Using My Diesel Heating Makes My MH Smell (26 Viewers)

[HKF]

Hi everyone

When I use the diesel heating in my MH, I can smell it inside. The smell is noticably much more outside but should I be able to smell it inside, too? Thank you

 

[Landy Andy]

Hi everyone

When I use the diesel heating in my MH, I can smell it inside. The smell is noticably much more outside but should I be able to smell it inside, too? Thank you

No you shouldn’t unless the obvious window door open.

 

[pappajohn]

The exhaust hasn't become detached has it?
If it has the exhaust gas could be getting drawn into the fresh air inlet as both are very near each other.

 

[Landy Andy]

You are sure that it is diesel burning smell, not just the heating getting hot smell, as it hasn’t been used all summer smell?

 

[DBK]

Hi everyone

When I use the diesel heating in my MH, I can smell it inside. The smell is noticably much more outside but should I be able to smell it inside, too? Thank you

Do you know what make of heater it is? Eberspacher and Webasto have been around for a while but Truma now make them. These heat air and water. There are also the Chinese heaters which heat air only.

We have a diesel heater, a Webasto. When it is running there is a slight smell outside by the exhaust but never inside.

If you have a strong smell outside and especially if it is producing visible smoke something is wrong.

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[Two on Tour]

Hi everyone

When I use the diesel heating in my MH, I can smell it inside. The smell is noticably much more outside but should I be able to smell it inside, too? Thank you

Your diesel heater, if fitted correctly, should be mounted on top of a turret that goes through the floor of your van and is sealed both internally and externally, so if the exhaust should drop off or leak, then no exhaust fumes can enter your van via this point.
If you are getting exhaust fumes, then it is either a door or window open or poor sealing elsewhere in your van.

 

[Peter and Julie]

I'd run it as hot as it can go for 15mins or more, it'll also burn off any carbon deposits. If running on a low setting temp all the time it may not be burning all the diesel. Seems to work for me!

 

[HKF]

Thank you, everyone, for the replies above. The sun is out today at last in South West France (HURRAH!!!!!), so I'm going to take a look under the Mh and see if I can figure out where the heater actually is, by finding the exhaust. Then I can see if the exhaust has come loose.

To answer a few questions;

• The smell is there with all doors, windows and skylights closed
• It could be just a burning smell from not being used in a long time but I'm not sure. I'll run it again today and see what happens
• It's a Webasto. It does heating and hot water
• There is no visible smoke outside
• I didn't have it running on full, only about half. So, I'll try it again today on full and see what happens

Thank you, again

 

[rod_vw]

Your diesel heater, if fitted correctly, should be mounted on top of a turret that goes through the floor of your van and is sealed both internally and externally, so if the exhaust should drop off or leak, then no exhaust fumes can enter your van via this point.
If you are getting exhaust fumes, then it is either a door or window open or poor sealing elsewhere in your van.

View attachment 957126
View attachment 957127

Not necessarily, all six of mine have all been mounted under the floor in the chassis area.

 

[Thornebt]

Not necessarily, all six of mine have all been mounted under the floor in the chassis area.

On my Autosleeper the Webasto DualTop heater is mounted under the floor in the centre of the van. All parts for it are ridiculously expensive so hopefully the OP's heater is fine.

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[rod_vw]

If the exhaust is pointing towards the side of the vehicle and correctly attached don't worry about a minor smell from a blown air diesel heater, they all do.
The most likely source of odour entry to the habitation area is via a gas dropout, that again being dependent on the wind direction etc.
I'm on my sixth van with an Eberspacher fitted, some exactly the same as the vehicle manufacturer fits them and they have all smelt a bit at fire-up and shut down. The current MAN TGE being just the same.

 

[icantremember]

Hi everyone

When I use the diesel heating in my MH, I can smell it inside. The smell is noticably much more outside but should I be able to smell it inside, too? Thank you

I assume you have a working Carbon Monoxide detector.
A different situation but we were sitting in the moho yesterday when our CO alarm alerted us to a faulty leisure battery. All sorted now curtesy of Tayna delivering two new butteries to site next say.

 

[DBK]

Thank you, everyone, for the replies above. The sun is out today at last in South West France (HURRAH!!!!!), so I'm going to take a look under the Mh and see if I can figure out where the heater actually is, by finding the exhaust. Then I can see if the exhaust has come loose.

To answer a few questions;

• The smell is there with all doors, windows and skylights closed
• It could be just a burning smell from not being used in a long time but I'm not sure. I'll run it again today and see what happens
• It's a Webasto. It does heating and hot water
• There is no visible smoke outside
• I didn't have it running on full, only about half. So, I'll try it again today on full and see what happens

Thank you, again

If its mounted inside as ours is and to add to the photo posted by Two on Tour it should look a bit like this underneath, which was taken after I had removed the air intake pipe. Ours has an exhaust silencer, not all do.

As mentioned above I hope it's nothing serious as these heaters are now obsolete and parts ruinously expensive.

 

[HKF]

I assume you have a working Carbon Monoxide detector.
A different situation but we were sitting in the moho yesterday when our CO alarm alerted us to a faulty leisure battery. All sorted now curtesy of Tayna delivering two new butteries to site next say.

No, I don't have a CO detector, through choice.

 

[icantremember]

No, I don't have a CO detector, through choice.

May I ask why?

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[Jabstatt]

A very unusual decision
In my opinion
May I ask why?

Tony

 

[Pausim]

No, I don't have a CO detector, through choice.

In my opinion that is the wrong choice. I have been involved in two CO poisoning incidents, one fatal and the other near fatal. Please reconsider.

 

[Pausim]

Not necessarily, all six of mine have all been mounted under the floor in the chassis area.

They also fit them in boats where the wall fitting seems to be more popular.

 

[Lenny HB]

No, I don't have a CO detector, through choice.

That is very silly it could save your life.

 

[HKF]

About not having a CO alarm. It's a personal choice and one I'm not prepared to go into. Please don't push me on this subject.

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[icantremember]

About not having a CO alarm. It's a personal choice and one I'm not prepared to go into. Please don't push me on this subject.

Your choice, your life.

 

[HKF]

Your choice, your life.

Correct. Don't lose sleep over it.