Getting Started with Your Diesel Heater + Four Easy Mods! *Not Sponsored*
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- This video is a basic diesel heater beginner tutorial video. If you just bought your first Chinese diesel heater you are in the right place! I walk through the first time setup process plus four simple modifications to make your diesel heater faster to setup and take down. All parts I used in this video are listed below. I purchased this diesel heater, it was not sponsored for the video.
FULL PARTS LIST
Silvel Diesel Heater: amzn.to/3vNYWYA
90 Degree Exhaust Elbow: amzn.to/4biBWB8
Inline Fuel Filter: amzn.to/48SO8XI
Bosch Spade Bit Kit: amzn.to/49fwg9A
Anderson PowerPole Pigtail: amzn.to/3Oilibi
SAE Pigtail: amzn.to/3SCe2tj
XT60 Pigtail: amzn.to/48PijPR
Li Time 50ah LFP Battery: amzn.to/3ShkvbM
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#jasonoid #dieselheater #overlanding #carcamping
Vintage Jason video! What a thorough walkthrough. These things always intimidated me but not after this video. I am now very much in-market for one. Thanks Jason!
I really wanted to buy one to see how they work! I finally pulled the trigger to see what these are all about. For only $100 these are pretty awesome!
Very nice! I think this is a great addition to your channel. Some time ago, I got a diesel heater from Vevor that is still in its box. I'd like to see current load tests to get an idea of how large a battery is needed to keep it running overnight, and how much solar is needed to keep the battery topped off and/or recharged after a cold night; and a few real-world tests: small cabin or RV, and a single large room in a house. I'm not sure I'd use this in a tent unless it was already designed for a stovepipe. Once again, very nice addition!
Most people use these heaters in a tent by having the unit completely outside and then they route the hot air in via a flexible duct. That removes the risk of burning the tent material since all the extreme heat is outside the tent. It also removed much of the risk of exhaust in your sleeping area. I've been impressed by the heat this unit puts off. You should experiment with your heater too!
Go check out project farm video on diesel heaters . He has your information
Another excellent video. The two other mods I've seen/used for these diesel heaters is an inline fuel filter and also a 6" heater duct to go around the smaller duct, making your output hose much better insulated against the cold. This is particularly useful if your heater is outside and you are running the output into a tent or building, through a dryer vent type of duct.
Great tip! I'll have to look around for insulated ducting options.
I thought I knew everything there was to know about these heaters and then along comes you to tell me about the close 90 degree elbow for the exhaust. Very useful information. Thanks.
Also, I found that wrapping the stainless exhaust pipe and muffler with 'header/exhaust wrap' from AutoZone or similar is a good idea if you are going to be using the heater around kids or pets.
Excellent feedback on the exhaust wrap, I could see that really helping keep the pipe cooler
Best Diesel heater video I've seen so far. Well done!
Great video as always, and I would definitely like to see further testing
Yes please. Love how thorough your tests are done.
Good tip on checking the fuel lines on the inside of the unit...ask me how I know. Mine wouldn't run and had a kink inside the unit. I have mine sitting outside my office window and used a 3" metal semi-ridge hose from Lowe's to get the warm air inside. It is mounted to a 3/4" piece of rigid foam board that sits in the bottom of my window. Paint the foam board to make it look a bit nicer. I do plug the hole with some foam so cold air doesn't get in when it is not running. Setting 2 or 3 are the good ones for me usually.
Great information on your setup, thanks for sharing!
Thanks Jason. I am very interested in the options for providing electricity to get the unit started and keep it running. Your battery options and wiring choice described in the video look promising. I'd love to know what a portable power station can do with this thing. Thanks.
Those would be excellent items to discuss!
Thanks for sharing, more heater videos please.
Great video Jason! Interesting backdrop at the opening! I am interested in the diesel heaters and thankful for your informative video! Thanks! Katy
I'm planning to do a few other videos in the future to track how well it heats and how much power it uses. Maybe in a tent, or my trailer....we'll see :)
Yes more videos please. Nice set up, probably mentioned before but make sure you keep that exhaust pointing down to allow condensation to run out.
Another well done video, mods you learned and demonstrated along the way. Info is appreciated.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching! :)
Definitely interested in seeing more in-depth. Load tests, power consumption would be awesome! I have a couple, one of which is stock, the other has an aftermarket pump from James Browning-Smith that is DEAD silent. Both are 1-3 years old and I'd love to see how they compare.
Thanks Jason. Another great video!!
Just bought one, thanks for showing me as mine came with no instructions and just a summary on the site I bought it from, I'm going to use a 12v plug In style wall socket as recommended by another person who bought it also, so yeah cheers 😊
Another great video, I never thought about one of those units. This would make a great addition to my preps along with my Mr. Heater units. Thanks again for sharing. 😊
I was surprised with the heat output! It just sips diesel as well. It was fun tinkering with it too.
