Diesel heater: I paid exactly $125.64 for the heater I bought on eBay. Due to the constant ending of sales, I am unable to provide a permalink to the particular product, however you can visit the seller’s page by clicking here. After purchasing mine, I discovered that the 5kW version with remote was available on Amazon at a lower price. It appears that the dimensions are the same, so it might be worth picking up!
Toolbox: Virtually any toolbox will suffice. The minimal size is approximately 16x6x6 inches. The larger the box, the more room there is within for the gasoline pump and filter. If you acquire a plastic tool box, make sure it’s of good quality or that the exhaust isn’t installed directly on it – hot exhaust will melt cheap plastic! It’s also worth noting that the Amazon tractor crates aren’t functional because they’re barely 5 inches tall.
Gasoline line: Adding a fuel line is entirely up to you. The transparent gasoline line is included with the kit. The clear fuel line is useful for determining how much to prime the heater. However, I dislike the additional connections that the clear line necessitates. Buying fuel line by the foot from your local auto parts store may be less expensive depending on how much you need.
Fuel can: I didn’t include the cost of the extra fuel can in the total because the heater package already came with one that I didn’t use. The one I have is a 2.5 gallon USMC Blitz that I purchased on eBay (and maybe military surplus). A 2.5 gallon NATO style jerry can, along with a jerry can mount, may also suffice. You’ll need to drill your own 3/16th fuel tank fitting and install it.
Notes/Changes
Based on feedback from YouTube and my own experiences with the heater as it is set up, I produced a new version of the heater. It comes with a larger toolbox, a self-contained fuel tank, detachable and closeable fast release ducts, and other minor upgrades. Here’s a link to the video and the build.
It’s worth noting that you can purchase pre-assembled items. For around the same price, these are sold as a single pre-assembled unit. It doesn’t meet my requirements, but it might! You may find them here and here.
Viewer suggested changes or improvements
Metal tool box: Due to the heat, many people believe that a plastic tool box is a waste of money. This isn’t the case at all. In actuality, the heater’s outside shell is made of plastic. In the plastic tool box, there is no heat accumulation at all. There is one stipulation: the exhaust cannot come into direct contact with the plastic tool box. The plastic will be melted by the exhaust.
The most recommended change is to modify the direction of the fuel pump. The instructions state that the fuel pump should be mounted horizontally, but based on several comments, this particular fuel pump is better mounted at 45 degrees, or vertically (with fuel flowing up).
Exhaust routing: The exhaust should always be directed downward. This prevents condensation or unburned gasoline from forming in the bends.
Return air: Have the tent’s air return to the heater’s input. This is a debatable idea that I am unlikely to implement. The return air will improve efficiency, but I’ll be cooling the inside of the tool box and bringing fresh air into the tent by pulling in cold air.
Purchase pre-assembled: These can be purchased as a single pre-assembled unit for around the same price. It doesn’t meet my requirements, but it might! You may find them here and here.
FAQ
How long does it take for the fuel to run out? On low, a gallon of diesel will last about 12 hours of continuous use.
What is the performance of the Jackery 240? During testing, I consumed 2% of the battery on startup and then 3% per hour on low power. When done correctly, shutting down necessitates an additional 1%! It will easily last the night on low. The Jackery 240 isn’t quite powerful enough to keep you up all night on high, but the Jackery 500 is.
Will the heat melt the toolbox’s plastic? No. Make sure the exhaust does not come into contact with the plastic. For additional information, see this video.
How much diesel do Chinese diesel heaters use?
If the thermostat is set to a certain temperature, the amount of fuel used will be determined by how cold it is outside and what temperature it is set to.
VERDICT: These diesel heaters are inexpensive to run, requiring only 1 liter of diesel to provide 8 hours of heat.
How much diesel does a night heater use?
The heaters are FCC, CE, and RoHS compliant, ensuring efficient and consistent heating.
Titan series engine warmers, Zeus series fuel heaters, and Apollo series night heaters are Victor Industries Ltd’s primary products.
· Apollo-V1 Night Heater
The night heater runs on diesel and consumes about 0.14-0.25L/h of diesel.
This night heater has a starting power of 90W and a running power of 6W-40W.
· Apollo-C2 Night Heater
The Apollo-C2 system makes use of the car’s gasoline to generate the heat required to raise the temperature of the cold water used to warm the vehicle.
This night heater model has a lightweight design and an efficient combustion technology that produces virtually no soot.
Can you run kerosene in a diesel heater?
Before using diesel in a kerosene heater, there is no need to add anything to it. However, many people claim that using chemicals improves their performance.
