Caution! Diesel heaters warning from trading standards

Peppadog said:
Uk companies with a reputation to protect are likely more demanding of their suppliers, regardless of where they are based than, for example, an obscure ebay only seller, who might not even have stock here in the UK.
Due to the above, most Chinese factories wanting to supply here have been through the ISO9001 accreditation route. That ensures lots of things are done well. Working conditions etc benefit from that.
Responibility to comply with EU/UK rules is only the first importer of a product into the region. Or, of course a manufacturer already inside the EU/UK ( there is no current deviance of product compliance post brexit, though the UKCA compliance logo is replacing the CE logo).
So. If you buy a Chinese diesel heater off ebay, it is the responsibility of whoever imported it to comply with our safety etc rules. If the seller ships it to you direct from China, taking 3-4 weeks or whatever, its probably you! If that heater is shipped to you from a local UK warehouse, then it has been imported by someone and they are responsible. its not the same with components in most cases. Someone making alarm systems here, have to ensure their product complies, by definition, outsourced components have to be compliant to achieve that.
My guess is lots of people must have complained to trading standards for them to go and check them.
Click to expand...
Having worked with Suffolk trading standards I know that they are in communication with customs who will inform trading standards of products that they want to see. It would not be down to complaints. The amount they inspect is limited by resources.
 
Yes, Very likely. If customs did a random product check and found product non compliant, they would call in TS.
Not sure about nowadays, but imports used to generate a random code during processing for customs to check either the paperwork, a visual check, or a container strip out and check. Any advanced info of dodgy goods went straight to a full strip out check.
 
Tony50 said:
They don't land on our beach at Felixstowe , probably because they don't fancy a Container Ship with 20,000 containers on board hitting them !!
Click to expand...
yet a dinghy was found at clacton yesterday and also at mersea island, both close enough to felixstowe with a strong wind or tide with an overloaded rubber dinghy ...
 
Peppadog said:
Yes, Very likely. If customs did a random product check and found product non compliant, they would call in TS.
Not sure about nowadays, but imports used to generate a random code during processing for customs to check either the paperwork, a visual check, or a container strip out and check. Any advanced info of dodgy goods went straight to a full strip out check.
Click to expand...
Customs don't find products non compliant in these cases. Trading standards inform customs of product types they are interested in (some intelligence led) and customs tell them when a consignment arrives.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
stevewagner said:
Comical how those that have fitted Chinese heaters defend them. They are bought as they are cheap, that’s all.
Click to expand...
cheap AND effective is more accurate.

not exactly comical, but perhaps it might be funny to know how many of those who havent bought and fitted one are the ones decrying them ...?
i havent seen many negative comment on 'chinese' diesel heaters prior to the customs seize, yet many of the responses on this thread seem to be less than positive following the seize?

pappajohn said:
I've been considering one for our kitchen which is unheated other than heat from the dining room with the door open.
It would be outside with only warm air and intake ducts indoors.
Can't see anything wrong there.
Click to expand...

thats exactly what weve done and i explained it all on a thread, its currently belting out and helping support our mini split air con (set on heating mode) - its bloody freezing outside and were sat in our kitchen/conservatory/day room, lovely and warm!

Broken Link Removed
 
Last edited:
peterc10 said:
The pair of Clarks I am wearing was made in Portugal. I have another three pairs of Clarks' shoes with me in the motorhome, another one from Portugal, one from India and one from Vietnam. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
You were lucky I wasn't
 
I have had 2 of these, an all in one unit for shop duties and just fitted a 2kw kit version in my new build van.
Both have worked first time, and the new one has been a life saver over the last couple of weeks, warming the van before work using the remote from indoors.
IF you fit them well, use a turret plate, good fuel pipe, and trim the supplied wires down and use a bit of nouse, they are good units, they may only last a few years, who knows, but I have no worries sleeping with it on.
Chinese imports are not what they used to be.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Last edited:
I'm actually fitting an 8kw all in one at home over Christmas, it will be outside in a weatherproof box, and just the ducting coming indoors with a 2 way diverter, one for downstairs, one going upstairs, it will be enough to keep the central heating turned down and cost very little compared to gas for the boiler.
A 20 amp 240 -12v transformer will give it a good supply.
 
Has anyone calculated fuel costs with these?

