Chinese Diesel Air Heaters - Part 12 - Controllers (Basic)
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- In this video I hope to give you a basic run down on the various controllers available and a warning on one manufacturer providing heaters with a very basic and cheap controller with non standard wiring.
There is one manufacturer (I know of) currently providing diesel air heaters with non standard wiring and very cheap controllers. Try and avoid these units as you can not buy replacement controllers or upgrade your controller because of wiring differences from standard..
Without a master switch, the controllers with these heaters are always ON and drawing current.
Now it is necessary for the power to remain on when using the more sophisticated controllers, like those that can be programmed to turn themselves on and off at particular times.
However there is a constant current draw from the batteries even with the heater itself is turned off and not running. This current draw varies from about ,09 amp for a simple manual controller to around .15 amp for the LED controller type. This equates to a drain on your batteries of around 85 amp hours a month from the basic controller up to around 115 amp hours a month from an LED type controller.
This current draw can flatten your batteries in as short a time as two weeks if you leave the van or boat unattended for winter layup, or even in short term storage while you go off on a sightseeing trip.
Have a contingency plan in the rare event you have a controller failure, because the heater will not shut down by itself and will continue to perform and operate at its last settings.
In these cases you can disconnect the fuel and let it run out, or turn off the master switch.
Remember, if you turn off the master switch or the main power supply the heater will rapidly overheat and destroy the ECU, because it can't go through its normal shutdown cycle. To prevent this, first carefully (because the fan is spinning) remove the heater top cover and have a portable fan or hand fan ready to displace the rapid heat build up that will occur once you turn off the master switch.
You should try and maintain a minimum air space of about 75 to 100 mm all around the heater, with no combustible material close by, in the very rare event of an uncontrolled shutdown, and an overheat scenario.
Disclaimer. As is normal, I give you my own personal views and opinions, you need to do your own research to see if my opinions and suggestions are right for you. JMcK - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I don't know if you realise it, but you are now the official cheap Chinese heater guru! Thank you
I hope I can live up to that statement Martin. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 Hi john i agree you are the guru ... I have a problem with my 2kw seems to smoke a lot so over fueling i guess would you happen to know. The factory settings or best setting for 2kw heater ive tried two black controller and they both seem to be doing same hope you can shed some light on matter many thanks Nick
Nick Pritch ,
Hi Nick, I really need more info to be of some help.
Did it smoke from new, or did it start smoking later? Is the smoke black or or is it white? Does it smoke just on start up, or all the time?
If it smoked from new, you most likely have an install issue. Eg too long a combustion air inlet, too many bends in inlet hose, or restrictions in exhaust. Issues here cause lack of combustion air for a complete burn.
If it started smoking later, it is most likely caused by carbon buildup in the glow plug atomising screen or the burner chamber. If only on start up suspect glow plug screen, if always probably carbon in both glow screen and main burner screen.
Smoking can also happen with a dirty fuel filter.
I hope this is of some help. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 you already have done.
Those creatures in the background?
Hey John, Followed you from your beginning. You have become the default source for accurate, detailed information about these heaters! Thanks for your work.
Thanks for the positive feedback Robert.
Thank you for such a well thought out explanation of the controllers for these heaters. You did a excellent job the explanation of the different ones available. I have at so many different videos of people trying to do what you did I about gave up trying find anyone with any knowledge until I accidentally clicked on yours. I'm so glad I did. Thank you, what a job
Excellent video. I just installed one with the basic LED controller and was having some trouble figuring out the functionality. I can’t thank you enough.
If you don't have a spare controller to shutdown the unit with, you can cut fuel by disconnecting the fuel pump. This will trigger a low temp error and start a safe shutdown. But like he showed, don't let it lose power. When the fan stops, it won't cool itself anymore. If the controller fails and things keep running, cut the fuel and let it cool itself down. Great video, thanks for the info!
I've just bought one of these heaters and a 30 amp power supply but as you "could" get a mains drop out I'm also going to invest in a UPS for A$40+A$23 delivery on EBAY.......belt and braces is my middle name.
That was very important information about how the heater can overheat and how it won't turn off if the controller fails. I will buy a spare controller and ecu!🙏🤠
John thanks for making these videos. You give a lot of well presented material. I was looking to see well much the silencers work.and your video on the silencers gave me more information than I was looking for which was great. You pointed out some things I did not know.
Again thanks for these awesome videos
Thanks for the feedback Michael. JMcK
You are a treasure good sir. Thank you for the master class on diesel heaters!!
