Diesel Heater On All Night

[wildebus]

You have changed from Diesel to Kerosene to run the heater, yes?
Has that made any difference to the smell you are noticing? If so, could that point to anything such as maybe unburnt (or burnt?) fuel coming into the van from outside?
Could it be from something around the heater rather than the heater itself? Something as silly as glue fixing down carpet heating up as the surrounding enclosed area gets warmed up due to the heater running?

I have not noticed any smells from my own diesel heater but then again I don't have a very good sense of smell so that comment isn't much help!

 

[wildebus]

One other thought ... the casting is the heat exchanger essentially and is the main thing separating the combustion chamber from the heated air that is pumped into the van. Am I understanding that correctly?
If there was a hairline fracture in that casting, or a tiny warp on the flat end that mates with the other part (bit like a block meeting the head on an engine where you would have a gasket. sorry - don't know the right terms here), could that allow fuel smells to seep through into the living space?

 

[StreetSleeper]

You have changed from Diesel to Kerosene to run the heater, yes?
Has that made any difference to the smell you are noticing? If so, could that point to anything such as maybe unburnt (or burnt?) fuel coming into the van from outside?

I have run it on both and they smell the same. The smell is coming from the exhaust and not inside, it gets stronger as I turn the temperature down; it smells like unburnt fuel but when I looked inside I would say it's burning clean.

 

[jeffmossy]

Rae
I had a similar problem with my old eberspatcher , every so often I could smell burnt diesel fumes in the van , I did same as you and dismantled it then cleaned it and rebuilt it and it was great again , but now and then the smell would return , eventually by luck I noticed the fumes stronger around the cooker area , after further investigation I noticed a vent in the floor under the cooker and realised this was were the fumes from the heater exhaust under the van was coming in and not the hot air outlet from the heater , I moved the heater exhaust and pointed it away from the underside of the van and the problem was cured , no more fumes in the van . Could this also be the answer to your problem ?

 

[StreetSleeper]

One other thought ... the casting is the heat exchanger essentially and is the main thing separating the combustion chamber from the heated air that is pumped into the van. Am I understanding that correctly?


When I opened it up there were no signs of leakage ....no black marks on the outside joints or on the main body.

 

[SquirrellCook]

As Jeff mentioned this could easily proved by extending your exhaust temporarily away from the vehicle?

 

[StreetSleeper]

no more fumes in the van . Could this also be the answer to your problem ?

I smell it when I am outside, next to the van. The problem I have is I don't think it's fair on my neighbour to have to put up with wafts of unpleasant smells.

 

[jeffmossy]

I smell it when I am outside, next to the van. The problem I have is I don't think it's fair on my neighbour to have to put up with wafts of unpleasant smells.

I wonder if the pump is pulsing to high ? . I am sure I have read somewhere that the pump pulse can be adjusted

 

[StreetSleeper]

As Jeff mentioned this could easily proved by extending your exhaust temporarily away from the vehicle?

I wonder if it's just me picking peanuts out of poo, perhaps all diesel heaters have a smell. I have to be honest I have never gone round sniffing to find out, has any one had a sniff of their exhaust pipe? The first time I noticed it the van was parked next to the house and I was walking between the two.

 

[StreetSleeper]

I wonder if the pump is pulsing to high ? . I am sure I have read somewhere that the pump pulse can be adjusted

We set the controller up, adjusting the setting to the lowest: the information was taken off YouTube as we found the booklet you get was wrong.

 

[mistericeman]

I wonder if it's just me picking peanuts out of poo, perhaps all diesel heaters have a smell. I have to be honest I have never gone round sniffing to find out, has any one had a sniff of their exhaust pipe? The first time I noticed it the van was parked next to the house and I was walking between the two.

Some modern diesels stink to me.... Not of unburnt/burnt diesel but a horrible synthetic smell no doubt down to dpf/cat actions....

However our d2 running on pump diesel is barely discernable as running unless in start up/boost mode.... Smell wise.

Thought heating oil/kero was 'supposed' to burn cleaner.

 

[Silver sprinter]

Rae could it be your original heating duct that you tapped into have you checked the tank you put in for your heater and the fuel pipe from it

 

[wildebus]

Some modern diesels stink to me.... Not of unburnt/burnt diesel but a horrible synthetic smell no doubt down to dpf/cat actions....

However our d2 running on pump diesel is barely discernable as running unless in start up/boost mode.... Smell wise.

Thought heating oil/kero was 'supposed' to burn cleaner.

It can still smell! My oil boiler is under the stairs and I can definately smell "fuel" when I go into the cupboard to get the vacuum cleaner or whatever.

 

[mistericeman]

It can still smell! My oil boiler is under the stairs and I can definately smell "fuel" when I go into the cupboard to get the vacuum cleaner or whatever.

It's not the fuel smell I notice.... Its the 'acrid' small of the burnt fuel from modern diesels that getse every time.

 

[trevskoda]

Put some cooking oil in the fuel, may not cure it but you will think your camping outside a chip shop. fact is its the new fuel we get sold and there is a additive in heating fuel which lubs the pump rotor, it stinks.

 

[wildebus]

Put some cooking oil in the fuel, may not cure it but you will think your camping outside a chip shop. fact is its the new fuel we get sold and there is a additive in heating fuel which lubs the pump rotor, it stinks.

that is an interesting point.... I think the Kerosene that Rae has does have an optional additive in it? I can't recall for sure, but I think that was included for free as an incentive when I got the tank filled in March.

 

[xsilvergs]

I wonder if the pump is pulsing to high ? . I am sure I have read somewhere that the pump pulse can be adjusted

I have read the same. There is a "Chinese Diesel Heater" group on Facebook with loads of info. From memory you need a certain controller to allow fuelling adjustment.

 

[wildebus]

I have read the same. There is a "Chinese Diesel Heater" group on Facebook with loads of info. From memory you need a certain controller to allow fuelling adjustment.

There is also (like all places) a lot of misinformation on that group as well (just as a warning).


To be honest, I think Rae is showing excessively nice concern for his camping neighbours ref the smell. I don't think these heaters are very smelly when running but at the same time they are are not putting out essenses of lavender and roses by any means.

If you happen to be passing my way again in the next couple of months I can run the heater up in the camper and you could maybe try a comparision test?
I do have another heater that you could take away and try as well to compare (it is in 'normal' condition, not like the other one!)

 

[xsilvergs]

There is also (like all places) a lot of misinformation on that group as well (just as a warning).


To be honest, I think Rae is showing excessively nice concern for his camping neighbours ref the smell. I don't think these heaters are very smelly when running but at the same time they are are not putting out essenses of lavender and roses by any means.

If you happen to be passing my way again in the next couple of months I can run the heater up in the camper and you could maybe try a comparision test?
I do have another heater that you could take away and try as well to compare (it is in 'normal' condition, not like the other one!)

There is also a lot of good information there, have you read Ray Jones's posts? Take a look at http://afterburner.mrjones.id.au/ for some of his work. Oh and don't get Ray's afterburner project confused with the rip off from Scotland.

On all these forums including this one there is misinformation.

 

[mistericeman]

For what it's worth I'd try running it with any extra silencers/filters fitted too IF you've got them fitted...

It's possible that restriction to combustion air/exhaust/airflow could be causing a problem with the combustion process.

I suffered poor combustion once with a partially collapsed combustion air inlet hose.