Heating oil - Eberspacher use? (1 Viewer)

Feb 5, 2014
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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
 
Jan 8, 2013
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Most marinas will have it. Should be a few in Norfolk.
Although officially it's only sold for heating boats - not propulsion.

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Oct 2, 2008
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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 .
 
Mar 23, 2012
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I think they're pretty economical I would ask the manufacturers or a distributor rather than risk it

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tonka

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Jul 2, 2008
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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.
 
Mar 10, 2018
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I'm pretty sure red diesel and kerosene burn at different temperatures so may need to change the burner, kerosene burns hotter.
 

Two on Tour

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I run our Chinese diesel heater on our heating oil (kerosene 28) and it runs just fine, in fact heating oil is a cleaner burn than diesel, as my CO tester confirms and the dosing pump is pumping happily on it with sign of faltering.

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Derbyshire wanderer

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Mar 30, 2014
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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
 

The Dotties

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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.
 
OP
OP
Rapido925M
Feb 5, 2014
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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

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Dec 12, 2010
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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.
 
Sep 29, 2019
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Travis Perkins dell a 20 litre box of red diesel


Just seem the price 😱😱😱😱

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

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Jan 1, 2014
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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.
 

jollyrodger

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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



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
 

Eggs

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Jan 3, 2018
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Most marinas will have it. Should be a few in Norfolk.
Although officially it's only sold for heating boats - not propulsion.

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.

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jollyrodger

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Oct 1, 2012
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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.


Around 8yrs back I believe.
 

Westbarn1

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Sep 25, 2019
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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

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 😉
 
Jan 1, 2014
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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.

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May 31, 2015
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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.
 
Oct 12, 2009
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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
 
OP
OP
Rapido925M
Feb 5, 2014
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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.

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

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OP
OP
Rapido925M
Feb 5, 2014
1,695
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mid-Norfolk
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A class
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since 2006
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 😉

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
 

Two on Tour

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The major question is "can he use my oil without any problem?"

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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