2KW diesel heater installed. Review, performance, sound, cost.

[Gromett]

This is the reason I went for the 2KW heater. It uses a lot less fuel.

 

[Raul]

I might swap the 5 for a 2kw to try it out.

 

[Gromett]

I might swap the 5 for a 2kw to try it out.

I have 2 x 5KW and 1 x 1KW. I am going to be sticking with 1KW for most uses. The 5Kw is going for my unit heating.
I will probably replace the 5KW in my van with a 2KW. Will see how it goes once I convert.

 

[Gromett]

It fell to -4°C last night and is currently -3°C so I have had to turn it up to 1Hz.

I refilled the tank today and managed to get a whole 19L in while brimming it. So that means there was 4L left of the last 20L I put in.
So between 15th and the 25th I used 16L of diesel at a cost of £15.84 (16L x 0.99p).

I have just timed the clicks over 10 seconds and it is doing 17 per 10 seconds. The equates to 2.93L per day. It will be less than that as I turn it down/off when the sun is heating the caravan up during the day.
But the upper threshold will be 2.93 X 1.14.9p/L = £3.36 per day. The garage that does the £0.99p / L red diesel got flooded out and I am not sure when they will be in service again. So it will be a confounding factor in comparing price.
That is why I am going to refill next Sat again to see what consumption ( in Litres) is during this cold snap so I can do a direct like for like comparison.

I am going to try and keep a clean record so we can see accurate usage figures even during the cold snap.

But the good news is, the 2KW heater is keeping my van toasty warm even in -4°C temps and isn't even on the middle or highest settings.

 

[Terry]

Hi Karl can you not get a IBC tank (about 40/50quid) and get heating oil at 77 p pl Not bunded but I know a farmer who buys 1000l red diesel into one - heating oil will deliver 500 L at a time

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[Gromett]

Hi Karl can you not get a IBC tank (about 40/50quid) and get heating oil at 77 p pl Not bunded but I know a farmer who buys 1000l red diesel into one - heating oil will deliver 500 L at a time

Not legal. Needs to be bunded these days.

 

[gus-lopez]

Wissel is back. Hopefully he will see this.

Good to hear that.

I might swap the 5 for a 2kw to try it out.

When I bought mine it was advertised as 2Kw. I have to run it in the van nearly shut right down. When I looked in to them again I noticed that the 5 & 8 Kw are a longer length than 2kw heaters. When I measured mine it is too big to be a 2kw heater so they must have sent me a 5kw? Bought it in 2018 though & never fitted until 2019 in this van.

If I recall correctly the 2Kw are about 30cm long & 5 & 8 kw are around 40cm?

 

[Raul]

Yes you are right, the 5 and 8 are the same. Even tested by David and John on the tube, both kick out about 4kw max. Still pretty good. The 2kw it is a smaller body, but used same dosage pump, at a slower pace. Not sure about the fan motor size.
Gromett can confirm few points as he’s got both, the 2 and the 5.

 

[Gromett]

Good to hear that.

When I bought mine it was advertised as 2Kw. I have to run it in the van nearly shut right down. When I looked in to them again I noticed that the 5 & 8 Kw are a longer length than 2kw heaters. When I measured mine it is too big to be a 2kw heater so they must have sent me a 5kw? Bought it in 2018 though & never fitted until 2019 in this van.

If I recall correctly the 2Kw are about 30cm long & 5 & 8 kw are around 40cm?

I don't have the measurements to hand sorry. If you want them I can get a tape measure out later or tomorrow foryou?

The 5KW is significantly bigger than the 2KW. The 2KW is tiny when you are used to the normal sized ones. Caught me out and Wissel still managed to squeeze a 5KW one in where I was only going to fit a 2KW. Didn't realise how much of a difference until it arrived lol

 

[Dorwyn]

Can these heaters run on different fuels such as paraffin or used chip oil? My 95 Bongo used to run nicely on chip oil. Plus it was fun at traffic lights watching people looking around for the nearest chippy! And what's the deal with red diesel, is it legal?

