Problems with a diesel heater.

iana · Guru

Problems with a diesel heater.

Farmhat · Senior Member

Broken burner tube Gasket ?

Broken burner tube fuel inlet seal ?

Joe

Mike Harding · Guru

I think the basic answer is too much diesel and it isn't being burned fully.

However as to why there is too much diesel I do not know...?

Perhaps try running it off kero for a little but I'm clutching at straws.

iana · Guru

There is to my knowledge no burning, the heater body is cold.

iana · Guru

Ok here's another one, is the igniter a form of heated element, so if I removed it, plugged it in, engaging the start sequence it should get red hot. This is to test it, would that be correct?

Mike Harding · Guru

Has the glow plug failed?

It draws around 10A and will cause battery voltage to fall so may be readily measured.

otoh I don't think the controller turns on the pump until it senses temperature rise caused by the glow plug?

More straw clutching I'm afraid.

Mike Harding · Guru

iana wrote:
Ok here's another one, is the igniter a form of heated element, so if I removed it, plugged it in, engaging the start sequence it should get red hot. This is to test it, would that be correct?

Yes. But removing the glow plug generally requires a special tool and they are *very* susceptible to damage when mishandled - I caution great care.

JackoFJR · Senior Member

I have just bought a portable diesel heater , its normal for it to blow some white smoke on start up and there is a diesel smell , I wouldn't call it thick it stops when it fires up .

iana · Guru

That's all good, giving me knowledge. I think I'm on the path to dismantling the heater and cleaning it out. Not a job to be doing at the show grounds. I have the special tool for the glow plug. I have also added a liter of kero to the 5 liters of diesel.

iana · Guru

have you seen the smoke screens the navy ships can put out ! That's us. and no it doesn't go.

travelyounger · Guru

Try checking your fuel filter or replace or drain tank and fuel line also lack of use or low battery voltage are common problems.

Cheers

Brenda and Alan · Guru

With a Eberspacher heater when this happens it is caused by the rolled fine stainless steel screen around the glow-plug being fouled. The only way to fix it is to remove it (which destroys it) and fit a new one.

Alan

Farmhat · Senior Member

Iana, check this out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvwmU_CcmGI

This will answer most anything. It is split into quite a few parts

This link is for part one.

Good luck with your inquiry.

Joe

Farmhat · Senior Member

JackoFJR wrote:
I have just bought a portable diesel heater , its normal for it to blow some white smoke on start up and there is a diesel smell , I wouldn't call it thick it stops when it fires up .

Hi JackoFJR

I don't believe it is normal for diesel heaters to blow white smoke out on start up or even while running.

In good working order they shouldl run clean.

Blowing any sort of smoke indicates something not quite right.

Joe.

elliemike · Guru

It probably is the Glow plug filter screen clogged.

Also it can be the tiny Pump filter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWSw60mmlzQ&t=114s

Easy job and can be done without removing the heater from its mounting place.

Remember to clean the little PORT out with a seal pick or something simmilar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ooqrRThBOI&t=742s

I have done this job a couple of times. Made my own Plug removal Spanner. (SEE Video John Mack 47)

I think what was causing my carbon build up on the "Glow Plug Screeen" was an incorrectly Fitted/Routed exhaust and too many bends.

-- Edited by elliemike on Friday 26th of June 2020 10:50:40 PM

JackoFJR · Senior Member

Farmhat wrote:
JackoFJR wrote:
I have just bought a portable diesel heater , its normal for it to blow some white smoke on start up and there is a diesel smell , I wouldn't call it thick it stops when it fires up .
Hi JackoFJR
I don't believe it is normal for diesel heaters to blow white smoke out on start up or even while running.
In good working order they shouldl run clean.
Blowing any sort of smoke indicates something not quite right.
Joe.
Thanks Joe my Heater is from Sydney Diesel Heaters , I decided to get a portable to use with our Tvan . I rang Marc and he talked me through the first start up it did exactly as he said it would blow some white smoke on start up , its only for a few seconds then it runs clean . We took it away with us for a few days last week , very happy with the way it preformed
The mate fitted one of the German heaters in to his Tvan it also blows a small amount of white smoke on start up ,

PeterInSa · Guru

iana, agree on the Carbon Clean out, can be caused by running on low for some time without a burn out on High.

