Noisy?
- Thread starter MarkJ
- Start date
SquirrellCook
Forum Member
With our air Eberspacher it's noisier than I'd like, but you do get used to it. Most noise seems to come from the air intake. Mine is fed via a foam air filter and a soft reinforced rubber tube. The intake is at the front of the cab near the pedals. Some noise comes from the outlets but not as much as the intake. Using as much heat proof soft tubing on the outlet I think helps.
Mark
Mark
Millie Master
Forum Member
I have no personal user experience of the Eberspacher heaters apart from various walk by experiences of them fitted to other vans and I wouldn't say that they are exactly quiet.
My own van is fitted with a Propex gas heater and that too isn't exactly quiet, but when you are shivering your what/nots off at night I find that eventually I have been able to fall to sleep.
My own van is fitted with a Propex gas heater and that too isn't exactly quiet, but when you are shivering your what/nots off at night I find that eventually I have been able to fall to sleep.
wildebus
Forum Member
It can be down to the installation quite often. There are three potential sources of noise that that annoy I think.
(This is based on Eberspacher and Clones, but the Webasto works same way so the areas of issue are the same I would think)
1) Combustion Inlet and Outlet - External
2) Fuel Pump
3) Fan and Heater 'roar' (I don't know the correct term) - Internal
For 1), Silencers are essential otherwise it can be very annoying - and mostly to the people around you if you are on a campsite. What many don't realise is that a silencer on the INLET as well as the Outlet makes a fair difference as well. Given the low cost of the silencers, fitting these really is in the "no brainer" class of improvements.
A well-respected member of the "motorhomer" forum family swears by fitting two silencers in series for maximum effect. I did try this on mine and whilst the first one definately make a big difference, the second one didn't really do much more on mine, but maybe it might on another installation?
For 2), The constant 'tick, tick, tick' of the pulse pump when the heater is running can be an annoyance. My pump is outside and I can hear the pump ticking more than the exhaust when I am inside and there is no other sounds around. The pump jerks on each pulse and that can send a vibration and make the noise worse, so a damped mounting for the pump is essential. Advice on this excellent site about Eberspacher Heaters (https://www.letonkinoisvarnish.co.uk/eberspacher_intro_1.html) suggests making the fuel pipe inlet and exit to the pump sit at a 90 degree angle to cut down on the noise.
For 3), a Heater with a fan makes a noise! I don't think my Chinese Clone of the Eberspacher, or the Eberspacher I have also had is any noiser in that respect than an electric fan heater. Personally I cannot sleep when I hear the constant ticking of a clock, but the heater when running is such a constant background noise I tend to tune out of it. Plus the heaters are so powerful for the size of room (inside of a camper) they are in, they are unlikely to be want to be running for that long overnight unless very cold!
Fitting externally would definately make it quieter, but you would still get some noise.
I was at the Motorhomer Kelso meet yesterday evening and had my heater running for a couple of hours until I left. It might be worth anyone who was there and near my van commenting if they noticed it and the level of noise/annoyance? When outside it could be heard, but I don't think it was bad, but maybe others might?
(if you did fit the heater underneath, it would help the occupant but could make your camping neighbours more annoyed if with others!)
(This is based on Eberspacher and Clones, but the Webasto works same way so the areas of issue are the same I would think)
1) Combustion Inlet and Outlet - External
2) Fuel Pump
3) Fan and Heater 'roar' (I don't know the correct term) - Internal
For 1), Silencers are essential otherwise it can be very annoying - and mostly to the people around you if you are on a campsite. What many don't realise is that a silencer on the INLET as well as the Outlet makes a fair difference as well. Given the low cost of the silencers, fitting these really is in the "no brainer" class of improvements.
A well-respected member of the "motorhomer" forum family swears by fitting two silencers in series for maximum effect. I did try this on mine and whilst the first one definately make a big difference, the second one didn't really do much more on mine, but maybe it might on another installation?
