Looks like I will be ordering one of these for testing and use this winter (in the garage).
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Looking forward to your review!
Ordered 2 minutes ago.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Because one is none, and two is one I will be ordering this one, after getting and testing my first one.
(227.00 with shipping)
This has the same output but I will need to build my own enclosure for it. I want this simpler one as well just because it has a much simplified controller for the fuel pump, a simple control knob to set the pwm frequency, and its about a hundred less.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Interesting looking unit and look forward to your feedback.
Interesting looking unit and look forward to your feedback.
I have kerosene heaters and even propane ones for backup but I consider the propane to be a high value fuel that I prefer to keep for cooking use and for health reasons I cant use kerosene, Just too sensitive to the fumes from it.
Now it just occurred to me I dont have 12 volts in the garage to run this heater....so I have just ordered this in.. https://www.amazon.ca/Padarsey-Switch-Supply-Transformer-Security/dp/B01JSC7E7M/ref=sr_1_22?crid=2HZ4XT07V04TT&dchild=1&keywords=120+volt+to+12+volt+converter&qid=1598499064&s=electronics&sprefix=120+volt+%2Celectronics%2C219&sr=1-22
Now I can use this heater anywhere I have 120 volts. Here is a little tip for anyone doing something like this. If you are going to run any circuit board controlled device, especially if it has a lcd screen, make sure the power supply you select has good output regulation, almost always power supplies for cctv cameras have much lower output ripple than other power sources. You can bet that because this heater is made to use 12 volts from a battery, a near ideal, no ripple, steady voltage, I would suspect the manufacturer of the heater has put little over voltage protection in this unit.
The only heaters like this that I am familiar with are the ones out of the old VW Beetle cars, they used gas not diesel, and if I remember right were something like 2kw output. I like the greater safety of diesel and the one I have ordered has 4 times the output, should be a interesting unit to test.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
My heater arrived today. Cutest little heater I have seen, smaller looking than I expected. I wont have time to test it until Monday or Tuesday. Over all it looks to be constructed ok, but very much lacking in best practices of construction IMO. Fortunately what its lacking is easy to add.
First up.. how many thing can you find wrong?
First, and I consider this really bad, the fuel line is run through a square hole punched into the white metal. Now the edges are not sharp but they dont have to be to slowly start cutting into the fuel line. Note the fuel line runs directly up to the fuel pump. Each time the pump pulses that fuel line is going to vibrate a little bit, right where its resting on the edge of the hole. Easy fix, put tape around the hole or rubber tubing split lengthwise. I have red duct tape handy so thats what I used. The fuel line also rests against the side of the case (when its on), so I wrapped it as well where it could touch.
Then the two green wires that power the fuel pump are just left to flop about, they could get pinched between the side of the case when taking it off and on. A simple tie strap fixes that. Why are they using green wires?? Green should only be used on a ground wire, nothing I can do about that.
Look at how they have routed the wires right around the bolt holding the fuel pump to the back panel. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb. The wires are in contact with the sharp threads of the bolt??? I will put a piece of garden hose over that exposed part of the bolt.
Look at the top picture again, note the black wire going through the round hole punched into the back panel. That is actually two wires wrapped in black high temp tape. Thumbs up for using high temp tape, thumbs down for running power wires through a punched hole that doesnt have a rubber or plastic grommet. Really, how much would a grommet cost FFS. Quick semi fix, wrap some tape around it, a getto fix I know but life is short and I cant do everything perfect.
Here is a picture of the back where those wires come out.
Despite my complains, so far they are minor, and correctable. Oh wait, look at that picture again, another problem, down low, behind the air intake screen. I can see the green colour of the fuel line, looks like they have sloppily run it in front of the air intake, I will fix that tomorrow.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Fuel line moved, and looking at the back of the case I just dont like seeing this much air restriction.
Much better
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Note the long sharp screws pointing toward the fuel tank. Now in fairness that fuel tank should not move when the side covers are on The cover should lock the tank in place. The operative word is "should".
how about we just dont use sharp screws near a tank of fuel..... I took my side cutters and cut the screws back, then because a little nub was still sticking forward I covered them with some thick tape.
