Very cool!! mine did pretty good for first run during Michigan winter. Very efficient. Once I get my garage to a comfortable temp, I lower setting down to 2.5 to 3.5 and my one battery during sunny cold days does well with the one 100 watt solar panel. I have a battery charger on standby if my voltage goes lower than I want on really cold days. I will upgrade to this larger one before next winter, one or two more solar panels and at least one more deep cycle battery. Great videos as always...
Nice review, thank you! i actually bought this unit without knowing is a larger unit. I wanted to order their new design box for it but they said it doesn’t fit. I am using it in a Nissan Patrol when winter camping, at -4 degrees Celsius i get 19 degrees Celsius inside on the lowest setting, perfect to have a good night sleep into the wild
Thank you David, for yet another excellent informative video about these heaters. I've just recently learned about them myself and, after an embarrassingly long UA-cam deep dive on them, I am ready to bite the bullet and get one. Wait - actually 2. One will be one of the "all-in-one" units to take the edge off in my insulated garage and the other will be for in my John Deere 420 Garden Tractor that I use for snow removal here in mid-Michigan. I'm installing an old Cozy Cab onto this tractor in hopes that I'll be able to endure the bitter winter cold long enough to not only clear my own property, but my short dead end road as well as 5 or 6 of my neighbors. Normally, when it's really cold, I can barely get mine and the road and maybe one other driveway before I'm too cold and have to retreat back to my office chair with 2 heating pads and a blanket because my old back has caught a chill and is now tighter than a banjo string - lol. All that being said, I want to ask if you would be so kind as to give the dimensions of these 3 heaters you have in his video? I think that overall LENGTH is what I need the most but the other dimensions will be helpful as well. I need these measurements because I'm trying to decide whether I can mount this heater in the tractor cab or, if it must be mounted outside of the cab, I'd like to know I can fit it inside of an old military canon ammo can I have in order to keep it out of the elements as much as possible. If it will fit, I'll fab up a bracket to mount it just outside of the rear window of the cab and just plumb the air hoses into the cab. Sorry to have written a novel instead of just asking how long they are. I just figured that if I gave you the entire story that it would allow you to elaborate on anything you may think is worth pointing out. I've enjoyed watching your videos and have grown to appreciate and respect your opinion, especially when it comes to these diesel heaters. You've taught me more about these units than so many other video channels combined. Also, speaking of channels, why does UA-cam keep "dropping" you from my sub list? My other account has somehow "unsubbed" from your channel 3 times now. I'll randomly see a new video from you show up on my page (usually after the end of another video) and I can see that it's a "new" or unfamiliar thumbnail so I click on it - only to find that it's a couple months old and I never got notified and that's usually when I notice that the "subcribe" button isn't showing me as subscribed - so I have to hit the button again to re-sub. Like I said - it's happened 3 or 4 times now and I always hit the "ALL" feature to get notified for everything. I just now subbed for the first time using this account so only time will tell if it happens under this one too. I hope not. It's VERY frustrating! Maybe you could do some research and do a video for us on why that keeps happening too - lol. OK, sorry for rambling David. Haha - all this to ask the measurements - lol. Thank you again for your time and effort making these videos. I look forward to reading if you choose to reply. Thanks again.
The weird odd sized Hcalory heater is a rare find so you probably won't need to worry about it being slightly longer than the normal 5KW. I'll share a link to an image of the dimensions - static.wixstatic.com/media/4ab75e_22ec83366e5d4ae18cf9bb9262aa9454~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_640,h_444,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/4ab75e_22ec83366e5d4ae18cf9bb9262aa9454~mv2.jpg I'd probably go with the small body 2KW heater as you are only heating a very small space. And it's better to run the small one at full power than the large ones at low power. Less sooting up of the insides.
I'm surprised it does actually have a higher output. That would be nice for heating my garage, but I'll just stick with the cheaper standard ones for now. Thanks for doing the testing!
Change the brand and you can find diesel water heater, diesel air heater, diesel air+water heater. ---About diesel water heaters: How big do you want? I found Diesel Liquid Heater 5KW 10KW 12KW 15KW 16KW 30KW ( 12V or 24V)
@@Mape10 Great points I missed. Thank you. Have not boiled plastic in an oxygen free environment, but have followed two people who do it for fuel. It seems to work for them on their islands. (Literal islands, beautiful now but deadly during the flip )
This was the idea I emailed to you David... A longer heat exchanger .....but I was going to lengthen the inner burn chamber by an equivalent amount to force the hot gas to travel further down the exchanger before it reverses direction and heads to the exhaust.
For some reason I missed a lot of detail in the video the first time I saw it (i had just replace my hard disk and reloaded windows) , which lead to my asking stupid questions having watched it again in full I noted that weve all got 4-5kw output holes in our walls now and unless you can get an adapter for the output end of the bigger heater to fit our smaller hoses we are slightly stuffed. its quite hard to drill a bigger hole inside an already drilled hole. I hope they made some adapters. its a great idea to produce more heat but we find we have to switch to a 2kw in the spring (march onwards) because the Hz setings wont go down beyond 1.7Hz for the fuel setting on the 4-5kw heater on the 2kw they will adjust as low as 0.9 Hz which stops you overheating over nightm in a caravan or smaller container. I imagine this is more likely to be used by Big RV owners in the USA where everything is bigger than smaller caravan and camper van owners in the UK, also people trying to heat small industrial units or larger houses say a 3 to 4 bedrooms. thanks for all your advice David in getting us up and running in the past youve definately contributed to us saving a heck of a lot of money heating our home over the past winter and we are very grateful for your Videos.
My 5kw heater will infact go between 0.8hz and 8.0hz. . I often use the 0.8 setting in my small well insulated van. Although it continues to run, it's smoky and smelly. The CO reading is 1000ppm in the exhaust. I don't think these heaters can even be tuned to work well below about 1.6hz. Maybe I should have a 2kw heater
So the new Hcalory heater is basically the same components, the increased length of 54mm really increases the surface area of the cooling fins considerably. There should be an increase in heat transfer. Smart solution at minimal components affected. I wonder if the exhaust temperature is reduced.
It has to be, the exhaust flow rate won't be different and as more heat is exchanged before the exhaust the temperature of the exhaust cannot possibly be the same. It's still going to be extremely hot though.
