I don't actually need one of these heaters right now, but watching your videos I want to buy one just to play with it. Awesome stuff. I'm falling in love with these little things.
John - you saved me. Mounted in my cabin but with glow plug on bottom. Ran rich, carbon build up, leaked fuel, horrible experience. So wish I had watched you first.
Hi Billy, if you have the common Chinese Diesel heater that is a copy of the German Eberspacher heater there are many suppliers on the internet and eBay. Below is just one link to get you started. www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-24V-2KW-5KW-8KW-Chinese-Parking-Heater-Glow-Plug-Ceramic-Pin-Wrenzh-/384588971240?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0 JMcK
Definitely a 'Must Watch' series on these Chinese Knock Offs I have learned that I was about to be ripped off, if I bought the 8K unit. Also learned that I need to get a better intake screen, two flow through mufflers & yes I can mount the unit on it's side! -as long as the glow plug is on the uppermost side- Again, these are the very best tutorials I have ever binge watched!!!
Wow! Anyone thinking of buying one of these heaters or anyone who already owns one should watch these videos! You have done your research, and you have a real talent for explaining the workings of these heaters. Because of your videos, I have corrected some of the mistakes I made when installing mine. For example, my pump was mounted level with the floor of my bus. I have now set it at about a 45-degree angle. I tried setting it straight up and down, but it wouldn't pump the fuel in that position. I fear running it for two weeks in the horizontal position has caused wear that prevents it from pumping at its full pressure. Not to mention I used the priming feature to prime the heater. I am about to do my three-week review of the heater and if you wouldn't mind I would like to refer people to your channel. All of these heaters should come with a link to your videos.
Hi Luke, thank you for the positive feedback. Yes, a 45 deg pump angle is probably the best all around angle. You are most welcome to recommend these videos. I do them purely to help people where I can, as part of a paying it forward philosophy. I would like to think some people in the future will pass on similar helpful knowledge to my grandkids.
Wish I had seen this video sooner. Tore my heater apart due to not lightly up, carbon all over from one season of running it. Long story short, I think the atomizer was in the way of the air hole and I had no clue it wasn't supposed to be, so now it will only start on the second attempt (due to the glow plug being preheated from first attempt). I just ordered some new screens, so will be tearing it back down to do this right and put a decent filter on it as well as I have the one that I think is meant to baffle the intake, not actually filter it. UGG is all I can say without turning into a sailor mouth, lol. Thanks for the great video's John McK, you and David M. are life savers!
Fixed it! Put a new atomizer screen in the correct way using a 3/8-24 tap to clean the threads of carbon and use a BIC Soft Feel Pen to carefully push the screen in place where it should sit (had forgotten about the pencil trick shown in your video). BIC pen is 8mm or 5/16 diameter, pulled the ink side out since the cap was glued in place on the other end. Worked like a champ and now the heater is starting the first attempt. Again, thank you so much for the helpful information John McK!
First, what an incredible place to live!! Who else heard the amazing bird songs in the background the whole video? I would love hearing that everyday. Thanks for the great explanation!
Hi Colin, I do live in a great place, six acres on a tidal river with direct access to the ocean in Queensland, with lots of wildlife. However, sometimes there is a downside. In the 2011 Brisbane flood my house was submerged and I even had a cow take refuge on my roof. JMcK
The manner in which you explain theory and operation is much appreciated, John! First in installation and secondly being able to diagnose when that time arrives. (Everything man made fails. And never according to budget or schedule!) Viewing a 2nd time, mainly to learn if fuel supply line on heater, the metal one, can be cut and reconfigured. My Plan is to install in a box and operate on a roof top of a SUV. A concern I have is also how much weatherproofing it requires in operation. I see it's basically another ICE except that it's product is heat only and not HP so breathing is critical. Again, like so many other commentors, well done, John. Well done!
Brilliant series of videos, learnt a lot. Stripped my heater down yesterday and found build up around the gauze and the orifice cleaned it out and now she starts lovely! Thanks a lot!
May I add a fine point in replacing the Atomizing Screen to John's excellent video. When installing the new screen, make sure that the spot welds on the screen is located away from the fuel inlet. If the weld is adjacent to the fuel inlet, it can block the fuel from atomizing and creates a lot of white smoke on start up. This was the problem of my new Chinese Diesel Heater which smoke on start up from new. By moving the spot welds 180 degree such that the fuel jet onto the clear area of the screen, the white smoke problem was resolved.
