Thanks for the video now three years old. I was surprised to see you going to so much trouble to essentially try to keep its casing footprint as if it were an electric heater by adapting that exhaust pipe to go through that tiny aperture in the casing. These heaters were originally designed to be installed and plumbed into trucks and campervans and we have adapted them to use in sheds and workshops and homes. So the problems you decided to overcome are not problems that most people will face if they are using them in a decent sized space with room to route the exhausts and inlet tubes out and under the unit.
Wow. I strongly disagree. I find this entire series extremely helpful. I must have missed this one on my first go through and am so happy I found it. It is exactly the information that I need. You are wrong in your statement about the original purposes of these heaters. Anyway, I just want to thank John for this series and especially for this episode.
I think these videos are the best on UA-cam but I do agree that you can just put 2x4, 2x6, 2x8 etc for wood blocks and it makes it very easy to fit in the fuel intake nylon fuel line (not green that comes with most units), air combustion intake hose, and exhaust hose with no modifications and quickly. I just installed one of these exact units that way with way less drama. John is very methodical and I understand what he is doing. There was no need for copper elbows and all the other time consuming modifications. A person will have to do some work to get these units up and running though...John just made it a lot harder than 99% of users would need to do. Love John's videos and on my unit I followed his advice in his fuel delivery video and have my tank below the fuel intake on the bottom of the unit and then have the thin nylon fuel line go constantly upwards to a filter and then the pump. He has a diagram in the fuel delivery video and I made the extra effort to set it up that way. I am putting heavier wire on too! John is the best I have found to learn about these heaters. I do not think the other comment was being negative and I agree that these units originally came in pieces that were put together on deisel trucks and do not need to be installed to some rigid layout. Have a good one!
Can’t thank you for making these videos enough, it’s giving me so much confidence to move forward with my heater install and tackle any issues that arise. THANK YOU! One comment - if you tilt the heater downward to get more out of that puddle at the bottom, you reduce your ability to fill the tank by the exact same amount at the top, because now the top rear corner becomes higher than the fill hole.
Correct. I do not like the tank being above the heater and being so small and just ran a big tank lower than the fuel intake on bottom of unit and did the nylon fuel line and filter upgrade with everything running upwards from the tank as John diagrams in his video about fuel delivery. John is the best instructor I have seen...love his videos. Very thankfull for his work!
I just installed an All-In-One in my 8x8 work shed. You are absolute correct. No turn key operation. Runs great though. I must say. fuel filter & a fuse are a must, Great job on these videos, John. Your insights have been a great help here in New Jersey, US. Holiday Blessings to you Sir & the family.
I really appreciate all the hard work and testing you are doing on these little heaters. I have recently bought and older RV up here on Vancouver Island Canada and am taking out the old propane auxillary heater and going over to the Chinesium Type. Your testing and advice has been immeasurably useful. Thanks Randy
So have you gotten yours installed yet??? How is it working out for you? I'm getting a full sized BlueBird bus to convert because it was too good of a deal to walk away from. Just wandering if one would heat a school bus in mild winter weather? Hope to never be in no colder than say 20*F , and that would be pushing it for me. I'm as full of metal as the Tin Man and try to get away from cold. Thus the reason of this bus conversation.
Typically in industrial applications you don't want to suck all the fuel off the bottom. Leave room for trash (dirt ect) to settle on the bottom. They thought it through
thanks john for the video i bought one of those heaters and i was trying to figure out where to install the fuel filter on it.and your video show me right where it needs to be install.
I run mine on a power supply for led lights $12.00 (us) on amazon. It's rated for 30 amps and I have a 20 amp fuse in the power lead to the heater, it works flawlessly., Thanks for your tutorials it really helped me in choosing and powering my heater.
I very recently bought one of these 5Kw heaters after seeing one in the office of my local MOT testing station and have installed it in my garage/workshop. As with yours, there is no fuel filter, which I will rectify as soon as I can get one. I raised the case up on two pieces of 4 x 2 and this gave enough clearance to fit the exhaust and intake pipes out to the side, which was much easier than putting the exhaust out of the hole in the front foot. It gives enough space between the pipes not to worry about lagging the exhaust. I don’t want to lag it anyway because I don’t want to lose all the exhaust heat outside the building. The exhaust goes through the wall and vents outside. It’s not big enough to heat the garage right up (it’s double width and just on zero degrees C here) but it certainly keeps the chill off. Thanks for posting your video!
Thanks for the review John. I think you've been pretty unlucky mate. I purchased the very same heater about a year ago, it worked straight out of the box( apart from I perched it on a couple of bricks) it's been keeping my greenhouse toasty and I couldn't be more happy with it. I run it on red diesel & paraffin. And use a 240--12v power supply.👍👍
Very informative, sir! Thank you. was wondering why you didn't cut a hole in the support brace on the same side as the exhaust pipe and run it out there as opposed to how you crossed the intake/exhaust pipes? Then, if I see it correctly, the wood legs are not necessary(except for the tilt) and the intake filter could be run out from under the box?
What a great series of videos. Thanks so much for all the effort I've just received my '8kw' all in one heater and now know to locate the fuel pump vertically, insert a fuel filter and rewire with thicker cable. Will revisit your videos when it's time to service the unit.
Thank you for the video and all the research and data collection you have done. After seeing the tank issue I ordered a clunk line kit we use in our RC gas airplane fuel tanks as to get at that 1 liter of fuel. Again thank you from the USA 🇺🇸.
Thank you from Alvinston , Ontario . Canada. I am putting one of the heaters in my Kawasaki Mule 4010 under the front hood. From all the info that I have learned from you, it will go smoothly. I will be using a Happybuy 5KW Diesel Air Heater Aluminum Alloy Diesel Parking Heater 12V Diesel Heater Silencer with LCD. (Copy and pasted). Our winters get down to −18.9 °C (−2.0 °F) but that is extreme usually about - 10. From the other free commonwealth!
Thanks for the feedback Dave In Qld where I live our winters can also be brutal. Down to -1°C at dawn then quickly rising to about 20°C mid morning. 😁👍. We are spoilt sometimes. Good luck with your heater. JMcK
Great video very thorough... Glad to see you identified the problem of the sharp bend required in the exhaust pipe. Just a heads up putting a copper fitting (elbow) on a cast aluminum exhaust (or intake) port will set up a corrosion "couple" with the aluminum body being the anode and the copper being the cathode. Your aluminum will corrode and turn to powder at the contact and you will have an exhaust leak. I would isolate the two different metals (even the supplied stainless steel should be isolated) with a non-conductive gasket or paste.
Hi Gregory, yes you are right. Both copper and SS are bad neighbours for aluminum, and both cause serious electrolysis issues, in the presence of water, to make the "battery" cell. Thankfully it is not common to have water here at the join. You are also correct in the need to use gasket cement, for both isolation and sealing. Our heater on the boat has been in operation over 15 years and uses a ss exhaust elbow with no corrosion issues, but our aluminum toe rail with its ss bolts has serious corrosion issues even with plastic isolators, because it is in regular contact with water. JMcK.
@@johnmck1147 Thanks for your rapid reply... You are correct you need an electrolyte for corrosion but here in the North Atlantic the air is damp and salty!
Just put taller wood blocks of space of install allows and you can run all the connections on the bottom of unit where you want them with very little effort and no modifications. I just installed one with 2x6 blocks and it was very easy. There is no rule saying you need to run the exhaust out the little notch in the case for example. Also, with the extra space with bigger leg blocks, there is no need to bend 90 degree angles and there is more clearance for the hot exhaust. I am guessing John was setting this unit up for a restricted space because he went through a whole lot of effort that normally is not needed. Love all his videos!
John, a shout out from the other side of the pond. Thanks for the education. Much appreciated!! After hours of research and all the great info you've provided here, we've decided on a self contained 5KW unit with a cabinet measurement of L37cm x W25cm x H26cm. It comes with both onboard and 4 button remote. For ease of setup(over-landing) we've decided to use a foldable steel step stool with a larger foot print as a base(outdoor use). The plan is to route the exhaust and air intake through the stools platform with easy on and off clamping. Thanks again, and if any of this raises a red flag with you..please don't hesitate to say so. JG
I bought the same 5k heater. It's great, I hung it off the front of my 4 wheeler and used it for three days on the ice to heat a Igloo insulated ice fishing tent in New Hampshire for the meridith rotary fishing derby 2019. It was 25 to 50 MPH winds real cold and the heater was outside running 24 hours a day. Had to turn it down so hot we had our jackets off. Slept perfect, never let us down. Best $140. I've spent.
Hi Inthewoods, thanks for that very informative feedback. On very cold winter days where I live in Aus, we can sometimes get white frost on the ground, and it can hang around until about 1 hour after sunrise. Here we really have no concept of what real cold is. JMcK
Hi John, great videos, have modified mine accordingly. One problem with the all in one is that the controller sits above the warm air outlet so always reads temps much higher than ambient in the van. I have moved mine to a panel in the van and its working much much better :) Cheers mate !
Very well done! By watching your videos on these heaters, there's almost nothing that I couldn't diagnose and fix. Kind thanks for taking the time and effort to put these up on UA-cam for everyone to learn about their parking heater woes. Instant LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! Greetings from Alaska.
John I bought one of these, very similar in design and form factor from Amazon in 2020. Actually I bought another which came defective. After watching your videos I believe I can repair it by replacing the ecu. The one I currently use is a 2kw unit which came almost exactly like yours featured here. I did not know it was missing a fuel filter or that the air intake silencer is *not* an air intake filter. My unit also came defective with a fan that could not spin. I had to disassemble the case, access the heater, and pry the fan blade back a few mm to freely spin. Regardless, I have been using my unit to heat my 20ft camper in the rockies at 10,000ft for about 6 months and in very dusty conditions. The unit continues to function well. After watching your videos I will be pulling the unit and adding a proper air filter, fuel filter, and using exhaust cement to properly secure my exhaust pipe for continued use.
Hi John, great review on the unit. concerning the fuel feed , what about an long feed like the "Eberspacher" type ? then you can cut the internal pipe to a lower level.
Setting up mine just now. Used your copper elbow idea for the exhaust and cut another hole in the other foot so i could run intake and exhaust straight out in opposite directions. Now starting on fuel filter. Thanks again John, really really helpful pal. I like the tartan on your table in some vids, looks familiar :)
Hi Pete It is a bit hard to diagnose these heaters remotely but I can give you some suggestions. 1. Make sure you have adequate wire gauge to the heater to avoid voltage drop on start. The cable that comes with the heater is far too thin. The heater may work when new, but add a bit of carbon to glow plug and a bit of wire corrosion and you won’t get a start. 2. Look for carbon buildup on glow plug and burner. I suspect your glow plug could be seriously carboned up and it can not get up to start temperature. I would be interested to know what you find. JMcK
Hi Jay, It is good practice to ALWAYS fuse every positive wire close to the battery. Its main purpose is to protect the wire loom. If you have some failure short in the heater, or even a wire chafe somewhere in the wire loom, you will have significant current flow in the circuit, causing massive heating, which will, not can, cause the wire protective coating to melt and catch fire. JMcK
@@johnmck1147Thanks. The fuse and fuse holder are not clear in the video. Could you give more details on them? The circuits in my application are mostly 15amp dc.
Hi Jay, just mount a simple in line fuse holder in the positive cable going to the battery. Close to the battery is better. A 15 amp fuse is a good rating for these heaters, and is what I use. Cheers. JMcK
I got 180’C outlet air on my 8 kW air diesel heater when inlet air was 4’C and the fan on 5000 rpm. If you look at my video where i tested it you can see it operate. You find it in my channel. And thanks for all the test you done and showing us!
Hi John, Thanks for putting up such an informative review. I have just purchased the same unit and after checking, as you said no diesel filter and the same sort of air filter. Mine had no muffler as well. Is there a good site where you purchase these items? Thanks
Hi Greg, I buy my stuff online, just search for the parts you need. Adding the word Eberspacher in the search often helps. The fuel filters you can also buy from a motorbike shop. I am reluctant to put links in the description as sellers come and go so often. JMcK
Thank you for posting this. Perfect timing! I just bought a 3Kw one of these, and it is due to arrive any day now. I am sure I would have worked out how to make the intake and exhaust work, but your ideas are a great start and a heads up on what will need doing first including that no fuel filter was installed. Thank you. John in Aus.
Hi John, I have only seen 2 Kw (around 2 kilos weight) and 5 Kw heaters ( around 4 kilos weight) , never a 3 Kw. I suspect you will get a 5 Kw heater branded as a 3 Kw. All the better for you. When it arrives, check to see if it has a fuel filter. The maker of mine did not install one, but other manufactures may instal a filter. I suspect you will also need a combustion air intake filter. Most heaters do not come with one. JMcK
Thanks John, yes its due to arrive today actually so will check for filter. Likely will come with no fuel or air filter. I will pick one up from the local auto garage around the corner if it does not. I did notice most are 2KW or 5KW. I thought 3KW would be suitable compromise for me but will see how it compares to 5KW spec models. I tend to expect it will be a 5KW anyway as you said. It will be used as a garage heater, so 5KW will be fine.