Makes me think of those who used a couple of heaters in tandem for their DIY house heating, only for this one to turn up and make them look very small... :P
For $99 US on Amazon, this is what I'll replace my shop's pellet stove with. Be nice to have a bit more heat efficiency per dollar of fuel versus my pellet stove, and once I can source an old iron steam radiator, scavenge even more heat from the exhaust. I love the ability to fine tune these with the right controller and ECU and get the best efficiency for your environment too.
There’s a UA-cam video about a guy who did exactly what you described. He expelled the exhaust into an old cast iron heater. He pulled every single BTU from the exhaust before venting it to the outside of the building.
None of them produce 8kw. The 2-5 kw is the same unit. No matter which one you buy, they either max out at 7k, or 17k BTU. I'd advise picking up a Kyocera glow plug, at the same time you buy the heater though. The included ones are shit.
Thats what I'd like to know as well. I mean you can't make 8KW/Hr worth of heat if you're only using 3KW/Hr of fuel. You need to pump at least 800mL/ hour to do that. I found 1 pump on Amazon that actually gave all the spec ratings of the pump. 22ml/1000 pulses and can go up to 12hz. At 12hz the pump will output 950ml/hour. So the pump is capable, just need a controller that can go that high. Trying to figure out the pump rating was the challenge for me. Most sellers just say 22ml diesel pump. Ok 22ml per what? A minute, an hour, nope found out its per 1000 pulses!
Can't find my old comment. But based on my energy density calculations, 5.7hz of the 22ml/1000 pulse pump yielded around 4KW. So if that big heater uses the same pump at its max output(12Hz), it would be a little over 8KW indeed.
@charleshamel2797 that cool man our maths are both jiving up. I was using 10Kw/liter energy for diesel. Its a bit more for kerosene at 10.35KW/L. Then Id just take 6hz x 60 x60 to get pulses/hour, then divide by 1000 to get how many 22ml doses per hour. Then multiply that number by 22 to get ml/hour. Then its just( ml÷1000) × 10000watts. And that gives how many watts of heat/hour.
This was the idea I emailed to you, David A longer heat exchanger .....but I was going to lengthen the inner burn chamber by an equivalent amount to force the hot gas to travel further down the exchanger before it reverses direction and heads to the exhaust .
Hi, Great videos and lots of very useful information. I'm starting on a camper conversion, the living space is not huge and a 2kW diesel heater would probably do fine. Am I better off with a 2kW one or can a 5kW be effectively down tuned to 2kW? As I've heard that the 5kw is likely to be quieter at low power levels and has a better (larger) motherboard? Thanks Ron
I think the bigger one is a good deal, i ordered one via Banggood and got it sent via EU, as the other link was not working, greetings from a Dane living in Bulgaria
@@DavidMcLuckie Have used diesel heaters for full-time living (bus) and the Chinese copies of my Eberspacher don't measure up to the original German tech.
@@dancarter482Agree. These crappy china air or water heaters will not produce even half of claimed power and waste 30% of fuel to crazy hot exhaust. I would not instal these anywhere what can burn down like vehicle or building. Real webasto, eberspächer or binar/planar is the way to go. Despite the last one is russian.
@@kiinanilmio My 4kw Eberspacher is a toasting machine that only has to run itself a few times a day to maintain comfort - just leave it on and it does its thing. Hardly uses any fuel. Oriental knock-offs chew through the juice in no time, don't go to standby and can't be left unattended.
If it is only the ally casting that increased in size, I would fear that chamber temps will have to be lower, which in turn means quicker soot build up?
hi david, maybe worth a test: use an (old) heater as AN exhaust heat exchanger. remove the burning chamber, put it between the exhaust ( heater exhaust out to changer in). A thermostaat before the fan as stand alone or remove the fan and conect the air out to the air in of the heater...
One thing i noticed with my diesel heater is when it being used on its side for any amount of time the heater coughs and splutters and burns itself out. It also leaks diesel into the plastic casing creating when hell of a burning oil stench.
you got a problem then sir! I have been running one on its side for 2 years now with well over 6000hrs on it and not one problem besides the bearings start making some noise also when running it on its side it must be glow plug side up is the only way they say it can be run
The Hcalory that I bought has a 100mm duct and it can heat a 10x12ft tarp covered area to 10C when the outside temp is -4C in about 2 hours, so much so I don't need to wear a jacket. I am using it to heat this area until I build a box for it to heat my house. Are the gasket sets for these bigger heaters the same as the rest?
Thanks, David. Watching your video for 1st time and I love your presentation. Two weeks ago I bought one for heating my double garage, which is basically almost under ground. All is installed. Just solving exhaust to route via narrow window - waiting for extra long 23mm exhaust tube plus heath sleve. David, can you make short video instructions "How to ..." with this latest LCD colour display with push-rotary button, please? (As seen in this video.) Thankfully George
Hi David, I noticed it says 12v/24v on the sticker. Does that mean the glowplug and pump are 24v or dual voltage or some other method of voltage control at the ECU. This model I've read also can shut itself down and back on again at a preset temperature,,,, is that correct ?, love ya bids BTW. S Strachan, stoke on trent
Hey David love watching your stuff - I'm not sure if it's the content or how you explain stuff but it always makes me smile! I'd love any advice you could give me on heating a small 26 foot fibreglass folk boat - not a huge amount of room and I have limited battery power, from an efficiency perspective is it advisable to go for a small heater and work it at high rate or go for a bigger unit reducing the work of the unit - again thanks mate and keep up the great work cheers form Hobart Tasmania - K.
from what i can work out .. running a large heater at tickover / idle for extended periods causes it's burn chamber to clog up .. better to get a smaller one & run it harder
I am still seeking a larger heater. I was going to run 2 in parallel but that would be too much hassle. Have you measured the fuel consumption yet? Can't wait to see your more in depth test. Any news on the real 8kw one you mentioned in the past?
Hi Gary from the UK here grate video very interesting and informative keep them coming I really love your videos, you really get into the nuts and bolts of things do you know the size of the aluminiume heater unit on the 90mm heater because I want to make sure I have the right unit and NOT something else that's not 8.5kw please, thanks for your help
wonder how much bigger the heat exchanger can be and still get more heat without changing the rest of it. is it possible to fabricate extensions to bolt in and make it even longer?