Thank you so much for these videos. I've ordered one of these heaters and hadn't a clue about installation and operation of the unit. Now I've got a fighting chance of installing it properly and getting some use out of it.
Excellent video very well explained! I think this is the problem with my heater it won’t fire up and I just checked after watching this that my air filter has fallen off, I will take apart tomorrow 👍 Those birds in the background sound absolutely delightful are you in the middle of a rain forest 😂
Hi Ryan, thanks for the feedback. No air filter will not stop the heater lighting, but a carboned up screen will. I live in a rural area, not a rain forrest. But I occasionally feed the birds. JMcK
John I live in Canada and we have ultra low Sulphur diesel fuel. I found that adding kerosene to the heater tank helped in the winter but you have to keep the amounts low. I found that 10%kerosene to 90%diesel is about right. If you don't then you will cook your pump. I also found that the cetane number is only 40 in Canada and is not high enough. It is recommended by espar to have a minimum of 45 for best performance. You can go up as high as 50. Cetane is the naturally found in diesel fuel but depending on the country it will vary. If you use a cetane booster then kerosene is probably not necessary unless the temperature is really cold. I suggest that you check this out. This is the only year I have not had to change the atomizer screen and it is still working like new. Cetane by the way is what makes the diesel burn and adding kerosene to the fuel lowers the cetane number. The higher the number the hotter it burns
Thank you so much for all your videos John you have helped me so much to understand all about how the heater works and how to keep it working, forever greatful for your time and input that you have given so freely here to help
@@johnmck1147 Your most welcome John and thanks for replying. I've got to the stage of othering my services to supply and fit the heaters now in the UK with your help from this channel here and can offer a better quality and service to customers.. So must thank you for this John
Yourself, and "Lowered Expectations" channel are probably the best resources on the Diesel Heater subject. I keep coming back to your videos. If you're still into it, could you explain your technique for tuning the RPM and Hz settings on the controller? Much appreciated.
Hi WS, It is now some five years since I did these videos, and in the beginning I would give suggestions as you ask, It is not hard to change the settings when you go past the password. (A number of sites publish the common password) However this ability caused many issues, as there is no reset back to factory settings button, when people got into trouble. In 99% of cases, I have found the factory settings to be best….And experience has taught me not to give advice on this matter. Sorry, I can't go further here for you.. JMcK
Yes thank you from the bottom of my heart. My heater is two years old I cleaned it about the same time last year and had no idea The atomizer screen was even in there. It now starts easier and less battery draw to do so. Again thank you.
Thanks John, this is the first time I have needed to change the mesh and is operating fine now. The mesh was very carboned up but I didn't need to use the new gaskets etc, which came with the glow plug kit, as the chamber did not require a clean.
Great videos - the best I have seen about this heater!! I bought one of these heaters a couple of weeks ago and am in the process of mounting it to heat my small house. I will be using a treatment in my fuel that will ELIMINATE the problem of carbon formation entirely. I have used this treatment in my vehicles since 1998. My current car with a 1000cc engine and has now done over 300,000 kms and still has original exhaust system, has never had the carby off or head off - nor ever been tuned, Starts instantly and has maintained power output and does not smoke at all. Plugs are changed about every 50,000 kms and oil changes about 20,000 kms - all due to the benefits of this treatment. Engine runs smoother and has about t0% more power and 10% better fuel economy than original as a result of more complete combustion.. I have used this treatment in kero wick lamps with no sooting of the glass and Kero primus stoves with no sooting of pan bottoms. In fact when I first tried it the kettle bottom was sooted and the soot burned off where the flame impinged on the bottom. I have also used it in my boat diesel fuel where it prevents algal growth (diesel bug).
@@johnmck1147 I can give you the details about the fuel treatment I use if you would like to contact me at the address I supplied in my first reply to your comment The treatment is in the form of a tablet which dissolves in the fuel. One tablet treats 70 litres of fuel. I can post you a couple of tablets for you to test for yourself if you like. This product has been around since the second world war. In fact it was a second world war war secret but was never available to the public until the 1990's. After the war only big utilities used it - such as US Railways and Coastguard etc. It has been tested by numerous government testing agencies around the world and shown to work as claimed. The product carries a NZ$10,000,000 warranty against engine damage.