I bought one a year or more back to install in my 2007 Hymer as the Truma unit is gas only. I didn’t fit it once I realised Propane for my Gaslow cylinders was much cheaper than diesel. Even though I have access to red diesel at the boat yard.

I wonder how red diesel compares with, say, adding a radiator or two to an existing heating boiler or having an electric heater in a garage etc?
 
bubble63 said:
Why do people buy these 🤔
You are lighting a small fire in a confined space to heat a very expensive living quarters, which in turn contains air that you rely on to be fit to breathe
I’ll take my chances with a reliable source
Click to expand...
Replying to those who i didn’t explain very clearly in my first post
I understand exactly how these work, but it’s when they go wrong that you may have grave issues
Looked round a three year old PVC recently with an intention to buy , the cheap Chinese diesel heater was emitting a fuel smell inside the van, I don’t have any trust in cheap Chinese. It’s cheap for a reason
Germans have a much better attitude to safety and quality
£65k van , £100 heater, everything in the van was German except the retro fitted heater, that’s what I’m referring to in the post above
 
If it had any odour in the van it was fitted wrong.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Or the casing was cracked, probably due to over heating by power failure during use. There are literally 1000s in use just in the uk, and no reports of anything sinister happening.
If the machine sees a fault it will still shut down safely.
 
Dazzola said:
If it had any odour in the van it was fitted wrong.
Click to expand...
Or a spill on filling up the tank. Not all are linked to main tank, if CO2 is near above the heater and battery tested, no worries.
 
bubble63 said:
Why do people buy these 🤔
You are lighting a small fire in a confined space to heat a very expensive living quarters, which in turn contains air that you rely on to be fit to breathe
I’ll take my chances with a reliable source
Click to expand...

Why do people by vans with Truma heaters in.
With a Truma you are lighting a small fire in a confined space to heat a very expensive living quarters, which in turn contains air that you rely on to be fit to breathe


If you were to look at one of these diesel heater you would see that they are safe by design if installed correctly. The same as a Truma gas boiler.

They are a direct rip off of the Eberspacher.

The inlet and exhaust for the burn chamber both go to the outside. Like a balanced flue system.

The inlet and exhaust for the hot air are simply a fan blowing the air over fins on the outside.

There is no chance of the exhaust fumes entering the vehicle if installed correctly, the same as for a truma.
 
Oops apologies. My browser was playing up and I didn't see the pages after this comment. I have only just seen all the other response many of whom made the point far more eloquently and with far fewer words. My apologies.
 
Gromett said:
Oops apologies. My browser was playing up and I didn't see the pages after this comment. I have only just seen all the other response many of whom made the point far more eloquently and with far fewer words. My apologies.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with backing up previous posts and adding more facts to educate. (y) :giggle:
 
Lenny HB said:
That gas pipe and instalation is far more dangerous.
Click to expand...
Those pipes have to meet safety standards without appliances passing certification who knows if these Chinese heaters are safe, it could be you have one which is ok another manufacturer copies it and whilst looking the same is dangerous.

Fire safety says you shouldn’t leave mobiles plugged in overnight and these again are tested and certified devices.
 
Last edited:
Gadget John (I know people have widely varying views of him) has been a fan & user of the diesel heaters for a long time. Today he has posted a video on youtube about a fault that has developed on his heater months after installation.



It appears from what he said that the bolts clamping the two halves of the metal casting have worked loose sufficiently for the hot gases to start to escape out of the metalwork, melt the plastic housing and get into into the surrounding area of the van.

I'm posting this in case anyone wants to check their own heater (the bolts in question are factory installed not during installation).

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Those bolts have tread lock, as I found out when I serviced mine. It took some torque to snap them loose. I would say somebody messed with them. You could add a spring washer and a dab of tread lock but not to tight so will allow for expansion when hot.

But thanks for the heads up, it can hapen to any heater.
 
Lenny HB said:
Can't be sure he hasn't had it apart and not tightened them properly on reassembly knowing what he is like.
Still worth checking just in case.
Click to expand...
That was my thought too.
 
Reallyretired said:
I'm a fan of gadget John. If I hadn't watched his video on installing his Maxxfan I might have made the complete cockup he did.
Can't beat learning from others mistakes.
Click to expand...
and bonus points to him for publishing his problem (even if it was self inflicted)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top