So the 8KW heater just produced more heat by pumping faster and more fuel? So the control board is the difference and how it controls the pump output? Now to figure out which of the units (other than the Hcalory brand) are really the larger 8KW units or just the old 5 KW unit re-labled?
i have been used this big one this last winter in my boar, together with the smallest heater ( rated 2 Kw.) .The smaller one needed cleaning out and had problems after every 24 hours of using it. The bigger one ran perfectly hor 90 days in a row and is still running flowlessly still as I write this. My thermostat talks English😀 Not Dutch, but at least a language I understand.. In Winter, ar freezing temperature, it used about 5 lites a day an a setting of 22 degrees C, 24 hours each day. My boar us small, 9,5 mtrs by 3 but I have had the most comfertable winter since I moved on to a boat. Do you have an idea why the small heater keeps crapping out ?
sounds like its getting to much fuel or the air is being blocked on the intake or exhaust I have a cheap model with over 6000hrs run time without cleaning or the need to clean
Was thinking of purchasing 1 of these, this will be my first CDH thoughts on a home fit? Do i re-circulate the hot air in the room? 2 vent holes drilled or , drill 1 hole and leave the other intake outside in fresh air? what are the pros and cons, been as we dont have very Harsh winters now? Thanks in advance.Would this be a good first heater?
No. The big big Hcalory heater seems to be a rarity. The easy way to tell is it has a 90mm outlet. As far as I know they haven't made it into an all in one.
Hi,David. Very interesting review of this larger heat output model from Hcalory brand. Have you ever done any experimentation with a diesel heater exchanger by painting the outside aluminium air exchanger fins with proprietary matt black heat dissipating paint such as would be used on an air cooled motorcycle cylinder barrel? I just wonder if matt blacking the outer fins would noticeably improve the hot air output. Edit to add: I wonder if the combined heat output of the air to air heat exchange plus the exhaust gas heat loss comes closer to the claimed 8kw output?
Hi David you’re obviously the right guy to ask👍 I run 6kw diesel heater from the mains through a 12v dc power supply, could you tell me roughly how much the power supply (wattage) is using during the middle heat setting please?
Can you show me the wiring diagram from the control box to the heater on a gas heater please it has come out of a 1991 camper, there is also another box but I am not sure what it is for.
In that case your heater is in need of a tune. :) There are three CO alarms in the workshop. They only go off if I run a generator inside. But thank you for thinking of me.
@@DavidMcLuckie More details on the tune then please ?? Will I not have to richen the mixture to stop the CO which would in turn reduce the heat ?? Or how about a turbo unit :)
Seems the A22 model is about Impossible to get, Been out of stock on Hcalory's site for a while. Not on Amazon & BangGood wants over $100 in shipping.. Ended up with the 5-8Kw version for now , Kinda sucks since the efficiency will be lower unless I can mod the heat exchange or something & or the burn chamber. If I come up with anything worth while I'll be sure to share with you, Kinda remind me of Scotty from StarTrek . Personality more less seems to mach , least from how you are in the video's lol. 🍻
i cant find these bigger ones in the uk but im not sure if they are in the new toolbox type as they have a 90mm air outlet is there much in it with the 5-8kw vs the 6-8.5kw
I have an idea! 😅 If we take two heaters cut them in couple parts and make it one, to get even more mass from heat exchanger? If you not gonna try then i will try my best to do that 🤪 can’t promise when but i will try 🤦
Hey, you did a video showing where you tested another diesel heater that was your brother in-laws and that was labeled as a 5kw (also black and carbon fiber look) that had a model number XMZ-1 and this HCALORY you tested here has a model number XMZ-D2 (labeled 6kw-8.5kw). Are the heat exchangers the same size making the HCALORY the biggest heat exchanger you've tested?
If burning the same air/fuel but extracting more heat, I'd be interested in exhaust temp. If the exhaust is too cool, or maybe on long runs, will it condense acidic water? Possibly rot exhaust pipe prematurely?
I have an Hcalory heater with the shown controller. I hate it, it lacks adjustability. It has a menu to adjust elevation but it cannot be adjusted. Unfortunately the Afterburner controller is not compatible with these
Hi David, enjoying ur vids & info, would it be beneficial to add a ratio/percentage of petrol to diesel to help prevent algae formation in tank when stored over summer, and maybe reduce clouding issues in colder areas? Or is mixing fuel & diesel not good? Cheers
Great video David, so if all that was needed to make a 6KW heater is a bigger heat exchanger I'm wondering why it wasn't done a long while ago or is it the fact that all the campers, cars and trucks out there are designed to take the 4KW and the 6KW wouldn't fit. I wonder if you could get more heat (KW power) out of the 4KW heater just by changing the size of the hot air outlet by making it bigger, I assume that could be done on a 3D printer.
Probably because you dont need more than 5kw in an RV, I guess they only make an 8kw do to feedback that they became quit popular for garage heating, where you need alot of power.
I have done just this, making the outlet hole larger and interfacing it with 5" ductwork and also getting rid of the restrictive crisscross mesh on the inlet has increased airflow across the exchanger. The displayed temperature on the controller is consistently lower now, I rarely see temps above 180c now when running on pump diesel, previously I was seeing 200-215c at a push. Does it produce more heat...? I don't think so, but I have increased the air volume enabling me to port it around my ducting. Am really interested in seeing how this new model performs.
@@shanehogarth6373 You are extracting more heat since the heat exchanger is cooler the exhaust gases will also be cooler, means you run it more efficent.
@@jaybee258jb yes maybe. My unit is in the basement and rests on 90° shelf brackets which are also a bit springy so noise has never been an issue for me. Also of course the outlet on mine is connected to a long network of insulated flexible ducting which also helps with the noise. But you are right fit and reducing the restriction should make both the fan noise and any noise coming from the movement of air less. Good 🤞 luck.
Hey mate was wandering if the exhaust and all other pipe fittings are the same size as the other two. If I was to change over would I have to change or would it kind of be plug and play.
Hey, David, Hellloooooo! Since you probably a bit of pull with the brand, is there any way to find out if this heater is discontinued? Seems to be out of stock everywhere. Would like to know I'll be able to get one at some point ... the alternative is probably to install a second heater, which I'd rather not do.