I've just this week bought one of these from a company called VEVOR, £136 GBP delivered, a reputable company so no danger of being ripped off. They have updated it slightly with the blue control, 4 button remote and a cable directly to the circuitry so no longer any screw posts however, there is no strain relief on it only a loose, rubber grommet so a gland nut needs to be used. They're still using the naff, soft fuel line but you can pick up genuine Webasto/Eberspacher line for a few quid a metre., still no fuel filter but the intake baffle has a mesh screen inside. I've strapped the tank to the shelf using Velcro bands and intend to run it without the red cover to help with cooling, I've also rerouted the cables and connections through the bay past the tank rather than past the heater and used split, rubber tubing to blind the sharp, metal edges where the cable and tubing pass through. Regarding the unusable litre of fuel: Would this be to prevent the pump running dry and to minimise future priming? Have you looked at the "Clunk tank" system the RC aeroplane guys use in their tanks to draw fuel from any attitude? Once again thanks John, your channel is invaluable to us guys. Top man.
Hi K, thanks for the feedback. You definitely need a fuel filter, as the tiny valves in the pump will jam with even a small bit of dirt in the fuel. Quite a number of my viewers use the “model aeroplane” fuel tank approach. JMcK
I bought a branded 8KW all in one. I like you think it is really a 5KW. My tiny camper could have gotten by with the 2KW, but I wanted the all in one. I routed the intake where you put the exhaust because I didn't want to risk exhaust fumes being drawn into the air inlet and sent into the camper. Mine is mounted external in a case I built for it to protect it from weather. I shortened the air intake hose and attached the silencer on the bottom and to the support with the end cap off . Then I made to L shaped brackets to attach the cap on the leg on the outside of the silencer. Knowing now I need a filter I plan to either wrap the cap with foam filter material or cut out the baffles in the cap and stuff the filter material in that. My cap doesn't have the openings in the flat end so I may drill some extra small holes in the endcap as well. What are your thoughts?
Hi Watchfuliz, Thanks for the feedback. If the heater is in a camper, you could run the exhaust down through the floor. I use simple combustion air intake filters that I buy off eBay for about $5. Lots of suppliers. Search "air intake filters for Eberspacher or Chinese diesel air heaters. Cheers, JMcK
It is all personal preference. Some people like it inside, some outside. If it is very cold, it is a good idea to use winter diesel to prevent gelling. JMcK
I like that the fuel inlet is not at the bottom of the tank , the unused portion will act as a sediment trap . Drum fuel is notorious for having debris and other contamination in it . I raised the inlet on mine for the same reason
Hi Brian, you can buy the filters on line, an auto store, or mower shop. I bought mine at a ride on mower/chainsaw shop. The fuel filter is always installed BEFORE the pump, and must be installed in the proper direction. JMcK
Hi John. I hope you do not object to a direct request for some help. I purchased a new all in one CDH and it ran smoothly for about 3 months. Then one day, I noted it would go through it's start up and at the point where it got ready to draw the fuel and begin the pump process, it would click only once or twice before stopping. I suspected that the solenoid in the pump had broken or the pump was contaminated and stuck. I have purchased a new pump but it still produced the same problem. Would you know how to help me solve this so I can get it running again for winter? Kind regards. Pete
Greetings from Ukraine, we commonly use heaters like this one in the military for heating on the frontline in place of the traditional potbelly stoves, as they are far more convienient (no need to cut firewood or feed the fire, you can easily live it overnight unattended). Usually they are powered from a car battery placed nearby, put on cinder blocks with the input routed through the hole and the exhaust routed between the side and the floor Unsurprisingly they will breakdown often given the quality of the diesel (nobody bothers to change the stock config) and are often handled...in the military way, for example: running the exhaust pipe over wood (and melting it), running the exhaust into a potbelly stove and wondering why it smells so bad (the flue won't get any of the exhaust out with the stove cold), running the exhaust pipe many meters upwards (a necessity for heating up basements, dugouts and bunkers), my favourite issue is running the wires a dozen meters from a generator and wondering why it's not getting enough voltage. Interestingly enough there haven't been any problems with it overheating due to power loss, I witnessed one unit endure like ten power losses for around a minute with no damage You know, thanks to your videos I probably know more about them than anyone else in the whole brigade, thanks so much!
do you think its wise the have the exhaused pipe zo near the cold air inlett. it will take some exhaused fumes throw the heat exchanger en in to your tent or living space
Hi EH, I have been asked this a number of times, and I should have been more specific in my video. You (I) must add an extension exhaust to the heater. Cheers. JMcK
You've got the exhaust coming out through the mounting bracket where the intake pipe is supposed to go.... I've installed a ton of these in snowmobile trailers and I always put the air intake through where you put the exhaust and I use a stainless 24mm through hull exhaust port to the outside and I use 25mm exhaust lagging hose over the exhaust pipe Then wrap it with header tape. You can almost grab the ehaust pipe at full blast with my setup. But looks like yours works anyways... oh I also use 2"×3" aluminum tubing to raise it up 3" on one side and 2"×2" on the other side so theres maxiumum use of fuel in the tank and secure it to the floor and install an aluminum kick pan/cover on the outer edge so nothing gets into the intake and exhaust cavity. Lastly THANKS for taking the time and making videos on this setup! :)
P.S. I'd really suggest running it with a 12v car battery in conjunction with a power supply or charger because if for some reason that power supply fails during wide open heating it shuts OFF and could be a severe fire risk from the inside as there would be no fan operation for cooling down cycle.... just a friendly suggestion taken from... ahem.... bad luck LoL
Thanks for the feedback Gmctech. A lot of people use these as portable heaters that they move around, and some install them in their carport in winter with a concret floor, in cases like that you can't put the exhaust through the floor. With a few mods these could be a great portable heater and I suspect the designer never actually used the heater in a practical application. Cheers, JMcK
Did you ever try one of these in your tent? I've got one for the exact same reason! I was thinking of building some kind of frame to mount on the bottom to hold the intake and exhaust pipes in place. I'll probably leave the unit outside and duct the hot air in.
@@scottmyers9850 I didn’t as i ended up getting a thermal tent... i was going to do the same and put it in the back of my pickup and run a insulated flexi duct into my tent... someone on youtube has done it with a rooftop tent though
John, I took out the round aluminum tank tap that the fuel supply line attaches to. Put it in my little bench lathe and tapped the part that is inside the tank with a 10-32 tap for a DU-BRO 10-32 Pressure fitting , part number 540. Then I put about 4" of tygon tubing on the pressure fitting after screwing it into the aluminum tank fitting, then I put on the other end of the tygon tubing a RC airplane fuel Clunk. All of thies parts can be purchased at a local hobby shop that sells RC airplanes, cars and boats. Hope this helps.
@@johnmck1147 it has been working great. Im going to test an in tank clunk with filter. Any lawn mower repair shop will have them. I get mine from an on line RC shop that sells them for large RC gas airplanes. Chainsaws, weed wackers etc use them too. Ill touch base with you as to results.
Nice video. Would it simplify installation and maintainance if you changed the direction of exhaust/intake air? And would it be possible to a) wedge the diesel tank itself so the non-usable diesel volum decreases, or b) open up the outlet of the diesel tank and install a bend? Thanks for Your videos again, just got my small 2 kW heater, correct size, fantastic, but not without effort. It is really a lottery, I can submit communication with supplier if you are interested, and you will understand what I mean. Regards Torstein L
Hi Torstein, you have to run the exhaust out and away from the hot air going into the living area. The one real issue with all these heaters is getting rid of the exhaust. No, you can't just wedge the fuel tank. It sits up tight against the top of the case. The whole heater must be tilted. I am interested in anything about these heaters. Thanks for the feedback. JMcK
I have one of these. The fuel hose from the tank to the fuel pump was clear plastic/pvc and actually broke while it was running. There was fuel everywhere, including inside the air intake. Diesel "fog" everywhere. I've since moved the tank and pump outside the heater, replaced the fuel lines with genuine Webasto hard lines and filter. I feel much safer this way. These heaters are very efficient though, and after the modifications I am really happy with it. Scared me a bit though, and I'm not sure if putting the fuel tank on top is a safe solution...
Hi AT, it is shocking that some heater manufactures supply these heaters with that cheap sub standard, and dangerous clear or blue tint plastic fuel line. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Staying well clear of those from now on :) Incidentally, you wouldn't happen to know what the maximum combustion chamber temperatures would be before these heaters start shutting down? Mine is topping out at around 210°C and has not had any issues so far.
Hi AT,, the heat sensor is on top of the burner heat exchanger. And the shut down temperature is linked to the temp of air coming off heat exchanger. You can run all day at a certain setting in winter, but if I do a test in summer using same settings the heater will shut down. The heater will shut down when the output heated air gets much above 120°C. JMcK
Just got one. The flat shiny metal plate that the fuel tank sits on.. edges were sharp as a knife.. so I ran a dremel across to dull them. Also the plate that the heater bolts to was bent, so banged it out.
Is there a big efficiency loss if the heater is outside the vehicle? (that is, sucking air from outside into the vehicle rather than recirculating air inside the vehicle)
Hi Alex, Yes, you do lose some efficiency by heating fresh air as composed to heating recirculating air, just the same as in your motor vehicle, or any other heating application. The heater is designed to heat the incoming air a certain amount above ambient, and this heat rise is dependent on the fuel delivery setting. In general terms a rise of 80 deg C above ambient is achievable with these heaters, so you will use slightly more fuel to heat outside air of 0°C, then to re heat accommodation air of 15°C. So in real terms, you will use more fuel to heat outside air to a set inside level of warmth, than heating recirculating air. But this comes down to personal preference. Some people love getting fresh air into the accommodation space rather than recirculating stale air, and are quite happy to except the slight decrease in efficiency. Cheers. JMcK
Hi John Just got one of these heaters and it only achieves 4 temp bars on the lcd screen it never shows any red bars even though I have temp set at maximum.
Serious question here, Do you or anyone else who has one of these heaters: Do you have a smell/odour coming through the heating vent ? Its a bit like a plastic/rubber burning smell ? I pulled the outlet hose off to see if i could smell this smell coming from the heater itself - which it is (as i was hoping it was the pipes and the plastic vents) its giving us headaches - anyone have the same ?
Yes, some heaters give off a faint smell for a short time when new, and then stop. However if you are getting headaches, that can be serious and you need to check if you have a CO leak. Suggest you beg or borrow an instant CO meter. JMcK
Hi John! With my all-in-one unit it looks as if the wiring is 14AWG. To switch it to 12AWG one needs to replace not only the wires from one's battery to the hook up on the back of the unit but the wires to the heating unit itself inside as well? I also see of course wires from the controller and wires from the pump. . .
Hi DP, it is really only to upgrade the wires from the battery to the heater. The inside wires are short. The big issue with thin wires is voltage drop at the glow plug, so it will not get hot enough for a clean start. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Ah! Ok! And should I not use a 10a cigarette plug into my car, or? I should hard wire the heater to a dedicated battery? The only one I have sitting around is a 55 ah led acid. . .
Hi DP, There are people using the 12 volt cigarette plug, but you may need to upgrade the wire to the socket and upgrade the plug fuse to at least 15 amps. You also need the correct wire from plug to heater. You can get apps to tell you the wire size, which depends on current draw and the length. In your case the current draw is 10 amps. For wire length you must measure the total length of the two wires. I talk about this in the motorhome video. However, if you want the gold standard, it is better to wire the heater directly to a battery through a 15 amp or 20 amp fuse, and with a portable heater, using a high current plug like an Anderson plug to connect and disconnect the heater. These heaters only draw around 1 amp to 2 amps on average during use, but they do require around 10 amps at 12 volts for a short while to start the burner. If you have a long length of thin wire from the battery to the heater you get voltage drop, and the glow plug does not get hot enough and you get starting issues. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks again for this info! I have to finish watching the motorhome video! My all-in-one unit came with Anderson plugs and a fuse it’s just that the wiring appears to be 14awg and the fuse is 15 amp. The wires are 8.5 feet long. I was going to switch to 12awg as 14awg at 10 amps is only rated to around 4.5 feet of cable length.
Thanks for the great info. I will do the same mods to mine. The only thing different on mine is the way they mounted the controller looks questionable to me. The screws stick out and look like they would potentially poke holes in the fuel tank. Also the other end of the fuel tank looks like it could be easily damaged from vibration again the electrics and fuel pump. I think I will put something to protect the fuel tank better on both ends. Did not look like yours had that problem? Maybe worrying too much because once mounted and screwed to the case it will be fine?
I removed the 2 screws on the controller holder, and replaced them with 2 sided tape. I may use some velcro to hold the tank to the shiny plate. Note that on my unit the shiny plate just lays there, has no fasteners whatsoever! Might use a bit of Velcro to keep it steady.
