08:
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 15:26:51:

This whole post seems to me to be a very good reason not to post any workshop or build videos on this forum.

Seems to me even if you have a cable or pipe out of true or a seemingly non complient clamping on a workpiece it will bring down the wroth of some people on you.

Just my 2 pence worth on the subject.

regards

This why I don't post that I power my workshop with an extension lead, fed by a 3 pin plug.

I'm no doubt living on borrowed time (not that I care).

Jim

A 3 pin plug. Huh mine is only 2 pin. The earath is just stuck in the ground. (not really)

Steve.

Oldiron05/01/2023 17:56:25
1193 forum posts
59 photos
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:20:32:
Posted by jimmy b on 05/01/2023 17:14:08:
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 15:26:51:

This whole post seems to me to be a very good reason not to post any workshop or build videos on this forum.

Seems to me even if you have a cable or pipe out of true or a seemingly non complient clamping on a workpiece it will bring down the wroth of some people on you.

Just my 2 pence worth on the subject.

regards

This why I don't post that I power my workshop with an extension lead, fed by a 3 pin plug.

I'm no doubt living on borrowed time (not that I care).

Jim

A 3 pin plug. Huh mine is only 2 pin. The earath is just stuck in the ground. (not really)

Steve.

Thats also why I never show the pixies in the treadmill powering my shop. LoL

regards

Dave Halford05/01/2023 18:02:11
2536 forum posts
24 photos
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:14:21:
Posted by Dave Halford on 05/01/2023 16:58:57:
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 16:31:45:

There seems to be some porky's going on.

Just been on Vevor .com website. This is cut & paste through notepad direct from there site.

Diesel Vehicles & Indoor Use The bus heater is commonly applied for cab heating of various diesel vehicles, such as cars, RVs, buses, vans, trucks, boats, etc. It is also suitable for homes, warehouses, factories, offices, and other indoor uses.
Steve

Steve,

There's more than 40 of them, which version is yours? Given you can't trust the paint colours.

Come to that one of them shows the heater outlet inches away from a sleeping child in a car seat and I don't believe for one minute anyone would take that sales pitch seriously.

You have to click the right photo arrow once to see that one

Edited By Dave Halford on 05/01/2023 17:00:12

Hi Dave. The actual burner seems to be in only 2 sizes. The small bodied 2Kw & the badged 5-8KWSome as you will have seen are self contained with the fuel tank sat on top of the burner unit on a tin shelf. I have the open separate one. It is not a Vevor but basically they are much the same. A copy of an Eberspacher or webasto. It is a bit ironic the the Vevor pdf file says not suitable for buildings & then on there website it says they are. Not sure if there are some sort of get out clause in there. Some of the sellers show flames belching out of the front of them Others pics like the one you describe.

What i do find a shame is that basically talking of buying inferior Chinese products , when most or a large proportion of Forum members own Chinese mills & lathes & drill presses &. You see the point. Most electrical items are now produced there. Even some of the Branded items we think are worth the extra for are not made here any more. The UK has become a Distribution centre & commerce.

Steve.

Edited By Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:19:05

Steve,

The website is just sales BS, like the link in my post. The PDF is a little more careful. Even in the UK you can apparently legally use a business sales 'puff' which is kinda nearly true. Fanciful claims just put me off so I wouldn't buy it.

I use cheap CCGT inserts, a bit more fragile than real ones, but a ratio of nearly 4:1 on cost makes them worth it. I've also bought stuff from ME shows when I can hold and look at it.

All the large far east large tools that I have bought have been to some degree junk

  1. A trolley jack with the jack casting bored so far out of true it broke through the side wall. Worked for a year.
  2. Bench Drill with the spline all pitted looking like a dog had chewed it clattered like a machine gun
  3. 3 way folder/roller/shear, nothing drilled true, but rolls OK when fettled (a lot)

So I only buy pocket money stuff now and your heater is way too expensive to gamble on.

duncan webster05/01/2023 18:07:10
5307 forum posts
83 photos

2 pins!!! Wuss, just bypass the RCD and stick the neutral in the ground, then you only need one pin (and possibly an undertaker)

Friend of mine used to work for electricity supply company. When they wanted a brew, 2 6" nails through a bit of wood, one end to the mains, dipped in pot of water. Fail safe, when it runs dry the current stops. You'd rightly get sacked for that nowadays.

Steviegtr05/01/2023 18:11:49
avatar
2668 forum posts
352 photos
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 17:56:25:
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:20:32:
Posted by jimmy b on 05/01/2023 17:14:08:
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 15:26:51:

This whole post seems to me to be a very good reason not to post any workshop or build videos on this forum.

Seems to me even if you have a cable or pipe out of true or a seemingly non complient clamping on a workpiece it will bring down the wroth of some people on you.