Thank you so much for all the time you put into these videos! They are SO helpful, thorough and well done, with the added perk that you can hear Aussie birdsong in the background. I hope you and yours are okay, by the way. I'm watching the coverage of the fires with horror from the other side of the world ♡
Thanks, appreciate your efforts. I like your improvised tools and practical uses. I have a new heater but your video helped me to understand the inside of the heater and future maintenance.
I am watching all of your videos - thank you! I purchased A 5k unit off amazon for 140$. Then saw a better one on ebay for 112$ - then got an offer for the same one for 85$... but I didn't buy it because I thought I only need 1 and have 2 coming in! lol (but I may get it anyway at that price! : - ) PS: PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE - LINK ANY AND ALL PRODUCTS AND PARTS. YOU CAN EVEN MAKE MONEY IF YOU GET AN AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK AND LINK ALL THE BITS AND BOBS - IT WILL MAKE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE PREPPING TO INSTALL, IT WILL MAKE IT MUCH MUCH EASIER TO GET THE THINGS WE NEED - EXAMPLE: REMOTE BATTERY 27A - LINK - EXAMPLE - ATOMIZER SCREEN - EXAMPLE - GLOW PLUG REMOVAL TOOL/S - ETC (Even if nothing else but the link for the item in google search - so we can see exactly what it is we need to be looking for...) THANK YOU!
Hi CS, Thanks for the feedback. I am reluctant to put in links to these heaters or parts because after a few months the sellers are no longer there, or no longer sell the parts. Not ONE of my past suppliers are still there, or still sell the parts I bought just months ago. The sellers seem to buy a batch of heaters or parts and when they are sold they move on to some other product. But I share your frustration, and I will see if I can find some sort of solution. Even if it is listing how I personally search for parts. My goal with these videos is to try and give help to the DIY person who will buy these cheap heaters online and will self install without the technical support they would get if purchasing a brand name heater from a retail store. I am not seeking kickback commissions. Have you seen the special tools video? Best wishes. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 First of all, THANK YOU for your hard work and methodical technical tutorials! I have 2 heaters on the way and I am sure I will have a much better time installing them after watching ALL of your videos! : - ) As for the links - just put links to the general item name on Google. Like example the A27 Battery or the Atomizer - that way people can search on their own with confidence that they are looking in the right direction... And... finally, just a thought; as you put such meticulous hard work into this series (and should get compensated somehow) I would suggest you get an Amazon Affiliate Account and find some steady suppliers of the heaters, as well as the other parts, tools etc and link them. When people watch your video and then click on the link to buy, for example, the "Glow Plug Socket Wrench, specially designed with the slot cut out for the wires," you can get a small cut of the transaction - and everyone wins... Just my thoughts, and again...! YOU THE MAN! - Thank you again and keep them coming!
Wow, just when I thought you have covered everything, you make another excellent informative video. Please keep them coming, I enjoy every minute of them.
thanks John you video was just brilliant and full of tips and then reading coments had shown me more things to check on , i have the 5kw , am happy when she works great but i have seen so many fault codes that appear then disapear and everycheck turned nothing but now i found your video i will become a pro too, thanks again
Great tips much appreciated! Woke up to -1C again this morning only to get an E 03. It'll be 7 - 10 days to deliver replacement glowplug. My bad - should've had a couple spares on hand.
Hi JGB, It is unusual for glow plug to just stop working. I suggest you check you check the battery voltage. If your battery is down on voltage or you have voltage drop in the wires due to wire size, the glow plug does not get hot enough to start heater. More info on this in motor home videos. Cheers. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 okay, I've charged up the battery bank & will give it another go. It is it's 3rd winter on the boat & it's been brilliant for the price paid.
J.Glenn Bauer If you have, or can borrow a clamp meter you can check if the glow plug is working. It will draw 8 to 10 amps on start up. As the heater is a few seasons old, you may have carbon build up on the glow plug itself, and atomisation screen. Also if the tiny air hole where the glow plug is inserted is blocked the heater will not start. Good luck JMcK
Just installed my diesel heater. Second run...X glow plug shorted code. Sure enough it was registering slight continuity on the plug wires. Bought a 12mm deep well 1/4" socket and cut a slot in it, swapped it out and it's now working like a champ.
Thanks again John, i'm getting E-10, even though i have only had the heater on mo more than an hour in total. When i put the exhaust tube on i used some sealing stuff and i think it may have gotten niside somehow so will strip down the beast and check that air hole.