Now I feel my unit is ready to use. Clearly I must be hard to please as it seems everyone else just puts theirs to work out of the box and is happy, such as this guy using the exact same unit I have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60r0ny8xuZw
Look at all the buttons to push and things to scroll through..I need that like a hole in the head. I already have this interface on the way, a simple on off switch with a knob for control, much more my speed, and will keep my blood pressure down.
Should be plug and play but if not I will hack it in.
Turns out all the individual parts for this heater are available, so I have ordered in spares of everything from the glow plug to control board. gaskets, everything. Reasonable prices as well.
and I have a complete spare unit on the way. Total cost with shipping on this is 227.00 (very reasonable) . https://www.amazon.ca/Happybuy-Motorhome-Trailer-Control-Silencer/dp/B07LFFHNP1/ref=sr_1_15_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=Diesel+Air+Heater&qid=1598731536&s=automotive&sr=1-15-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNkJHUjRORkRKMVhVJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTYzMzQyMlVLRU1YVlJGVjcxNCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzYzODc2MTc3OVBPMURFRTIyMiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Thought I better just order it while I can seeing as so much stuff becomes unavailable with out warning.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
And now another unit on the way, dont ask.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07S7NNVV4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Total cost with shipping on this unit is 261.00 dollars.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
It was after I ordered one of these that I thought to look on you tube.
It looks like anyone who is even the littlest bit handy can strip these down and repair anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBFCWPClr8A
here is the same guy testing one of these, a smaller unit than mine.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
So what I have learnt so far. The 8kw heater I first bought and paid 315.00 dollars for, is not a 8kw heater. It is a 5kwh heater, the exact same as the 5 kw heater I bought and paid 261.00 .(see previous links). So I was had for 54 dollars, live and learn. Frankly, I am not upset so long as I learn something along the way all is good. The sellers sometimes claim greater output than these are capable of because a naive round eye, will throw more money at a better deal. 261.00 in a full case and ready to use out of the box is a good deal.
Anyway,, I have found this guy...Consider him the definitive word on these heaters. His knowledge is incredible.. watch his whole 17 part series. Bump the speed up tp 1.5 as he talks slow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvwmU_CcmGI
You will learn more about these heaters than the manufacturers know.
Watching his videos will give you a masters degree in Chinese Diesel air heaters.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
So the plan now is to install one of these in the garage, likely the one with the remote control so I can fire it up before I head out to the garage. Then I am going to install one unit into the basement (walk out basement), and use and test it hard this winter. The third unit will just be held as a back up. Thats the plan for now.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Do you think this could work as a way of keeping an insulated coop above freezing in the coldest winter days? I’m talking 12x12. Would the thing be mounted outside and just the warm air coming in to keep the dust out? How much diesel gets burned through?
I’ve used high powered frost fighters around helicopters but they are enormous, throw out ridiculous amounts of heat and guzzle diesel like crazy.
Do you think this could work as a way of keeping an insulated coop above freezing in the coldest winter days? I’m talking 12x12. Would the thing be mounted outside and just the warm air coming in to keep the dust out? How much diesel gets burned through?
I’ve used high powered frost fighters around helicopters but they are enormous, throw out ridiculous amounts of heat and guzzle diesel like crazy.
From what I have been able to deduce these 5kw heaters are putting out just under 20 000 btus (18000) at max power. that would certainly keep a insulated 12x12 toasty warm, likely warm enough at half that.
you could configure one of these units to be portable and it can sit outside the building and you just run a 3 inch, 4 inch air pipe into the building you want to heat. You would want the 5kw heater as that fellow in the video explains, both the 5 and the 2 kw heaters burn the same amount of fuel but the 5kw heater is much more efficient in extracting heat from the burnt fuel do to the larger surface area of the heat exchanger. Set your temperature controller to 2C and your chickens wont be cold all winter. Fuel use is stunningly little from what I have gathered. Each situation will be as unique as the building being heated so fuel use will be hard to predict but a wag for a insulated 12x12 at -30 would be 3-3.5 liters over 24 hrs. I actually suspect less maybe 2 to 2.5 because your only trying to keep the 12x12 just above 0 C.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