KRYTEN451 Good solution, on my unit I also use double sided tape for the controller. A couple of dabs of silicone or similar in the corners will secure the metal plate and the fuel tank, and not be too difficult to pry apart later if the need arises. JMcK
Hi John, Thanks you for all those videos. Very helpfull. I have the exact same one, and you helped me understand how it works, since the instructions weren't very clear... but I still have a question ; if I choose to install the heater separately, can it be installed with the intake/exhaust ports on the side or on the top ?
Hi Philip, These heaters can be installed on their side, but only the side that has the glow plug on the top. When you open the case you can see the glow plug, so can see what side to use. JMcK
HI John. What do you think: can one lead the exhaust tube to a long tube placed in concrete and let the exhaust heat up that concrete block to get some extra heat out of the device? The concrete block would have about 2 meters of extra tube in it and be kept indoors - the exhaust would be led out of the building we want to heat using a smaller last section of exhaust tubing.
Hi SG, yes you can do that, but be aware of restrictions. Keep exhaust as short as possible. Longer exhausts must run lever, or better still run up hill as hot gases go upwards. Increase exhaust pipe diameter for longer exhausts. JMcK
Very informative video john with out your modifications it’s seems to be not to safe a product ? Why can’t they put the air intakes and the exhorts pipe on opposite sides then they wouldn’t be so close to each other? Great video 🇬🇪🇬🇪
Thanks for the feedback Edward. These heaters are really good little heaters, but sadly, sometimes the people that do the design never actually use the product in real life. Cheers. JMcK
John, is the temperature sensor in the fresh air intake as I've seen reported . If so, the fresh air intake should be ducted to the living space so it can read the temperature of the living space and adjust as appropriate? Thanks . Looking forward to your reply.
Hi Phillace, I talk about fuel consumption in a previous video. It all depends on the heat setting, which is the pump pulse rate. The pulse is in Hz, (pulses per second). Each pulse delivers .02 litres. Multiply the pulse rate by 60 to get fuel in minutes, and again by 60 to get fuel use in hours. At a mid range setting you get 3 to 4 hours running per litre. The tank size in this particular heater is 5 litres, but the pick up is on the side and there is about a litre or so of unusable fuel. So with this heater expect 12 to 16 hours of running. JMcK
I have an all-in-one unit, but the fuel pump outlet end is pointed down towards the heater. It is mounted at an angle. Also, in your video, this unit had a couple of loops of the hard nylon before feeding down the heater. Is this needed or just excess line they coiled versus cutting? Thanks.
Hi EAP, There are quite a few issues with the all in one heater “out of the box” if the fuel pump does not point up you can not easily get rid of the tiny cavitation bubbles caused by pump piston movement. Also if you do not install a fuel filter, it won't be too long before you get a tiny bit of crud stuck in the pump body causing you fuel pump issues. You can remove any extra fuel line, but turns in the nylon fuel hose must be wide and gentle. You do not want to kink the nylon fuel hose. Cheers. JMcK
Great work John I'm having a issue with mine, it's coming up on the display e02 code & the display shows 3.2v if you press ok. I have checked the voltage & yes I'm getting 12 v to the board. Any idea what the problem might be? Thanks
Great video as always, thank you. Just one question John, is there any reason why the exhaust cannot terminate out of the other side of the cabinet, thus avoiding the crossover with the air intake? I realise a hole would need cutting.
Hi Peter, it can come out anywhere you want. If you can, say in vehicle or home with raised wood floor it is best out the bottom, but in a room with a concrete floor it is sometimes better out the side with heater raised off floor. JMcK
Very useful John, however I think you will find that most of us instal these with the combustion in and out pipes going straight out below the heater. You do have the option of going out through the back but as you have shown this is not as straight forward.Just watched it again, certainly doing it this way takes some time, I went straight down through the floor and the whole installation took half an hour. I am about to refit and I agree raising it with a couple of buttens helps with access and tightening clamps, my floor is aluminium and steel so not heat problems but some still use a turret plate.
Hi W, thanks for the feedback. If you use these case heaters as a permanent install, running the piping out the bottom of the vehicle is a good option. But as a portable heater it needs some modification. With a bit of thought and trial usage by the designer this heater could be a great portable heater, or a simple permanent install. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Fair enough, I think I misunderstood. A lot of people view these as portable and as you show- to be portable a fair bit of work is needed! I think the rest of us view them as great, good to go, permanent fixtures. To be honest there are also problems with this too. They don't work with a turret plate so they need to be raised a couple of inches so that lying with my face flat on the van floor I can do up the clamps fixing the exhaust and air pipes. Having watched your video I think I am going to add copper pipe sticking straight down long enough to stick out underneath the floor of the van. This will make servicing, removal and re-fixing a lot easier I think with the clamping joints outside the van rather than inside.
Hi there, thanks for that info. Remember copper and aluminum are very dissimilar metals and you need some good gasket cement to both seal and prevent corrosion. JMcK
Greetings from the uk. What size copper pipe bends did you use please? I just got the exact same model today and I spotted the problem with the exhaust too. There is just no room for the bend in the pipe,plus it’s very near the fuel pipe,so will need lagging as you have done. Good heater thou.
Hello, I have this exact unit. It came with a soft rubber fuel line, so I must address that. My problem is that I have a very large gap in the fuel line, from the pump almost to the bottom, that's filled with air. It's about 15 / 20 centimeters. I tried "priming" the rubber line using a syringe, dripping fuel inside it, but the bottom line is still there, 15 cm down the rubber tube, and the air is still there. Matter of fact, the fuel I added went straight into the combustion chamber and so when I started the unit, it burned out with a lot of smoke - that's not good. I can't figure out how to prime the fuel line. I tried the button combo from the control panel but doesn't seem to work. Meanwhile, the unit works very well :) Any hint? Thank you :)
Hi John.. Bettween the filter out to the pump in, is there just the thick rubber fuel line and no hard plastic line inside it As it looks? Cheers mate..
I just use normal “quality” rubber fuel hose from tank to fuel tap to fuel filter to fuel pump. It is on the delivery side of the pump to heater that narrow bore hard nylon fuel hose is required so the fuel pulses are not absorbed by soft fuel hose. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Gotcha mate.. I just wasn't sure if the fuel filter out to pump in was a (sleeve only) or if you had 2mm nylon line inside that sleeve...? I'll get some decent line from tank to filter in..Green no good! Thanks again John..
John, this is Richard from Canada. My question for you is can you run these diesel heaters on straight kerosene? We have to change the atomizer screen every 3 months so is a kerosene or a half kerosene and half diesel mix better?
Yes Mr S2000. You can run these heaters on Kerosene, but if a pure lighting kerosene you need some diesel for lubrication. Perhaps a kerro/diesel 90/10 mix. Suggest you watch my video on using kerosene in these heaters. JMcK
hi John, i installed one of these units in my Caravan, worked perfectly till a few weeks ago, the diesel tank was substandard and started to leak, only a pin hole size so i decided to install a tank on the outside of the van to eliminate this happening again, these heaters have a thicker clear fuel line running to it from the pump, i bought a harder fuel line and it looks smaller in diameter, having hooked it all back up it doesn't want to prime the pump, and the pump doesn't seem to be able to pump the thinner fuel line thru, any ideas
Hi Allan, these pumps are not so good at sucking. Running the thicker fuel line from tank to filter to pump is ok, but you need to mount the pump very close to the fuel tank, and you should also try to manually prime the pump and not use the pump to prime. The line from the pump to the heater should be the thin hard nylon type as normal rubber fuel hose absorbs the pump pulses. Please let me know how you go. JMcK
Hi..thanks for informative enjoyable videos. Just bought an all in one unit, 5k, in order to heat tent. Hoping to have it outside the tent in Tassie. Thus, it needs to be waterproof. Any tips? Also, I wonder if fuel pump can be installed vertically rather than about 45degrees to further promote bubble removal...as well..steps to quieten this pump in this unit.. I'm also not sure how to manage the 4 outlets on purchased unit, when one pipe entering tent seems preferable. I'm hoping to perhaps attach a 90degree copper elbow as you suggested and hope to sleeve on an off the pipe, for ease of transport..does this sound feasable? A waterproof air intake for outside use is another aspect..I'm pondering laying on or low to ground to prevent rain entering, or, vertically with perhaps a U snorkel at end with fly wire . Would be wrapped to hear your advice, and any other suggestion. Many thanks. Sam.
Would fly wire clamped directly to inlet be reasonable? Or on a copper elbow to direct suction away from ground? Am thinking of use in dust free environment..Tassie winter..
Hi Sam, For your application a heater with just one outlet would have been a better purchase. Can you swap it? You could make an adaptor to come back to one outlet. The pump can be vertical if you wish, but does not need to be. Anything over 15 deg works ok. You just need to make a simple roof or box to keep the rain out. You could mount it on short legs to get the heater higher off the ground. Have fun. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks for advise on pump angle..hope to keep bubbles out guess pump will be angled down towards the fuel inlet at bottom on unit with the all in one. Trust this is fine. Getting the fuel line as described has been a challenge in Tasmania. Eventually found Brierley Hose and handling that should have something suitable, but not 5mm outer , 2mm inner. Also they should be able to help with ducting and exhaust insultation products. Phew. Not sure about finding a vertical box to help with waterproof..and providing waterproof air ventilation to it.. Fun to be had. Thinking of magnetic tape on back of remote and a sandwich bag ,seal facing down as part of process..but, early days. Thanks for reply... Looking forward to viewing more.. Sam.
All in one unit seems to be pumping fuel downwards..not upwards. Can pump be pointed downwards? Will bubbles then flow back to the tank, or pool in the pump, or just pushed through nylon line...the short distance.. Hope this is a good question. Many thanks in advance.
Mister Lewgee Hi ML, the fuel pump is angled upwards in this heater. The fuel exits the top of the pump and is then pumped down to the heater. Cheers. JMcK
Hello John, I hope you are still reading your comments. I have made your modifications to the exhaust but have a question about the 2 air intakes. Which one is collecting the air to pass through and enter the vehicle heated? If it is the rear one than wouldn’t the exhaust being channeled out the back get sucked in through this? Thank you
Hi Elaine, I use the “all in one” heater as a portable heater, and move it around. That is just the exhaust stub on the heater. I put an extension exhaust pipe on the stub and direct it away from the inlet. You can bring the exhaust out the side, bottom, front, etc, Whatever is best for you. But you need to keep the exhaust outlet away from the heated air inlet. Sometimes I just use the stub exhaust and put ducting on the air inlet to bring in fresh air away from the exhaust. Sometimes, I use the heater to heat an epoxy composite part under construction, (no people) and I just leave the exhaust stub as is, no extension. Cheers. JMcK
Glad I found this comment and reply as I was thinking this! Was hoping that it burns clean enough to not be a problem but I'll probably direct the exhaust out the front instead now. It shouldn't matter out the front as long as the ducting pipe is clamped on tight I guess.
Is the exhaust supposed to exit so close to the fresh air inlet? Seems like the design was for the air intakes for combustion and heating to be on the same side and the exhaust routed out the bottom.
Hi Raymond, the exhaust must have an extension piece to take the exhaust out of the accommodation area. This heater should have an easy exhaust coupling. JMcK
Awesome work. Last yr I put one of these in my boat cockpit. Mostly ran on low, rant the duct through the companionway slat. This year it overheats but only if the case is on. Watched all your vids but still dont know what to think. No intake obstructions, short tube w mosquito screen zip tied to the end. Any suggestions or input is appreciated. Thanks again for your video work.
Hi No Body, Does it overheat on a high setting or even on a low setting? If even on a low setting you could have a faulty temp sensor on the heater body. But I would first check for excessive carbon build up in the heater. Did you give it an occasional, or season end high hemp run at max setting for about 15 minutes to burn off excessive carbon? You could try running a high kerro mix 90% kerro through the heater, starting slow and gradually ramp up the setting to see if that will clean the heater out. However, if badly carboned up you will need to dismantle the heater and manually clean out the carbon. These heaters copies are so cheap compared to brand name heaters, that if you are not DIY, it is often cheaper in some countries (Australia included) to buy a new heater rather than pay very high outside service charges. Take the case off and give it a good run with kerro first up. If that does not work, do a strip down and check for excessive carbon. Cheers. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks for the input. I figured it would be a carbon build up/tear down. Meanwhile, and I had always noticed this - at the angle of the pump, the fuel lines at each end were cramped onto the casing. After further review of your vids, I stood that pump upright and ran it full speed for 30 minutes. Im in the Florida Keys so not much use to run it except on low down here - and not often. She didn't quit or throw codes, so last night she ran w the enclosure back on. No problems yet, so perhaps a combo of pinched fuel line and carbon buildup...Ive ordered the hard nylon tubing and gasket kit. If she doesn't make it thru the winter I will get a spare at this price. Either way, she deserves a tear down this summer. Thanks again for all you do. Appreciate your vids and input.
I'm having trouble getting my all in started. It has a different controller than most. just a small panel with a red knob to the right. It lights up shows 12 volts and starts to count down from 60 seconds to 0 then nothing. no pump ticking.