I have a likaci 8kw with the same bluetooth controller. My issue after running for a week is heater shuts down due to soot build up. I am at 2000 ft sea level so I'm assuming stock elevation out of box is somewhat correct. I cannot find any settings for this controller. The older controllers there is tons for settings like your older videos. Only thing i have been able to find is pump pressure 16u/22u/32u. Do you know if i can adjust air and fuel with this conroller?
I think I had that horrible controller as well. Mine was on a 2KW. I did find changing the pump size setting in the menu did help a little with fueling, but nothing like being able to tune it properly. Swapped the ECU and controller out for the old fashioned one, plus it works with the Afteruburner.
@@DavidMcLuckie thank you. Took it apart and it was completely sooted up . Exhaust even had huge soot buildup. Have a yr older unit that I replaced with this one. Guess I'm swapping electronics and see if that helps
Im going to install a heater in my Toyota pro ace to keep above freezing (my work tools can’t handle frost) wat do you recommend is the best for the job? 2 5 or 8kw
Whare can i purchase one of these 6kw heaters ? ive tried Ali express but they dont ship to the UK, also Ebay are out of stock and Hcalory them selves are saying there out of stock any ideas? thanks in advance..
David have you a used heater you could flog me as i know you have more heaters and parts than enough and more than you could ever need. Im being serious by the way if you want to get rid of some let me know .
@DavidMcLuckie I have found a couple, the HCalory all in one 8k and one other all-in-one. They appear to have the heat exchanger sticking into the air port.
Hi, have you tried a standard plastic 5L fuel can. Chuck the spout, put in a dip tube for fuel and a garden drip feed nozzle for air bleed in the lid insert. Easy to fill outside and save the fuel smelling up the living area.
All these heaters are lies. From what I read they only make 2KW and 5KW heaters. Then they just sell the 5KW ones as 8KW. Best way to figure out what its outputting, is to look at the pump rating. The rating on the pumps are strange. They are usually listed as 22ml. OK 22ml/what? A minute? an hour? Nope! Turns out its per 1000 pulses. So all you need to do is find out the Hz at full power. I believe its 6hz for mine. That comes out to 475.2ml/hour. Using diesel, that's only 4.752 KW/hour. So my 8KW heater is really only 5KW. You can hack the controller though and change the pulse rate. I'll try that on mine, well once my new pump arrives, the 1st one didn't eve last 10 hours! They should just make a heater that uses 2 of those heater cores with 1 controller to run both. Then you could at least get the rating they say it is. You can only shove so much fuel into these things b4 they get overwhelmed and cant burn the fuel completely. They're pretty cool though, if you like experimenting with stuff, but If I was just a camper and wanted to drag one of these heaters with me, I wouldn't be too happy. They are built so shitty, the thing would fall apart sitting in the back of my truck.
Very cool!! mine did pretty good for first run during Michigan winter. Very efficient. Once I get my garage to a comfortable temp, I lower setting down to 2.5 to 3.5 and my one battery during sunny cold days does well with the one 100 watt solar panel. I have a battery charger on standby if my voltage goes lower than I want on really cold days. I will upgrade to this larger one before next winter, one or two more solar panels and at least one more deep cycle battery. Great videos as always...
Nice review, thank you! i actually bought this unit without knowing is a larger unit. I wanted to order their new design box for it but they said it doesn’t fit. I am using it in a Nissan Patrol when winter camping, at -4 degrees Celsius i get 19 degrees Celsius inside on the lowest setting, perfect to have a good night sleep into the wild
Thank you David, for yet another excellent informative video about these heaters. I've just recently learned about them myself and, after an embarrassingly long UA-cam deep dive on them, I am ready to bite the bullet and get one. Wait - actually 2. One will be one of the "all-in-one" units to take the edge off in my insulated garage and the other will be for in my John Deere 420 Garden Tractor that I use for snow removal here in mid-Michigan. I'm installing an old Cozy Cab onto this tractor in hopes that I'll be able to endure the bitter winter cold long enough to not only clear my own property, but my short dead end road as well as 5 or 6 of my neighbors. Normally, when it's really cold, I can barely get mine and the road and maybe one other driveway before I'm too cold and have to retreat back to my office chair with 2 heating pads and a blanket because my old back has caught a chill and is now tighter than a banjo string - lol.
All that being said, I want to ask if you would be so kind as to give the dimensions of these 3 heaters you have in his video? I think that overall LENGTH is what I need the most but the other dimensions will be helpful as well. I need these measurements because I'm trying to decide whether I can mount this heater in the tractor cab or, if it must be mounted outside of the cab, I'd like to know I can fit it inside of an old military canon ammo can I have in order to keep it out of the elements as much as possible. If it will fit, I'll fab up a bracket to mount it just outside of the rear window of the cab and just plumb the air hoses into the cab.
Sorry to have written a novel instead of just asking how long they are. I just figured that if I gave you the entire story that it would allow you to elaborate on anything you may think is worth pointing out. I've enjoyed watching your videos and have grown to appreciate and respect your opinion, especially when it comes to these diesel heaters. You've taught me more about these units than so many other video channels combined. Also, speaking of channels, why does UA-cam keep "dropping" you from my sub list? My other account has somehow "unsubbed" from your channel 3 times now. I'll randomly see a new video from you show up on my page (usually after the end of another video) and I can see that it's a "new" or unfamiliar thumbnail so I click on it - only to find that it's a couple months old and I never got notified and that's usually when I notice that the "subcribe" button isn't showing me as subscribed - so I have to hit the button again to re-sub. Like I said - it's happened 3 or 4 times now and I always hit the "ALL" feature to get notified for everything. I just now subbed for the first time using this account so only time will tell if it happens under this one too. I hope not. It's VERY frustrating! Maybe you could do some research and do a video for us on why that keeps happening too - lol.
OK, sorry for rambling David. Haha - all this to ask the measurements - lol. Thank you again for your time and effort making these videos. I look forward to reading if you choose to reply.
Thanks again.
The weird odd sized Hcalory heater is a rare find so you probably won't need to worry about it being slightly longer than the normal 5KW. I'll share a link to an image of the dimensions - static.wixstatic.com/media/4ab75e_22ec83366e5d4ae18cf9bb9262aa9454~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_640,h_444,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/4ab75e_22ec83366e5d4ae18cf9bb9262aa9454~mv2.jpg
I'd probably go with the small body 2KW heater as you are only heating a very small space. And it's better to run the small one at full power than the large ones at low power. Less sooting up of the insides.