Hi Gary, E-10 is a funny code, and probably not caused by your exhaust. First try a full reset. Remove power from heater for a good two minutes, reconnect and try again. Another cause for E-10 is flooded burn chamber, caused by over priming, or fuel tank higher than heater and fuel seeping into heater when heater turned off. If tank above heater install fuel shut off valve in fuel line before pump, and turn off when not in use. That rubbish vinyl fuel line now supplied with some heaters can cause E-10 issues if more than about 300 mm long. Suggest you use proper black fuel line on suction side from tank to shut off valve to filter to pump. Then use narrow bore hard nylon fuel line from pump to heater. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Thanks very much John. I spent 3 hours on the heater tonight and fixed the problem. I took it apart and it was absolutely filthy inside, i think i may have been sold a used one since i have hardly had mine on, probably less than 30 minutes total when it was working. I cleaned the burn chamber and the long pipe bit that goes in it, made sure the air inlet by the glowplug was clear, put it all back together and got a nice clean burn after a few minutes but then an E8. I noticed the voltage dropping from 12.6 to 12.3 while the ehater was running so i turned up the oltage output on my transformer to 13V, the ehater then dropped that to 12.5 during use and now it works perfectly. It heated up my 10x10x6ft shed by 3 degrees in just 3 minutes at full blast. Thanks again for sharing your expertise, your videos have helped so many people, i see you quoted and linked to all over the internet regarding these devices. Have a great weekend sir.
I got two heaters called all in one. 5kw the short ones. Heater no 1 works fine and heater no 2 works fine. No 2 has the old 3 blade controller head and board and no 1 has the newest style. On no 2 heater startup there are 3 quick pulses then a pause then the normal pulse rate. Right there after I get a wiff of diesel smoke smell whitch goes away. The other one doesnt do that. No smell at startup. Both heaters are moved in and out from the same install for testing. The exhaust goes out a 2 meter pipe up in the air. The smell it comming from the heat exchange I surmize. Plan is to tear it down and inspect. Im waiting on gaskets. Also no2 has a fan noise, not rubbung but more of a groweling sound , can only be heard at the air intake. That's my story. These heaters are nice. I like tinkering with stuff like this. Now I want it to snow so I can sit there with blasting hot air on my face and grin from ear to ear. Tally Hoe Mate Crazy Dave Sea Yaa
Hi Pete, There is no good vibration, and anything you can do to lessen serious vibration is a good thing. The heaters themselves are very robust with just one moving part, however the electronics are not so robust. Just a very vulnerable circuit board with a plastic top cover held in place with one screw and a clip. It would not take too much travelling over hard Australian corrugated dirt roads to damage the CB. The genuine Eberspacher have a much more robust ECU. Australian outback dirt roads can be pretty viscous. Only an Aussie or visitor to the outback can appreciate the vehicle damage caused by these roads. Anything you can do to lessen the bone shaking vibration will pay dividends. J
To David Dempster, I received your query on email, but it does not show up here. But in answer to your question regarding spares, I buy them on eBay. However, with some items you need to search under Eberspacher spares. These heaters are a clone of the Eberspacher and many parts are interchangeable. If you have a particular item you are chasing I may have a link. One issue why I am sometimes reluctant to put a link, is unlike, say Amazon or Banggood, who are in for the long haul, many eBay sellers come and go in short order. Often, I suspect, the same seller just changing their name to avoid returns and warranty. I have sometimes gone back to a seller a month later to buy more of an item only to find the item or the seller no longer available. Cheers. JMcK
High Mathew, all sounds ok. Keep filter and pump as near to the tank as possible and as low as possible so it does not have to suck hard. The heater will be low in your setup so the pump does not have to lift fuel high. If you use the thin hard nylon fuel line normally supplied and pay close attention to all the connections I don't see any issue. I have run the thin nylon fuel hose more than 15 feet in a boat without issues. J
IncandescentDaD Please watch video no 11. Your soft tubing will work if the distances are short and you do not get carbon build up on the burner screens. The fuel pumps on these heaters pulse fuel, unlike other pumps that flow fuel. Soft fuel line absorbs the pulses and hence the force of the delivered fuel. Also the ECU counts the pulses to match fuel delivery and fan speed to get a correct fuel air mix. If soft fuel is absorbing some of that pulse force, you can get an incorrect burn. Soft line will work in many installs but for best operation use a hard fuel line.