- Isopropyl alcohol: For each 5 gallon can of diesel, add 40ml (a little more than 1/8 cup) of 91 percent isopropyl alcohol. I’ve also seen far greater alcohol-to-diesel ratios advocated, such as 80ml per gallon.
- Kerosene: Kerosene and diesel can be mixed in any ratio and burned in your heater. The most common recommendation is to use a 1:4 ratio (1 part kerosene to 4 parts diesel).
Keep in mind that you should always have a backup plan in case of an emergency. Other emergency home heating methods can be found here.
Do you have a kerosene heater that runs on diesel? What advice do you have to offer? Please share your thoughts in the comments box below.
How long does a diesel heater run for?
There should be no need to maintain the heater if it is installed and used correctly. However, regardless of the season, it is recommended that the heater be used for 1 hour once a month as preventative maintenance.
How much fuel does a diesel heater use per hour?
What is the fuel consumption of a diesel heater? The total fuel consumption every hour is totally dependent on a lot of factors such as the heater model, ambient temperature, and even altitude, but you’ll normally be looking at 100ml per Kw.
What happens if a diesel heater runs out of fuel?
This troubleshooting guide is designed for the brands we sell, Eberspacher and Belief, but it may also be used for other heater manufacturers as a general approach to troubleshoot a heater that won’t start.
To figure out how to start re-starting your diesel heater, look over the descriptions below.
- Go to Section A if the heating control is dead and nothing happens when any of the buttons are pressed.
- If the heater turns on, blasts cold air, and tries to start for about 6 minutes but does not, and then displays either E10 (Belief digital controller) or Error 53 Eberspacher D2 (Belief rotary controller), go to section B.
- Go to Section C if the heater turns on but the fan hardly spins, or spins briefly and then stops, and an error code is displayed (digital control) or the red LED flashes an error code (rotary controller). (On the digital controller, an error code will be “E” followed by a number.) The red LED on the rotary controller will flash 1 to 8 times with a pause between groups of flashes).
- Go to section D if the heater was running and then stopped, displaying an error code (digital control) or flashing red LEDs (rotary controller).
- Go to Section E if the heater is on but not speeding up, just running slowly all the time regardless of the power setting.
- Go to section F if the heater is on but emitting smoke or a diesel odor.
- Make that the fuse is in good working order. Remove it and test or replace it. The fuse should be near your battery, in the main cables.
- Examine all of the plugs and connections. Connections can come loose due to rough roads or the movement of other items you’re transporting. Trace the heater’s wires to the battery. Make sure all of the connectors are closed and secure. Check to see if the electricity comes back on by jiggling things around.
- Examine the plugs for any dislodged pins. The small metal pins in the plugs might sometimes push back, resulting in a weak contact. Check that each wire coming into each connector has a metal pin that is fully pushed forward in the plug by dismantling the connectors.
- The heater’s main loom plug should be disconnected. On 2.2kW and 4kW heaters, this is outside the heater, while on 2kW heaters, it is inside the top of the heater. After the main supply wires have been disconnected, use a multimeter to check the voltage on the main supply wires by inserting the probe into the main loom socket near the thick black and red or black and brown wires. Continue looking for the break if there is no power.
If the heater turns on, blasts cold air, and tries to start for around 6 minutes but fails, the error code E10 (Belief digital controller) or the red LED flashes constantly with no pauses (Belief rotary controller) or Error 53 Eberspacher D2 will be shown.
The most common reasons for heaters failing to start are a lack of fuel, insufficient power, or a lack of air movement.
Please check these issues by following the instructions below. Between efforts to start the heater, remember to remove and replace the fuse.
- To rule out low battery voltage, make sure your batteries are completely charged, connected to electricity, or connected to a battery charger.
- Using the original wiring loom that came with the heater, make sure it is linked directly to the battery. If the heater is connected to the battery through any fuse boxes, existing wiring, or switches, disconnect everything and connect directly to the battery, making that the supplied fuse is still in place.
- If the wiring loom has been stretched, ensure that it has been done so with 6mm2 wire and that the connection has been properly soldered. Heaters, especially in cold weather, require a lot of electricity to start, hence this heavy-duty wire is required.
When the heater is attempting to start, use a multimeter to measure the voltage at the heater. When the heater is turned on, it will draw roughly 6-10A. It is critical to measure when the heater is turned on because glow plug load will cause voltage drop in the wires or battery, and if the voltage is below 12.5V at the heater, the heater will be difficult to start. Access to measure the voltage can be difficult; in some circumstances, the multi-meter probes can be inserted into the back of the heater main connector plug, while in others, a small part of the insulation on the cables must be scraped back (this must be repaired later).
