FAQ Diesel Heaters
Diesel Heater FAQ
All our Diesel Heaters are complete kits with everything you need to install.
Which Diesel Heater is best suited to my needs?
Normally this comes down to how you would like to use your diesel heater? If you want a unit to leave running throughout the night or for long periods of time, we suggest going with a 2kw unit. Put it like this, Diesel motors don't like being ran on low for long periods so you're much better off with a smaller unit working a bit harder than a larger unit running on low which will then lead to clogging up and causing issues down the track. Where if you want a bit of quick heat in the morning or to warm up the van before you go to bed we suggest the 5kw. Plenty of power to warm it up fast.
The All in One Portable Units are used for annexes, tents & camp trailers. These units are designed to sit outside and run the ducting into the area you wish to heat.
Can I run a Diesel Heater from a Cigarette Plug?
No the cigarette lighter plugs can't handle the amps the diesel heater draws on start up, Needs around the 15amps on start up and most cigarette plugs are only rated around 10amps. Much better off with an anderson plug fitted to your All in one units.
Voltage Issues Heater wont start
The Diesel Heaters need between 12.5v & 13.5v to ignite the glow plug.
Blowing Cool/Cold Air when the unit is meant to be off?
This is usually caused when the unit is going into cooldown mode. This can be caused by the following 2 things.
1.low voltage in the battery (Disconnect heater from battery and reattach when you have your battery fully charged)
2. Faulty temp sensor could be reading your unit is too hot and sending the heater into cooldown mode. If not successful with the low voltage steps it will be time to replace your temp sensor. If your unit is still under warranty give us a call and it will be replaced. If your unit is out of warranty we do sell the replacements. Please call the store and we can look up your order to find the model to suit your heater.
Where is the Temp Sensor & Glow Plug located?
If you unscrew the vent at the end of the heater and half of the casing will lift
off, both the glow plug and temps sensor are located there, one end is in the
unit itself and the other end plugs into the motherboard.
Replacing a Glow Plug
Replacing a glow plug you will need a 13mm long shaft socket with slit in it to
fit over the wires of the glow plug. Once you have the socket to fit you will just need to undo the glow plug after disconnecting the wire from the motherboard
Fan Noisy
The fan could be scraping on the casing or gone just out of alignment (sometimes this happens in transit) Simply unscrew the vent at the end of the heater and lift off half of the casing, spin
the fan with your hand to see if you can hear or see where it is hitting.
To adjust the fan slightly move the fan forward or back, make sure also that
the two magnets are still connected and in place, they are there to help
balance the fan.
Blowing Smoke
Check the air inlet, exhaust pipe and muffler to be free from any blockages.
Make sure the heater is getting enough fuel and your tank is topped up.
Also avoid using an isolator switch. If the unit is turned off with an isolator switch without going through its shutdown procedure this will cause the unit to not fire when using it next or be causing the smoke that your unit is blowing and will damage the unit quickly.
Carbon Build Up
One of the most common problems especially with the 5Kw Adjustable heaters.
If you are running your heater on low, this can cause carbon build up which
can clog up your machine including the glow plug.
The best practice to get into is if you are running your unit on low make sure
you turn it up to high before turning the unit off for between 5-10 minutes.
This will burn off any carbon build up and keep your unit well maintained. Also avoid using an isolator switch. If the unit is turned off with an isolator switch without going through its shutdown procedure this will cause the unit to not fire when using it next.
How Much Power Do They Draw?
On start up the 5kw unit will draw approx 10-15amps for the first 10 minutes, after that the unit will draw around 1 amp per hour as all it needs power for is to run the fan and send a pulse to your fuel pump.
How long does a tank of fuel last?
The 5kw unit will use on avarage around 200ml of diesel per hour. This means with the 10lt tank you should be 50 hours use. Obviously this will vary if you have the heater running flat out or on low.