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[Gromett]

Can these heaters run on different fuels such as paraffin or used chip oil? My 95 Bongo used to run nicely on chip oil. Plus it was fun at traffic lights watching people looking around for the nearest chippy! And what's the deal with red diesel, is it legal?

Yes they can be run on all sorts. For personal use Red Diesel can be used for heating.

 

[Dorwyn]

Yes they can be run on all sorts. For personal use Red Diesel can be used for heating.

Thanks. I'm seriously considering putting a 2kw in the house garage vented into the lounge, with under the van seat as a future possibility.

 

[gus-lopez]

I don't have the measurements to hand sorry. If you want them I can get a tape measure out later or tomorrow foryou?

No need .I was just pointing out I bought a 2kw & got supplied a 5

 

[greyowl989]

I installed a 2KW diesel heater 2 days ago. Here is my initial review.

I was heading towards the peak winter usage of gas at 1 bottle per week and these are currently costing £42.99 per swap.
In addition my gas heater just doesn't cut it in the winter even on full blast. So a Diesel heater has been long on the cards.

Now I have my industrial unit I could strip stuff down and had places to store all the crap while I did the work and it wasn't so much of a hassle to do.

Soo. The install. I wanted to install it under the bench seat opposite the one I use as a bed. But due to the water heater being in an awkward position this was not possible with the chassis rails.
Moving it is possible but is a future project and I didn't want to do it just now. So. I installed it under my bed as that is the easiest place to get to. Right at the head of the bed.
It wasn't until I started testing it I suddenly thought about having that fan/tick right next to my head whilst trying to sleep and got a bit concerned.

This fear turned out to be unfounded as once the cushions were back on it is actually quieter than the blower in my Truma gas/electric heater.

Noise levels are therefore not an issue at all with the 2Kw heaters at low. And at low it is heating my caravan beautifully. I have had to turn it off once due to it getting too hot in here once, the sun was out and heating the van up.
Then twice I have opened a roof vent with the fan on for 2 minutes each time to knock down the heat a bit at night. Turning it off cools the van too much and then it has to ramp up to get the temp back up again. So letting a little bit of the hot air out works out better.
It is not something you have to do often with the 2KW heater.

2KW vs 5KW heater. I chose the 2KW heater because I would rather have one that could go very low and use the least diesel rather than work most efficiently in the winter. I think this was the correct decision. The 5KW in my van cab pumps out a LOT more heat on the lowest setting and would have been too much for my caravan.

Usage: The diesel tank gauge hasn't moved off full in the 2 days I have been using it. So I just timed the ticks. It is running at 1 tick a second at night and during the day it drops lower than this. But I just did the maths based on 1 tick per second.
1 tick = a 0.02ml dose. So 0.02ml x 60 x 60 is 72ml an hour and 1.728L a day. I am buying my red diesel at 99p per litre. So the cost is £1.71 a day or £11.97 per week. Even if I have to go the more expensive supplier round here it is £1.15 per litre it would be £1.99 per day or £14 per week. When I can get onto the kerosene it will be £0.79 per litre or £1.36 per day or £9.55 per week. I was considering getting a Kerosene bunded tank but the cost of it and the savings means it is probably not worth the effort. The payback time would be too long.
Anyway I think that is off the beaten track

My calculations are that if you can get red diesel then the cost of running a 2KW diesel heater is a quarter of the price to a third of the price of gas bottles and probably half the cost of LPG.


Summary. Not as noisy as expected, much cheaper to run than expected. Dead easy to install and a good level of heat even on the lowest setting. For a caravan it is better because refillable LPG are not always practical. For a motorhome if you use the main diesel tank I think it still works out cheaper than LPG in a refillable but perhaps not as clear cut depending on the price of Diesel. However, if you are fulltiming during the winter. Having the diesel heater running from your main tank gives you a much long run time before needing to seek a refill. With a dual 13KG gaslow in the peak of winter you would be seeking a refill every 14-18 days. A 90 Litre tank in a fiat ducato would last 53 Days. So there is that advantage to consider also. In 2009 and 2010 winters I got snowed in and had a hellish job getting cyclinders delivered. I couldn't get out to get my Gaslow bottles topped up. It hasn't happened since, but...