 

Just my 2 pence worth on the subject.

regards

This why I don't post that I power my workshop with an extension lead, fed by a 3 pin plug.

I'm no doubt living on borrowed time (not that I care).

 

Jim

A 3 pin plug. Huh mine is only 2 pin. The earath is just stuck in the ground. (not really)

Steve.

Thats also why I never show the pixies in the treadmill powering my shop. LoL

regards

Don't show that as you would be in deep water . I bet they have no workboots on either.

Steve

Edited By Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 18:12:17

Steviegtr05/01/2023 18:14:09
avatar
2668 forum posts
352 photos
Posted by duncan webster on 05/01/2023 18:07:10:

2 pins!!! Wuss, just bypass the RCD and stick the neutral in the ground, then you only need one pin (and possibly an undertaker)

Friend of mine used to work for electricity supply company. When they wanted a brew, 2 6" nails through a bit of wood, one end to the mains, dipped in pot of water. Fail safe, when it runs dry the current stops. You'd rightly get sacked for that nowadays.

Mnn now that is an idea??

Steve.

Steviegtr05/01/2023 18:17:49
avatar
2668 forum posts
352 photos
Posted by Dave Halford on 05/01/2023 18:02:11:
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:14:21:
Posted by Dave Halford on 05/01/2023 16:58:57:
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 16:31:45:

There seems to be some porky's going on.

Just been on Vevor .com website. This is cut & paste through notepad direct from there site.

Diesel Vehicles & Indoor Use The bus heater is commonly applied for cab heating of various diesel vehicles, such as cars, RVs, buses, vans, trucks, boats, etc. It is also suitable for homes, warehouses, factories, offices, and other indoor uses.
Steve

Steve,

There's more than 40 of them, which version is yours? Given you can't trust the paint colours.

Come to that one of them shows the heater outlet inches away from a sleeping child in a car seat and I don't believe for one minute anyone would take that sales pitch seriously.

You have to click the right photo arrow once to see that one

Edited By Dave Halford on 05/01/2023 17:00:12

Hi Dave. The actual burner seems to be in only 2 sizes. The small bodied 2Kw & the badged 5-8KWSome as you will have seen are self contained with the fuel tank sat on top of the burner unit on a tin shelf. I have the open separate one. It is not a Vevor but basically they are much the same. A copy of an Eberspacher or webasto. It is a bit ironic the the Vevor pdf file says not suitable for buildings & then on there website it says they are. Not sure if there are some sort of get out clause in there. Some of the sellers show flames belching out of the front of them Others pics like the one you describe.

What i do find a shame is that basically talking of buying inferior Chinese products , when most or a large proportion of Forum members own Chinese mills & lathes & drill presses &. You see the point. Most electrical items are now produced there. Even some of the Branded items we think are worth the extra for are not made here any more. The UK has become a Distribution centre & commerce.

Steve.

Edited By Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:19:05

Steve,

The website is just sales BS, like the link in my post. The PDF is a little more careful. Even in the UK you can apparently legally use a business sales 'puff' which is kinda nearly true. Fanciful claims just put me off so I wouldn't buy it.

I use cheap CCGT inserts, a bit more fragile than real ones, but a ratio of nearly 4:1 on cost makes them worth it. I've also bought stuff from ME shows when I can hold and look at it.

All the large far east large tools that I have bought have been to some degree junk

  1. A trolley jack with the jack casting bored so far out of true it broke through the side wall. Worked for a year.
  2. Bench Drill with the spline all pitted looking like a dog had chewed it clattered like a machine gun
  3. 3 way folder/roller/shear, nothing drilled true, but rolls OK when fettled (a lot)

So I only buy pocket money stuff now and your heater is way too expensive to gamble on.

Eyup Dave. I guess time will tell. Maybe i will revisit the thread or start another in a year or so on how did it fair.

Steve.

Samsaranda05/01/2023 18:21:32
avatar
1688 forum posts
16 photos

Chinese quality is so variable, we have an outside light mounted by the front door, I chose it because it was stainless and I thought that it would not rust, I was wrong on that point. Am in the process of replacing it with another lamp, also made in China, but the main body is plastic with neoprene seals and the only metal, which is stainless is in the form of a decorative grill fitted in front of the plastic body. Two items both produced in China but the first let down by very inferior “stainless “ steel and the second on examination will hopefully prove to be a much better quality, both items cost about the same so price is no gauge of quality when buying Chinese products. Dave W

Robert Atkinson 205/01/2023 18:24:34
avatar
1891 forum posts
37 photos

Dave,

As Duncan says the element in a fan heater does not glow red, nothing like it. Current standard heaters need both an overheat cut-out and if capbale of being tipped over a tilt switch. Steves installation has 240V AC and high current DC to power the fan, pump and ignition system so no better than the fan heater. Worse if we consider that he has not installed the power supply properly. And electricity is not a fuel.