Today I got my heater running thanks to you. Yes I cleaned and cooked the tubular thing that goes around the glow plug, and I also found dirt in the air hole. B\ut I also found another problem you might want to look at. The controller (the fancy blue one) had a short circuit in the wires. Pull off the adhesive front cover, remove 4 screws and inside you will see that they stripped the wire 10mm. Over time this exposed wire crossed and would intermittently short out. I cut some heat shrink and used it. Thanks for your help, much appreciated. And now I am warm and dry.
Hi John,
Thanks for that information. JMcK
Hi John,
Thanks for that information. JMcK
Curious observation with my analogue controller today…
Absolutely excellent videos John, best I’ve seen so many thanks.
I had a curious observation today with my 5kw which has an analogue controller; last couple of weeks it’s been starting and stopping fine but will not regulate the temperature lower than anything other than flat-out. I’ve had to use it like this out of necessity but it’s not ideal as you can imagine.
Today I was armed with some tools to troubleshoot but before I started, I selected a low temp setting and started it up as usual and even after 15 mins the temperature was not going down, the pump ticking like mad as I’ve had lately… so I decided to press and hold the ‘On’ button on the analogue controller. After a few seconds the pump slowed down and all was fine! It starts and runs as normal now, I’ve had it over a year and it’s definitely back to its old self with full control over the temperature.
Maybe I have inadvertently done some sort of reset? I’ve powered it up 5 times since with no problems and I’m very happy with it again. I haven’t seen anything on the internet/youtube about heaters that fail to turn the heat down (with no error codes) and neither have I seen anything about holding the ‘On’ button down while it’s running so I hope this helps you and others who may experience this curious fault.
Thanks for that feedback Mags. Much appreciated. JMcK
I just completed wiring my heater in. It works, thanks for the good advice about the run down time when turning off to prevent the circuit board from melting. There is no mention of this in the "instruction" booklet. You saved me some heartache and lost dollars.
Wonderful explanation of pros and cons of these controllers!
John, I have now encountered two different plug types with two different controllers. The new Black painted all in one (link to it in your All In One heater video) has a round connector with 3 wires. Its around 3/8" in diameter with a screwing locking collar on it. Wished I could post a picture of it. Ok the Second on is on a Red All In One heater that has a controler that has a single knob. To turn on, press in on the knob and turn to the right. After unit is up and running the heat setting is set by turnning the knob to the right for + heat, turn knob to left for - heating. No temp scale in Celsius just pulse rate. To shut down, press and hold and turn knob to the left till 000 is read. Let off knob and it runs the shut down phase. Now on this heater the controller has a Flat 3 wire connector. Now on visual inspection of both of these heater control units (motherboards) with the same and it looks the same in the pictures you have on your videos and pictures that I found on eBay. And John you are The Guru of the Chinese diesel air heaters. God I would have loved to have you as a shop instructor in high school or middle school. Have a G-day from the USA.
Hi KLH, thanks for the kind words and detailed feedback. JMcK
Great videos i really enjoy them you do a good job of intelligently testing things many of us would like to know. I will be purchacing one of thease heaters for my 4x4 camping vehicle. Question the espar heaters have an option for high altitude kit is there any such thing or adjustment for thease units to run well at high altitude?
Also what parts would you reccamend carrying as spares for thease units atomizer screne, glow plug, gaskets of any kind for dissassembly and reassembly?
I saw in one of your other videos an intake air screne you were showing does that come with the units or do i buy that seporate? Curious if installed and used properly how often do they get carboned or need repair? Also a video on how we should be controling the unit what pulse rate how to set a thermostat controled temp. Also a video on how to use the diag function on the controlers Thanks for the great vids and info mike
Hi Michael, at this stage I have not seen a high altitude kit for these Chinese diesel heaters. With no adjustment the heaters run rich at high altitude and hence cause more soot build up than normal. You can lessen this soot formation at altitude by using a kerro/ diesel mix. Somewhere between 80:20 to 50:50 mix seems good.
As for spares, I would suggest some glow plug screens as spares, and perhaps a spare glow plug, and removal tool, as the glow plugs are easily broken on removal, unless done careful.
If installed correctly and with an end of season kerro/diesel short cleaning run these heaters can go for many years without a pulldown for carbon and soot removal.
Sadly most heater kits come with a so called intake silencer. These are not an air filter, and are useless as a silencer. You will need to purchase an intake filter separately.
I hope this helps a little. JMcK
I am so thankful for the work you put in on these videos.!
He thank us for watching ... The community should be thanking you for such thorough explainstions. Respect.
Hey John, love the detailed vids, very helpful. Just wondering if you can do a factory reset on the digital display control unit? I keep getting error code E-05, overheating issue. My air intake and exhaust pipes are all clear and with minimal bends, heat duct is fine and cool air in the cabin has adequate air flow. The fan works and blows air out fine, not sure what the issue could be?
carbon build up from not running the heater on high for a good 30-60mins periodically to burn it off.