For 2), The constant 'tick, tick, tick' of the pulse pump when the heater is running can be an annoyance. My pump is outside and I can hear the pump ticking more than the exhaust when I am inside and there is no other sounds around. The pump jerks on each pulse and that can send a vibration and make the noise worse, so a damped mounting for the pump is essential. Advice on this excellent site about Eberspacher Heaters (https://www.letonkinoisvarnish.co.uk/eberspacher_intro_1.html) suggests making the fuel pipe inlet and exit to the pump sit at a 90 degree angle to cut down on the noise.
For 3), a Heater with a fan makes a noise! I don't think my Chinese Clone of the Eberspacher, or the Eberspacher I have also had is any noiser in that respect than an electric fan heater. Personally I cannot sleep when I hear the constant ticking of a clock, but the heater when running is such a constant background noise I tend to tune out of it. Plus the heaters are so powerful for the size of room (inside of a camper) they are in, they are unlikely to be want to be running for that long overnight unless very cold!
Fitting externally would definately make it quieter, but you would still get some noise.
I was at the Motorhomer Kelso meet yesterday evening and had my heater running for a couple of hours until I left. It might be worth anyone who was there and near my van commenting if they noticed it and the level of noise/annoyance? When outside it could be heard, but I don't think it was bad, but maybe others might?
(if you did fit the heater underneath, it would help the occupant but could make your camping neighbours more annoyed if with others!)
SquirrellCook
Forum Member
Thanks for mentioning the location Dave I forgot about that. On our "Murky" the converters left the drivers step in place, though not accessible from the inside I mounted a thetford door in the body panel. So our Ebespacher has a nice little home. Not in the habitation area, but not outside. From memory it's home is sound insulated too.
wildebus
Forum Member
Handy
One comment about external mounting as worth mentioning .... The Eberspachers (and I am sure Webastos are the same) have encapsulated electrics (components and PCBs have a protective rubber-type product poured over them) which protects against the elements if water gets past the general housing and that means they are fairly ok to be mounted externally. The chinese clones are really just look-a-likes and use their own - unprotected -electrics in the housing so if these were to be fitted externally I don't see them lasting for long!
(Just saying that as you see posts on many forums promote these as a much cheaper like-for-like replacement and whilst it is certainly an option (and one I have myself of course), it is not always a realistic option!)
SquirrellCook
Forum Member
I have a 2kw unit in "Murky" the only time we wished for a bit more warmth was whilst we were parked up at Airolo Parkplazt in the snow. Betty the Plaxton is going to get a 4kw unit, but for such a beast it's very laking in nicely placed hidyholes. Obviously it will need servicing at some point, desipit never touching Murk's. So some kind of sensible access would be good to if hidden away. One thing for sure it will be underneth.
wildebus
Forum Member
Interestingly this thread is echoing a discussion we were having at the Motorhomer meet in Kelso yesterday evening
One thing which was brought up is about a lot of the chinese heaters choking up after a year or so - and I think one reason is that they are fitted into small vehicles that warm up so quickly the heater never gets a chance to stretch its legs and burn off the soot. And what is worse is because bigger versions of these heaters are available for the same price (or even less occasionally), some people with small vans buy those as they think they are getting better value and the heaters choke up even faster!
I would think a 4kW unit would be perfect for a bus the size of the Plaxton but people who fit a 5kW heater in a SWB Transporter!?
One thing which was brought up is about a lot of the chinese heaters choking up after a year or so - and I think one reason is that they are fitted into small vehicles that warm up so quickly the heater never gets a chance to stretch its legs and burn off the soot. And what is worse is because bigger versions of these heaters are available for the same price (or even less occasionally), some people with small vans buy those as they think they are getting better value and the heaters choke up even faster!
I would think a 4kW unit would be perfect for a bus the size of the Plaxton but people who fit a 5kW heater in a SWB Transporter!?
GEOFF
I have had 2 vans using the EB airtop 2kw heaters. I would say that they are not that noisy once they are warm and start modulating the heat output, both did sound a bit like a jet liner for the first few minutes. I would say fine for wildcamping (we don't), but would be likely to offend some "piccy" neighbours on a CC site. Geoff.
Millie Master
Forum Member
And I HATE noise big time!
SquirrellCook
Forum Member
As long as we don’t read “Motorhomer cooked to death by Chinese heater!”