@@johnmck1147 Thank you very much, John. I just watched no. 11 and it was excellent. I asked in a comment there if you could post the technical specifications as written on the side of the tubing so that we who were saddled with the inappropriate hose could find the correct one. Thanks again!
IncandescentDaD Info as requested. The nylon tube is 4 mm dia x 1 mm wall. It has an internal bore of 2 mm. Working temp. Is 35°C to 120°C. Working pressure 4.5 MPa 4mm fuel hose also works for short runs and eliminates all the joiners, but use the stiff heavy wall type, not the soft fluffy type. JMcK
Good info !!! I don't know about the screen. I am having a problem where the glow plugs dose not want to heat past the green indicator on the display. I took the unit apart and cleaned all the parts with parts cleaner ( not knowing about the screen ) it started to work Abit better, but the display showed it was not heating to the full setting ( red ). Now I am letting the section with the screen sit for the day submerged in parts cleaner. If this doesn't work I will have to get a new unit. It's mid August in Canada, and just to order a new plug , screen or what ever I need could take as long as 2 months to arrive. If the parts I order don't fix the problem I will have to wait another 2 months to get a new unit.
Hi David, Tthe glow plug only comes on for a short time at initial start time. It is just used to start the heater burn, and it then turns off. If your heater starts the glow plug has no relevance to the temperature light display on your controller because it is switched off. The heater is able to heat the air from about 50 deg C to 70 deg C above ambient air on a max setting. Regards, JMcK
Thanks for the video, i wanted to know how far to push the screen back in my heater, if you do not push it in all the way the heater will not light very well and smokes a lot because the diesel is not igniting.
Do you have a video with the electrical portion of diagnosing some of these units? I am getting a start fault code of the ignition plug. I did some testing with the voltmeter. I do not have continuity on my golf log and I am only getting about 6 V whenever I try to do a start up. I’m thinking my voltage is the issue. The unit is getting 12 V at the supply
Hey John, great series mate!! Just wondering if you have my ideas on the E-03 code. I have replaced my glow plug and atomiser (below the unblocked hole) and it still comes up with the message. Exhaust and intake clear.
Any fix for this? I have the same issue, I replaced the glow plug and the atomiser. When I press the start button the heater makes a single click and E-03 pops up right away.
Hi John just discovered your videos thankyou very informative and you put alot of time into them, one quick question regarding glo plugs should they be checked and cleaned periodically if so how often or if the heater is starting fine just leave them alone thanks again Freeo
Hi F55, The glow plugs are very fragile, so better leave them alone if heater is working ok. “If it is not broken, don't fix it” With a good install with minimum restrictions in exhaust, and a gauze filter on combustion air inlet, you can go for years without having to clean glow plug. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Great thanks mate we only use the van a few times a year at this stage still have kids at high school so it wont be used all that often thanks for the quick reply
John webasto units ,have a burn screen some with two hole some with one. In the end of the burn chamber,, i(it’s a flat disc type in the end of burn chamber)which soots up to was wondering if the Chinese ones have them.??? , great videos mate that will help a lot of people 👍❤️
Yes John, there is a circular screen at the top of the burn chamber a bit like a flattened donut (hight wise, not flat wise). If not too carboned up it can be burnt out with MAP gas. But you can't get at it without grinding off the burner tube weld so as to seperate the screen from the tube. This is the main burner atomising screen which burns after the glow plug ignites the "pilot flame". I have not found any source that sells these screens as a spare part. But not important these days as after replacing the screen you need to TIG weld the tube back with a lot of time and effort. More than the cost of a new knock off heater if you paid labour. You can buy a replacement burner now on ebay cheap. J
Thanks for the info John, have seen eBay sellers of these parts but as you say be cheaper to buy a new burn chamber ,rather than buy and try to fit one 👍
You guys can still get REAL Mapp gas down there? It hasn't been available in the states for over a decade now. Thanks for all the great explainations and the breakdowns.
