Thinking to buy a Chinese forced air diesel heater

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by JeffBurright

I just picked one of these up and am noodling through the install. On the fuel supply, has anyone tried just installing a reducing tee in their main fuel supply hose between the boat's fuel tank and the diesel engine before it gets to the engine fuel filter? Would there be a good reason to not do this and do a separate fuel stand pipe into the main diesel tank instead? There's a nagging feeling in my brain saying it could be a bad idea, but I can't logic out how.



I also have the 15L tank that came with the heater, but I'd rather save the space if I can. I'd also have to pay attention to the fuel gauge to make sure I don't empty my main tank while at anchor.

When you T into the main you introduce greater possibility for an air leak or other problems. Thus better to have a separate pick up. It is even possible with Moeller tanks using a special fitting for the gauge.

If you do use a separate tank the you can use kerosene, which supposedly burns cleaner and gives more time before require maintenance.

[hugosalt]

Having had air leak issues years ago, I would not tap/tee off main fuel supply.
I use a dedicated tank for my heater (very happy running 1/2 kero, 1/2 diesel mix)
but have installed a separate fuel p.u. in main tank with a tee to heater fuel line, which I have yet to use. Come summer heater tank becomes additional fuel capacity.
Have heard of tapping off of return fuel line but forget details and don't know if could serve as heater fuel supply but one might investigate if feasible.

[Oeanda]

How big is your dedicated tank? I’m just running out of a 10 gallon jerrycan at the moment but I could see that getting old after a while especially if we were out on the water instead of tied up.

[mako]

Try to insulate the duct where it is passing behind drawers and cabinets. There’s no reason to indirectly heat your boat this way - it’s wasteful.

Also, when running the exhaust insider another larger pipe try to install some spaces so the two metals don’t touch each other.

[Atcowboy]

Originally Posted by Oeanda

How big is your dedicated tank? I’m just running out of a 10 gallon jerrycan at the moment but I could see that getting old after a while especially if we were out on the water instead of tied up.

Wow that's huge! Should be many days of running. My little pocket cruiser's main tank is only 8 usable gallons.

As much as I wanted to use the tank that came with the heater, I couldn't find a spot that fit the 10l pancake shape in my little boat. I ended up getting a 5l tank that's more or less a rectangle. If I have to run it continually it will last a day and a half, usually long enough that I can fill it in daylight. Since I usually run the heater in short bursts, 5l lasts a long time. I have a 1.25g gas can I covered with yellow tape to make it clear it's diesel to refill it.

When I was considering tapping into the main tank, I planned on cutting the stand pipe so I couldn't drain the tank more than half, probably would have gone with 3/4 really. I suppose if you wanted to be tricky you could do this by bending the standpipe. If you were ever in a situation where heat was more important than engine reserve you could remove, straighten out the pipe, and reinstall - gaining access to "reserve" capacity.

- AT

[hugosalt]

"Originally Posted by Oeanda
How big is your dedicated tank? I’m just running out of a 10 gallon jerrycan at the moment but I could see that getting old after a while especially if we were out on the water instead of tied up."

My heater tank is only 3 gallons, fits great strapped in over main tank.
Thinking gives me about 3 days straight running. I keep another 5 gallon can of Kero on board.
More than enough for my use, although I do sail thru winter here and heater heats boat great, heater is mainly used for overnight cruising in shoulder seasons.

[hugosalt]

Thinking your 10 gallon tank should give in range of 150 hours plus if run continuous.
As stated previously insulating duct will deliver hotter/warmer air to end of line.
Made a difference before/after for me although a shorter distance than yours.
Also learned a tee somewhat worse than a vee for efficient air flow.

[oldbrownhat]

I recently bought a Vevor 5kW "all-in-one" although not for marine use, and have been geting familiar with it over the last week or so, and making up suitable exhaust and air inlet lines for my purposes.

As others have noted, the manual is utterly useless, and unfortunately, Vevor customer service was quite unhelpful as well However, the unit does work and there are a number of good YouTube videos on them. I haven't ventured into John McK47's yet, but "Tom the Dilletante" has done a couple of really excellent ones.