Anyway, I will post follow ups if I have any further information.

Very late to the party but a brilliant commentary on your diesel install.

It’s (diesel ) way to go if you want to overwinter - it’s just the shear freedom from having to find cylinders or auto gas every several days that is the key for me.

 

[Gromett]

Can these heaters run on different fuels such as paraffin or used chip oil?

Check out David McLuckie who has tested them on all sorts as well as doing all sorts of other experiments. Including putting a window in one to see how they work.
A channel well worth subscribing to.

https://www.youtube.com/@DavidMcLuckie

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[Gromett]

Final update. Had a week of very cold temps.
Very hard to tell exactly how much diesel I have used as I am not convinced that the tank I use only holds the advertised 24 Litres. Seems to take much much.
But it fell from full on the gauge to just over a quarter of a tank in a week. So... Based on 24 litres that would be 18 litres which seems a bit high to be honest.
I will take it as reasonably accurate although I think it is probably closer to 15 Litres. So to run my Diesel heater during very cold temps cost me
£20.62p @ £1.149 per litre
If the other petrol stations recovers and charges remain the same then
£17.98 @ £0.99p per litre

This is massively below what I was spending on Propane.

I am extremely happy with my 2KW heater and glad I didn't go for the 4/5KW one.

It has been mostly running at 1Hz with the odd period of going to 1.5Hz
Most days there has been periods where it has fallen to .5Hz

I probably won't post anything else on this unless anyone has questions.

 

[Gromett]

Ok, I said last week was the final update but just thought I would give another because I just emptied 19 Litres of diesel into the tank and it took it back to full where it was last time. So I have an accurate reading.
19 Litres lasted from 10am on Sat Dec 2nd to the 11th Dec at 09:00. So pretty much a full 9 days and this included -6°C and 2" of snow.
This averages out at 2.1 Litres a day. BUT that includes 1 relatively nice day where I turned it off for 5 hours.
My guess now is that in negative 3-6°C temps it will be using around 2.3L a day.

That is still cheaper than LPG and still a lot cheaper than Calor/FloGas.

 

[Gromett]

Well it has packed in on me giving me E08 and constant E10 errors. It was pumping out LOTS of white smoke. I think I know what it is and what caused it.
My suspicion is I have run it on low for too long without giving it a high heat cycle often enough.
There is a small hole next to the glowplug to let air in to mix with the diesel and I suspect that is blocked/coked up.

So later today I will be removing the glowplug and giving it a clean.

I have not lost confidence in it, but just wanted to keep this thread updated and fair.

I will update later on how easy/hard it was to service. What was involved and if it fixes it.

 

[Gromett]

Just to add. I think it is the diesel flame front hole that is blocked as per this old David McLuckie video.

 

[Landy Andy]

Well it has packed in on me giving me E08 and constant E10 errors. It was pumping out LOTS of white smoke. I think I know what it is and what caused it.
My suspicion is I have run it on low for too long without giving it a high heat cycle often enough.
There is a small hole next to the glowplug to let air in to mix with the diesel and I suspect that is blocked/coked up.

So later today I will be removing the glowplug and giving it a clean.

I have not lost confidence in it, but just wanted to keep this thread updated and fair.

I will update later on how easy/hard it was to service. What was involved and if it fixes it.

Watched a vid on YouTube about this the other day. Old boy in motorhome had same issue as you. He had also been running his on low for long periods. Burn chamber was coked up with carbon. Strip down scrape out and was all ok.

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[Two on Tour]

Just to add. I think it is the diesel flame front hole that is blocked as per this old David McLuckie video.

Very likely as mine failed to ignite a couple of weeks back and it was due to the hole in the glowplug housing being blocked.
While you have your heater stripped, change the small mesh tube that's down the hole for the glowplug as these clogging up are another cause of heaters not igniting.