Hi Jack, Suggest you take the case off until you can get the heater running. Can you hear the fan running when you switch on? You should. Have you extended the power wires to the heater? If you have, did you increase the size of the wires? If you did not the voltage drop will be too much and the glow plug won't get hot enough and and the heater won't start. Try connecting the heater directly to a battery, no wire extensions. The fan should come on and glow plug get hot. Then after a while the pump will start ticking. Look to see if the heater is priming, you will see fuel coming through the lines. On initial start you will have to push the start button a few times until the fuel gets to the heater. If you do all the above and the heater won't start you may have a dud heater or controller, and need to ask for a replacement. Good Luck. JMcK
Jack Harper Hi Jack, that is a glow plug issue. Could be a bad glow plug, but most likely poor wiring or flat battery. The glow plug draws around 10 amps on start so you need a full battery and/or thick wires to prevent voltage drop. I go through this in some detail in videos no 18 and 19, motorhome install. Cheers. JMcK
Great. John,can you say to me,what is maximum distance that you can controled this heater with the remote controler?And,is this heater have self timer,to i set the time of turning on? Thank you.
Hi Borg, there are too many variables to give you an answer on the remote distance. Eg, where is the heater installed, do you want the signal to go through walls, what type of walls etc. You will have to check this out yourself. As for the second question, most remotes I have seen are either 2 button, or 4 button. The 2 button turn the heater on or off, and the 4 button also increase or decrease the temperature. On some controllers you can set the the time to start the heater and turn off the heater. Cheers. JMcK
There seems to be four latches, front & rear. What are they for? I imagined that this type of heater was meant to unlatch from the base and be carried out of the vehicle for refilling. I was wondering what genius sealing arrangement connected the heater to the base and didn't leak exhaust fumes. So glad to have seen your video. Got to rethink everything, again. Seems to be the regular old bread loaf shaped heater in a tin box. Almost as deceptive as a box with no heater in it. All your videos have been a tremendous help. Thank you.
Hi Chuck, thanks for the feedback. The 4 latches allow you to remove the heater from the base, but they are not relevant as you can not disconnect the base with the exhaust or combustion inlet air pipes connected. It would be nice if they could engineer a special air tight docking set up to allow this to happen. Cheers. J McK
Great video. I just received mine today. Can't wait to fire it up. It only took one week for it to arrive in Ireland from Hong Kong. I got the version with the lcd remote control and gold lcd display. The fuel lines in mine are much shorter and don't have any clamps. Mine doesn't have the power connectors like yours, instead it has sleeved wires coming out a hole in the back with an inline fuse. I wish they included a muffler, fuel filter and intake filter. Now I have to order them separately. I'm putting mine in my garage with a power supply instead of a battery. Thanks for the set up ideas.
Thanks for the feedback Mr 123. Unlike Eberspacher, who do a lot of research, I don't think these Chinese copy manufacturers do much field research, or get in field feedback. They need an intake filter and a fuel filter, and with a little bit of design effort, they could have a flush, quick release exhaust outlet on these heaters. JMcK
Hi John. Another good vidio. Just a quick question. In your video about fuel you talk about the lift ability of the pump (or lack of it lol) I can see in this one the tank is a little above the heater which will be the case in the install I am doing. Can the pumps little internal non return valves stop syphoning happening into the heater and flooding it. Have you ever looked at how high the tank can go.
Hi Phil, you can go to about 1m head height without issues, over 1 m I like to install a shut off valve in the fuel line, but the heaters will often work with a head of of around 2m
Would it be possible to change the the fuel tank pickup to be like a wippa snippa with a hose running into tank with weighted filter that sits on the bottom ?
Hi Rick, The wire size depends on its length and current draw. The heater draws up to 10 amps on start up and if there is voltage drop from a long power cord you will have starting problems. There are free apps on the internet that give you wire size when you put in wire length. I go into this in more detail in the motorhome install video. Cheers. JMcK
Hi John, Good stuff, well presented video. Only regret is I didn’t see it sooner. My goal is to get a pair the lightest weight multifuel heaters that can deliver around 15-20,000 BTUs each and a decent CFM. I will be attaching a duct that will go directly from the heater into the intake cowling of my airplane engines as as preheaters before start. This will avoid cold engine starts at remote airports (I live in Canada). Some questions if you don’t mind: • I’m wondering if you have any idea what CFM of these 5Kw and 8Kw Chiness heaters produce? • Do you think they will able to burn Jet Fuel if I get stuck? • I’m thinking of running the exhaust into the engine compartment as well. How “dirty” is the exhaust [not carbon monoxide but soot]? • Any reason why I cannot just draw clean air from the bottom of the heater rather than attach a duct? • How reliable do you feel they are once properly set up? Thanks for your time. Enjoy the day and Happy New Year. Bill
Hi Bill, You are not alone. I have a number of viewers using these heaters for that exact purpose. Ref CFM, have a look at the test run videos, they give the output at various settings. Yes they run very well on jet fuel (kerosene) but you should add 10% diesel for lubrication. Suggest you see kerro video. These heaters run very clean in proper operation, and the exhaust has no smoke. They give out a dry heat, so lessen issues of corrosion caused by condensation. You do not need ducting on the air intake side, whether heat exchanger air, or combustion intake air, but you can't suck exhaust into intakes as if upsets burn. These heaters are very reliable, with proper set up and proper operation. Warm flying. JMcK
ThankYou John. Grateful for Your efforts. A question I have is....I am installing externally . Wouldn't it be wise to direct the air intake into the area being heated? Like a recirculation aircon it will use warmer air as a source to heat. Less fuel and less moisture inside cabin ? Kind regards Stephen Geelong
Hi Stephen, that is a personal choice. It is purely up to you what way you want to go. Some people like to recirculate the air, others like to heat fresh air from outside. On the boat I suck air from outside, but recirculate air in the motorhome. You are correct, you will save a little diesel reheating the compartment air, but these heaters are very efficient it won't be much of a difference. JMcK
Hi John, fantastic tutorial mate. I just have one concern with these. I see the exhaust pipe is more or less next to the intake fan for the air that would end up being pumped into a tent ect, is that an issue? We had an SOP on my dive ship when operating the bower, that the intake needed to be far away from the exhaust. Is it possible to direct the exhaust out the side or further away from that fan? Cheers.
Hi T, That is just for bench testing, same as all the other tests. In actual use you must direct the exhaust away safely with an extension. Sometimes you can direct it down through the floor, or out a back wall, or upwards in a camping environment. JMcK
Hi John. One more question for you. By the way I am in the U.S. So I am installing the all in one in my van. I noticed the other heaters had a metal plate underneath them when installed. My heater did not come with a plate. I have raised my heater up with 2 x 4's. I was going to coat my floor underneath the heater with a fire block sealant--also fill in the hole around my hoses. I am not sure how hot the bottom gets and wondering if you think this will be enough protection. Or do you think a metal plate is in order. Thanks so much for your help
Hi Michelle, I assume you are running the exhaust down through a metal floor. If so I suggest you cut the hole in the floor slightly oversize lag the 3 ins or so of exhaust from floor to heater and seal the hole with some high temp silicone or sealant. Sealing under the heater as you suggest would also be helpful. If you are running the exhaust through a wood floor you need to insert some sort of spacer for the exhaust to pass through so there is no contact with the wood floor. The spacer could be a bit of 2 in pipe through the floor. Lag the exhaust as above, put it through the spacer, then fill in the gaps with hight temp silicone. Cheers. JMcK
Hi Dacia, I just wrote a reply to this on another thread. Will reproduce it below. Hi Dacia, From tank to filter to pump you just need normal 4mm good quality fuel hose. From pump to heater you should use narrow bore hard nylon fuel hose. Dont't use the cheap vinyl fuel hose often supplied these days. It absorbs the pressure of the fuel pulses and makes it difficult to atomise the diesel in the burner chamber. It also tends to perish quickly. However with the all in one heater the distance from pump to heater is very short and I now often just use normal 4 mm quality fuel hose through out. Quality fuel hose is less likely to absorb the pulse in very short lengths, and will work ok with at all in one heater, and cause less issues with joiner leaks. JMcK
Hi John, I’ve heard where putting a sharp 90* bend right underneath the heater could cause carbon build up in the heater. I was wondering how yours is holding up and if you’ve incurred any issues ? Thanks for your time.
Hi SH, 90° is not a problem in most cases, but you do need to keep restrictions in the exhaust to a minimum. A total of around 270° bends is really the maximum in an exhaust system for these heaters. My portable heater is fine but it does not get a lot of use. However most boat installs, including ours have a 90°bend in the exhaust at the base of the heater. (See boat video). We have been using that heater for the shoulder seasons for some 10 years now without a carbon issue, or even a service. Cheers. JMcK
Hi Dacia, If only a small difference you can cut slots in the flange of the copper fitting and clamp it in using High Temp Silicone or exhaust gasket to seal it. With a large gap, a possible better option here might be to make a flat spacer cut from a bit of thin flat steel. Just cut around a 15 mm to 20 mm wide strip of thin metal and wrap it around exhaust outlet (cut to size) and then install the 90° elbow. (Using exhaust cement or HT silicone.) JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks John! Also, for the all-in-one heater like I have do you recommend replacing all the fuel line with nylon if I can, or? I see you mention that the 2mm nylon hose is most important for the delivery side. . .
Hi Dacia, From tank to filter to pump you just need normal 4mm good quality fuel hose. From pump to heater you should use narrow bore hard nylon fuel hose. Dont't use the cheap vinyl fuel hose often supplied these days. It absorbs the pressure of the fuel pulses and makes it difficult to atomise the diesel in the burner chamber. It also tends to perish quickly. However with the all in one heater the distance from pump to heater is very short and I now often just use normal 4 mm quality fuel hose through out. Quality fuel hose is less likely to absorb the pulse in very short lengths, and will work ok with at all in one heater, and cause less issues with joiner leaks. JMcK
Hi John Thanks for all the info. Could you tell me (as I know very little about electrics) what size cables you suggest using and what size fuse. My system will be a 12v 5Kw unit. Thanks
Thanks for the video now three years old. I was surprised to see you going to so much trouble to essentially try to keep its casing footprint as if it were an electric heater by adapting that exhaust pipe to go through that tiny aperture in the casing. These heaters were originally designed to be installed and plumbed into trucks and campervans and we have adapted them to use in sheds and workshops and homes. So the problems you decided to overcome are not problems that most people will face if they are using them in a decent sized space with room to route the exhausts and inlet tubes out and under the unit.
Wow. I strongly disagree. I find this entire series extremely helpful. I must have missed this one on my first go through and am so happy I found it. It is exactly the information that I need. You are wrong in your statement about the original purposes of these heaters. Anyway, I just want to thank John for this series and especially for this episode.
I think these videos are the best on UA-cam but I do agree that you can just put 2x4, 2x6, 2x8 etc for wood blocks and it makes it very easy to fit in the fuel intake nylon fuel line (not green that comes with most units), air combustion intake hose, and exhaust hose with no modifications and quickly. I just installed one of these exact units that way with way less drama. John is very methodical and I understand what he is doing. There was no need for copper elbows and all the other time consuming modifications. A person will have to do some work to get these units up and running though...John just made it a lot harder than 99% of users would need to do.
Love John's videos and on my unit I followed his advice in his fuel delivery video and have my tank below the fuel intake on the bottom of the unit and then have the thin nylon fuel line go constantly upwards to a filter and then the pump. He has a diagram in the fuel delivery video and I made the extra effort to set it up that way. I am putting heavier wire on too! John is the best I have found to learn about these heaters.
I do not think the other comment was being negative and I agree that these units originally came in pieces that were put together on deisel trucks and do not need to be installed to some rigid layout. Have a good one!
Can’t thank you for making these videos enough, it’s giving me so much confidence to move forward with my heater install and tackle any issues that arise. THANK YOU!
One comment - if you tilt the heater downward to get more out of that puddle at the bottom, you reduce your ability to fill the tank by the exact same amount at the top, because now the top rear corner becomes higher than the fill hole.
Thanks for your comments. You are correct.
Pleased you liked the videos. JMcK
Correct. I do not like the tank being above the heater and being so small and just ran a big tank lower than the fuel intake on bottom of unit and did the nylon fuel line and filter upgrade with everything running upwards from the tank as John diagrams in his video about fuel delivery. John is the best instructor I have seen...love his videos. Very thankfull for his work!
John, you are very competent man.What a great service you are giving to people.
Wow!. Thank you Ric. JMcK
I just installed an All-In-One in my 8x8 work shed. You are absolute correct. No turn key operation. Runs great though. I must say. fuel filter & a fuse are a must, Great job on these videos, John. Your insights have been a great help here in New Jersey, US. Holiday Blessings to you Sir & the family.
Thanks for the feedback Tom. JMcK
I really appreciate all the hard work and testing you are doing on these little heaters. I have recently bought and older RV up here on Vancouver Island Canada and am taking out the old propane auxillary heater and going over to the Chinesium Type. Your testing and advice has been immeasurably useful.
