Diesel cab heater

[Ashley Burton]

It's all a question of the quality of components used at the end of the day.

If something is cheap I don't expect much

But everyone swears by these chinese diesel heaters

 

[Barking Mat]

I think when I measured it mine was nearer 15amps at 12V. Running it drops way down but with a cheap Chinese power supply it is better to err on the side of caution

it's only on start up, once it's lit, it's a ventilator and diesel pump, not much.

 

[Barking Mat]

If something is cheap I don't expect much

But everyone swears by these chinese diesel heaters

Well at a tenth of a price of a Webasto.......

If you really can buy one that cheap.

Have we mentioned safety yet?

The Webasto have massive Kevlar cladding, the Russian one by comparison is laughable.

If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll get some photos of the difference in the quality of the supplied kit.

Different worlds............

 

[garethp]

it's only on start up, once it's lit, it's a ventilator and diesel pump, not much.

I think the glow plug is used on shutdown as well to try and get rid of any left over fuel, could be wrong though!

I'm still amazed at how much a genuine Webasto costs an how much the spares are, looks like a complete rip off to me for whats little more than a parafin blow lamp in a heat exchanger

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Mine is like the red upright one in the pic, metal case. As @duncans says ^^ you need a 12V supply, just make sure you get one with a decent output [iirc mine is 30W]

 

[supaimpy]

I think the glow plug is used on shutdown as well to try and get rid of any left over fuel, could be wrong though!

Yes the glowplug comes back in circuit on shutdown and thats the reason they should wired direct to battery not via an isolator to ensure the correct shutdown

I'm still amazed at how much a genuine Webasto costs an how much the spares are, looks like a complete rip off to me for whats little more than a parafin blow lamp in a heat exchanger

The big two have to comply with the regs for their prime market which is OEM Automotive, they have real CE Testing and Marks , they also have quality systems to support the design and manufacture , not saying they couldn't be cheaper but they cant cut corners and risk losing a big OEM buyer

 

[Barking Mat]

Sorry, missed these replies.

Yes @supaimpy , I agree.

I accidentally tried to join those group @qwakers suggested, on my wife's Facebook account as my internet chrome thinks it's my wife's fb account? Yeah, I don't understand...

This morning she was overrun with people complaining about their bang-goods diesel heater problems.....

Oops.

She's still ranting about it.

I'm not had a chance to investigate futher, but will keep in touch.

Thanks again.

 

[qwakers]

well with all things facebook, you do need to filter out the crap

 

[Barking Mat]

Mine is like the red upright one in the pic, metal case. As @duncans says ^^ you need a 12V supply, just make sure you get one with a decent output [iirc mine is 30W]

How's it going John? Still pumping heat?

 

[Barking Mat]

well with all things facebook, you do need to filter out the crap

Wifie didn't appreciate that, my fault.

Thanks for the links all the same!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

How's it going John? Still pumping heat?

Aye, giving out heat like a good thing. I've deliberately never investigated the 'auto start', I tend [if I'm planning any time in the cave] to nip out and fire it up at "Full" then come back in to have a coffee.
By the time I go out it's nice & toasty, to the point where I rein it back to minimum. Better still, I have a source of heating oil at whatever the current 'delivered to tank' price is....

 

[owas]

Just fired mine up since last winter, still working lovely.. On last year's fuel too.

3rd winter now I think

 

[octo0072000]

most of the problems with them is lack of voltage/amps on start up so it tries to start then shuts down after so many tries it locks out

 

[Barking Mat]

Most of them seem to recommend running every month even over the summer on full pelt, for a while.

 

[owas]

I know, but I'm lazy

I should say that last year I had to replace the rubber portion of the fuel line, was completely perished but that's expected really, good fuel line is cheap.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I've just bought one of these heaters - £86 off eBay. Intention is to run solely on heating oil and got a 20 ltr jerry can full off local supplier for £9.50 which is 47.7p litre. If you run off a mains adapter ensure there is a back up battery in line just in case of power cuts as suddenly disconnecting the 12v supply reputedly knackers the circuit board inside the heater

 

[Barking Mat]

Sorry, I updated, in stuff I'd made today, or installed.

Long story short, it had been damaged in shipping and the fan was jammed.

Contacted Dutch vendor, and immediately sent another, arriving tomorrow.

I'd already binned the packaging, so waiting for the new one to arrive to send it back, I'll find some photos...

To me it's an exact copy of a webasto. The air admission pipe and diesel pipe take a lot of swearing to put on as they're so close, so close, is an understatement....

Had to hit the chemists to buy syringes to prime the pipes which was a right hoot.

A colleague says the pump must be within a meter of the fuel tanks so I've installed it wrong?

I read the 'poor' instructions, and missed that apparently.

Note: a webasto you don't prime the pipes and the location of the pump is less important.

First time I've unwrapped stuff wrapped in cling film too?

Hopefully it'll arrive tomorrow, and work.

The control command, attachs with posh double sided sticky tape too.

My colleague describes it as mediocre, I can't say what my boss said about it, forum rules....

 

[Barking Mat]

And yes I should have painted behind it, to make it look smart, but seeing as clients will never see it, who gives a poo?

The exhaust silencer support would've given 1 cm between wall and exhaust, so I fettled something better, from random unknown bits supplied with it I've no idea what for.

In fact I've got a bag of stuff left over, nuts, bolts, metal bits, no idea, ?

I've serviced and installed a fair few webastos incidentally.

We'll see....

 

[qwakers]

you shouldn't have the silencer either orientated that way or inside the work area. it has a bleed hole for the condensation to fall from so the side you have to the left should be pointing down. and because of said weep hole it will leak exhaust gases, so it should be outside.

 

[Barking Mat]

you shouldn't have the silencer either orientated that way or inside the work area. it has a bleed hole for the condensation to fall from so the side you have to the left should be pointing down. and because of said weep hole it will leak exhaust gases, so it should be outside.

Interesting point....

A) it's a boat.

B) according to manual (?), Can be installed like that vertically, or horizontally, and its me position dependent who drill the hole, depending on mounting.

C) webasto, technical support, recommend you drill a hole at the lowest point to evacuate condensation.

Apparently they don't leak exhaust gases, we have diesel traditional proper heaters, with holes for the testing probes on the annual inspections.

All, the heating engineers I've ever employed, for the annual checks stick alu sticky tape, over the holes, which inevitably falls off.

Unless the chimney is blocked the passage of blown exhaust gas will suck in air from the hole, not let it out.

Only issue we have with horizontal chimneys coming out the side of boats, wind coming straight on will put the traditional diesel heaters into security.