Interesting! Kind of like it! It gathers more air across the fins and lets it escape through a bit larger hole. It works!
I'm surprised it does actually have a higher output. That would be nice for heating my garage, but I'll just stick with the cheaper standard ones for now. Thanks for doing the testing!
I appreciate all your insight concerning all your videos and diesel heaters.
Thanks.
I hope they make an even larger heater for more options.
May they add a water heater section as well.
Change the brand and you can find diesel water heater, diesel air heater, diesel air+water heater. ---About diesel water heaters: How big do you want? I found Diesel Liquid Heater 5KW 10KW 12KW 15KW 16KW 30KW ( 12V or 24V)
@@Mape10 Great points I missed.
Thank you.
Have not boiled plastic in an oxygen free environment, but have followed two people who do it for fuel. It seems to work for them on their islands. (Literal islands, beautiful now but deadly during the flip )
Great to see u tidied the bench up before starting the recording. Not so easy when all the junk is scattered around randomly. 😂
This was the idea I emailed to you David... A longer heat exchanger .....but I was going to lengthen the inner burn chamber by an equivalent amount to force the hot gas to travel further down the exchanger before it reverses direction and heads to the exhaust.
I think they will be enough tornado effect to drive it all the way and bounce off the end ?
For some reason I missed a lot of detail in the video the first time I saw it (i had just replace my hard disk and reloaded windows) , which lead to my asking stupid questions having watched it again in full I noted that weve all got 4-5kw output holes in our walls now and unless you can get an adapter for the output end of the bigger heater to fit our smaller hoses we are slightly stuffed. its quite hard to drill a bigger hole inside an already drilled hole. I hope they made some adapters. its a great idea to produce more heat but we find we have to switch to a 2kw in the spring (march onwards) because the Hz setings wont go down beyond 1.7Hz for the fuel setting on the 4-5kw heater on the 2kw they will adjust as low as 0.9 Hz which stops you overheating over nightm in a caravan or smaller container.
I imagine this is more likely to be used by Big RV owners in the USA where everything is bigger than smaller caravan and camper van owners in the UK, also people trying to heat small industrial units or larger houses say a 3 to 4 bedrooms. thanks for all your advice David in getting us up and running in the past youve definately contributed to us saving a heck of a lot of money heating our home over the past winter and we are very grateful for your Videos.
My 5kw heater will infact go between 0.8hz and 8.0hz. . I often use the 0.8 setting in my small well insulated van. Although it continues to run, it's smoky and smelly. The CO reading is 1000ppm in the exhaust. I don't think these heaters can even be tuned to work well below about 1.6hz. Maybe I should have a 2kw heater
Thanks for the video. I didn’t know anybody made a true..ish “8KW”
ive got a 8kw one with a 75mm outlet. so far so good..gotta do the upgrades to it.
So the new Hcalory heater is basically the same components, the increased length of 54mm really increases the surface area of the cooling fins considerably. There should be an increase in heat transfer. Smart solution at minimal components affected.
I wonder if the exhaust temperature is reduced.
It has to be, the exhaust flow rate won't be different and as more heat is exchanged before the exhaust the temperature of the exhaust cannot possibly be the same. It's still going to be extremely hot though.
Makes me think of those who used a couple of heaters in tandem for their DIY house heating, only for this one to turn up and make them look very small... :P
Just bought one of these 8kw ones, had to do the same and strip it to check as the cases are identical barring the 90mm cap
For $99 US on Amazon, this is what I'll replace my shop's pellet stove with. Be nice to have a bit more heat efficiency per dollar of fuel versus my pellet stove, and once I can source an old iron steam radiator, scavenge even more heat from the exhaust. I love the ability to fine tune these with the right controller and ECU and get the best efficiency for your environment too.
There’s a UA-cam video about a guy who did exactly what you described. He expelled the exhaust into an old cast iron heater. He pulled every single BTU from the exhaust before venting it to the outside of the building.
@@SuperDave-vj9en It might be the same one you mention that led me to think that was a pretty good idea.
None of them produce 8kw.
The 2-5 kw is the same unit.
No matter which one you buy, they either max out at 7k, or 17k BTU.
I'd advise picking up a Kyocera glow plug, at the same time you buy the heater though.
The included ones are shit.
I would love to see the one with a water heat exchanger... as well as info where to buy.
It sure does have more space for more TEG's 😉
What is the spec of the fuel pump(ml/pulse)? And max Hz of the controller?
Thats what I'd like to know as well. I mean you can't make 8KW/Hr worth of heat if you're only using 3KW/Hr of fuel. You need to pump at least 800mL/ hour to do that. I found 1 pump on Amazon that actually gave all the spec ratings of the pump. 22ml/1000 pulses and can go up to 12hz. At 12hz the pump will output 950ml/hour. So the pump is capable, just need a controller that can go that high. Trying to figure out the pump rating was the challenge for me. Most sellers just say 22ml diesel pump. Ok 22ml per what? A minute, an hour, nope found out its per 1000 pulses!
@@GMCLabs I have made a calculation in the past with the 22ml/1000 pulse pump that you will like. Let me find it and paste it here in a minute.
Can't find my old comment. But based on my energy density calculations, 5.7hz of the 22ml/1000 pulse pump yielded around 4KW. So if that big heater uses the same pump at its max output(12Hz), it would be a little over 8KW indeed.
@charleshamel2797 that cool man our maths are both jiving up. I was using 10Kw/liter energy for diesel. Its a bit more for kerosene at 10.35KW/L. Then Id just take 6hz x 60 x60 to get pulses/hour, then divide by 1000 to get how many 22ml doses per hour. Then multiply that number by 22 to get ml/hour. Then its just( ml÷1000) × 10000watts. And that gives how many watts of heat/hour.
Is it using more fuel to produce more heat or is it just extracting more heat due to the larger mass
That was my first thought!
Excellent question. And I expect the answer is it's burning more fuel. But we shall test.
This was the idea I emailed to you, David
A longer heat exchanger .....but I was going to lengthen the inner burn chamber by an equivalent amount to force the hot gas to travel further down the exchanger before it reverses direction and heads to the exhaust .
They really need to sell one that produces 20KW+. There would be a market for it.
@@DavidMcLuckie what is the ML of the pump ?