I have a controller I can’t find instructions for. Can you recommend a forum for Diesel heater questions?
Thank you so much for this mate, I have the controller with the blue circle and it had be stuffed how it worked. Thank you so much I will credit you in my video. I have also subscribed, good to see a fellow Aussie.
Thanks for the feedback Pokey. JMcK
Thank you John, had to work a lot of that out myself before I came across your channel. Your presentation and detail is marvelous and now much enjoy watching all your episodes, well done !
Hi Neville, pleased you found the videos helpful. JMcK
Hey Mate. Thanks for the vid. I am just in the process of fitting a 2kw heater and have fitted an isolating switch on the main 12v feed so it was good to hear about the impromptu shut down overheating. I am also running the diesel fuel line inside some clear plastic tubing for both protections and to insulate it from the van and suppress the noise as I had heard that it was a problem. This was then mounted with rubber coated P clips to further enhance the suppression. It is great to share our experience and knowledge to help others. So many tricks and traps in the install and the instructions, which are in varying degrees of chinglish, are at best downright confusing and at worst, not existent. Perhaps non existent would be better as people would be forced to look around for the proper way to install them. lf I was an absolute beginner I wouldn't have had a clue what to do based on the install instructions or lack thereof.
Who needs instructions, we have John!!! A true blessing to the Chinese diesel world.
Thank you so much for the info and tips on these heaters sir :)
best most informative videos on these heaters thanks for the work and the great presentation
Your welcome John. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 I bought my first of these a week ago and have not even test run it yet or done the install at this point i am going to watch all your videos before i decide where i am going to install this one in our trailer.
so all the info you present is greatly appreciated
john galt
Hi John, A smart idea to always bench test every heater before an install.
I hope the install goes well, and the little heater gives you lots of warmth on those cold winter days. JMcK
THANKS for the great info. As a magpie lover I really liked hearing your lot in the background.
Your welcome Daryl.
Re the second sentence, the male magpie has been a resident here for over 6 years now, and even if I am away 3 months, he flies down to greet me the day I arrive home. In six breeding cycles, neither he nor his mate has ever attacked me, no matter how close I come to the nest.
John McK 47 similar story here re magpies. My breeding pair sit on my knee each morning and have their daily briefing. I’m in Paradise Beach Victoria. On the diesel heater, I am working my way through your videos. I really appreciate your efforts and the great information provided.
Daryl Hooke
Thanks Daryl. JMcK
Thanks for the prompt reply confirming my thought. Now I just have to find a suitable tap to fit the system.
Motorbike shop, hardware store selling air tools. Those air stopcocks work well and are what I mostly use. JMcK
Thank you John for your video
Thank you for your great presentation! Learning a lot about these! God bless!
Your welcome Allen. JMcK
If the controller fails just shut the fuel off I enjoy this series of videos on these heaters you are doing keep up the great work!!!
Hi Pat, yes I talked about that method in the description with this video, however in a lot of cases like Caravans and Motorhomes and Trucks, with the fuel lines underneath the vehicles it is not so easy in the mud rain and snow of winter, when these heaters are most used, to get underneath the vehicles and disconnect the fuel.
In the rare event this occurred, and there was much mud and rain, I think I would chose the master switch and fan method. Also with this method you do not have to get underneath the vehicle all over again to reconnect the fuel line and do the prime again as well.
Anyway, thanks for the positive feedback Pat. JMcK
Cut the power to the pump then? Add a cutoff switch to the wire that runs to the pump? Would that trigger the unit to go thru its shut down routine and cool itself down albeit without fuel input?
I tried my heater for the first time today and it works great !!
👍
You never mention voltage issues or error codes, I’m always having issues lol. Thanks for your videos!!!!
Very helpful video. I'm installing one of these in my VW Kombi Camper. Unfortunately, it didn't come with any instructions. I love the magpies singing to accompany your lesson.
Hi Jay, thanks for the feedback. I have not done detailed videos on controllers as there are already a number on CZcams. A lot of people comment about the birds in the background. I live in a nice rural area. JMcK
Hi John, Thank you for all your info and work that goes into making these video's. I was getting a low voltage warning E-01 and the heater would then shut down. It wasn't the batteries for they were at 13.2v . Come to find out it was the fuse and after changing it the unit worked just fine.
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The LCD controller users 0.114 ma (+/-) an hour in standby mode. Over 24 hrs that equates to 2.736 amps. This would drain a 100 ah battery down to 50% in just over 18 days in standby mode based on the fact there is no other parasitic draw from the battery. This is a very good point you raised, thank you John.