The problem I'm wrestling with on mine is that the control panel seems to be unlike any I've seen so far in videos, or even in the manuals (Vevor also senr me a very comprehensive one on the entire series of heaters, but mostly useless due to poor English and print qualilty.)

Does anyone have a unit with a control panel like this?



The "H" menu is obviously heat level and on mine goes up to 6, but the "A" (ambient temp?) one is baffling. It, too, is adjustable (from about 10-45 I think) but I have no idea what it's supposed to accomplish.

In addition,there seems to be no way of selecting which menu comes up. Yesterday it was the "A", the day before, the "H".

There is also another icon which has appeared next to the fan and pump ones at the top. Looks like a stick grenade (??)

The "pump" button likewise had no explanation but I assume that it is for priming the unit when new (dry) or when the tank has run dry. I've only used it for the first run.

Cheers

[Oeanda]

I’ve never seen that controller version before.

The controller on my first heater was one of the common ones at first glance, but configured differently from anything I ever found online. The controller for heater number two was more straightforward.
With the second controller I can choose between the ‘H’ style thermostat- with heat settings from 1 to 6 (6 being full blast), or just set it to maintain a given temp, which it does perfectly.
I think my first controller might have had that option too but I never did figure out how to work it. It looked the same as a common version , but had the button functions scrambled in unique ways.

In the ‘A’ setting does it seem to be maintaining the temp to that number? If not, the other probable option is that it’s just telling you the ambient room temp.
EDIT- rereading-since you say it’s adjustable- presumably it’s meant to be a thermostat setting.(?)


As you probably noticed, enabling some settings is usually a matter of pressing two buttons at once, sometimes for a couple seconds. Which two buttons is the question… and even if you do get the right buttons, will you understand the results?

Most of the controllers seem to have a timer function somewhere in there as well, so you can set it to turn off or on at a given time or after a certain elapsed time.

I think in your position I would keep bugging the Chinese folks about it to get better instructions. Communication is admittedly difficult. I always feel like I’m talking down a very long tunnel, or using a telephone system made out of toilet paper rolls and string…. But they are at least usually eager to try to please. Or pretend to be at any rate. The manuals I have are printed so small and blurry that I can’t really see them, even if they did make sense. Which they don’t.

Another possible option- text someone Chinese, or just wander around and find someone who can read the Chinese script in your photos? I’ve had pretty good luck with this at the local corner store.

[oldbrownhat]

Oeanda, many thanks for this. I think I'm beginning to see the light here!

A you suggest, the "A" setting is likely to set the desired temperature. THAT makes sense The "HEAT" just adjusts temp. output, which is also logical.

There is another temp reading in the upper LH corner which doesn't seem to relate to anything, though, as as it was only around 6-7ºC when I was running it outside.

Now to figure out how to toggle between "H" and "A".

The "regular" control panel does indeed have two buttons but this one only has the light (marked "HEIGHT"!!!) and the pump. Guess I could try pushing both at once...

There is also a little remote controller which I havem't investigated. It has UP and DOWN buttons....

Vevor were really unhelpful. I sent pics of the panel and my questions. They asked (twice!) for my Amazon invoice and made strnge excuses about support, to wit:

Please allow me to clarify that we are the official website customer service,
We do not have the right to process orders from other platforms.

But our Amazon team is responsible for dealing with customers who buy our products from Amazon .

So we can transfer it to our Amazon team after we find your order，


Our Amazon team will help you contact the manufacturer of this product to solve your problem，

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to your reply.

They ARE the manufacturer.... I will harass them again, though And I have sent a message to the vendor, but they're clueless.

[Oeanda]

Yes I suspect you should be able to choose between those two different thermostat styles. I’d assume the top left number to mean the current heat in the room- maybe inaccurate in your case (?).

The remote control keychain fob thing should be able to turn the heater on and off (press the on/off button for a couple seconds) and control the temp by the up and down buttons. At least that’s what mine does.

We live in interesting times. I find it all kind of weird and even a little apocalyptic. Dealing with this technology that we can buy cheap from the other side of the planet, but then have to sit around basically like a Neanderthal poking it with a stick trying to figure out wtf it does.