Hi, Great videos and lots of very useful information.
I'm starting on a camper conversion, the living space is not huge and a 2kW diesel heater would probably do fine.
Am I better off with a 2kW one or can a 5kW be effectively down tuned to 2kW? As I've heard that the 5kw is likely to be quieter at low power levels and has a better (larger) motherboard?
Thanks Ron
I think the bigger one is a good deal, i ordered one via Banggood and got it sent via EU, as the other link was not working, greetings from a Dane living in Bulgaria
loving the vids thank you
My 4kw Eberspacher runs _RINGS_ around all 3 of my Oriental junk knock-offs!
Not sure what you mean.
@@DavidMcLuckie Have used diesel heaters for full-time living (bus) and the Chinese copies of my Eberspacher don't measure up to the original German tech.
@@dancarter482Agree. These crappy china air or water heaters will not produce even half of claimed power and waste 30% of fuel to crazy hot exhaust. I would not instal these anywhere what can burn down like vehicle or building. Real webasto, eberspächer or binar/planar is the way to go. Despite the last one is russian.
@@kiinanilmio My 4kw Eberspacher is a toasting machine that only has to run itself a few times a day to maintain comfort - just leave it on and it does its thing. Hardly uses any fuel. Oriental knock-offs chew through the juice in no time, don't go to standby and can't be left unattended.
If it is only the ally casting that increased in size, I would fear that chamber temps will have to be lower, which in turn means quicker soot build up?
The way you say hello at the start reminds me of Florence from little Britain 🇬🇧 😂
hi david, maybe worth a test: use an (old) heater as AN exhaust heat exchanger. remove the burning chamber, put it between the exhaust ( heater exhaust out to changer in). A thermostaat before the fan as stand alone or remove the fan and conect the air out to the air in of the heater...
One thing i noticed with my diesel heater is when it being used on its side for any amount of time the heater coughs and splutters and burns itself out. It also leaks diesel into the plastic casing creating when hell of a burning oil stench.
you got a problem then sir! I have been running one on its side for 2 years now with well over 6000hrs on it and not one problem besides the bearings start making some noise
also when running it on its side it must be glow plug side up is the only way they say it can be run
The Hcalory that I bought has a 100mm duct and it can heat a 10x12ft tarp covered area to 10C when the outside temp is -4C in about 2 hours, so much so I don't need to wear a jacket. I am using it to heat this area until I build a box for it to heat my house. Are the gasket sets for these bigger heaters the same as the rest?
My Hcalory says it's 5-8 kw and it's the smaller than the big one.
With a 22 pump.
I measured as you did and got 135mm.
Thanks, David. Watching your video for 1st time and I love your presentation.
Two weeks ago I bought one for heating my double garage, which is basically almost under ground. All is installed. Just solving exhaust to route via narrow window - waiting for extra long 23mm exhaust tube plus heath sleve.
David, can you make short video instructions "How to ..." with this latest LCD colour display with push-rotary button, please? (As seen in this video.) Thankfully George
Hi David, I noticed it says 12v/24v on the sticker. Does that mean the glowplug and pump are 24v or dual voltage or some other method of voltage control at the ECU. This model I've read also can shut itself down and back on again at a preset temperature,,,, is that correct ?, love ya bids BTW. S Strachan, stoke on trent
Loved your video. I noticed you got a control panel with a rotating knob. Where can I get instructions for it . . . please. Can't find the anywhere!
Hey David love watching your stuff - I'm not sure if it's the content or how you explain stuff but it always makes me smile! I'd love any advice you could give me on heating a small 26 foot fibreglass folk boat - not a huge amount of room and I have limited battery power, from an efficiency perspective is it advisable to go for a small heater and work it at high rate or go for a bigger unit reducing the work of the unit - again thanks mate and keep up the great work cheers form Hobart Tasmania - K.
from what i can work out .. running a large heater at tickover / idle for extended periods causes it's burn chamber to clog up .. better to get a smaller one & run it harder
The self powered heater would be perfect on a boat with a constant flow of cold water 👍🏻
@@888johnmac thanks mate
@@888johnmac thanks mate
weight difference would be interesting to see which ebay sellers are telling fibs.....
Great video. Do most Chinese diesel heaters have brushed motors? How long before they need maintenance?
I am still seeking a larger heater. I was going to run 2 in parallel but that would be too much hassle. Have you measured the fuel consumption yet? Can't wait to see your more in depth test. Any news on the real 8kw one you mentioned in the past?
If life threatening conditions ...when dealing with these I would always run 2
@@tomthumb2815 Or just have one spare on the shelf.
Maybe. There is a very small chance we might get to see one of the really big heaters.
Is there a link for getting parts, or there a sense rebuilding it
Hi Gary from the UK here grate video very interesting and informative keep them coming I really love your videos, you really get into the nuts and bolts of things do you know the size of the aluminiume heater unit on the 90mm heater because I want to make sure I have the right unit and NOT something else that's not 8.5kw please, thanks for your help
If my calculations are correct the unit is 15% larger than a 4Kw unit.
wonder how much bigger the heat exchanger can be and still get more heat without changing the rest of it. is it possible to fabricate extensions to bolt in and make it even longer?
Or perhaps even cast our own, longer heat exchangers. ;)
@@DavidMcLuckie that would be cool, longer burn chamber, bigger heat exchanger.
@@DavidMcLuckie please do sir
Can you adjust the fuel air ratio with this controller?
I don't want any more heaters that can't be manually adjusted. I want to burn lean.
Did you service the ventures webasto? Years ago..in peeterheed?
So the 8KW heater just produced more heat by pumping faster and more fuel? So the control board is the difference and how it controls the pump output? Now to figure out which of the units (other than the Hcalory brand) are really the larger 8KW units or just the old 5 KW unit re-labled?
Access the pond our Ebay only offers 5-8kw sizes.
i have been used this big one this last winter in my boar, together with the smallest heater ( rated 2 Kw.) .The smaller one needed cleaning out and had problems after every 24 hours of using it. The bigger one ran perfectly hor 90 days in a row and is still running flowlessly still as I write this. My thermostat talks English😀 Not Dutch, but at least a language I understand.. In Winter, ar freezing temperature, it used about 5 lites a day an a setting of 22 degrees C, 24 hours each day. My boar us small, 9,5 mtrs by 3 but I have had the most comfertable winter since I moved on to a boat.