If the cabling is incorrect, make the necessary repairs and try to restart the heater. If the heater has a satisfactory power supply voltage over 12.5V at the time of startup and still won’t start, proceed to the Fuel section below.
It can take up to 6-8 complete start cycles to purge the fuel line of air and get fuel into the heater if the heater is new or has run out of fuel. A start cycle lasts roughly 6 minutes and consists of the heater making two tries to start before locking out.
- Remove the fuse and replace it if the heater has locked out and the controller is signaling failure to start (Belief error 10 on digital or flashing red LED on manual controller, Eberspacher flashing LED on controller). Restart the heater and repeat the process up to eight times.
- If you’ve tried to start the heater eight times and it still won’t turn on, unplug the gasoline line from the heater’s bottom and have someone turn it on for you. Each time you hear the fuel pump tick, roughly 1/4 teaspoon of diesel should come out of the fuel line. If there is no fuel, proceed to the next section, Fuel Fault Finding. Replace the fuel line if fuel is being delivered to the heater; otherwise, skip Fuel Fault Finding and proceed to Air and Exhaust.
You have no fuel flow to the heater if you remove the fuel line from the heater and no fuel flows out when the pump ticks. Check the following, and then re-check the fuel flow by turning on the heater with the fuel line unplugged and observing if about 1/4 teaspoon of fuel comes out of the fuel line each time the pump ticks.
- Check that your gasoline tank is not more than 2 meters below the fuel pump if this is a new installation. This is the maximum amount of fuel that the fuel pump can suck up.
- Check to see if your gasoline tank is full. If you’re in a motorhome with fuel coming from the main vehicle tank, make sure it’s at least 1/4 full, as fuel pickups don’t always go all the way to the bottom.
- Make sure your fuel isn’t expired. If you have a white plastic tank, sunlight can cause algae to grow in the fuel, which can cause the fuel lines to become clogged. Drain your tank and lines if this happens, then replace the fuel tank.
- Examine all of the fuel lines that link the tank to the fuel pump. Even the tiniest air leak on the pump’s input side will allow air into the fuel line, preventing gasoline flow. After you’ve double-checked all of the connections, retest for gasoline flow.
- If steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 don’t work, check for obstructions in the fuel line and filter by disconnecting the fuel line from the pump inlet and allowing fuel to drain from the tank through it (if the tank is above the line). Test until you are certain that petrol can pass through the fuel line in one manner or another.
Reconnect the fuel line and re-start the heater if there is now fuel flow to it.
Remove the air inlet and exhaust pipes from the bottom of the heater to make sure they aren’t obstructed if the heater has fuel and a good source of power but still won’t start.
After removing the air input and exhaust pipes, try starting the heater a few times. If the heater begins after these pipes have been removed, clean the inlet pipe with water or a hose and inspect your exhaust. You should replace it if it is dark and full of carbon. Wash it out and put it back on if it’s just full of mud.
The error code on the digital controller for Belief heaters will be “E” and a number. The red LED on the rotary controller will flash between 1 and 13 times, with a gap in between flashes.
You may load error codes into Eberspacher heaters by holding down the power button until the light flashes, after which the error codes will appear on the screen.
Remove the fuse (which should be near the battery) and replace it before restarting the heater to clear the issue.
Reset the heater by removing the fuse and following the steps in Section A above if the error code is E10 (digital) or the LED blinks once per second (evenly with no pauses) on a rotary control.
If your heater starts up but doesn’t speed up or shuts down after a while, the inlet air temperature is likely over 30 degrees and the heater is overheating. The heater will not speed up in this circumstance, and if the inlet temperature rises too high, it will shut down with an error code. This is standard procedure. Diesel heaters aren’t meant to work in extreme heat. Re-test your heater when it is cool in the morning.
Check that there isn’t a lot of uninsulated hot air ducting in the same cavity as the heater if the ambient temperature isn’t over 30 degrees. The real air entering into the heater can reach 30 degrees even though the room air temperature is below 30 degrees if it is preheated by the hot ducting. Check this by opening the cavity where the heater is situated and observing if it works. If this does not resolve the problem, you will need to insulate the ducting, improve the ventilation in the hollow, or install inlet air ducting on the heater.
If your heater was having difficulties starting and ultimately started, it may smoke for a while as the remaining unburned fuel is burned off.
If your heater is constantly smoking, make sure the air input and exhaust aren’t partially obstructed.
- Remove the heater, cover it in bubble wrap and cardboard, and mail it in a 5kg pre-paid air bag to PO Box 288 Cygnet 7112.