Heating oil - Eberspacher use?

Rapido925M

Rapido925M

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My son is currently living in a touring caravan, using an awning as his living room. He has bought an Eberspacher-type heater which blows hot air and is quite effective.

similar to

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=352883930457

Unfortunately he can't source any RED diesel and doesn't want to pay road-diesel prices.

Does anyone KNOW if he can use oil from my house-heating tank (kerosene 28sec)? I can't see any problems BUT I'm sure there will be an expert somewhere on here.

TIA - Gordon
 
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Should be fine, our local service station has a red diesel pump.
 
Most marinas will have it. Should be a few in Norfolk.
Although officially it's only sold for heating boats - not propulsion.
 
There is some concern that 28sec oil lacks lubrication for dosing pumps , Red can often be bought from retail pump at oil supply depots , into your own container .
 
I think they're pretty economical I would ask the manufacturers or a distributor rather than risk it
 
There are a few groups on Facebook for these Chinese heater, full of info and many say they are using kerosene.
I have one of these for use in my summerhouse / man shed, works well but I have only used red diesel from a local garage.
 
I'm pretty sure red diesel and kerosene burn at different temperatures so may need to change the burner, kerosene burns hotter.
 
Although there is a difference between the fuels it would make no noticeable difference running it on heating oil. Red is available from all marinas though and a friendly farmer would be worth asking to buy from

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Back in the nineties, we would load heating oil into belly tanks (A extra fuel suspended below the trailer) when running out of the EU.
We always added cheap engine oil to the fuel to lubricate the fuel pump which runs at high pressures,as kerosene had no lubricating qualities.
I don’t know if any pumps are in use on diesel heaters.
 
Thanks for those responses. (y)

I've found a garage 20miles away which will supply red diesel at 75p per litre, so that is a possibility.

However, my heating oil costs 30p per litre. He is talking about buying a small electric pump to pull oil out of my tank and fill his can.

As far as he is aware, the pump is a diaphragm sort and the fuel doesn't lubricate it. By my reckoning, saving 45p pl will allow a new pump to be bought after less than 100litres of use (even quicker if it saves him 75ppl :rolleyes: )

Gordon
 
I don't think they are a diaphragm pump, there's an Aussie bloke on YouTube that has done an in depth series on all aspects of these diesel heaters and he says lack of lube can cause the pumps to fail. I think they work a bit like a solenoid and have a metal "slug" inside that oscillates to do the pumping. Having said all that, a replacement pump is about £12.
 
Daniel. M said:
Travis Perkins dell a 20 litre box of red diesel

Fuel Box Red Diesel 20 Litres

Red Diesel FuelBox is a U.N approved pre-filled 20 litres bag-in-box fuelling system.
www.travisperkins.co.uk www.travisperkins.co.uk

Just seem the price 😱😱😱😱
Click to expand...

Jesus wept! Why would you bother at that price! 😂

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Diesel, red or white is 35 sec and it is normal for equipment requiring that oil to have a different size injection jet than those designed for 28 sec oil.
 
Rapido925M said:
My son is currently living in a touring caravan, using an awning as his living room. He has bought an Eberspacher-type heater which blows hot air and is quite effective.

similar to

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=352883930457

Unfortunately he can't source any RED diesel and doesn't want to pay road-diesel prices.

Does anyone KNOW if he can use oil from my house-heating tank (kerosene 28sec)? I can't see any problems BUT I'm sure there will be an expert somewhere on here.

TIA - Gordon
Click to expand...



We have 2 running all day in the workshop on heating oil and heating oil mixed,has been for the last couple of weeks ,lots of info on YouTube and a couple of dedicated forums on farcebook, I also have a fixed one on my boat (replaced the Airtronic 2)
Just make sure you exhaust it to the outside .parts cheap as chips .

The link as per jockaneezer is from a knowledgeable guy
G'day my name is John ,for an aussie
 
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M
Stealaway said:
Most marinas will have it. Should be a few in Norfolk.
Although officially it's only sold for heating boats - not propulsion.
Click to expand...

