Chinese Diesel Heater

[Smiles79]

I've seen some pretty good results with this Vevor heater:

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And I think I'm going to pick one up to heat my garage. I plan on mounting it to the wall on the inside. What's the best way to get the exhaust pipe outside, through a fiberglass-insulated wall without catching anything on fire?

 

[rlitman]

That exhaust pipe gets HOT. Like glowing hot.
I ran mine co-axially through an intake duct, and ran that through a metal thimble.

Here's my previous post on it.

Diesel Air Heater for a trailer

I am considering something like this to install in my enclosed car trailer so I can sleep in it while at the racetrack. The trailer has 1" blueboard in the walls in ceiling. I live in the Southeast of the US so it isn't like I have to deal with serious cold. Getting electric at the tracks I go...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Smiles79]

That exhaust pipe gets HOT. Like glowing hot.
I ran mine co-axially through an intake duct, and ran that through a metal thimble.

Here's my previous post on it.

Diesel Air Heater for a trailer

I am considering something like this to install in my enclosed car trailer so I can sleep in it while at the racetrack. The trailer has 1" blueboard in the walls in ceiling. I live in the Southeast of the US so it isn't like I have to deal with serious cold. Getting electric at the tracks I go...

www.garagejournal.com

Oh yeah, I came across your post earlier today. How do you like the heater?

 

[WildBill]

I used something like this. They are double walled. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09H2RY6BT/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Low Definition]

I have a diesel heater in my detached garage (20x24) since last year. I'm running it out through one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRPQR7DQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20 I'm really happy with the heat it puts out. I may add a second one to get it really warm, but otherwise I am able to work out there in a sweatshirt.

 

[WildBill]

Also look into either one that has an app or add the Afterburner Control unit to it, or else you have to turn it off and on manually, most of them don't have any type of thermostat. And make sure its on a battery backup system, its bad if they lose power while running. I just use a cheap computer UPS, I think its 750 watt. If you really want to make it nice replace the stinky rubber base gasket with a silicone one like this, or else its going to smell faintly of hot rubber forever. https://www.ebay.com/itm/145478672257

 

[Smiles79]

I used something like this. They are double walled. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09H2RY6BT/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I saw those. So the section where it increases in diameter is the double waller section? Does it get hot?

I have a diesel heater in my detached garage (20x24) since last year. I'm running it out through one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRPQR7DQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20 I'm really happy with the heat it puts out. I may add a second one to get it really warm, but otherwise I am able to work out there in a sweatshirt.

Great to hear, do you have a response to my question above to WildBill?

Also look into either one that has an app or add the Afterburner Control unit to it, or else you have to turn it off and on manually, most of them don't have any type of thermostat. And make sure its on a battery backup system, its bad if they lose power while running. I just use a cheap computer UPS, I think its 750 watt. If you really want to make it nice replace the stinky rubber base gasket with a silicone one like this, or else its going to smell faintly of hot rubber forever. https://www.ebay.com/itm/145478672257

Thanks for the input!

 

[WildBill]

I saw those. So the section where it increases in diameter is the double waller section? Does it get hot?

Great to hear, do you have a response to my question above to WildBill?

Thanks for the input!

The outside part that touches the wall just gets slightly warm, I wouldn't call it hot. I had a temp setup going through a piece of plywood for one winter and it didn't discolor it or anything.

 

[Smiles79]

The outside part that touches the wall just gets slightly warm, I wouldn't call it hot. I had a temp setup going through a piece of plywood for one winter and it didn't discolor it or anything.

Ok Cool, so no concerns with it bring surrounded by insulation?

 

[WildBill]

Ok Cool, so no concerns with it bring surrounded by insulation?

I wouldn't be concerned based on my experience. That what those are designed for. I haven't tried every one available, but I have read a ton about these heaters over the last couple of years and everyone uses them for the exhaust.

Hcalory makes probably the nicest cheap heaters with app control and a real thermostat function. They make some cool portable ones for camping like this - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BM5M4BV8/?tag=atomicindus08-20.

 

[Smiles79]

I wouldn't be concerned based on my experience. That what those are designed for. I haven't tried every one available, but I have read a ton about these heaters over the last couple of years and everyone uses them for the exhaust.

Hcalory makes probably the nicest cheap heaters with app control and a real thermostat function. They make some cool portable ones for camping like this - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BM5M4BV8/?tag=atomicindus08-20.

Ok, thanks. How long is the the thick part? Long enough to go through a normal 2x4 wall?

If you could share some pictures of your setup I'd appreciate it!

 

[WildBill]

Ok, thanks. How long is the the thick part? Long enough to go through a normal 2x4 wall?

If you could share some pictures of your setup I'd appreciate it!