[mcarthur]

Maybe "A" is for Auto? As in thermostat: set the temp here and it'll turn off when it reaches that temp and perhaps turn on again (!) when the thermostat temp moves?

[oldbrownhat]

Originally Posted by Oeanda

Yes I suspect you should be able to choose between those two different thermostat styles. I’d assume the top left number to mean the current heat in the room- maybe inaccurate in your case (?)....

I'm going to fire it up again tomorrow. I seem to recall that once it switched from HEAT to AUTO (thermostat) just by rotating the knob beyond the range of the menu currently on the screen, which would be the only way to do that w/o buttons, I would think. (I thought I tried that yesterday, however and it didn't do anything...)

We live in interesting times. I find it all kind of weird and even a little apocalyptic. Dealing with this technology that we can buy cheap from the other side of the planet, but then have to sit around basically like a Neanderthal poking it with a stick trying to figure out wtf it does.

Sign of the times indeed!

A few years ago, my gf, who teaches molecular biology & genetics at university, got a piece of equipment for her lab "from the other side of the planet" and the instruction sheet was "entertaining" but not particularly useful vis à vis operating the machine, so this isn't just a new problem, nor restricted to consumer gear.

Will make sure I have a stick handy tomorrow in case all else fails.

[Oeanda]

A somewhat pointless update to this thread.

Most importantly- the heater has been working well, generally speaking. The heat has been wonderfully satisfying.

One more part broke recently however.
The fuel filter mysteriously started leaking. Upon inspection it looked like the end sort of separated or broke off (?).

Since the filter has been in a protected spot quite free of human activity, it is hard to imagine how it could have been bumped or crushed. But anything is possible, I suppose…

Luckily, since I ended up buying two of these heaters, I had an instant spare on hand.

I would highly recommend that if you go this cheap heater route, that you buy a spare filter and a spare fuel pump, and whatever other available spare cheap stuff is out there.

Speaking of fuel pumps. I have been on another little tangent with this heater. As you may recall, the fuel pump on heater #1 died soon after purchase, during the depths of our cold wretched winter.

Since delivery of a new replacement fuel pump supposedly would take ‘many many weeks’ to come from China, whereas delivery of an entire new heater was (fortuitously) ‘already available very quickly within Canada’, I just went ahead and ordered a whole new heater following the ‘I’m freezing my ass off and it’s cheap so why not’ principle.

While I did order the second heater from the same eBay supplier, I also took care to admonish them that I was mildly peeved that the fuel pump of heater #1 had died so quickly.

eBay supplier was very very sad and upset that our fuel pump died, humbly begged forgiveness, and promised they’d give us absolutely anything our hearts desired, to make amends.

There was much flowery language involved here. So much so that it made me curious what exactly they were trying to say. Whatever it was it sounded good. So I decided to see if they would send me another fuel pump.

‘Dear friend. Please to know We have informed the supplier to arrange’. Etc. etc.

So every month or so I have been giving them another polite poke. This will usually result in another formulaic response about how sorry they are, how much they care, how much Covid is slowing everything, and how everything will be fixed very soon.

However after a few months of this I noted a worrisome trend where they would not even reply to my message at all. If I repeated the message, after a week or two they would reappear and pretend that they hadn’t got my previous messages and then they would repeat the line about how they’d contacted their supplier and everything was going to be worked out soon.
It feels like it’s getting a little passive aggressive to be honest.

I’m not sure how much more effort I want to put into chasing the free replacement fuel pump carrot on stick, which I may or may not even deserve, and could just buy for $30. I guess I’ve got my answer to the question of what all the flowery language meant (nothing).


And it brings me exactly to the place I would expect to be when buying cheap crap. So no surprise there.

And anyway… now it’s summer!

Nevertheless the experiment has been a success. The Chinese heater is working, and when it dies I’ll probably upgrade to something better.

[CaptTom]

Thanks for the update!

I think you proved the theory that it's best to buy two to start with, and keep one as a spare. It's still cheaper than the alternatives, and who doesn't want a spare of such a critical component?