Yes Enigma. You would be surprised at the number of people who store their caravan or motorhome under a tarp or carport (solar won't work) and do not realise the constant heater current drain will flatten their battery in pretty short order. If left this way all winter the battery is generally a write off. JMcK
Another very informative video. Thanks
Glad you liked them Ron. JMcK
Hi john I have had these heaters for about 6 years( Airtronic and a Chinese one ). I get about 700 hours before they require service . your videos are great help to get the Chinese one going. I have a red controller and remote and they work fine. I get all my parts from Butlertechnic in England for the Airtronic, but not have a supplier for the Chinese one yet.
Hi Peter, thank you for the info and feedback. I get parts for the Chinese heaters mainly from eBay. Cheers. JMcK
I feel like I have earned college credit watching these videos! Great information.
Well thank you SK55, for your positive comments. JMcK
Beautifull explanation.
More really good information John ,did wonder myself what would happen if controller broke down as it needs fan to blow air through the unit to cool down , good to know that those controllers only work on those heaters with the same control board ,👍 ❤️
Hi John, I am pleased the information is helpful to some people. JMcK
so much info ...you're the best ..thank you for all your hard work
Thanks for the positive comments Kelly. JMcK
Very good videos John, thank you very much for your effort. I would love to se a video regarding the advanced setting and tweaking the rpm/Hz for optimal performance.
Hi Dessmo,
Thanks for your comments and video request, unfortunately I will leave your particular topic request for others to do. My goal with these videos was to try and help the DIY person who would buy a cheap Chinese copy heater on line and install it themselves, without the help or input from a brand name supplier. In fact some brand name suppliers insist on a professional install.
I believe the Chinese have done a good job matching fan/rpm settings, and when amateurs start messing here with the password protected control settings they often mess things up.
This is an area I will leave for a tinkering enthusiast to play with, and publish a video, should they choose. Sorry. JMcK
Watched all your heater videos now John. Its clear you have passion and experience in teaching, and you do it extremely well. I'll gleefully use all your tips when i install my system. Any tips on multiple air outlets would be handy !
Cheers Si
Thanks, very useful info
I didn't know about the shutdown. I just got the all in one heater to warm my garage. I was going to use an ATX computer power supply to power the unit and shut it off when not in use. I'll now use a battery with a charger and turn off the battery after the heater turns off.
Thanks for the information, you saved an ecu!
Hi CW, pleased the videos were of some benefit. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 I watched all the videos and learned a lot about this heater.
I fired it up today and it blew out smoke for the first 5 minutes then all is OK.
Thanks for the videos, very helpfull when setting these up for the first time. 😊
Great as always. Thank you
Your welcome Raphanta. JMcK
Very very informative. Thank you.
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MIND BLOWN AWAY YOU SIR ARE ONE SMART DUDE !!!
Wow Raymond, thank you for those nice comments. JMcK
Love the bird sounds in the back ground!
One of the positives of living on acreage. The downside is there is a lot of mowing. JMcK
We enjoy your bird serenading us. My mate of 18 years is a small macaw named Sam.
Hi Frederick, just letting you know all the birds you hear are wild birds. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 i know, I'm envious!!!!
I reached out to you last January. I use my heater to heat up my shop and it worked great, which I had mentioned back then to you, if you can recall.
Well I have turned it up a notch. I'm using this heater as one of the heat source to heat up a 205L drum full of coolant, that then goes in my floor radiating heat system. I used a 4 inch grinder and made a groove going in a circle around the casing, to be able to insert a 3/8 copper tube tightly wound inside the said groove.
Right now, it is running with no pump pushing the coolant inside the 3/8 tube. Instead, I use the science of heat that likes to escape any entrapment and at the same time, it sucks in the cold coolant. It goes in the pipe at around 16c right now but exits at around 48-49c on average. So on top of heating up the ambient air, it also supplies heat for my drum. I also have an used oil burner/wood stove combo, 600watts of solar panels running a 600watt heating element, and also a solar hot water heater on the go. I am assembling everything right now.
Your videos were really helpful in how to disassemble these heaters and so on. Thanks for the knowledge you share with us.
Hi Danny, thanks for the feedback.
Is it possible for you to send me some photos. I have often been asked to do a video on other applications. If I do so I will give the contributors the credit.
My email is - johnmck47@outlook.com
Thanks ..JmcK
@@johnmck1147 I promise I will once I'm done and running. It will be winter here as it will be summer for you so I have time against me right now. I saw something else last night that gave me an idea.
I have an old defective Cooler Master liquid cooling CPU pump and radiator that I kept in case I'd need it one day. It is almost the same dimensions as the air heater end of it. I will make some king of tin or thin sheet metal and make a shroud for it and circulate the coolant through it. Yet another way of taking heat and sending it in my radiant floor.
Dany F
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Hi Reg,
Yes you are right, 94 beats a minute works out at 1.56 Hz or pulses a second.