Other comments here:

www.youtube.com/watch

iana · Guru

Eureka, its going. Having rang "diesel heat" being told to add kero, 2lt/10 of diesel, which I had already done, but it still didn't go. Lying awake, i thought the next step is to run some fuel into a container, to bring the thinned mixture through. While doing this, there was still much smoke, no fuel ? glow plug definitely working as the housing was quite hot. After pumping through about a cup full, I reconnected the fuel line and did a test start. Sounds OK, then a loud "Pop", more soot now being blown out, and now its settling and running.
The cause most likely the cold mornings we had, then it blocked up with oily feathery soot. I also suspected the muffler had blocked up, and I did remove an amount of soot from that and the exhaust pipe. I also wondered about condensation building up and blocking the exhaust. To counter this, I have left the muffler off, and altered the exhaust to put positive fall on it.
The white smoke was the glow plug burning the soot inside the unit, having the glow plug running, but with no fuel, baked the soot causing it to fall away from the walls inside the unit. On ignition, the pressure blew it out "bang" (like the sound effects!).
Thank God, i didn't want to dismantle it further in a caravan park.
So that's it for now folks,

Mike Harding · Guru

Excellent, a happy ending. Thanks for letting us know.

I have found that once the temperature hits 0C or below the diesel begins to gel so if you are in an area where this may happen 10% or 20% kero in the diesel is essential.

Plain Truth · Guru

I also run the heater once every month,even in Summer on high for about 5 min. Keeps everything in good working order.

iana · Guru

Did I mention water, yes I think some of the problems are caused by water, being water vapor condensing in the exhaust tube. As I said i have removed the muffler, I suspected to be a cause of the problem, forming a "P" trap, but I also lowered the exhaust tube as I was suspicious that condensation was building up. The muffler would effectively form a "P" trap, that was the reason to remove it, no noticeable increase in sound level. But moving base yesterday when coupling up the van, noticed water trickling out of the exhaust, having lowered the exhaust, looks like I have to lower it more.
Just mentioning this as it maybe the cause of heater problems others are having, and I have not seen it mentioned before now.
I have made the exhaust out of stainless steel 25mm tube, so its nice and straight, the flexible corrugated tube would have dips where condensation would accumulate and form "P" traps.

Old and Grey · Senior Member

Hi iana,

Good work. It's nice to know this info. Will park same in my brain.

You can never have too much knowledge.

Grey(jim)

elliemike · Guru

iana wrote:
Did I mention water, yes I think some of the problems are caused by water, being water vapor condensing in the exhaust tube. As I said i have removed the muffler, I suspected to be a cause of the problem, forming a "P" trap, but I also lowered the exhaust tube as I was suspicious that condensation was building up. The muffler would effectively form a "P" trap, that was the reason to remove it, no noticeable increase in sound level. But moving base yesterday when coupling up the van, noticed water trickling out of the exhaust, having lowered the exhaust, looks like I have to lower it more.
Just mentioning this as it maybe the cause of heater problems others are having, and I have not seen it mentioned before now.
I have made the exhaust out of stainless steel 25mm tube, so its nice and straight, the flexible corrugated tube would have dips where condensation would accumulate and form "P" traps.

The straight Though type Muffler (see picture) seems to be a better and more efficient option than the one with a "Joggle" that I was supplied when I bought my Eberspacher.
They now have a Drain Hole in the bottom Flange to drain any Condensate I have now fitted two of these. The ones with the Joggled pipe, add too many restrictions on the Exhaust gas Flow.

24mm-pipe-silencer-exhaust-muffler-clamp

-- Edited by elliemike on Thursday 2nd of July 2020 10:03:48 AM