Thanks Randy
Your welcome Randy. JMcK
So have you gotten yours installed yet??? How is it working out for you? I'm getting a full sized BlueBird bus to convert because it was too good of a deal to walk away from. Just wandering if one would heat a school bus in mild winter weather? Hope to never be in no colder than say 20*F , and that would be pushing it for me. I'm as full of metal as the Tin Man and try to get away from cold. Thus the reason of this bus conversation.
Typically in industrial applications you don't want to suck all the fuel off the bottom. Leave room for trash (dirt ect) to settle on the bottom. They thought it through
thanks john for the video i bought one of those heaters and i was trying to figure out where to install the fuel filter on it.and your video show me right where it needs to be install.
👍
I just got mine and I love this thing. I has to restarted like 5 times to get the air out but after that is being amazing.
I run mine on a power supply for led lights $12.00 (us) on amazon. It's rated for 30 amps and I have a 20 amp fuse in the power lead to the heater, it works flawlessly., Thanks for your tutorials it really helped me in choosing and powering my heater.
Thanks for the feedback and info Russ. JMcK
I very recently bought one of these 5Kw heaters after seeing one in the office of my local MOT testing station and have installed it in my garage/workshop. As with yours, there is no fuel filter, which I will rectify as soon as I can get one. I raised the case up on two pieces of 4 x 2 and this gave enough clearance to fit the exhaust and intake pipes out to the side, which was much easier than putting the exhaust out of the hole in the front foot. It gives enough space between the pipes not to worry about lagging the exhaust. I don’t want to lag it anyway because I don’t want to lose all the exhaust heat outside the building. The exhaust goes through the wall and vents outside. It’s not big enough to heat the garage right up (it’s double width and just on zero degrees C here) but it certainly keeps the chill off. Thanks for posting your video!
Thanks for the feedback info PEW.
Cheers. JMcK
Thanks for the review John. I think you've been pretty unlucky mate. I purchased the very same heater about a year ago, it worked straight out of the box( apart from I perched it on a couple of bricks) it's been keeping my greenhouse toasty and I couldn't be more happy with it. I run it on red diesel & paraffin. And use a 240--12v power supply.👍👍
Thanks for the feedback Grumbleweed. JMcK
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. It really demonstrates Chinese quality and workmanship.
A few simple mods will bump these units up nearly to the level of $1200 units. Would be a good lil side biz to do that & installs properly.
Very informative, sir! Thank you. was wondering why you didn't cut a hole in the support brace on the same side as the exhaust pipe and run it out there as opposed to how you crossed the intake/exhaust pipes? Then, if I see it correctly, the wood legs are not necessary(except for the tilt) and the intake filter could be run out from under the box?
What a great series of videos. Thanks so much for all the effort
I've just received my '8kw' all in one heater and now know to locate the fuel pump vertically, insert a fuel filter and rewire with thicker cable. Will revisit your videos when it's time to service the unit.
Hi Mark, thanks for the positive feedback. Pleased you found the videos helpful. JMcK
Thank you for the video and all the research and data collection you have done. After seeing the tank issue I ordered a clunk line kit we use in our RC gas airplane fuel tanks as to get at that 1 liter of fuel. Again thank you from the USA 🇺🇸.
Thanks for the feedback KLH
Thank you from Alvinston , Ontario . Canada. I am putting one of the heaters in my Kawasaki Mule 4010 under the front hood. From all the info that I have learned from you, it will go smoothly. I will be using a Happybuy 5KW Diesel Air Heater Aluminum Alloy Diesel Parking Heater 12V Diesel Heater Silencer with LCD. (Copy and pasted). Our winters get down to −18.9 °C (−2.0 °F) but that is extreme usually about - 10. From the other free commonwealth!
Thanks for the feedback Dave
In Qld where I live our winters can also be brutal. Down to -1°C at dawn then quickly rising to about 20°C mid morning. 😁👍. We are spoilt sometimes.
Good luck with your heater. JMcK
Great video very thorough... Glad to see you identified the problem of the sharp bend required in the exhaust pipe. Just a heads up putting a copper fitting (elbow) on a cast aluminum exhaust (or intake) port will set up a corrosion "couple" with the aluminum body being the anode and the copper being the cathode. Your aluminum will corrode and turn to powder at the contact and you will have an exhaust leak. I would isolate the two different metals (even the supplied stainless steel should be isolated) with a non-conductive gasket or paste.
Hi Gregory, yes you are right. Both copper and SS are bad neighbours for aluminum, and both cause serious electrolysis issues, in the presence of water, to make the "battery" cell.
Thankfully it is not common to have water here at the join.
You are also correct in the need to use gasket cement, for both isolation and sealing.
Our heater on the boat has been in operation over 15 years and uses a ss exhaust elbow with no corrosion issues, but our aluminum toe rail with its ss bolts has serious corrosion issues even with plastic isolators, because it is in regular contact with water. JMcK.
@@johnmck1147 Thanks for your rapid reply... You are correct you need an electrolyte for corrosion but here in the North Atlantic the air is damp and salty!
Gregory Dalton
Thanks for that info Gregory. Hope these heaters will keep you warm and dry. JMcK
Just put taller wood blocks of space of install allows and you can run all the connections on the bottom of unit where you want them with very little effort and no modifications. I just installed one with 2x6 blocks and it was very easy. There is no rule saying you need to run the exhaust out the little notch in the case for example. Also, with the extra space with bigger leg blocks, there is no need to bend 90 degree angles and there is more clearance for the hot exhaust. I am guessing John was setting this unit up for a restricted space because he went through a whole lot of effort that normally is not needed. Love all his videos!
John, a shout out from the other side of the pond. Thanks for the education. Much appreciated!! After hours of research and all the great info you've provided here, we've decided on a self contained 5KW unit with a cabinet measurement of L37cm x W25cm x H26cm. It comes with both onboard and 4 button remote. For ease of setup(over-landing) we've decided to use a foldable steel step stool with a larger foot print as a base(outdoor use). The plan is to route the exhaust and air intake through the stools platform with easy on and off clamping. Thanks again, and if any of this raises a red flag with you..please don't hesitate to say so. JG
👍
I bought the same 5k heater. It's great, I hung it off the front of my 4 wheeler and used it for three days on the ice to heat a Igloo insulated ice fishing tent in New Hampshire for the meridith rotary fishing derby 2019. It was 25 to 50 MPH winds real cold and the heater was outside running 24 hours a day. Had to turn it down so hot we had our jackets off. Slept perfect, never let us down. Best $140. I've spent.
Hi Inthewoods, thanks for that very informative feedback.
On very cold winter days where I live in Aus, we can sometimes get white frost on the ground, and it can hang around until about 1 hour after sunrise. Here we really have no concept of what real cold is. JMcK
Hi John, great videos, have modified mine accordingly. One problem with the all in one is that the controller sits above the warm air outlet so always reads temps much higher than ambient in the van. I have moved mine to a panel in the van and its working much much better :) Cheers mate !
👍
Very well done! By watching your videos on these heaters, there's almost nothing that I couldn't diagnose and fix. Kind thanks for taking the time and effort to put these up on UA-cam for everyone to learn about their parking heater woes. Instant LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! Greetings from Alaska.
Thanks for the positive feedback Shipfixer. JMcK
John I bought one of these, very similar in design and form factor from Amazon in 2020. Actually I bought another which came defective. After watching your videos I believe I can repair it by replacing the ecu. The one I currently use is a 2kw unit which came almost exactly like yours featured here. I did not know it was missing a fuel filter or that the air intake silencer is *not* an air intake filter. My unit also came defective with a fan that could not spin. I had to disassemble the case, access the heater, and pry the fan blade back a few mm to freely spin.
Regardless, I have been using my unit to heat my 20ft camper in the rockies at 10,000ft for about 6 months and in very dusty conditions. The unit continues to function well. After watching your videos I will be pulling the unit and adding a proper air filter, fuel filter, and using exhaust cement to properly secure my exhaust pipe for continued use.
Thanks for the feedback H0G. Glad you got it sorted. JMcK
Hi John, great review on the unit. concerning the fuel feed , what about an long feed like the "Eberspacher" type ? then you can cut the internal pipe to a lower level.
Setting up mine just now. Used your copper elbow idea for the exhaust and cut another hole in the other foot so i could run intake and exhaust straight out in opposite directions. Now starting on fuel filter. Thanks again John, really really helpful pal. I like the tartan on your table in some vids, looks familiar :)
👍😁
Hi Pete
It is a bit hard to diagnose these heaters remotely but I can give you some suggestions.
1. Make sure you have adequate wire gauge to the heater to avoid voltage drop on start. The cable that comes with the heater is far too thin. The heater may work when new, but add a bit of carbon to glow plug and a bit of wire corrosion and you won’t get a start.
2. Look for carbon buildup on glow plug and burner. I suspect your glow plug could be seriously carboned up and it can not get up to start temperature.
I would be interested to know what you find. JMcK
@johnmck1147 could you shed light on 16:01 why the incoming pos wire need to be protected by a fuse?
Hi Jay,
It is good practice to ALWAYS fuse every positive wire close to the battery. Its main purpose is to protect the wire loom. If you have some failure short in the heater, or even a wire chafe somewhere in the wire loom, you will have significant current flow in the circuit, causing massive heating, which will, not can, cause the wire protective coating to melt and catch fire. JMcK
@@johnmck1147Thanks. The fuse and fuse holder are not clear in the video. Could you give more details on them? The circuits in my application are mostly 15amp dc.
Hi Jay, just mount a simple in line fuse holder in the positive cable going to the battery. Close to the battery is better.
A 15 amp fuse is a good rating for these heaters, and is what I use. Cheers. JMcK
I got 180’C outlet air on my 8 kW air diesel heater when inlet air was 4’C and the fan on 5000 rpm. If you look at my video where i tested it you can see it operate. You find it in my channel. And thanks for all the test you done and showing us!
Thanks for the feedback and info RN. JMcK
hi john can you tell me where tot get some 2mmx4mm black fuel connection hose for the 2mm nylon fuel line.
Hi Mr T, already replied to you in previous post. JcK
Hi John, Thanks for putting up such an informative review. I have just purchased the same unit and after checking, as you said no diesel filter and the same sort of air filter. Mine had no muffler as well. Is there a good site where you purchase these items? Thanks
Hi Greg, I buy my stuff online, just search for the parts you need. Adding the word Eberspacher in the search often helps. The fuel filters you can also buy from a motorbike shop.
I am reluctant to put links in the description as sellers come and go so often. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks John
Thank you for posting this. Perfect timing! I just bought a 3Kw one of these, and it is due to arrive any day now. I am sure I would have worked out how to make the intake and exhaust work, but your ideas are a great start and a heads up on what will need doing first including that no fuel filter was installed. Thank you. John in Aus.
Hi John,
I have only seen 2 Kw (around 2 kilos weight) and 5 Kw heaters ( around 4 kilos weight) , never a 3 Kw. I suspect you will get a 5 Kw heater branded as a 3 Kw. All the better for you.
When it arrives, check to see if it has a fuel filter. The maker of mine did not install one, but other manufactures may instal a filter.
I suspect you will also need a combustion air intake filter. Most heaters do not come with one.
JMcK
Thanks John, yes its due to arrive today actually so will check for filter. Likely will come with no fuel or air filter. I will pick one up from the local auto garage around the corner if it does not. I did notice most are 2KW or 5KW. I thought 3KW would be suitable compromise for me but will see how it compares to 5KW spec models. I tend to expect it will be a 5KW anyway as you said. It will be used as a garage heater, so 5KW will be fine.
Thanks for the video. Just received one. Glad the battery was shot as a few steps I need to take before I fire it up.
Hi Brian, I hope all goes well for you. JMcK
I've just this week bought one of these from a company called VEVOR, £136 GBP delivered, a reputable company so no danger of being ripped off. They have updated it slightly with the blue control, 4 button remote and a cable directly to the circuitry so no longer any screw posts however, there is no strain relief on it only a loose, rubber grommet so a gland nut needs to be used. They're still using the naff, soft fuel line but you can pick up genuine Webasto/Eberspacher line for a few quid a metre., still no fuel filter but the intake baffle has a mesh screen inside.
I've strapped the tank to the shelf using Velcro bands and intend to run it without the red cover to help with cooling, I've also rerouted the cables and connections through the bay past the tank rather than past the heater and used split, rubber tubing to blind the sharp, metal edges where the cable and tubing pass through.
Regarding the unusable litre of fuel: Would this be to prevent the pump running dry and to minimise future priming?
Have you looked at the "Clunk tank" system the RC aeroplane guys use in their tanks to draw fuel from any attitude?
Once again thanks John, your channel is invaluable to us guys.
Top man.
Hi K, thanks for the feedback.
You definitely need a fuel filter, as the tiny valves in the pump will jam with even a small bit of dirt in the fuel.
Quite a number of my viewers use the “model aeroplane” fuel tank approach. JMcK
The Eberspacher has a fuel filer as part of the pump. Maybe the same on the cheaper ones?