 

[Landy Andy]

Make sure you push the mesh up past the breather hole on rebuild.

 

[Landy Andy]

 

[Two on Tour]

The atomising mesh can be a pig to get out, so I use an mate bolt with a bit of a leading chamfer filed on it.
A slight screw in action grips the mesh so you can pull it out.
I use one of these cheap plastic mesh inserting tools to push the new mesh in and position it correctly.

 

[Gromett]

The atomising mesh can be a pig to get out, so I use an mate bolt with a bit of a leading chamfer filed on it.
A slight screw in action grips the mesh so you can pull it out.
I use one of these cheap plastic mesh inserting tools to push the new mesh in and position it correctly.

View attachment 847081

I just ordered a service kit and it comes with those.

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[Raul]

Don't wait for the kit, a 12mm open end spanner will get the plug out without dismantle it, or a deep socket cut with the grinder to allow for the cable. Once the plug is out, use a pencil with the rubber at the end, or a 6-7mm coach screw with coarse tread for wood. That will get the mesh out and you can clean it, as well as the tiny hole. I use a bit of skinned wire to clear the hole, and the mesh I blow it with wd40 then burn it with a gas blow torch. I found at 1.3hz will keep the plug clean, providing you run a hot cycle evrey couple of weeks for 10-15 mins. I have it set on 1.5hz now as minimum to prevent this blockage.

 

[Theonlysue]

I've got a 2kw webasto heater in a 6m autosleeper.
Last winter, had it on for 4 months. 20° in day, 24 evening, then 18 for night. Dec to April in Ireland. It was cold.
I let the thermostat do the work.
Really easy to use thermostat.
No clicking at all. Because it's on all the time it just ticks over.

 

[Gromett]

Don't wait for the kit, a 12mm open end spanner will get the plug out without dismantle it, or a deep socket cut with the grinder to allow for the cable. Once the plug is out, use a pencil with the rubber at the end, or a 6-7mm coach screw with coarse tread for wood. That will get the mesh out and you can clean it, as well as the tiny hole. I use a bit of skinned wire to clear the hole, and the mesh I blow it with wd40 then burn it with a gas blow torch. I found at 1.3hz will keep the plug clean, providing you run a hot cycle evrey couple of weeks for 10-15 mins. I have it set on 1.5hz now as minimum to prevent this blockage.

Thanks for the tips.

I will borrow the socket off Wissel until mine arrives. I am not in any panic as I have the Turamtic heater running on gas and I have enough gas bottles to last me until the new year.

I have also ordered a spare identical 2KW heater. So I will be able to swap them out for bench servicing in teh future. Probably not necessary.

I won't be running at anything over 0.5Hz as that would overheat the van and mean turning it on and off all the time. I would rather have it on tick over and perhaps need to do maintenance every couple of months.

I did start running it at full blast earlier this week when I got my first E10 error. But I suspect the damage of being run on it's lowest setting without a high heat cycle had already been done.
I will now put it on high for 20 minutes each day just to see if that prevents it happening again.

 

[dunnah01]

Well it has packed in on me giving me E08 and constant E10 errors. It was pumping out LOTS of white smoke. I think I know what it is and what caused it.
My suspicion is I have run it on low for too long without giving it a high heat cycle often enough.
There is a small hole next to the glowplug to let air in to mix with the diesel and I suspect that is blocked/coked up.

So later today I will be removing the glowplug and giving it a clean.

I have not lost confidence in it, but just wanted to keep this thread updated and fair.

I will update later on how easy/hard it was to service. What was involved and if it fixes it.

Mine gave the E08 error after I first installed it due to my stupidity. I had fitted the exhaust creating a low point and it had filled with condensate. Rerouted to remove low point and still fine 2 years later

 

[Gromett]

Mine gave the E08 error after I first installed it due to my stupidity. I had fitted the exhaust creating a low point and it had filled with condensate. Rerouted to remove low point and still fine 2 years later

Fortunately my exhaust is fine. constant down grade from the body of the heater to the exhaust silencer. Thanks for the tip though

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