Diesel water heater in a locker
Submitted: Wednesday, Jun 12, 2019 at 22:12
ThreadID:
138511
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4963
Replies:
7
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6
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Keith B2
Has anybody got a diesel water heater like this one? It's from Dieselheat in Tassie and works a treat.
I have
mine in a ventilated locker to keep the noise down and it keeps tripping out with a high burner temperature error code, even though the locker has some ventilation and it's only at about 33 degrees. Ambient temperature is 20-22 degrees.
It only does it when there is a big demand for heat and the locker door is closed. But, at 33 degrees, the locker is not all that hot with the door closed. With the locker door open it works fine. When there is little demand for heat it works fine with the locker door closed. At this rate, it will trip out on a hot day even with the locker door open.
There is plenty of coolant flow and I have swapped fuel pumps. I have tried blowing more air in with a little centrifugal fan which should have given 2-3 air changes a minute, with no success. There is no exhaust smoke. I suspect either crook temperature sensor or a dud injector.
Is anyone running one of these heaters in a locker?
Many thanks
Keith
Reply By: Gbc.. - Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 02:47
Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 02:47
The furnace is the same as any diesel heater. I was under the impression that the high burner temp fault was more often linked to a partially blocked intake or aftermarket exhaust, or a longer than recommended run of either etc - anything which impedes the air flow through the furnace side. Might be worth shortening up the intake/exhaust runs temporarily and seeing if the fault replicates?
I am assuming you are drawing your fresh air from outside the cabinet?
AnswerID:
626159
Follow Up By: Keith B2 - Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:27
Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:27
"I am assuming you are drawing your fresh air from outside the cabinet?"
That's a thought Gbc. My air pickup is at the bottom of the locker next to inlet air vent. I didn't think of that being the problem. Because the locker is at the front of the van, I wanted to avoid picking up and dust or muck. The exhaust and inlet pipe runs are quite short.
But I'll
check the temperature of the inlet air before cutting a hole in the locker.
Many thanks.
Keith
FollowupID:
899859
Follow Up By: Gbc.. - Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:36
Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:36
not only the temp, but confirm you aren't creating any vacuum which will inhibit fresh air flow. It shouldn't be hard to fashion a temporary
snorkel to
test. Good luck.
FollowupID:
899861
Reply By: HKB Electronics - Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:27
Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:27
Can only give a perspective from a Waeco hydronic heater, it states in the installation instructions for theirs:
• When installing in a lockers or control cabinets;
• Only with good ventilation
• Prevent contact with hot parts
• If necessary, create a contact barrier around the heating system
One of the problems will be the electronics for this type of heater is attached to the side of the heater, if the heater gets to hot the electronics won't like it.
AnswerID:
626166
Follow Up By: Keith B2 - Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:30
Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:30
The hottest part of the heater is the top of it, which my digital thermometer says it at 65 degrees when it trips out. I put a little blower inside the locker, blowing onto this part of the heater, but it didn't help.
Keith
FollowupID:
899860
Reply By: Ozhumvee - Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 11:59
Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 11:59
I have a Webasto Thermotop which is basically the same setup with the calorifier/tank alongside in the same space and it has been working fine for over eight years now. Both inlet and exhaust are run out through the floor externally though.
Even though they are both behind the rear wheel dust has never been a problem despite thousands of k's of outback travel.
The intake sucking hot air from inside the compartment could
well be the problem and providing a cooler source even temporarily might provide the solution.
AnswerID:
626172
Follow Up By: Banjo (WA) - Friday, Jun 14, 2019 at 08:24
Friday, Jun 14, 2019 at 08:24
Webasto in side locker
I have the inlet and exhaust pass through a hole cut in the floor of the locker that the Webasto is installed in.
I used a standard marine type inspection hatch with a round lid that when screwed in is water and dust proof when travelling.
FollowupID:
899886
Reply By: Keith B2 - Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 17:02
Thursday, Jun 13, 2019 at 17:02
I put a proper thermometer on the air ventilation outlet and found that the true temperature is 51-55 degrees. Putting my little fan on it made no difference.
So I ran the combustion air inlet outside and that made no difference either. So I think this unit might have to go back to the factory.
Keith
AnswerID:
626180
Reply By: RMD - Friday, Jun 14, 2019 at 09:29
Friday, Jun 14, 2019 at 09:29
Keith B2
Gbc mentioned restrictions to airflow for the burner, is exhaust known to be free flowing, has it been checked for any obstruction? A wasp nest somewhere in the exhaust exit pipe could be there and unseen.
Is the fuel actually correct and not a shandy of something else by mistake?
AnswerID:
626190
Follow Up By: Keith B2 - Friday, Jun 14, 2019 at 09:41
Friday, Jun 14, 2019 at 09:41
RMD the thing is still in the build stage and there are no restrictions. I moved the combustion air inlet outside the locker and even put a blower on the ventilation air inlet with no success.
Nick at Dieselheat says he has seen the problem only once before and is lending me a new CPU to try out. If that doesn't fix it, the burner will have to go back to Tassie for a new burner heat sensor.
Mind you, it keeps the camper really toasty when it's working and I couldn't be happier either with that or the service from Dieselheat. I've use almost 15 litres of diesel running tests on the thing.
Keith
FollowupID:
899887
Reply By: Frank P (NSW) - Friday, Jun 14, 2019 at 19:48
Friday, Jun 14, 2019 at 19:48
Is this a Chinese copy of a name brand?
The name brands don't play up like this.
AnswerID:
626208
Reply By: RMD - Saturday, Jun 15, 2019 at 16:43
Saturday, Jun 15, 2019 at 16:43
Keith
Is the burner heat sensor an accessible item or buried inside bits of the mechanicals? If it has flame contact or near to, then it would be a thermocouple. That should be able to be either tested or removed and replaced with a known good one. If he is sending a board for you to try it is odd that wouldn't have been considered. On the other hand, if the temp sensor is a NTC type it should be easily replaced and or tested for resistance value at a known ambient temp.
AnswerID:
626226
Follow Up By: Keith B2 - Saturday, Jun 15, 2019 at 17:23
Saturday, Jun 15, 2019 at 17:23
RMD, the heat sensor is not an accessible item and the unit will have to go back to the factory for that. But Nick from Dieselheat has very kindly agreed to lend me a CPU, complete with loom, to try out. He thinks that might solve the problem.
He's been great, especially for a product that is
miles out of warranty.
I shudder to think how I would have fared with an eBay cheapie.
Keith
FollowupID:
899936