I think the thick part of mine is about 3 inches which worked for my metal building setup but might not for wood studs. I have seen pictures of them used in stud walls many times, I think maybe they got a longer one than mine, there are all kinds of them on ebay and amazon.

I actually don't have it installed right now because I used the exhaust hole for running lines when I put in a minisplit, I am putting it back in as supplemental heat sometime soon though, probably over vacation. I took everything out of the outer box and found a cool old cast aluminum commercial light fixture box to mount on the wall that I am putting the guts in. Has a glass door to see it and I am mounting a bigger diesel tank below it on the wall. Also setting it up to burn waste oil, but that's a whole different complex conversation.

 

[Smiles79]

I think the thick part of mine is about 3 inches which worked for my metal building setup but might not for wood studs. I have seen pictures of them used in stud walls many times, I think maybe they got a longer one than mine, there are all kinds of them on ebay and amazon.

I actually don't have it installed right now because I used the exhaust hole for running lines when I put in a minisplit, I am putting it back in as supplemental heat sometime soon though, probably over vacation. I took everything out of the outer box and found a cool old cast aluminum commercial light fixture box to mount on the wall that I am putting the guts in. Has a glass door to see it and I am mounting a bigger diesel tank below it on the wall. Also setting it up to burn waste oil, but that's a whole different complex conversation.

Sounds sweet!

 

[WildBill]

Also these almost always run on 12v, and need up to 15 amps at 12v to start because of the glow plug. But hardly any amps when running. So to make sure they don't lose power when running and deal with the 12v requirements some people use a small car or tractor battery with a battery charger. That way the battery is always being charged, and the battery can supply the higher amperage for 2 mins or so when it first starts. Plus it acts like a UPS.

The other option is something like this plugged into a UPS -https://www.amazon.com/ALITOVE-Universal-Regulated-Switching-Transformer/dp/B06XJVYDDW. Or if your really handy you can use an old PC power supply with all the extra output wires removed or bundled together. I took one apart, removed all the extra wires besides the 12v ones, and put it in the case of my heater so I have a regular 120v cord coming out.

 

[Smiles79]

Also these almost always run on 12v, and need up to 15 amps at 12v to start because of the glow plug. But hardly any amps when running. So to make sure they don't lose power when running and deal with the 12v requirements some people use a small car or tractor battery with a battery charger. That way the battery is always being charged, and the battery can supply the higher amperage for 2 mins or so when it first starts. Plus it acts like a UPS.

The other option is something like this plugged into a UPS -https://www.amazon.com/ALITOVE-Universal-Regulated-Switching-Transformer/dp/B06XJVYDDW. Or if your really handy you can use an old PC power supply with all the extra output wires removed or bundled together. I took one apart, removed all the extra wires besides the 12v ones, and put it in the case of my heater so I have a regular 120v cord coming out.

Thanks for all the tips, I'm feeling better and better about doing this. I think I've got an idea for the exhaust:

Cut a hole in the wall and install a wall thimble. Take a section of steel tube and weld a mounting flange on one end. Screw it and seal it on the outside of the house to the thimble. On the inside, stuff the gap between the steel pipe and the thimble with rockwool

 

[rlitman]

Oh yeah, I came across your post earlier today. How do you like the heater?

I'm still happy with it after having run through a few more tanks of kerosene. Since I'm not running mine off a battery, mine is not inherently safe to walk away from. If it loses power while hot, you're pretty much guaranteed to melt down the electronics unless you can blow cool air through it within minutes (I've got plenty of air in the compressor in reserve). Even so, there shouldn't be enough residual heat to start a fire, the electronics will just die ungracefully, so that's not a deal breaker for me.

The extremely hot exhaust is a major source of efficiency loss, and the unit's biggest weakness. To utilize the most heat out of the exhaust, you either need to go with a long (2m+) tube mounted indoors to act as a secondary radiator, sloped down all the way to prevent forming a water trap from condensation and cage it to keep it from setting things on fire (this is both difficult to construct, AND wastes a lot of space), or do the co-axial thing like me (difficult to build, but easy to live with). The long exhaust tube is actually how these are meant to work on boats where waste heat warms the bilge, and so not much heat reaches the hull bulkhead (another boat specific fitting captures and drains condensate, so you can have a low point in your routing). Campers often route long exhausts under cabinetry. In a garage, it can get inconvenient.

 

[Low Definition]

Here is how I have mounted. My walls are 2x4 with fiberglass insulation and 5/8" drywall. I just moved it to this location so the hole is open, but normally I have a piece of 3" round duct inserted and then I stuff it with rockwool and have not had a problem.

Edit: attached photo

 

[Smiles79]

Here is how I have mounted. My walls are 2x4 with fiberglass insulation and 5/8" drywall. I just moved it to this location so the hole is open, but normally I have a piece of 3" round duct inserted and then I stuff it with rockwool and have not had a problem.