1.6 Hz is the default minimum on these heaters. You get flame out when you go lower.
It is not realistic to try and slow the pump rate further.
A real 2 KW heater is about 330 mm long, the outlet is about 60 mm in diameter, and the weight about 2.8 kg
A 5 KW heater is about 390 mm long, the outlet is about 75 mm diameter, and the weight about 4.2 kg.
I hope this helps. JMcK
Good info. Thanks for sharing.
Your welcome GT. JMcK
You are my Chinese diesel heater guru
Pleased you found the videos helpful. JMcK
you are a gem !! thanks for alllll the info !!!
Thanks for the positive feedback MH. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 hi John, you are so honest and I love your insight....and it's not commercial !!
M. Hulsman
Thanks for that kind feedback. JMcK
Thank You John. It was not obvious they had a room temperature thermostat. I was afraid maybe the temp set could be the device temp, not the room temp. You gave us the information . Thank you so much !
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Well, I fact yesterday a guy that actually owns one said : in fact it actually have a problem. Because apparently the thing can go on low heating, according to the room temperature, but it will not regulate using total shut down power on the fire. That means, for a 1000W to 8000W model, if 1000W is too much for the insulated volume you have, you’ll overheat without regulation ! That’s a terrible problem for me. Need to keep one door partly open then ? Do you confirm that ? He has 5kW model with the full electronic controller.
He say this is for battery energy savings. Because the power on/power off would consume too much, hard to recharge later on a camper. Myself I purchased a 1 to 8 kW model, but my caravan would need only 500 W or less... gonna have a problem apparently. I think about using On/Off function with a thermostat to shut it off. And to avoid the important battery consumption, i think about making the starting resistor plug out if service when powering off. I think this could be achieved using a klixon thermostat on the aluminum fins, not allowing the starting plug to be supplied when the body is already hot. Normally this is a carbon clogging issue, but I gonna use my caravan maybe 3 cold nights a year....
rené solaire
Hi Rene, I suspect your heater is the common 5 kw model. I do not think you will have an issue with this heater.
On a low setting the heater runs very slow, puts out low heat and uses very little power. If it does get too hot, jut turn it off for a while. JMcK
Thanks again for another very informative video.
I have a suggestion/question. For those of us with Webasto heaters, we sure could use another series on them. Granted, the here will be a lot of overlap, but maintenance and controllers will be very informative.
Thanks you.
Brilliant video 10/10
Thanks for the video. A thought, If your controller fails, Disconnect the lead to the pump. This should cause the heater to generate a E-08 or E-04 error but should still allow the heater to power down without overheating. (in theory, not tested)
Thanks for the feedback Pierre. Yes that is more preferable than turning off the fuel and having the pump run dry. I mentioned in reply to another comment here a suggestion to consider a switch in the pump power line. But it is all about accessibility. A controller failure is very rare and if accessibility to the fuel pump wiring was difficult, like under the van in the mud and rain, I would use the power off method and a portable fan. Also as I have done this before, I am familiar with what happens. Thanks again. JMcK
Thank you Sir for the good work!
Hi Cristian, hope they were of some benefit to you. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 be sure of that! I have learned a lot from all episodes. Thank you and good luck!
Hi John, thanks for your great videos, the detail you provide is really amazing.
I've noticed the leads on the controllers do not seem to be very long. I am thinking that this will limit your options on the placement of the controller and the heater.
cheers
Hi John, not sure if its been mentioned but you could also disconnect power to the dosing pump for an effective emergency shutdown if needed in the event of a controller failure. Once unit has cooled, one could then disconnect the primary power. Really enjoy your videos!
Yes, in theory it should work, but I have not actually done this.
However next time I am bench testing a heater I will test it out.
Thanks. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 If that works by disconnecting the power to the pump as an emergency shut down probably a kill switch in the pump line will work better.
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Amazing!
Hi John - Thanks for your quick response. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope one of your subscribers will come up with some answers. In the meantime I’ll try to locate a Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion table. Hope you’re enjoying the sail.
Hi Michael, 22°C to 25°C is a comfortable temperature. 30°C is warm.
I'm from Alaska, and I believe 17°c to 20°c is comfortable!
Thanks John.
very informative
Love this series, thank you! Would love if you tried some mods, like moving the electronics out of the heater so they can't get too hot if power is removed. Or if there would be a way to mod a controller to be able to turn LEDs on and off with external switch. Oh, separate question, what are your thoughts on the heaters that have a metal housing instead of plastic? I like the idea as far as durability, but concerned the housing would get to hot.
Hi Hoss
An uncontrolled shutdown is not a common occurrence, so it would hardly be worth the effort of removing the electronics. It could be done though.