Do you have an idea why the small heater keeps crapping out ?
sounds like its getting to much fuel or the air is being blocked on the intake or exhaust
I have a cheap model with over 6000hrs run time without cleaning or the need to clean
please publish more info on this new model 8.5 kw
Not as cheap anyway. About £150 p/m only for the fuel.
Was thinking of purchasing 1 of these, this will be my first CDH thoughts on a home fit?
Do i re-circulate the hot air in the room? 2 vent holes drilled or ,
drill 1 hole and leave the other intake outside in fresh air?
what are the pros and cons, been as we dont have very Harsh winters now?
Thanks in advance.Would this be a good first heater?
Great vid and explanation. Is there a TRUE stand alone 8k that you can recommend, with fuel tank and case? Thx again
No. The big big Hcalory heater seems to be a rarity. The easy way to tell is it has a 90mm outlet. As far as I know they haven't made it into an all in one.
@@DavidMcLuckie I guess I will just try to find a source of the one you reviewed then.. thx for responding
Yeah,,,,I have a tank farm too
Hi,David. Very interesting review of this larger heat output model from Hcalory brand.
Have you ever done any experimentation with a diesel heater exchanger by painting the outside aluminium air exchanger fins with proprietary matt black heat dissipating paint such as would be used on an air cooled motorcycle cylinder barrel?
I just wonder if matt blacking the outer fins would noticeably improve the hot air output.
Edit to add: I wonder if the combined heat output of the air to air heat exchange plus the exhaust gas heat loss comes closer to the claimed 8kw output?
Hi David you’re obviously the right guy to ask👍
I run 6kw diesel heater from the mains through a 12v dc power supply, could you tell me roughly how much the power supply (wattage) is using during the middle heat setting please?
Approximately 120W but I've seen some go to 150W. I'd aim for 200W just to be safe.
Can you show me the wiring diagram from the control box to the heater on a gas heater please it has come out of a 1991 camper, there is also another box but I am not sure what it is for.
One thing that we can all agree, this thing should never be in a CAR. For use as a car heater.... if you value your life
David I wish you would run an exhaust to the outside !! My CO meter's go off mad if I run mine with Exhaust not sent outside
P.s I'm also Scottish East Cost North a Dundee
In that case your heater is in need of a tune. :)
There are three CO alarms in the workshop. They only go off if I run a generator inside. But thank you for thinking of me.
@@DavidMcLuckie More details on the tune then please ?? Will I not have to richen the mixture to stop the CO which would in turn reduce the heat ?? Or how about a turbo unit :)
Hi David, did you test to see if there was less heat escaping from the exaust?
Seems the A22 model is about Impossible to get, Been out of stock on Hcalory's site for a while. Not on Amazon & BangGood wants over $100 in shipping.. Ended up with the 5-8Kw version for now , Kinda sucks since the efficiency will be lower unless I can mod the heat exchange or something & or the burn chamber. If I come up with anything worth while I'll be sure to share with you, Kinda remind me of Scotty from StarTrek . Personality more less seems to mach , least from how you are in the video's lol. 🍻
i cant find these bigger ones in the uk but im not sure if they are in the new toolbox type as they have a 90mm air outlet is there much in it with the 5-8kw vs the 6-8.5kw
I have an idea! 😅 If we take two heaters cut them in couple parts and make it one, to get even more mass from heat exchanger? If you not gonna try then i will try my best to do that 🤪 can’t promise when but i will try 🤦
Any idea If this WILL work with Afterburner? Compatibility list seems pretty small.
Not with the ECU that comes with it. But swapping to a compatible ECU and running it that way works.
Where can i buy the 4kw hcalory unit in the uk? I only see 5kw.
Also, what is the best remote to get there are 3 options
What's the make/model of your digital thermometer, please?
Looks like the same size burn chamber to me with bigger fins to me ?
Hey, you did a video showing where you tested another diesel heater that was your brother in-laws and that was labeled as a 5kw (also black and carbon fiber look) that had a model number XMZ-1 and this HCALORY you tested here has a model number XMZ-D2 (labeled 6kw-8.5kw). Are the heat exchangers the same size making the HCALORY the biggest heat exchanger you've tested?
The weird XMZ-D2 (labeled 6kw-8.5kw) is the biggest heater to date I've had, the heat exchanger is physically bigger than the other units.
Yes yes
Is it burning more efficiently tho
I hope they can make burner 2 part, easier to clean the buildups inside, so we can burn more waste oil.
I'm sure if they extend the body length 1.5x longer, the heat exchange will produce more heat, thus reduce the exhaust temperature. Why not?
just get an old waste oil burner
why in the world would you want to clean one of these every time you use it ?
If burning the same air/fuel but extracting more heat, I'd be interested in exhaust temp. If the exhaust is too cool, or maybe on long runs, will it condense acidic water? Possibly rot exhaust pipe prematurely?
Never mind, I saw your other video. The temps seem too hot for condensing. Shocking how hot the exhaust is on Hi.
Wonder if that heat sink can be ordered anywhere?
I have an Hcalory heater with the shown controller. I hate it, it lacks adjustability. It has a menu to adjust elevation but it cannot be adjusted. Unfortunately the Afterburner controller is not compatible with these
You should be able to adjust all kind of stuff from the phone app, or have i misunderstood somthing...
what is the number of calories generated from the bigger 8.t kw model?
Hi David is it possible to change motherboard to new type bluetooth one, I've checked around but can't find any information on this.
They all use the same basic fan, glow, temperature sensor setup. Sometimes the plugs are moved around on the board, or the plugs are different.
thanks David @@DavidMcLuckie
Can I run the standard ones on the side as well? , So the exhaust and the intake is coming out the side on the 4kw
Hi David, enjoying ur vids & info, would it be beneficial to add a ratio/percentage of petrol to diesel to help prevent algae formation in tank when stored over summer, and maybe reduce clouding issues in colder areas? Or is mixing fuel & diesel not good? Cheers
There is specific diesel biocides that sh it should be used
Link doesn't work for me and seems no longer for sale 🤔 we're is it currently for sale and how much?
Any update on actual KW output?
Great video David, so if all that was needed to make a 6KW heater is a bigger heat exchanger I'm wondering why it wasn't done a long while ago or is it the fact that all the campers, cars and trucks out there are designed to take the 4KW and the 6KW wouldn't fit.