@Jasonoid Hi Jason, appreciate your response. I'd like to request a product review if feasible. I've been prepping for a while, and your diesel review was helpful. Could you consider reviewing the "BougeRV Portable Propane Water Heater" at some point? I've owned the "Mr. Heater BaseCamp BOSS-XW18 Battery Operated Shower System" for years, and it's showing signs of wear. BougeRV recently released their new water heater, and I'm keen on getting one. However, there's only one RUclips review so far. Any assistance would be highly appreciated.
Thanks!
@@minceym ill look into the product, thanks for the heads up!
I love this! I'd really like to see a test of how accurate it performs if you are camping in a tent. See if it can keep 60 or 70 degrees all night.
I'd love to test that! Thanks for the feedback.
I would be interested to see ducting options. How you get the heat ducted into a teardrop camper for example
I'd probably set the heater under the camper outside and duct up through the floor somewhere. The floors are usually plywood and would easily be drilled with a 3 or 4 inch hole saw.
These units are designed to be inside the heated area, and pipe the exhaust out. If you have the unit outside, and duct the air in, it is considerably less efficient. You will lose heat from the air duct, and the air return if pulled from outside rather than inside is less efficient because the unit has to heat freezing cold air, rather than already heated air from inside. It should work just like a forced air furnace in a house.
I’ve survived all Winter in my wall tent with my Silvel diesel heater. It’s a good supplement to my wood stove and cheaper than heating with propane.
Very cool and that unit looks pretty nice compared to some of the other ones I have seen. I'd be curious to the diesel run times and that was an unusual gas can spout? I imagine you'd have to be extremely careful with outdoor camping with that hot exhaust.
Yeah makes sense, you'd probably want this off the ground in probable burn areas. Concrete, gravel, and dirt should all be fine. Some people use a tire shelf too keep them off the ground while running them.
This is great‼️ Love the mods. Thanks for sharing.
I would like to see more. In particular, see you do a low voltage safety feature. Where before voltage gets too low, the proper shut down sequence occurs. Others have done it on RUclips, but rather confusingly. I know you would be precise and with confidence I would purchase the electrical bits required. One on RUclips created content that stated it had low voltage shutdown sequence built into the control. He finally many months later retracted this notion on a later video. This safety feature, or the lack thereof, is the reason I have postponed purchasing a diesel heater. Thank you.
I'm not aware of any Chinese diesel heater with low voltage shutoff built into the controller. It seems these are getting more popular so maybe that will be a new feature soon?
One could put in a low voltage alarm like this ( amzn.to/3vXkJgB ) on their 12v battery to let you know the voltage is at a cutoff point.
I was talking to my friend who runs a diesel heater multiple nights a month in his rooftop tent. Before talking to him, I was under the impression it was the 'worst thing ever' if it didn't shutdown properly. He said every now and then his heater shuts off randomly and while its not the best thing to happen, his unit still runs like a top. I think you'll see the soot build up after many repeated improper shutdown processes. As long as you take precautions to make sure your power source will last through the night and your power connection is secure, I think that will cover most issues with power dropping out randomly.
One of the best diesel heater videos ever, do have a couple questions if you don't mind. Have you tried tuning for the altitude where you use it? I've heard tuning makes a significant difference in efficiency and carbon build-up inside the burn chamber. Watched a couple videos on tuning but they were difficult to follow. I also noticed the Silvel heater fuel pump is horizontally mounted, while others are mounted at a 45 degree angle, any idea why the difference?
Well done. A bit anxiety provoking watching all the cheap manufacturing of the unit, and you did a good job showing the modifications. Thats a lot of "wasted" heat from the exhaust, seems there should be modifications that could be done to capture some of that?
I've seen some pretty cool exhaust mods that other people have done. I think in a permanent installation it makes more sense to capture that heat. In a camping setup it's probably not as needed. In my initial testing, on low this thing runs over 24 hours on one tank! It just sips fuel. Need to do more testing 👍
I saw one vid where they routed the exhaust through a big radiator and then outside and captured extra heat.
Can you review cheaper soalr generators like the zerokor 65W or 100W battery bank?
Good stuff. I’ve been thinking about getting a diesel heater, that one seems really quiet
On low mode it's hardly noticeable. For $100, it's a great item to have around for cooler trips or even working in your garage.
Hey thanks for the video. Good stuff. I am however wondering what you specifically meant at about 5:20 that you could "see the fuel gong into the burn chamber" where or how are you seeing that happen. Thanks.
About how long do you guesstimate the 50ah will power the unit?
Thanks for sharing. If time permits, please test in the wild.
How long does that battery last?
Jason this is interesting. What are these used for? Can you heat a house or a room with these? How are they used? Does the air coming out smell like fuel or have an odor? Do you need a lead acid battery to run it or would a lithium work too? How much does the diesel heater pull on the battery? How long does the heater run for on a tank of diesel?
How would it be used not only for home emergency heating but can it be used in a car or a cabin?