I have already done tests on the metal case heaters, (the white heater you see here is aluminum), and like you I initially thought there would be an issue with the metal case getting very hot, as aluminum is a great conductor of heat. But my tests showed this not to be the case. Aluminum heat transfer works both ways, so the incoming air kept the aluminum case cool. My tests showed virtually no difference in actual case temperatures at varying settings. It is really just a personal preference thing what type of case you buy.
I was planning a video test, but I am going away sailing shortly for three months. Perhaps I may do one later in the year. JMcK
A point of information about the first controller that you showed. If you turn the unit on and the knob seems to not work and it seems to change settings on its own... Press and hold ON while the unit is on and the fan blades in the knob will change colors... When they are red it seems that the unit basically runs on high and adjusts a bit here and there as needed on its own... I turned it all the way down and things just kept on trucking. However, if you press and hold ON while the unit is on the fan will change from red to blue. When the fan blades are blue it follows the input that you have asked of it. I've not been able to find any of this mentioned in any of the manuals.
Thanks for that feedback Brett. JMcK
Thanks John
The problems you had with the white metal cased heater where the wires were mixed up, what you can do is just unsolder the two or three wires and then resolder them in the correct order. That way you can keep the old ECU. Simply reorder the wire
Another way to force shutdown would be to disconnect the pump if you can.
Good tip about needing the right shutdown, fuses/breakers too need to be happy drawing 20A on the 12V model.
Just received my Chinese heater here in Canada, too about three weeks to get delivered. But my controller is different from all the ones you show here. It is like the lcd display model but it doesn’t have the battery or wifi displays on it and no clock, if I hold down the top two buttons it gives me a new display of blue mountains in the corner where you have a battery display. Have you seen these I can’t find anybody explaining these controllers
@@wannabsailor not seen those, maybe a new type, the older LCD controller is cheap if you need to change.
Hi John can i put a switch on the red power wire at the led controller like cut the power wire next to controller and fit a switch to it on my diesel heater, thanks mate you are doing a great job as well , o and can you change the display from herts to temp mate?? or you think it best just to use the herts display
Awesome videos to watch before buying one of these units. Do you have a preference for a certain controller? There seems to be a few options of the "high end" controller. I've seen the black one you have, and the blue one you showed. Also have seen a red and different styles of black ones. Want to get the better one if there is one
Pleased you found the videos helpful. JMcK
Excellent
Another very informative video John, so glad I found your CZcams channel before I went I bought a heater, still haven’t got one yet but I am getting closer to making a decision, do you know of anywhere around Brisbane to buy from, again great videos mate keep them coming
Hi Mick, you need to go through the suppliers to get the best deal, and right accessories. Suggest you purchase off a seller with an Australian warehouse. Have a look at these below as a starter.
www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-5KW-Diesel-Air-Heater-Tank-Thermostat-for-RV-Motorhome-Trailer-Truck-Boat-BK/283071367247?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
www.ebay.com.au/itm/5000W-Air-Diesel-Heater-Car-Vehicle-Heating-Single-Hole-LCD-Switch-Vehicle-12V/273585249890?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Cheers, JMcK
John McK 47 thanks mate
Hello John first of all thanks for this entire series!
Any idea for a contingency plan in case the electrical system switches of and you ain't there/don't notice? Like if a Fuse Bursts?
Hi 18S, sorry for the delay. This is a most rare occurrence and one I have never heard of in practice. With a low voltage the heater goes into shut down mode. But it would be good design practice to have the heater mounted in an area with some cooling space and a place where it was impossible to cover the heater with , say clothes in the event it did overheat. JMcK
Hello John, Thanks for the quick feedback. I have an EXTERNAL temperature device which has functioned on my Webasto heater. An internal switch , wakes up the heater at a set minimum temperature and cut it out at the desired temperature. Could I use this in conection with the simple controller with the rotating knob... ? Maybe am asking too much ? Thank you anyway for your first answer which helped me sorting out the problem.
Solution to the PCB melting might be to add a mount that insulates it better from the heat of the frame it is attached to.
While you are the de facto leader in describing these heaters, you cover more than anyone else and you correct what others have wrong, etc... you regularly mess up the values you express... as the length of time the more advanced controller 1 1/2 to 2 weeks, less than a minute later 2 to 3 weeks... you do that a lot in all your videos and why I bring it up.
Hi Mr D,
Thanks for the feedback. Can you give me more info re the time you talk about so I can go back and see what I said.
Generally if I talk about time, say the time you should give the heater a high speed run to clean out carbon, it is such a variable, and depends on your heater install, how you operate the heater, the quality of diesel you use etc. I just give rough guidelines. If you use the heater constantly on low power and you have a long bendy exhaust perhaps a high power run every couple of weeks is a good preventive maintenance issue. Every heater and install is different, so is the time for a hot carbon burn. On our boat in the Med, I just give it a high power run once a year (season), but the motorhome about once a month.