I wonder if you could get more heat (KW power) out of the 4KW heater just by changing the size of the hot air outlet by making it bigger, I assume that could be done on a 3D printer.
Probably because you dont need more than 5kw in an RV, I guess they only make an 8kw do to feedback that they became quit popular for garage heating, where you need alot of power.
I have done just this, making the outlet hole larger and interfacing it with 5" ductwork and also getting rid of the restrictive crisscross mesh on the inlet has increased airflow across the exchanger. The displayed temperature on the controller is consistently lower now, I rarely see temps above 180c now when running on pump diesel, previously I was seeing 200-215c at a push. Does it produce more heat...? I don't think so, but I have increased the air volume enabling me to port it around my ducting. Am really interested in seeing how this new model performs.
@@shanehogarth6373 You are extracting more heat since the heat exchanger is cooler the exhaust gases will also be cooler, means you run it more efficent.
@@shanehogarth6373 I wondered about removing the crisscross mesh which should make it quieter.
@@jaybee258jb yes maybe. My unit is in the basement and rests on 90° shelf brackets which are also a bit springy so noise has never been an issue for me. Also of course the outlet on mine is connected to a long network of insulated flexible ducting which also helps with the noise. But you are right fit and reducing the restriction should make both the fan noise and any noise coming from the movement of air less. Good 🤞 luck.
Hey mate was wandering if the exhaust and all other pipe fittings are the same size as the other two. If I was to change over would I have to change or would it kind of be plug and play.
If I remember correctly all the exhaust and baseplates are the same.
I cannot find a seller that ships to the US.?
Hey, David, Hellloooooo! Since you probably a bit of pull with the brand, is there any way to find out if this heater is discontinued? Seems to be out of stock everywhere. Would like to know I'll be able to get one at some point ... the alternative is probably to install a second heater, which I'd rather not do.
It's still listed but sold out everywhere. But I did get an email from someone who was trying to buy them in bulk. So they must exist somewhere.
And there are still no alternatives with that size of casting+outlet as far as I've seen ... (?)
I have a likaci 8kw with the same bluetooth controller. My issue after running for a week is heater shuts down due to soot build up. I am at 2000 ft sea level so I'm assuming stock elevation out of box is somewhat correct. I cannot find any settings for this controller. The older controllers there is tons for settings like your older videos. Only thing i have been able to find is pump pressure 16u/22u/32u. Do you know if i can adjust air and fuel with this conroller?
I think I had that horrible controller as well. Mine was on a 2KW. I did find changing the pump size setting in the menu did help a little with fueling, but nothing like being able to tune it properly. Swapped the ECU and controller out for the old fashioned one, plus it works with the Afteruburner.
@@DavidMcLuckie thank you. Took it apart and it was completely sooted up . Exhaust even had huge soot buildup. Have a yr older unit that I replaced with this one. Guess I'm swapping electronics and see if that helps
So bigger IS better!
You now sound like my wife!
Im going to install a heater in my Toyota pro ace to keep above freezing (my work tools can’t handle frost) wat do you recommend is the best for the job? 2 5 or 8kw
The 2KW body is most likely best suited to that task.
Hi David can you please send me the Ebay URL as I can't find it many thanks from a Rescue Service.
Whare can i purchase one of these 6kw heaters ? ive tried Ali express but they dont ship to the UK, also Ebay are out of stock and Hcalory them selves are saying there out of stock any ideas? thanks in advance..
I've had a few people say they are out of stock just about everywhere.
I have just bought this heater and the body is shorter than your model, ebay special I guess lol
are you on a boat? camera sways like waves..
It sure doesn't. Are you drunk perhaps?
@@DavidMcLuckie No, ever since i got my license ive been boringly dry. the start of the video is wobbly but stabilizes as it goes.
Do they have the same fuel pump? If so, do they operate at the same Hertz?
Same pump, but operating at different speeds.
David have you a used heater you could flog me as i know you have more heaters and parts than enough and more than you could ever need. Im being serious by the way if you want to get rid of some let me know .
David, will the bigger one use more fuel?
It does yes.
No longer on eBay mate
£132 from Banggood, UK Stock.
I've added a link.
I was lucky as I had a £12 BG voucher plus £1.70 in BG coins and to top it off 3.2% cashback (After TAX) with Quidco.
I have idea to make gas turbine work on this heater .......do you think it's success??
What size pump?
It's a 22ml.
will it work with Afterburner?
Negative.
I use my 5kw heater while driving so it should be called a car driving heater lol
Where does one buy these now?
Good question. I look every now and again but never find any.
@DavidMcLuckie I have found a couple, the HCalory all in one 8k and one other all-in-one. They appear to have the heat exchanger sticking into the air port.
Hi, have you tried a standard plastic 5L fuel can. Chuck the spout, put in a dip tube for fuel and a garden drip feed nozzle for air bleed in the lid insert.
Easy to fill outside and save the fuel smelling up the living area.
YAYYYYYYYYYYYY
All these heaters are lies. From what I read they only make 2KW and 5KW heaters. Then they just sell the 5KW ones as 8KW. Best way to figure out what its outputting, is to look at the pump rating. The rating on the pumps are strange. They are usually listed as 22ml. OK 22ml/what? A minute? an hour? Nope! Turns out its per 1000 pulses. So all you need to do is find out the Hz at full power. I believe its 6hz for mine. That comes out to 475.2ml/hour. Using diesel, that's only 4.752 KW/hour. So my 8KW heater is really only 5KW. You can hack the controller though and change the pulse rate. I'll try that on mine, well once my new pump arrives, the 1st one didn't eve last 10 hours! They should just make a heater that uses 2 of those heater cores with 1 controller to run both. Then you could at least get the rating they say it is. You can only shove so much fuel into these things b4 they get overwhelmed and cant burn the fuel completely. They're pretty cool though, if you like experimenting with stuff, but If I was just a camper and wanted to drag one of these heaters with me, I wouldn't be too happy. They are built so shitty, the thing would fall apart sitting in the back of my truck.
So 2kW outputs 1kW, 5kW outputs 3kW and this new 8kW outputs 4kW 🤣. Exhaust losses are 0.5-0.7kW of heat at full blast and 0.1kW at minimum speed.
More powerful? surely you mean more powerfuller.