Can I ask when things changed? When I had a boat I self declared how much red I used for heating and how much I used for propulsion.

Red diesel is also available from your local farmer if you ask nicely.
 
Eggs said:
M


Can I ask when things changed? When I had a boat I self declared how much red I used for heating and how much I used for propulsion.

Red diesel is also available from your local farmer if you ask nicely.
Click to expand...


Around 8yrs back I believe.
 
Rapido925M said:
My son is currently living in a touring caravan, using an awning as his living room. He has bought an Eberspacher-type heater which blows hot air and is quite effective.

similar to

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=352883930457

Unfortunately he can't source any RED diesel and doesn't want to pay road-diesel prices.

Does anyone KNOW if he can use oil from my house-heating tank (kerosene 28sec)? I can't see any problems BUT I'm sure there will be an expert somewhere on here.

TIA - Gordon
Click to expand...

Nicholson’s at Stalham/Sutton sell red diesel
from a pump out front, haven’t a clue how much it is, but you would be better off with 35 sec heating oil, you should be able to pick up a 2nd hand tank up fairly cheap, but the delivery guy will expect to see a pipe leading to a
boiler somewhere 😉

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This site contains affiliate links for which MHF may be compensated.
Surely UK heating oil is 28 sec, most of the EU continent use 35 sec oil for heating, wasn't aware that UK domestic heating oil was available as 35 sec.
 
I sure your son has and just for information to those reading that the exhaust must be vented to the outside of any contained space that the heater is in.... it can be an invisible killer.
 
Robert Clark said:
www.rix.co.uk

Agricultural Gas Oil Yorkshire | Rix Petroleum Hull

We employ a team of agricultural experts to help advise on the best product mix for your agricultural machinery. Find out about our Agricultural Gas oil.
www.rix.co.uk
Click to expand...

That did not mention that it is illegal to power boats using 'Red' diesel., but can be used for heating.

Nor did they mention that the dye leaves traces in the engine after it has stopped burning red diesel, so its use can be detected by the Revenue.

Geoff
 
Just smiffy said:
I sure your son has and just for information to those reading that the exhaust must be vented to the outside of any contained space that the heater is in.... it can be an invisible killer.
Click to expand...

Most certainly!

His heater came with approx 60cm of flexible stainless steel pipe which protruded about 40cm under the van, passing under the "skirt" along the edge. As soon as he started up there were fumes coming in! We fastened a 2m length of scaffold pipe with a slightly larger internal diameter to the steel exhaust using a lager can with holes cut in each end, sealed with some glass-fibre inside and aluminium tape round the outside. All worked well (y) .

He has two CO detectors just for added reassurance.

Gordon
 
Westbarn1 said:
Nicholson’s at Stalham/Sutton sell red diesel
from a pump out front, haven’t a clue how much it is, but you would be better off with 35 sec heating oil, you should be able to pick up a 2nd hand tank up fairly cheap, but the delivery guy will expect to see a pipe leading to a
boiler somewhere 😉
Click to expand...

Mundford Service Station sells red diesel at 75p pl and is only 10miles from where he works.

Various places will deliver BUT with a minimum order of 500l.
Some places will sell 205l drums; one required a minimum purchase of 10 drums.

HOWEVER, I have a 2500l tank (almost full) of heating oil (28sec) purchased at 30p pl. Clearly, using my oil would be cheaper and more convenient for him, especially as his caravan is in my garden AND he might just forget to pay me :giggle:. The major question is "can he use my oil without any problem?"

Thanks for everyone's input - Gordon

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Rapido925M said:
The major question is "can he use my oil without any problem?"
Click to expand...

The answer is yes.
I'm on a few Chinese diesel heater Facebook groups and some of the guys have been running their heater for the past 2 or 3 years constantly on kerosene or jet fuel without dosing pump failures.
If he has concerns about dosing pump lubrication, then add 20% road diesel to your 28 second heating oil.
 

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