Re the circuit board, I think you would find effective isolation difficult in the space available. Better to use effort to prevent a sudden shutdown in the first place.
Cheers JMcK
Thank you for the very useful information for anybody (like myself) who are installing or about to install one of these heaters. So, what is your opinion of the aluminum cased heater anyway? I've been leaning towards one just because of the case.
Hi Mr D,
This is probably a subject for a future video. In short, I initially thought the aluminum case would absorb excessive heat from the heat exchanger and transfer it to the environment around the heater, causing a hot spot around the heater and a reduction of heat from the outlet.
In practice, this was not so. The airflow through the heater was sufficient to keep the case at similar temperatures to the plastic cases, and heat output very similar as well.
It all comes down to personal preference. Operationally there is very little difference between an aluminum case heater, and a plastic case heater. Chose one you would find most suitable. JMcK
Nicely done!! Sub’d
Hi John, thanks for your helpful vids. I've had an error code 7 on my remote and now I can't get the remote to work at all? Any advice appreciated 😁
Thanks for the reply fitted one in mates caravan last week it primes ok but then nothing on pressing start so suspect faulty controller it’s the basic type with dial where as mine is the one that shows functions ,fan spinning ,glow plug pump kicking in ect so have no idea what’s wrong ?
Hi John good video Just to let you know the v2 heater you have comes with the new blue controller and red remote in uk with the better sellers the red remote is by far better it will tell you the the heat of the unit battery volts up and down and a lot more from sitting in your front room so if you buy a new heater look for the red remote just got one it's the best iv'e come across give the birds some nuts oh by the way that controller I was trying to pair was a faulty one have a good day. Jeff
Thanks for the feedback Jeff. Yes, I will do that with my next heater.
How do I determine a 2.5-5 kw to a 5kw to an 8kw. I ordered a (what I thought) was a 5 kw and the unit has a 3" opening for heat supply. Can you explain what the difference is between units?
The control unit needs a battery backup, like a PC...that way, it should remem ber the time and settings. 👍
By the way, your video was great!
To prevent your battery from being drained you could install a battery cutoff, and that would cut off accessories once the battery reaches a certain voltage
Hi Eksine, yes you could do that but you would remove the heaters ability to do a proper cool down cycle before turning off. Much better to have a seperate vehicle start battery and a domestic house battery. Also the heater ECU will initiate a shutdown cycle when it sees around 10.5 volts at the heater, and prevent permanent battery damage. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 ok I see thank you for explaining that
Thank you very much for useful information. I have a question about usage these heaters at high altitude. Can they be programmed or what is needed to use it in mountains about 5000-10000ft?
Hi Yuri,
You can get an altitude kit for the genuine Eberspacher heater, but to the best of my knowledge there is no altitude compensating kit available for these Chinese copy heaters. However, as a compromise you could try using a high kerro:diesel mix say 80:20 or 90:10 to lessen the effects of running the heater in a reduced oxygen operation. JMcK
THEY already have said it.
THANKS.
Your welcome Mr S. JMcK
@@johnmck1147 i see excellence runs in the family.
i trust all is well.
double thanks
emergency disconnect switch on the fuel pump would work great, could be on a thermostat as well.
👍. Correct. JMcK
Hi John love your informative channel, my heater is barley 12 months old and has stopped working it comes up with a E10 code ,and on further investigation no fuel is getting to the unit,now the pump is still working and i have found all the rubber fuel line has perished ,very poor quality, so i am wondering if air is being sucked in and not allowing the pump to prime,i suppose I will have to go to a auto store and buy some quality fuel line ,any suggestions on this problem. Thanks again John. Steve.
Do you have any videos on fuel pickup straws or types? Looking into options of tapping into current vehicle diesel fuel tank. I really enjoy your videos!!
Sorry Mitch, no videos but I have one I bought on eBay sticking in the yellow diesel drum.. jMcK
John. Thanks for this series of great videos at79 sure help question if controller goes seems like it will keep running. If u disconnect pump will unit keep running to act like cool down then could pull fuse. Than you
Hi Richard,
If you turn off the fuel or disconnect power to the fuel pump the heater will go into safe shutdown mode. JMcK
Thank you John
Hi good videos,
On this video you say that if you have a different connector on the control unit and you wish to change it for a red/blue controller etc, you need to swap the ECU to match them up . you can't as the round or triangular plug on the control unit connects to the wiring loom, not directly into the ECU. the wiring loom needs to be changed.
Hi John. Thank you for your awesome guides. They have been invaluable and are the best! Hoping you can help: I have problems with my heater not properly starting up (returning various error codes), and also other times randomly starting up. How can I diagnose if the fault is with the controller or the onboard ECU? Super thankful for any assistance you can give!