I recently bought a 5/8kw diesel heater that worked like a dream for 2 nights...the 3rd night it didn't want to fire up. I thought it was a fuel problem as had various error messages showing E04 stating check if fuel pump is broken or E03 stating check ignition plug open or short circuit but still nothing. After viewing your video I started disassembling the unit only to find the glow plug was loose. I checked the gauze which was clean & the air inlet hole was also clean. A lot of unburnt diesel in the chamber but I did have the fuel pump pumping for ages before disassembly trying to fire her up. Assembled the unit & it started almost straight away. Why would a loose glow plug prevent it from starting? It was less than a quarter turn loose.
Hi Strangedays, the glow plug is a two wire item and does not need a good case earth in order for it to light up. You could have had an air leakage issue past the glow plug, or you may have a defective glow plug with a lose internal connection, and tightening the plug improved the electrical connection. If the later is the case, your problem is likely to return in the future. Sorry I could not offer a definite reason. JMcK
Hi John, Thank you very much for this video series. I'm up to video 9 and plan to finish all of your excellent series. Perhaps you missed your calling as a scientist? I did want to ask: With the pencil eraser screen insertion method is it possible to insert the screen too far, or is there a shoulder inside the combustion chamber to make up for the the inability to use the Eberspacher tool? Also, since the 12 mm glow plug plumbing tool is probably harder to come by in the US, I wonder if there might be some way to modify a flare nut wrench or crows foot socket to work without dissassembly? I guess I'll find out when I get a heater! ;-) PS Not really a bird watcher, but could not help but notice that the spectacular bird songs serving as background music to your videos. Much different than those here in north america, and I particularly enjoyed some of the songs about 11 minutes into this video. I suspect you feed them well for their services! ;-)
Hi Dell, first, thanks for your kind words. No, you can not push the screen in too far using a pencil. In practice Ausie pencils (made in China) have the right length rubber on them, push in until the brass rubber holder hits the heater. Just make sure they are pushed far enough in to clear the hole. 12 mm socket spanners should be easy to source in the US. You import European and Asian goods who use the metric system. Yes, I occasionally feed the birds. The birds you can hear are Australian Magpie, and Australian Butcher Bird. Regards. JMcK
Do you work at a zoo? 👀 it sounds so full of life there! Also, very great explanation. I just ordered one and I hear that these glow plugs are usually the part that goes wrong first. Cheers! 🍻
Fantastic series of videos, John. Thank you for all the time and effort you put in to create and post these. The information you have shared is extremely helpful.I have ordered a 5KW heater to install in a camper van. I would like to place the heater on the floor behind the driver's seat and the fuel tank in the very back of the van for easy fueling. The distance between the tank and heater is approximately 11 feet. I hope to locate the pump and filter very near the tank. Can you tell me if there are limitations I should be aware of for the distance between heater, pump and tank, and the variation in height between the heater, pump and fuel tank? Thanks in advance.
Any idea what happens is a part of the broken glowplug falls inside? Do you need to take it apart? I removed the glowplug but a piece fell in. After placing the new one the monitor started to flicker and it turns off. Any idea? Thanks for the amazing content you´ve created.
Fantastic series of videos, well done. I do have one question and that is regarding the starting of the heater. When the heater is turned on, the fan starts to create air flow and the glow plug powers on. On the heaters I have, after about 90 seconds the fuel pump starts and if monitoring from an app, the combustion temperature will rise. After about 4 minutes the glowplug will turn off. I have one heater that on many occasions the glow plug icon comes on and the glow plug draws power however the fuel pump never starts. On every occasion I have just powered off the unit, then back on and it has started correctly. My question is what tells the fuel pump to start? If it were a timer, I'm sure it would always start. If it is temperature, where does the heat come from apart from the heat of the glowplug? On a new heater or a serviced one, there will be no residual fuel in the combustion chamber and only the powered up glowplug, so what starts the combustion process? As I stated earlier if it were a timer, I'm sure it would always be a consistent start. The other strange thing is there is no error codes. It just sits there with the glow plug powered up for as long as I leave it. At approx 9:30 in your video you state the mesh acts like a pilot light, however on other types of heater a pilot light would operate a thermocouple and that is what starts the main gas valve (In the case of a boiler), but what starts the fuel pump on these heaters? Any ideas?