I bought a branded 8KW all in one. I like you think it is really a 5KW. My tiny camper could have gotten by with the 2KW, but I wanted the all in one. I routed the intake where you put the exhaust because I didn't want to risk exhaust fumes being drawn into the air inlet and sent into the camper. Mine is mounted external in a case I built for it to protect it from weather. I shortened the air intake hose and attached the silencer on the bottom and to the support with the end cap off . Then I made to L shaped brackets to attach the cap on the leg on the outside of the silencer. Knowing now I need a filter I plan to either wrap the cap with foam filter material or cut out the baffles in the cap and stuff the filter material in that. My cap doesn't have the openings in the flat end so I may drill some extra small holes in the endcap as well. What are your thoughts?
Hi Watchfuliz,
Thanks for the feedback.
If the heater is in a camper, you could run the exhaust down through the floor.
I use simple combustion air intake filters that I buy off eBay for about $5.
Lots of suppliers. Search "air intake filters for Eberspacher or Chinese diesel air heaters.
Cheers, JMcK
has the base been put on reverse. there seems to be a cut out for fuel intake but on top not bottom
On cold days is it better to keep the unit inside to prevent gelling, routing exhaust out, or keep the unit outside and route the warm air in?
It is all personal preference. Some people like it inside, some outside. If it is very cold, it is a good idea to use winter diesel to prevent gelling. JMcK
I like that the fuel inlet is not at the bottom of the tank , the unused portion will act as a sediment trap . Drum fuel is notorious for having debris and other contamination in it . I raised the inlet on mine for the same reason
Thanks for the feedback Pete JMcK
Thank you John for a very well explained video of this heater.
👍
Thanks John, very thorough review. Where did you buy the fuel filter? Does the filter go above or below the pump?
Hi Brian, you can buy the filters on line, an auto store, or mower shop. I bought mine at a ride on mower/chainsaw shop.
The fuel filter is always installed BEFORE the pump, and must be installed in the proper direction. JMcK
Hi John. I hope you do not object to a direct request for some help. I purchased a new all in one CDH and it ran smoothly for about 3 months. Then one day, I noted it would go through it's start up and at the point where it got ready to draw the fuel and begin the pump process, it would click only once or twice before stopping. I suspected that the solenoid in the pump had broken or the pump was contaminated and stuck. I have purchased a new pump but it still produced the same problem. Would you know how to help me solve this so I can get it running again for winter?
Kind regards. Pete
Greetings from Ukraine, we commonly use heaters like this one in the military for heating on the frontline in place of the traditional potbelly stoves, as they are far more convienient (no need to cut firewood or feed the fire, you can easily live it overnight unattended). Usually they are powered from a car battery placed nearby, put on cinder blocks with the input routed through the hole and the exhaust routed between the side and the floor
Unsurprisingly they will breakdown often given the quality of the diesel (nobody bothers to change the stock config) and are often handled...in the military way, for example: running the exhaust pipe over wood (and melting it), running the exhaust into a potbelly stove and wondering why it smells so bad (the flue won't get any of the exhaust out with the stove cold), running the exhaust pipe many meters upwards (a necessity for heating up basements, dugouts and bunkers), my favourite issue is running the wires a dozen meters from a generator and wondering why it's not getting enough voltage.
Interestingly enough there haven't been any problems with it overheating due to power loss, I witnessed one unit endure like ten power losses for around a minute with no damage
You know, thanks to your videos I probably know more about them than anyone else in the whole brigade, thanks so much!
Hi Mike, thanks for your comments. JMcK
do you think its wise the have the exhaused pipe zo near the cold air inlett. it will take some exhaused fumes throw the heat exchanger en in to your tent or living space
Hi EH,
I have been asked this a number of times, and I should have been more specific in my video.
You (I) must add an extension exhaust to the heater.
Cheers. JMcK
You've got the exhaust coming out through the mounting bracket where the intake pipe is supposed to go.... I've installed a ton of these in snowmobile trailers and I always put the air intake through where you put the exhaust and I use a stainless 24mm through hull exhaust port to the outside and I use 25mm exhaust lagging hose over the exhaust pipe Then wrap it with header tape. You can almost grab the ehaust pipe at full blast with my setup. But looks like yours works anyways... oh I also use 2"×3" aluminum tubing to raise it up 3" on one side and 2"×2" on the other side so theres maxiumum use of fuel in the tank and secure it to the floor and install an aluminum kick pan/cover on the outer edge so nothing gets into the intake and exhaust cavity. Lastly THANKS for taking the time and making videos on this setup! :)
P.S. I'd really suggest running it with a 12v car battery in conjunction with a power supply or charger because if for some reason that power supply fails during wide open heating it shuts OFF and could be a severe fire risk from the inside as there would be no fan operation for cooling down cycle.... just a friendly suggestion taken from... ahem.... bad luck LoL
Thanks for the feedback Gmctech. A lot of people use these as portable heaters that they move around, and some install them in their carport in winter with a concret floor, in cases like that you can't put the exhaust through the floor. With a few mods these could be a great portable heater and I suspect the designer never actually used the heater in a practical application. Cheers, JMcK
how much heat does it produce? would it heat a wall tent?
Brilliant!! Thank you John 👍🏻, was looking at one of these to use for heating a tent whilst camping... thanks for the heads up... excellent video
Did you ever try one of these in your tent? I've got one for the exact same reason! I was thinking of building some kind of frame to mount on the bottom to hold the intake and exhaust pipes in place. I'll probably leave the unit outside and duct the hot air in.
@@scottmyers9850 I didn’t as i ended up getting a thermal tent... i was going to do the same and put it in the back of my pickup and run a insulated flexi duct into my tent... someone on youtube has done it with a rooftop tent though
John, I took out the round aluminum tank tap that the fuel supply line attaches to. Put it in my little bench lathe and tapped the part that is inside the tank with a 10-32 tap for a DU-BRO 10-32 Pressure fitting , part number 540. Then I put about 4" of tygon tubing on the pressure fitting after screwing it into the aluminum tank fitting, then I put on the other end of the tygon tubing a RC airplane fuel Clunk. All of thies parts can be purchased at a local hobby shop that sells RC airplanes, cars and boats. Hope this helps.
Hi KLH, thanks for the feedback and the info re your mod. Would love to hear how it works out in use. Thanks. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 it has been working great. Im going to test an in tank clunk with filter. Any lawn mower repair shop will have them. I get mine from an on line RC shop that sells them for large RC gas airplanes. Chainsaws, weed wackers etc use them too. Ill touch base with you as to results.
KLH1966 Thanks KHL.
Nice video. Would it simplify installation and maintainance if you changed the direction of exhaust/intake air? And would it be possible to a) wedge the diesel tank itself so the non-usable diesel volum decreases, or b) open up the outlet of the diesel tank and install a bend? Thanks for Your videos again, just got my small 2 kW heater, correct size, fantastic, but not without effort. It is really a lottery, I can submit communication with supplier if you are interested, and you will understand what I mean. Regards Torstein L
Hi Torstein, you have to run the exhaust out and away from the hot air going into the living area. The one real issue with all these heaters is getting rid of the exhaust.
No, you can't just wedge the fuel tank. It sits up tight against the top of the case. The whole heater must be tilted.
I am interested in anything about these heaters. Thanks for the feedback. JMcK
I have one of these. The fuel hose from the tank to the fuel pump was clear plastic/pvc and actually broke while it was running. There was fuel everywhere, including inside the air intake. Diesel "fog" everywhere. I've since moved the tank and pump outside the heater, replaced the fuel lines with genuine Webasto hard lines and filter. I feel much safer this way. These heaters are very efficient though, and after the modifications I am really happy with it. Scared me a bit though, and I'm not sure if putting the fuel tank on top is a safe solution...
Hi AT, it is shocking that some heater manufactures supply these heaters with that cheap sub standard, and dangerous clear or blue tint plastic fuel line. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Staying well clear of those from now on :) Incidentally, you wouldn't happen to know what the maximum combustion chamber temperatures would be before these heaters start shutting down? Mine is topping out at around 210°C and has not had any issues so far.
Hi AT,, the heat sensor is on top of the burner heat exchanger. And the shut down temperature is linked to the temp of air coming off heat exchanger. You can run all day at a certain setting in winter, but if I do a test in summer using same settings the heater will shut down.
The heater will shut down when the output heated air gets much above 120°C. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks. The one I have has a casing temperature reading on the display, hence the curiosity :)
Just got one. The flat shiny metal plate that the fuel tank sits on.. edges were sharp as a knife.. so I ran a dremel across to dull them. Also the plate that the heater bolts to was bent, so banged it out.
Thanks for the feedback KR. JMcK
Is there a big efficiency loss if the heater is outside the vehicle? (that is, sucking air from outside into the vehicle rather than recirculating air inside the vehicle)
Hi Alex,
Yes, you do lose some efficiency by heating fresh air as composed to heating recirculating air, just the same as in your motor vehicle, or any other heating application.
The heater is designed to heat the incoming air a certain amount above ambient, and this heat rise is dependent on the fuel delivery setting. In general terms a rise of 80 deg C above ambient is achievable with these heaters, so you will use slightly more fuel to heat outside air of 0°C, then to re heat accommodation air of 15°C.
So in real terms, you will use more fuel to heat outside air to a set inside level of warmth, than heating recirculating air.
But this comes down to personal preference. Some people love getting fresh air into the accommodation space rather than recirculating stale air, and are quite happy to except the slight decrease in efficiency.
Cheers. JMcK
Hi John
Just got one of these heaters and it only achieves 4 temp bars on the lcd screen it never shows any red bars even though I have temp set at maximum.
Serious question here, Do you or anyone else who has one of these heaters: Do you have a smell/odour coming through the heating vent ? Its a bit like a plastic/rubber burning smell ? I pulled the outlet hose off to see if i could smell this smell coming from the heater itself - which it is (as i was hoping it was the pipes and the plastic vents) its giving us headaches - anyone have the same ?
Hi Kroozer, suggest you look at gasket video. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 you mean this one John - Chinese Diesel Air Heater Part 15 Seals, Gaskets, Safety ?
Yes, some heaters give off a faint smell for a short time when new, and then stop. However if you are getting headaches, that can be serious and you need to check if you have a CO leak. Suggest you beg or borrow an instant CO meter. JMcK
Hi John! With my all-in-one unit it looks as if the wiring is 14AWG. To switch it to 12AWG one needs to replace not only the wires from one's battery to the hook up on the back of the unit but the wires to the heating unit itself inside as well? I also see of course wires from the controller and wires from the pump. . .
Hi DP, it is really only to upgrade the wires from the battery to the heater. The inside wires are short. The big issue with thin wires is voltage drop at the glow plug, so it will not get hot enough for a clean start. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Ah! Ok! And should I not use a 10a cigarette plug into my car, or? I should hard wire the heater to a dedicated battery? The only one I have sitting around is a 55 ah led acid. . .
@@johnmck1147 "12 Gauge Silicone Wire 10 ft red and 10 ft Black Flexible 12 AWG Stranded Copper Wire" found on Amazon is ok?
Hi DP,
There are people using the 12 volt cigarette plug, but you may need to upgrade the wire to the socket and upgrade the plug fuse to at least 15 amps. You also need the correct wire from plug to heater. You can get apps to tell you the wire size, which depends on current draw and the length. In your case the current draw is 10 amps. For wire length you must measure the total length of the two wires. I talk about this in the motorhome video.
However, if you want the gold standard, it is better to wire the heater directly to a battery through a 15 amp or 20 amp fuse, and with a portable heater, using a high current plug like an Anderson plug to connect and disconnect the heater.
These heaters only draw around 1 amp to 2 amps on average during use, but they do require around 10 amps at 12 volts for a short while to start the burner. If you have a long length of thin wire from the battery to the heater you get voltage drop, and the glow plug does not get hot enough and you get starting issues. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks again for this info! I have to finish watching the motorhome video! My all-in-one unit came with Anderson plugs and a fuse it’s just that the wiring appears to be 14awg and the fuse is 15 amp. The wires are 8.5 feet long. I was going to switch to 12awg as 14awg at 10 amps is only rated to around 4.5 feet of cable length.
Thanks for the great info. I will do the same mods to mine. The only thing different on mine is the way they mounted the controller looks questionable to me. The screws stick out and look like they would potentially poke holes in the fuel tank. Also the other end of the fuel tank looks like it could be easily damaged from vibration again the electrics and fuel pump. I think I will put something to protect the fuel tank better on both ends. Did not look like yours had that problem? Maybe worrying too much because once mounted and screwed to the case it will be fine?
Thanks for the feedback Tim
I removed the 2 screws on the controller holder, and replaced them with 2 sided tape. I may use some velcro to hold the tank to the shiny plate. Note that on my unit the shiny plate just lays there, has no fasteners whatsoever! Might use a bit of Velcro to keep it steady.
KRYTEN451
Good solution, on my unit I also use double sided tape for the controller. A couple of dabs of silicone or similar in the corners will secure the metal plate and the fuel tank, and not be too difficult to pry apart later if the need arises. JMcK
Hi John, Thanks you for all those videos. Very helpfull. I have the exact same one, and you helped me understand how it works, since the instructions weren't very clear... but I still have a question ; if I choose to install the heater separately, can it be installed with the intake/exhaust ports on the side or on the top ?