Hi CR,
First thanks for the positive feedback.
Now to your issue, I really need more info. What error codes, did the heater work well before but not now, does this happen all the time or occasionally etc.
I have a couple of spare controllers and ECBs, so it is easy for me to swap a controller or ECB to easily identify an issue.
If your heater follows standard protocol you can buy a spare controller and ECB on eBay quite cheaply.
If your heater is old, it may be better to buy a new heater, and use the old one for spare parts.
Cheers. JMcK
@@johnmck1147
Thanks for getting back to me John. Heater is only 12mth old, I installed it last winter. The random start (fan only) does not come with error code. The errors I was getting were with glow plug and dosing (E3 and E8). I did some rewiring last night to get it on a better supply (heavier/better voltage) and it seems to have fixed glow plug & pump errors - worked will last night. Any thoughts on the random fan on problem?
Thanks so much.
Hi John, excellent information in this video. Are you familiar with Jayco caravans? I’m wondering whether I could just pick up the 12V power from the fuse box? Reason I say that is because Jayco’s already have a 12V isolate switch in the “roller door” area. Provided I go through the heater shut down sequence, I figure I could then just isolate the 12V and not have to worry about installing another switch, to power down the controller (when van is not in use).
Hi Greg, these heaters draw around 10 to 12 amps on start and shut down, and you require a 15 amp fuse. One critical install requirement is to upgrade the wire size if the heater is more than about 500mm from the battery, if you don't do this you will have starting issues as voltage drop in the wire loom does not heat up the glow plug enough to get a good burn start.
You can use the fuse box if it has adequate wire size from battery to fuse box.
I always prefer to run the heater wire direct to the battery with its own fuse and master switch. Often in caravans the wire size to the fuse box is marginal, and people run lights, TV, phone charging etc, and to turn on the heater as well causes significant voltage drop in the system.
Cheers, JMcK
Great videos John, what size of solar panel would you suggest for a 5kw heater?
Hi, John
thanks for posting and explaining about the chinese diesel heater, very informative.
I do have a question about the controller electric drain. Beside the controller, is there other parasitic drain in the heater electric system?
I'm think if the only drain is coming from the controller, i can splice the controller wire and install a switch. Do you think its a good idea? thanks for all your help.
Hi Yiucycle,
Thanks for the feedback.
Suggest you do not cut the controller wires. Better to put a switch in the positive battery wire to the unit to stop parasitic drain when heater is not operating for long periods. However that power switch needs to be isolated so there is no option to accidentally turn it off with the heater running, or used as a means of shutting down the heater.
To do so will cause a dangerous overheat situation, as the heater can not go through its cool down program . JMcK
what a brilliant set of videos I am setting one up in a wood turning shop. What would you advice to do regarding dust being suck through the heater intake fan ? would I be better off having the air supplied from the out side of my workshop?
Hi Gerald,
Thanks for the feedback..
Probably better to suck the air from outside.
If inside you perhaps should look at some type of foam filter.
Cheers, JMcK
Hi John, thanks very much for the video, it is a great help! I have just had a 5k heater installed in my jeep in Ireland in which the heater has broke. It has been fitted under the bonnet which I hope is not an issue with air quality inside the jeep? My main query is with regards to the lcd screen draining my battery, can you advise on where I would find a switch to add to the system turn the display on or off? Mush appreciated.
Hi Liam,
A 5Kw heater is perhaps too big for your Jeep. These heaters put out a lot of heat.
Suggest you install ducting on air inlet side of heater to duct in fresh, outside air. You don't want to be breathing engine compartment air.
Any 15 amp switch in the power feed line to the heater will do. I talk more about this in the motorhome videos.
Cheers. JMcK
Hi John - Thanks for your video series. Most informative. I’m hoping you or anyone of your subscribers can get get back to me with answers to the following:
1. For the black LCD animated controller is there an option to change the temperature readout to Fahrenheit I/O Celsius?
2. Similar to my question above, is there an option to change to clock display to a 12hr(am/pm) setting?
3: Is there an option to change the default display to current temperature vs current time? Being that this is a device to control the temperature I would think current temperature would be the priority setting.
Note: My unit came with next to no info on control settings, only error code info.
Hi Michael,
Sorry I can't help with those three questions. Perhaps a viewer may have more info.
Those questions have not been a priority for me in the past, and right now I am away sailing without access to that controller to try different button combinations again.
In the past, when I first got a black LED controller, I tried all sort of button combinations, but I don't recall any parameters that you asked come up, but be aware, it was not something I would be looking for either, and may have missed something.
If you do find out, I would appreciate being informed.
Regards, JMcK