Hi Anthony, You are correct with the start sequence. It is a signal from the CPU that opens a “relay” and sends power to the fuel pump. One major cause of the fuel pump not starting is low voltage at the heater when the glow plug turns on. The glow plug will draw up to 10 amps to light up, and if your power wires are too thin you get a significant voltage drop and the glow plug does not get hot. If the glow plug does not get red hot the pump will generally not start. Suggest you check your power wire size, and check voltage at heater. If voltage is below 12 V suggest you increase wire size and see if that makes a difference. In the five years since I did these videos, I have not come across your issue with decent sized wire. When I get a chance I will see if I can replicate your issue, and see if I can find out what actually triggers the CPU. Another thing to look at is if the glow plug screen is all blocked up with carbon. Also, if you have a spare controller, swap in a new one and see if that changes things. Sorry I could not be more helpful. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Hi John, thanks for your reply. I am only using the cable supplied with the heater without any extension. The power supply is a switched mode 12v 30A supply. As you say the glow plug uses quite a lot of power and even though the power supply remains at 12.5v (What I set it at) the display on the heater does drop down to 10v, so that is voltage drop in the wiring not the supply. Maybe I tweak up the supply, not sure what it will go up to but I'm sure it will go up to 13v. As you also suggest, maybe cut out the excess wire that feeds the heater. My power supply is right next to the heater and the spare cable is coiled up. I need to check the voltage going into the heater plug at the rear of the heater and see what the actual voltage feeding the heater is and what the volt drop along the cable is. I do find it strange that no error shows, surely whoever wrote the program would have had a line that says "Glow plug on AND after 3 minutes pump has not started error xx" The heater is a Maxpeedingrods MXR-3M, and I queried this with Maxpeedingrods and they sent me a replacement heater, however that had more issues! The replacement always fires up, but it gives out off the scale carbon monoxide readings from the exhaust and from the warm air vent gives out high levels of Co2, VOC's and HCHO (According to an air quality meter) Obviously there should only be warm air coming out of the air vent and no noxious gasses. The first heater had run 300 hours and there was no soot inside the exhaust pipe or on the floor where it vents outside my garage. After a few hours of the new one running, my patio slabs turned black! The new heater does not appear to use any more fuel and actually (According to the App ond LCD display) runs hotter at 230-240 deg C as opposed to the original that runs around the 200 deg C mark. I did purchase another Maxpeedingrods heater model MXR-2Y and this one performs ok, it starts, runs clean, has no emissions, and runs at 200 deg C. I think I need to strip down the second one and find out why it runs so dirty and bad, maybe a damaged gasket or crack in the casting. I will let you know. Thanks again for your help.
Hi John, I did mean to mention that allegedly the heater has a low voltage fault however this has never occurred (E1 according to the manual). You would think that if the heater considered there was insufficient voltage it would throw an error rather than leaving the glowplug energized forever? I have seen the heater in this condition for over 35 minutes and have just cycled the power and then it has started perfect!
Hi Anthony, Thanks for the update. You don't want excess wire coiled up. Suggest you cut it off and run better cable from power supply to heater. These heaters, in good condition, run very clean. Suggest you watch my gasket video. Please keep me informed. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Hi John I tweaked the voltage on my power supply to 13.5V. I tested the voltage going into the heater plug, and it is the same with the heater powered on but not started. When the heater is started, the display on the heater LCD shows approx 1 volt lower than the supply at the rear of the heater, so the volt drop is internal in the heater (It is the same at the power supply and going into the heater when starting). It has started successfully a few times, but it has not been like this long enough to draw a conclusion. Everyone says that on shutdown, the heater plug is energized to perform a self clean, but by monitoring both voltage and current I can say this does not happen on the heaters I own, however they are all Maxpeedingrods, so maybe different to others? Better news on the sooty replacement heater! I decided to strip this down to see what was happening and found a piece of soot inside the burn chamber that was approx 30mm square. I have loads of photos if you want me to send them. At first I did not realize what had caused this soot, but then noticed that if you look at the open end of the burn chamber and look down the end, you will see a plate with a hole in it and through the hole you see the "Gear like" center part that causes the air to vortex. That plate has been welded on on the piss and has left a tiny air passage where it touches the outside of the burn chamber (The plate should be flat and touch the entire inner of the burn chamber tube) I assume the air now had two paths, through the center where it is supposed to go, and through this gap causing poor combustion. The heat exchanger was filthy with black soot. I fitted a new burn chamber and voilà, no soot or emissions and the carbon monoxide has gone down from over 600ppm to 10-17ppm which is the same as my other heater. I will keep you posted on the first heater issue! Thanks again for your support.