Hi Philip,
These heaters can be installed on their side, but only the side that has the glow plug on the top. When you open the case you can see the glow plug, so can see what side to use. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thank you for the very quick answer !
Seems to be different brand names of the same heater. Are there any real differences of what appears to be the same heater under different names?
Hi Keith, there are quite a number of copies out there, generally the only difference is the accessories, snd controllers. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 thank you
Well done for the little space available.
HI John. What do you think: can one lead the exhaust tube to a long tube placed in concrete and let the exhaust heat up that concrete block to get some extra heat out of the device? The concrete block would have about 2 meters of extra tube in it and be kept indoors - the exhaust would be led out of the building we want to heat using a smaller last section of exhaust tubing.
Hi SG, yes you can do that, but be aware of restrictions. Keep exhaust as short as possible. Longer exhausts must run lever, or better still run up hill as hot gases go upwards. Increase exhaust pipe diameter for longer exhausts. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 thanks!
Very informative video john with out your modifications it’s seems to be not to safe a product ?
Why can’t they put the air intakes and the exhorts pipe on opposite sides then they wouldn’t be so close to each other?
Great video 🇬🇪🇬🇪
Thanks for the feedback Edward.
These heaters are really good little heaters, but sadly, sometimes the people that do the design never actually use the product in real life.
Cheers. JMcK
John, is the temperature sensor in the fresh air intake as I've seen reported . If so, the fresh air intake should be ducted to the living space so it can read the temperature of the living space and adjust as appropriate? Thanks . Looking forward to your reply.
Hi Roy, the temperature sensor is in the controller, not the fresh air intake. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thank you.
You never mentioned fuel consumption.....how much fuel does these things use in a 24hr period???
Look at his other videos. He works out the fuel consumption.
He explains that each impulse of the pump is 0.02 ml
You just multiply that by the "hz" (impulses per second that you set the heater to)
Nice Video John , can you tell me how long a tank of diesel last's ?
Hi Phillace,
I talk about fuel consumption in a previous video. It all depends on the heat setting, which is the pump pulse rate. The pulse is in Hz, (pulses per second). Each pulse delivers .02 litres. Multiply the pulse rate by 60 to get fuel in minutes, and again by 60 to get fuel use in hours.
At a mid range setting you get 3 to 4 hours running per litre.
The tank size in this particular heater is 5 litres, but the pick up is on the side and there is about a litre or so of unusable fuel.
So with this heater expect 12 to 16 hours of running.
JMcK
Based on one of your other videos I believe you mean .02 *mL* per pulse not litres.
I have an all-in-one unit, but the fuel pump outlet end is pointed down towards the heater. It is mounted at an angle. Also, in your video, this unit had a couple of loops of the hard nylon before feeding down the heater. Is this needed or just excess line they coiled versus cutting? Thanks.
Hi EAP,
There are quite a few issues with the all in one heater “out of the box” if the fuel pump does not point up you can not easily get rid of the tiny cavitation bubbles caused by pump piston movement.
Also if you do not install a fuel filter, it won't be too long before you get a tiny bit of crud stuck in the pump body causing you fuel pump issues.
You can remove any extra fuel line, but turns in the nylon fuel hose must be wide and gentle. You do not want to kink the nylon fuel hose.
Cheers. JMcK
Great work John I'm having a issue with mine, it's coming up on the display e02 code & the display shows 3.2v if you press ok. I have checked the voltage & yes I'm getting 12 v to the board. Any idea what the problem might be? Thanks
Great video as always, thank you. Just one question John, is there any reason why the exhaust cannot terminate out of the other side of the cabinet, thus avoiding the crossover with the air intake?
I realise a hole would need cutting.
Hi Peter, it can come out anywhere you want. If you can, say in vehicle or home with raised wood floor it is best out the bottom, but in a room with a concrete floor it is sometimes better out the side with heater raised off floor. JMcK
Very useful John, however I think you will find that most of us instal these with the combustion in and out pipes going straight out below the heater. You do have the option of going out through the back but as you have shown this is not as straight forward.Just watched it again, certainly doing it this way takes some time, I went straight down through the floor and the whole installation took half an hour. I am about to refit and I agree raising it with a couple of buttens helps with access and tightening clamps, my floor is aluminium and steel so not heat problems but some still use a turret plate.
Hi W, thanks for the feedback. If you use these case heaters as a permanent install, running the piping out the bottom of the vehicle is a good option. But as a portable heater it needs some modification. With a bit of thought and trial usage by the designer this heater could be a great portable heater, or a simple permanent install. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Fair enough, I think I misunderstood. A lot of people view these as portable and as you show- to be portable a fair bit of work is needed! I think the rest of us view them as great, good to go, permanent fixtures. To be honest there are also problems with this too. They don't work with a turret plate so they need to be raised a couple of inches so that lying with my face flat on the van floor I can do up the clamps fixing the exhaust and air pipes. Having watched your video I think I am going to add copper pipe sticking straight down long enough to stick out underneath the floor of the van. This will make servicing, removal and re-fixing a lot easier I think with the clamping joints outside the van rather than inside.
Hi there, thanks for that info. Remember copper and aluminum are very dissimilar metals and you need some good gasket cement to both seal and prevent corrosion. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks John, that's really helpful
Greetings from the uk.
What size copper pipe bends did you use please?
I just got the exact same model today and I spotted the problem with the exhaust too.
There is just no room for the bend in the pipe,plus it’s very near the fuel pipe,so will need lagging as you have done.
Good heater thou.
Is that long hose on the front heater part optional?? Id rather leave it off to conserve space in my RV if I dont need to use it.
Hello, I have this exact unit. It came with a soft rubber fuel line, so I must address that.
My problem is that I have a very large gap in the fuel line, from the pump almost to the bottom, that's filled with air. It's about 15 / 20 centimeters.
I tried "priming" the rubber line using a syringe, dripping fuel inside it, but the bottom line is still there, 15 cm down the rubber tube, and the air is still there.
Matter of fact, the fuel I added went straight into the combustion chamber and so when I started the unit, it burned out with a lot of smoke - that's not good.
I can't figure out how to prime the fuel line. I tried the button combo from the control panel but doesn't seem to work.
Meanwhile, the unit works very well :)
Any hint? Thank you :)
Hi John..
Bettween the filter out to the pump in, is there just the thick rubber fuel line and no hard plastic line inside it As it looks?
Cheers mate..
I just use normal “quality” rubber fuel hose from tank to fuel tap to fuel filter to fuel pump.
It is on the delivery side of the pump to heater that narrow bore hard nylon fuel hose is required so the fuel pulses are not absorbed by soft fuel hose. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Gotcha mate..
I just wasn't sure if the fuel filter out to pump in was a (sleeve only) or if you had 2mm nylon line inside that sleeve...?
I'll get some decent line from tank to filter in..Green no good!
Thanks again John..
John, this is Richard from Canada. My question for you is can you run these diesel heaters on straight kerosene? We have to change the atomizer screen every 3 months so is a kerosene or a half kerosene and half diesel mix better?
Yes Mr S2000. You can run these heaters on Kerosene, but if a pure lighting kerosene you need some diesel for lubrication. Perhaps a kerro/diesel 90/10 mix. Suggest you watch my video on using kerosene in these heaters. JMcK
Just looking at these heaters. Great video, thank you 😊
hi John, i installed one of these units in my Caravan, worked perfectly till a few weeks ago, the diesel tank was substandard and started to leak, only a pin hole size so i decided to install a tank on the outside of the van to eliminate this happening again, these heaters have a thicker clear fuel line running to it from the pump, i bought a harder fuel line and it looks smaller in diameter, having hooked it all back up it doesn't want to prime the pump, and the pump doesn't seem to be able to pump the thinner fuel line thru, any ideas
Hi Allan, these pumps are not so good at sucking. Running the thicker fuel line from tank to filter to pump is ok, but you need to mount the pump very close to the fuel tank, and you should also try to manually prime the pump and not use the pump to prime.
The line from the pump to the heater should be the thin hard nylon type as normal rubber fuel hose absorbs the pump pulses.
Please let me know how you go. JMcK
Hi John, how do you manually prime the pump and not use the pump
Hi..thanks for informative enjoyable videos.
Just bought an all in one unit, 5k, in order to heat tent.
Hoping to have it outside the tent in Tassie. Thus, it needs to be waterproof. Any tips?
Also, I wonder if fuel pump can be installed vertically rather than about 45degrees to further promote bubble removal...as well..steps to quieten this pump in this unit..
I'm also not sure how to manage the 4 outlets on purchased unit, when one pipe entering tent seems preferable.
I'm hoping to perhaps attach a 90degree copper elbow as you suggested and hope to sleeve on an off the pipe, for ease of transport..does this sound feasable?
A waterproof air intake for outside use is another aspect..I'm pondering laying on or low to ground to prevent rain entering, or, vertically with perhaps a U snorkel at end with fly wire .
Would be wrapped to hear your advice, and any other suggestion.
Many thanks.
Sam.
Would fly wire clamped directly to inlet be reasonable? Or on a copper elbow to direct suction away from ground? Am thinking of use in dust free environment..Tassie winter..
Hi Sam,
For your application a heater with just one outlet would have been a better purchase.
Can you swap it?
You could make an adaptor to come back to one outlet.
The pump can be vertical if you wish, but does not need to be. Anything over 15 deg works ok.
You just need to make a simple roof or box to keep the rain out.
You could mount it on short legs to get the heater higher off the ground.
Have fun. JMcK
@@johnmck1147
Thanks for advise on pump angle..hope to keep bubbles out guess pump will be angled down towards the fuel inlet at bottom on unit with the all in one. Trust this is fine.
Getting the fuel line as described has been a challenge in Tasmania. Eventually found Brierley Hose and handling that should have something suitable, but not 5mm outer , 2mm inner. Also they should be able to help with ducting and exhaust insultation products. Phew.
Not sure about finding a vertical box to help with waterproof..and providing waterproof air ventilation to it..
Fun to be had.
Thinking of magnetic tape on back of remote and a sandwich bag ,seal facing down as part of process..but, early days.
Thanks for reply...
Looking forward to viewing more..
Sam.
All in one unit seems to be pumping fuel downwards..not upwards.
Can pump be pointed downwards?
Will bubbles then flow back to the tank, or pool in the pump, or just pushed through nylon line...the short distance..
Hope this is a good question.
Many thanks in advance.
Mister Lewgee
Hi ML, the fuel pump is angled upwards in this heater. The fuel exits the top of the pump and is then pumped down to the heater. Cheers. JMcK
Thanks John for your quick reply and for all your detailed videos!!!!!
👍
Hello John, I hope you are still reading your comments. I have made your modifications to the exhaust but have a question about the 2 air intakes. Which one is collecting the air to pass through and enter the vehicle heated? If it is the rear one than wouldn’t the exhaust being channeled out the back get sucked in through this? Thank you
Hi Elaine,
I use the “all in one” heater as a portable heater, and move it around.
That is just the exhaust stub on the heater. I put an extension exhaust pipe on the stub and direct it away from the inlet.
You can bring the exhaust out the side, bottom, front, etc, Whatever is best for you. But you need to keep the exhaust outlet away from the heated air inlet.
Sometimes I just use the stub exhaust and put ducting on the air inlet to bring in fresh air away from the exhaust.
Sometimes, I use the heater to heat an epoxy composite part under construction, (no people) and I just leave the exhaust stub as is, no extension.
Cheers. JMcK
Glad I found this comment and reply as I was thinking this! Was hoping that it burns clean enough to not be a problem but I'll probably direct the exhaust out the front instead now. It shouldn't matter out the front as long as the ducting pipe is clamped on tight I guess.
@@scottmyers9850 hi. I am still unsure which or both send air into the vehicle…the fixed vent on the unit or the pipe
Is the exhaust supposed to exit so close to the fresh air inlet? Seems like the design was for the air intakes for combustion and heating to be on the same side and the exhaust routed out the bottom.
Hi Raymond, the exhaust must have an extension piece to take the exhaust out of the accommodation area. This heater should have an easy exhaust coupling. JMcK
Awesome work. Last yr I put one of these in my boat cockpit. Mostly ran on low, rant the duct through the companionway slat. This year it overheats but only if the case is on. Watched all your vids but still dont know what to think. No intake obstructions, short tube w mosquito screen zip tied to the end. Any suggestions or input is appreciated. Thanks again for your video work.
Hi No Body,
Does it overheat on a high setting or even on a low setting?
If even on a low setting you could have a faulty temp sensor on the heater body.
But I would first check for excessive carbon build up in the heater.
Did you give it an occasional, or season end high hemp run at max setting for about 15 minutes to burn off excessive carbon?
You could try running a high kerro mix 90% kerro through the heater, starting slow and gradually ramp up the setting to see if that will clean the heater out.