Edit: attached photo

What is the fitting you have in the wall? And is rockwool the same as the stuff advertised for fireplaces to make it look like there's embers?

 

[Low Definition]

What is the fitting you have in the wall? And is rockwool the same as the stuff advertised for fireplaces to make it look like there's embers?

The fitting you see in the wall is the back of the fitting I linked to in post 5, although it looks like they are out of the straight through fittings and are just selling the angled one right now. You can get any of the others listed on Amazon, I suspect they are all made by the same place. Rockwool is the insulation you can get at any home store. I had some laying around from insulating my house.

 

[Smiles79]

The fitting you see in the wall is the back of the fitting I linked to in post 5, although it looks like they are out of the straight through fittings and are just selling the angled one right now. You can get any of the others listed on Amazon, I suspect they are all made by the same place. Rockwool is the insulation you can get at any home store. I had some laying around from insulating my house.

gotcha, thanks. For some reason I assumed the fitting has to sandwhich the whole wall but I guess it just has to sandwhich the outside sheathing, right?

 

[Low Definition]

gotcha, thanks. For some reason I assumed the fitting has to sandwhich the whole wall but I guess it just has to sandwhich the outside sheathing, right?

Yep that's right. From the inside I used a 3"hole saw to cut through the drywall and insulation and then on the outside I cut a hole through the siding that matched the gasket/plate that sandwiches the siding. I only have 3/4" thick dutch lap siding, no sheathing underneath (it's an old garage).

 

[Smiles79]

Yep that's right. From the inside I used a 3"hole saw to cut through the drywall and insulation and then on the outside I cut a hole through the siding that matched the gasket/plate that sandwiches the siding. I only have 3/4" thick dutch lap siding, no sheathing underneath (it's an old garage).

Ok cool. Does it do a good job of keeping the siding it's fixed to cool?

 

[Low Definition]

Absolutely, on the outside I can touch the part of the fitting that contacts the wall and it only feels warm, not hot after running for awhile.

 

[Smiles79]

Absolutely, on the outside I can touch the part of the fitting that contacts the wall and it only feels warm, not hot after running for awhile.

Sweet. Just ordered one

 

[Bmw4life]

Interesting thread!
I'm planning on installing one in my garage.
I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the exhaust to avail myself of the remaining heat.
I can have like 5-7 meters of the pipe sloping down. What's the max distance that the pipe can be? If it's 5 meters, will the end of it be just warm or still super hot?

I was also wondering, what if i route the exhaust through a radiator with a fan, such as this one?

Just found this amazing item on AliExpress. Check it out!
C$224.61 | hot water heat exchanger Air to Water Heat Exchanger With Fan

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNXMHXK

 

[rlitman]

Interesting thread!
I'm planning on installing one in my garage.
I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the exhaust to avail myself of the remaining heat.
I can have like 5-7 meters of the pipe sloping down. What's the max distance that the pipe can be? If it's 5 meters, will the end of it be just warm or still super hot?

I was also wondering, what if i route the exhaust through a radiator with a fan, such as this one?

First, the German manufacturers say that 2m exhaust is the absolute max, and even that should have limited bends. Shorter than that is better, because extending the exhaust leads to faster carbon buildup in the combustion chamber.

My co-axial exhaust has about 24" of stainless exhaust tubing running through 15" of brass intake elbow. The heater end of the exhaust is nearly glowing when it's at temperature, so yes, there is plenty of heat to recapture. The open (outside/far/cold) end of my brass tube will heat up to the point that it's uncomfortable to touch (the heater end is MUCH hotter), so, it is clearly working at recapturing a good deal of heat. I'm not confident I could do better, because the muffler is not much hotter than that.

As for the copper heat exchanger, I wouldn't do it. Exhaust has acidic condensate in it, and it's too likely to corrode the copper. The special stainless corrugated tubing is made just for these.

 

[Bmw4life]

Thanks for the info on the max length of the exhaust!
Could you post some pictures?
I'm not familiar with all these terms, like coaxial exhaust and exhaust tubing running through 18" of brass intake elbow. Just wondering what it all looks like...

 

[rlitman]

Thanks for the info on the max length of the exhaust!
Could you post some pictures?
I'm not familiar with all these terms, like coaxial exhaust and exhaust tubing running through 18" of brass intake elbow. Just wondering what it all looks like...

Coaxial exhaust is a pretty common feature of sealed combustion systems, and it means that the exhaust is plumbed through the fresh air intake pipe. That acts like a counterflow heat exchanger, warming up the outside cold air before it reaches the combustion chamber using free exhaust heat. Heat exchange wise, you're going to get more bang for the buck heating up cold outside air than you will by trying to recapture exhaust heat in your already heated space. All I did was take that existing concept and extend it to one of these heaters, and write it up in this post.