I never said anything about western gear being better than far eastern athere are good and bad in both. Generally thugh a known brand are more likely to comply with the regulations. The box of Steves heater gives the name of a UK limited company but checking on it it is literally a one man band.Even the company secretary (you need at least a director and a secretary for a Ltd Co.). is provided by another Ltd Co. It is listed as an IT consultancy so does not instill confidence.

And finally fan heaters are designed as domestic heaters but the diesel ones, including Eberspacher etc are not.

Robert.

File Handle05/01/2023 18:33:49
250 forum posts
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 18:14:09:
Posted by duncan webster on 05/01/2023 18:07:10:

2 pins!!! Wuss, just bypass the RCD and stick the neutral in the ground, then you only need one pin (and possibly an undertaker)

Friend of mine used to work for electricity supply company. When they wanted a brew, 2 6" nails through a bit of wood, one end to the mains, dipped in pot of water. Fail safe, when it runs dry the current stops. You'd rightly get sacked for that nowadays.

Mnn now that is an idea??

Steve.

During my teaching career, I remember seeing an old seeing an old cobbled together piece of kit to demonstrate that glass when heated will conduct electricity. Basically a mains circuit that had a lass link that you heated with bunsen burners until it started to become molten at which point the circuit conducted electricity.. Nobody was brave enough to use it, but it obviously had been in the past.

Oldiron05/01/2023 18:55:35
1193 forum posts
59 photos
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 18:11:49:
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 17:56:25:
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:20:32:
Posted by jimmy b on 05/01/2023 17:14:08:
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 15:26:51:

This whole post seems to me to be a very good reason not to post any workshop or build videos on this forum.

Seems to me even if you have a cable or pipe out of true or a seemingly non complient clamping on a workpiece it will bring down the wroth of some people on you.

 

Just my 2 pence worth on the subject.

regards

This why I don't post that I power my workshop with an extension lead, fed by a 3 pin plug.

I'm no doubt living on borrowed time (not that I care).

 

Jim

A 3 pin plug. Huh mine is only 2 pin. The earath is just stuck in the ground. (not really)

Steve.

Thats also why I never show the pixies in the treadmill powering my shop. LoL

regards

Don't show that as you would be in deep water . I bet they have no workboots on either.

Steve

Edited By Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 18:12:17

They run naked Steve so not for general viewing or a pretty sight. devil But much more fun than trying to keep up withh this thread.

regards

Edited By Oldiron on 05/01/2023 18:56:27

Steviegtr05/01/2023 19:09:44
avatar
2668 forum posts
352 photos
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 18:55:35:
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 18:11:49:
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 17:56:25:
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:20:32:
Posted by jimmy b on 05/01/2023 17:14:08:
Posted by Oldiron on 05/01/2023 15:26:51:

This whole post seems to me to be a very good reason not to post any workshop or build videos on this forum.

Seems to me even if you have a cable or pipe out of true or a seemingly non complient clamping on a workpiece it will bring down the wroth of some people on you.

Just my 2 pence worth on the subject.

regards

This why I don't post that I power my workshop with an extension lead, fed by a 3 pin plug.

I'm no doubt living on borrowed time (not that I care).

Jim

A 3 pin plug. Huh mine is only 2 pin. The earath is just stuck in the ground. (not really)

Steve.

Thats also why I never show the pixies in the treadmill powering my shop. LoL

regards

Don't show that as you would be in deep water . I bet they have no workboots on either.

Steve

Edited By Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 18:12:17

They run naked Steve so not for general viewing or a pretty sight. devil But much more fun than trying to keep up withh this thread.

regards

Edited By Oldiron on 05/01/2023 18:56:27

Great remark Old iron. I totally agree with you. I think it has run itself dry.

Steve.

Mike Clarke05/01/2023 20:40:03
avatar
95 forum posts
2 photos
Posted by Robert Atkinson 2 on 05/01/2023 18:24:34:

(you need at least a director and a secretary for a Ltd Co.).

Incorrect.

Jelly05/01/2023 21:00:18
avatar
474 forum posts
103 photos
Posted by Steviegtr on 05/01/2023 17:20:32:

A 3 pin plug. Huh mine is only 2 pin. The earath is just stuck in the ground. (not really)

You jest, but my workshop is earthed off a 5' long, 5/8"ø copper rod in the ground outside.

When I first moved in I tested the ropey looking electrics in there and discovered no earth... So off I was to Toolstation for a reel of 10mm² earth cable and a big rod.

When I finally had the cash to run a new (uprated) buried cable and such, I discovered the previous connection was a 3 pin socket buried in the ceiling, with the two red and black cores of the SWA coming through the wall wired into a plug, and a bit of green wire dangling from said plug looking like it had been crudely taped to the armour strands.

Edited By Jelly on 05/01/2023 21:02:26

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