However, if badly carboned up you will need to dismantle the heater and manually clean out the carbon.
These heaters copies are so cheap compared to brand name heaters, that if you are not DIY, it is often cheaper in some countries (Australia included) to buy a new heater rather than pay very high outside service charges.
Take the case off and give it a good run with kerro first up.
If that does not work, do a strip down and check for excessive carbon.
Cheers. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks for the input. I figured it would be a carbon build up/tear down. Meanwhile, and I had always noticed this - at the angle of the pump, the fuel lines at each end were cramped onto the casing. After further review of your vids, I stood that pump upright and ran it full speed for 30 minutes. Im in the Florida Keys so not much use to run it except on low down here - and not often. She didn't quit or throw codes, so last night she ran w the enclosure back on. No problems yet, so perhaps a combo of pinched fuel line and carbon buildup...Ive ordered the hard nylon tubing and gasket kit. If she doesn't make it thru the winter I will get a spare at this price. Either way, she deserves a tear down this summer.
Thanks again for all you do. Appreciate your vids and input.
No Body
👍
I'm having trouble getting my all in started. It has a different controller than most. just a small panel with a red knob to the right. It lights up shows 12 volts and starts to count down from 60 seconds to 0 then nothing. no pump ticking.
Hi Jack,
Suggest you take the case off until you can get the heater running. Can you hear the fan running when you switch on? You should.
Have you extended the power wires to the heater? If you have, did you increase the size of the wires? If you did not the voltage drop will be too much and the glow plug won't get hot enough and and the heater won't start.
Try connecting the heater directly to a battery, no wire extensions. The fan should come on and glow plug get hot. Then after a while the pump will start ticking. Look to see if the heater is priming, you will see fuel coming through the lines. On initial start you will have to push the start button a few times until the fuel gets to the heater.
If you do all the above and the heater won't start you may have a dud heater or controller, and need to ask for a replacement.
Good Luck. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 I hear the fan running for about 3 seconds then it shuts down & displays "igniter failure"
Jack Harper
Hi Jack, that is a glow plug issue. Could be a bad glow plug, but most likely poor wiring or flat battery. The glow plug draws around 10 amps on start so you need a full battery and/or thick wires to prevent voltage drop.
I go through this in some detail in videos no 18 and 19, motorhome install.
Cheers. JMcK
I've just got one of these heaters and the controller is different again,... just two round buttons, one is chrome. Not had time to try the unit out.
Great. John,can you say to me,what is maximum distance that you can controled this heater with the remote controler?And,is this heater have self timer,to i set the time of turning on? Thank you.
Hi Borg, there are too many variables to give you an answer on the remote distance. Eg, where is the heater installed, do you want the signal to go through walls, what type of walls etc. You will have to check this out yourself.
As for the second question, most remotes I have seen are either 2 button, or 4 button. The 2 button turn the heater on or off, and the 4 button also increase or decrease the temperature.
On some controllers you can set the the time to start the heater and turn off the heater.
Cheers. JMcK
There seems to be four latches, front & rear. What are they for? I imagined that this type of heater was meant to unlatch from the base and be carried out of the vehicle for refilling. I was wondering what genius sealing arrangement connected the heater to the base and didn't leak exhaust fumes. So glad to have seen your video. Got to rethink everything, again. Seems to be the regular old bread loaf shaped heater in a tin box. Almost as deceptive as a box with no heater in it. All your videos have been a tremendous help. Thank you.
Hi Chuck, thanks for the feedback.
The 4 latches allow you to remove the heater from the base, but they are not relevant as you can not disconnect the base with the exhaust or combustion inlet air pipes connected. It would be nice if they could engineer a special air tight docking set up to allow this to happen. Cheers. J McK
what did you use to connect the copper elbows? and what were the diameters? also do you have a link for the fuel filter?
Thank you John McK for this video. This is great and very helpful video.
Your welcome Tosh
Great video. I just received mine today. Can't wait to fire it up.
It only took one week for it to arrive in Ireland from Hong Kong.
I got the version with the lcd remote control and gold lcd display.
The fuel lines in mine are much shorter and don't have any clamps.
Mine doesn't have the power connectors like yours, instead it has sleeved wires coming out a hole in the back with an inline fuse.
I wish they included a muffler, fuel filter and intake filter. Now I have to order them separately.
I'm putting mine in my garage with a power supply instead of a battery.
Thanks for the set up ideas.
Thanks for the feedback Mr 123. Unlike Eberspacher, who do a lot of research, I don't think these Chinese copy manufacturers do much field research, or get in field feedback. They need an intake filter and a fuel filter, and with a little bit of design effort, they could have a flush, quick release exhaust outlet on these heaters. JMcK
If he's Irish he blow himself and the whole street to London
What size copper elbows thanks
Hi John. Another good vidio. Just a quick question. In your video about fuel you talk about the lift ability of the pump (or lack of it lol) I can see in this one the tank is a little above the heater which will be the case in the install I am doing. Can the pumps little internal non return valves stop syphoning happening into the heater and flooding it. Have you ever looked at how high the tank can go.
Hi Phil, you can go to about 1m head height without issues, over 1 m I like to install a shut off valve in the fuel line, but the heaters will often work with a head of of around 2m
Would it be possible to change the the fuel tank pickup to be like a wippa snippa with a hose running into tank with weighted filter that sits on the bottom ?
Yes, and that is a great solution to this issue. Thanks for the feedback.
Cheers. JMcK
Great video. Do you have a Recommendation on what size awg wire should be run from the battery and what size few should be installed
Hi Rick,
The wire size depends on its length and current draw. The heater draws up to 10 amps on start up and if there is voltage drop from a long power cord you will have starting problems.
There are free apps on the internet that give you wire size when you put in wire length.
I go into this in more detail in the motorhome install video.
Cheers. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 thanks!
Hi John,
Good stuff, well presented video. Only regret is I didn’t see it sooner.
My goal is to get a pair the lightest weight multifuel heaters that can deliver around 15-20,000 BTUs each and a decent CFM. I will be attaching a duct that will go directly from the heater into the intake cowling of my airplane engines as as preheaters before start. This will avoid cold engine starts at remote airports (I live in Canada).
Some questions if you don’t mind:
• I’m wondering if you have any idea what CFM of these 5Kw and 8Kw Chiness heaters produce?
• Do you think they will able to burn Jet Fuel if I get stuck?
• I’m thinking of running the exhaust into the engine compartment as well. How “dirty” is the exhaust [not carbon monoxide but soot]?
• Any reason why I cannot just draw clean air from the bottom of the heater rather than attach a duct?
• How reliable do you feel they are once properly set up?
Thanks for your time. Enjoy the day and Happy New Year.
Bill
Hi Bill,
You are not alone. I have a number of viewers using these heaters for that exact purpose.
Ref CFM, have a look at the test run videos, they give the output at various settings.
Yes they run very well on jet fuel (kerosene) but you should add 10% diesel for lubrication. Suggest you see kerro video.
These heaters run very clean in proper operation, and the exhaust has no smoke.
They give out a dry heat, so lessen issues of corrosion caused by condensation.
You do not need ducting on the air intake side, whether heat exchanger air, or combustion intake air, but you can't suck exhaust into intakes as if upsets burn.
These heaters are very reliable, with proper set up and proper operation.
Warm flying. JMcK
ThankYou John. Grateful for Your efforts. A question I have is....I am installing externally . Wouldn't it be wise to direct the air intake into the area being heated? Like a recirculation aircon it will use warmer air as a source to heat. Less fuel and less moisture inside cabin ? Kind regards Stephen Geelong
Hi Stephen, that is a personal choice. It is purely up to you what way you want to go. Some people like to recirculate the air, others like to heat fresh air from outside. On the boat I suck air from outside, but recirculate air in the motorhome. You are correct, you will save a little diesel reheating the compartment air, but these heaters are very efficient it won't be much of a difference. JMcK
Good oh John . ThankYou for Your perspective . Appreciate Your reply )) Stephen
Hi John, fantastic tutorial mate. I just have one concern with these. I see the exhaust pipe is more or less next to the intake fan for the air that would end up being pumped into a tent ect, is that an issue? We had an SOP on my dive ship when operating the bower, that the intake needed to be far away from the exhaust. Is it possible to direct the exhaust out the side or further away from that fan? Cheers.
Hi T,
That is just for bench testing, same as all the other tests.
In actual use you must direct the exhaust away safely with an extension.
Sometimes you can direct it down through the floor, or out a back wall, or upwards in a camping environment. JMcK
What size copper elbow and insert on the end did you use for the exhaust?
Hi John. One more question for you. By the way I am in the U.S. So I am installing the all in one in my van. I noticed the other heaters had a metal plate underneath them when installed. My heater did not come with a plate. I have raised my heater up with 2 x 4's. I was going to coat my floor underneath the heater with a fire block sealant--also fill in the hole around my hoses. I am not sure how hot the bottom gets and wondering if you think this will be enough protection. Or do you think a metal plate is in order. Thanks so much for your help
Hi Michelle,
I assume you are running the exhaust down through a metal floor. If so I suggest you cut the hole in the floor slightly oversize lag the 3 ins or so of exhaust from floor to heater and seal the hole with some high temp silicone or sealant. Sealing under the heater as you suggest would also be helpful.
If you are running the exhaust through a wood floor you need to insert some sort of spacer for the exhaust to pass through so there is no contact with the wood floor.
The spacer could be a bit of 2 in pipe through the floor. Lag the exhaust as above, put it through the spacer, then fill in the gaps with hight temp silicone.
Cheers. JMcK
John, are you mixing both the soft clear and hard nylon fuel lines? Looks as if you are using both here. . .
Hi Dacia,
I just wrote a reply to this on another thread. Will reproduce it below.
Hi Dacia,
From tank to filter to pump you just need normal 4mm good quality fuel hose.
From pump to heater you should use narrow bore hard nylon fuel hose. Dont't use the cheap vinyl fuel hose often supplied these days. It absorbs the pressure of the fuel pulses and makes it difficult to atomise the diesel in the burner chamber. It also tends to perish quickly.
However with the all in one heater the distance from pump to heater is very short and I now often just use normal 4 mm quality fuel hose through out. Quality fuel hose is less likely to absorb the pulse in very short lengths, and will work ok with at all in one heater, and cause less issues with joiner leaks. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Yes! Thanks! I already saw it over on the other video.
Hi john thanks for the set up info, just a quick question.
Does it need the full coil of fuel pipe or could that be shortened.
Hi Mick, the shorter the better. Just leave enough hose so there is room for some flex in the system.. J McK
Interesting video, I was starting to look at these for use in our Coaster but now I think I will keep on looking.
Hi, just wondering what you ended up going with? Just started looking for one for a coaster myself. Thanks. Ben
Hi John, I’ve heard where putting a sharp 90* bend right underneath the heater could cause carbon build up in the heater. I was wondering how yours is holding up and if you’ve incurred any issues ? Thanks for your time.
Hi SH,
90° is not a problem in most cases, but you do need to keep restrictions in the exhaust to a minimum. A total of around 270° bends is really the maximum in an exhaust system for these heaters.
My portable heater is fine but it does not get a lot of use.
However most boat installs, including ours have a 90°bend in the exhaust at the base of the heater. (See boat video). We have been using that heater for the shoulder seasons for some 10 years now without a carbon issue, or even a service.
Cheers. JMcK
Hi John, regarding the copper 90° elbows, here in Europe they only make 22mm and 28mm diameter copper fittings, not 25mm. Would 28mm work?
Hi Dacia,
If only a small difference you can cut slots in the flange of the copper fitting and clamp it in using High Temp Silicone or exhaust gasket to seal it.
With a large gap, a possible better option here might be to make a flat spacer cut from a bit of thin flat steel. Just cut around a 15 mm to 20 mm wide strip of thin metal and wrap it around exhaust outlet (cut to size) and then install the 90° elbow. (Using exhaust cement or HT silicone.) JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks John! Also, for the all-in-one heater like I have do you recommend replacing all the fuel line with nylon if I can, or? I see you mention that the 2mm nylon hose is most important for the delivery side. . .
Hi Dacia,
From tank to filter to pump you just need normal 4mm good quality fuel hose.
From pump to heater you should use narrow bore hard nylon fuel hose. Dont't use the cheap vinyl fuel hose often supplied these days. It absorbs the pressure of the fuel pulses and makes it difficult to atomise the diesel in the burner chamber. It also tends to perish quickly.
However with the all in one heater the distance from pump to heater is very short and I now often just use normal 4 mm quality fuel hose through out. Quality fuel hose is less likely to absorb the pulse in very short lengths, and will work ok with at all in one heater, and cause less issues with joiner leaks. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks again for the help!
Hi John Thanks for all the info. Could you tell me (as I know very little about electrics) what size cables you suggest using and what size fuse. My system will be a 12v 5Kw unit.
Thanks
Hi Mike, suggest you have a look at motorhome video. I explain this subject there. Just fast forward to you see it. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks John👍
What intake filter did you use?! Awesome stuff. Thank you!
A gauze one, bought off eBay. JMcK