I do believe the locksmith industry uses odd number sized bolts. You could try looking through such a catalogue to try and find a 7 mm tap (if you really wanted one)
Hi mate. I’ve been so impressed with your videos on theses heaters and found it very informative 😀 I’ve got one myself and been so frustrated that it only smokes and won’t fire 🔥🙈 Since watching your videos I’ve discovered that the little mesh filter is blocked and the glow plug is dirty 😫 Can you suggest how I can clean the end of my glow plug please 😃 I’ve orders new mesh filters and an air intake 👍🏻 Cheers for any help Stevie.
John my heater is starting but blowing lots of white smoke. I have narrowed down the issue to the glow plug only receiving 4.5V to an 8V glow plug. The unit itself is not suffering any voltage drop, on start it dropped from 13V to 12.6V which I believe is quite acceptable? Would you in all your assessment of these heaters be inclined to believe the issue is with a faulty motherboard? What other suggestions do you have for voltage drop for the glow plug only?
Brilliant videos. I’ve been watching the videos with a keen eye on if the units will run on biodiesel (Proper bio) my primary concern is the trace amounts of methanol left in the fuel which from experience eats away at certain types of rubber. I noted the concern about running kero and Lube for the fuel pump. Having watched everything thus far I’m going to bet the fuel pump is a rubber disk with an actuator and pretty sure it would get destroyed pretty quick with biodiesel. I wonder if you can advise on the fuel pumps regarding replacements, alternative replacements you might have seen while shopping about. I’m guessing that the supplied pump is sealed in manufacture with the two halves pressed together preventing disassembly? (This is an edit - and the next video is....fuel pump lol, I’ll watch that next)
Hi Mr FG, Yes the fuel pumps are sealed at manufacturer and can not be opened without destroying the pump. There are no alternate pumps that I know of. These are dosing pumps always delivering a fixed dose at each pulse. This dose is known by the ECU that runs the unit and the changing the dose rate by the ECU is how the heater works. Newer fuel pumps I have cut open have what appears to be a type of plastic piston sealing ring. I do not think bio diesel would affect the fuel pump and if it did it would be over a long period of time, also replacement fuel pumps for these Chinese copy heaters are relatively cheap. If I was in your shoes I would try running the heater on bio diesel if that is what you wish to do and see how it performs. I would be grateful to know the outcome. Remember you will need to be aware of fuel line issues. Good luck. JMcK
Hey John, great series.Just wondering if you have my ideas on the E-03 code. I have replaced my glow plug and atomizer (below the unblocked hole) and it still comes up with the message. Exhaust and intake clear.
@johnmck1147 Any fix for this? I have the same issue, I replaced the glow plug and the atomiser. When I press the start button the heater makes a single click and E-03 pops up right away.
what kind of amazing birds are those singing?! also, does running a 5kw model on low cause soot build up? should I run on high after a night a low so it burns off?
Hi Robert, The wild birds here are the Australian Magpie, and Australian Butcher Bird. If your heater set up is gold standard with minimum restrictions in combustion air inlet and exhaust, you will have very little carbon issues running the heater on low power. It is good practice to occasionally run the heater for 15 mins or so at high power to burn off any carbon deposits. The frequency you do this depends on your install. With a gold standard install, a high power run once a month or even once a season is reasonable. With a poor install, with lots of restrictions, then perhaps every day may be beneficial. Cheers, JMcK.
Just started to use it and it worked great for two days then it started to smoke during startup ! It only has 3 hrs of run time! Could it be bad or old fuel? And is the glow plug need cleaning?
Actually they do work as a filter but you got to pull the foam up to the top in front of the air holes and then the air the dirt gets trapped in the filter that or in the in the the sponge
G'day After running of 2 hours, heater fluctuates up and down. Things I have changed : Heat sensor Wiring harnes Fuel pump 3 different motherboard with controllers Your expertise please in this matter.
Hi 851k, I need a bit more information here. If you set a fixed Hz rate, does the heater still fluctuate? What type of fuel hose on the delivery side are you using? Are you getting any smoke out of the exhaust? What is the voltage at the heater when starting? What is the voltage at the heater when running? Cheers, JMcK
@johnmck1147 Using standard controller - no Hz settings (1 to 6 bar) Fuel hose is clear hard type. After 2 hours running starts to fluctuating and get smoke. Starting and running voltage is 12v from power supply. P.S. I have uploaded a video for you to see "kanbisk"