Sounds like you need to do some diesel heater research 😉 They are mostly used for portable heating setups, like ice fishing, tent camping, or heating an outdoor space. They can run on any 12v source and the heated air doesnt have any odor since it's passed through a heat exchanger. There are tons of videos on these, I'm glad I peaked your interest!
I may do some future videos on runtime testing and power usage. They pull around 150 watts for 2 minutes at startup to run the diesel glow plug, and then the power drops down to 30 to 35 watts after that
Is your Google broken?
I'd be very interested in seeing how much power this draws from a battery during the startup sequence and in continuous use.
Thanks for the feedback, I'll definitely consider that for a future video.
I'd be interested in seeing how this (your 8kw unit) does versus 2kw and 5kw units using various power stations as the 12v source.
I'm particularly interested in the different offerings from Ugreen and Bluetti. It would be great if you could test it with the Bluetti AC180 and the Powerroam 1200. I'm pretty sure the 10a outputs are going to be an issue, but I'd appreciate knowing this for certainty. Thanks.
@@iamgrowler the 5k and 8k units are all the same, it's just a marketing ploy.
These usually pull around 145 to 155 watts in startup and that's why I have 150w as a requirement on my power station grading system. I will plan on doing some basic testing.
I'd love to see it tested on a lot of different power stations with a 12v cigarette plug or another kind of 12v plug. I know some power stations can't support the initial burst of power that's needed to start the heater.
The only thing thats interesting is that some diesel heater glow plugs pull more power than others. Some of the newer models pull less power! Most power stations have a 135w to 140w overload cutoff. So as long as your diesel heater doesn't pull more than that on startup it should be fine. That's why I require a power station to have at least 150w of DC output in my grading system.
I love diesel heaters, so great at warming …..well everything! The power draw is so minimal as little as about 12 watts up to about 45-50ish watts a hour! That’s nothing!!
Go play with it in the wild, and check the engine bolts that they are tight and no leaks!!
I thought it was recommended to run it on high for fifteen minutes before shutting down to burn any unburned fuel?
It runs it's own shutdown process where it does it's cooling cycle. When you tell it to turn off it keeps running for a bit.
1:12 I do not like that fuel hose near the exhaust elbow.
I would make a simple heat shield between them.
Hello. Thanks for sharing. I bought one for my green house. One question: how can I install an automatic ON-OFF control in my heater. Using the temperature or a timer. Thanks in advance.
I'm not sure how to do that. Very cool idea though! Maybe we will see an automatic thermostate feature on these in the future?
How big of a LifePo4 battery do you recommend if I want to use an 8MW diesel heater for a two day camping trip? Will probably keep it on low-medium.
I recommend getting at least a 100ah battery. Any lower capacity and the quality drops off quick. The prices have dropped significantly over the last year and they cost under $200 now.
@ Thanks so much for the quick response and knowledge share. I see Amazon has a WattCycle 12V Lifepo4 100AH “Mini” with Bluetooth for $180. (40% off, normally $299.) Heard anything about this brand? Seems like a heck of a deal.
@@RyanWattersRyanWatters watt cycle batteries are good, Will Prowse has tested them with good results. Since you'll be using the battery in cold temps it might be best to find a battery with heaters. They are a little more expensive but it will be worth the extra cost to be able to charge it in extreme cold temps.
@Jasonoid Great insights. Again, thanks so much. I’ll look to see the price difference. This is my first time camping in anything close to freezing. This trip will be lows of maybe 35F. I live in North Texas, so summer heat is the real danger…
Can you use this with an ecoflow delta 2 pro?
Hi Jason,
Just wanted to follow up on the diesel heater you reviewed. I really liked it, especially the price, but I was hesitant about the modifications you had to make. I'm not very comfortable with that kind of thing, so I did some more research and found another option: the HCALORY 12V Portable Diesel Heater, 2024 upgrade Toolbox 2 Diesel Air Heater.
It had a Black Friday deal plus a 15% off coupon, so it only cost me $156.00 (plus tax). That's not much more than the SILVEL, and it seems to have all the modifications you made already built-in, so it should be more plug-and-play for me.
I ordered it on Amazon today and am waiting for delivery. Have you ever come across this HCALORY heater before? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
It should be an excellent option. All of these brands are pretty much the same exact thing, just with a different brand stamped on them 👍
@Jasonoid Okay Thx!
I’m installing a n inexpensive,$99 aluminum radiator with 12v fan attatched to it off Amazon. I will recover all those normally wasted btus and heat my space even better.
Hi Jasonoid - Fantastic vid. I subscribed to your channel because of this. Can you do a vid on the power options for these Diesel Heaters?
If you go to my website, Jasonoid.com, you can see my power station grading system and any power station that allows over 150 watts is good for a diesel heater.
@@Jasonoid Thanks a ton! Your site is a great resource!
In your opinion, would this be better than a Mr. Buddy in a tent? I would not mind videos about diesel heaters and how to use them. Thank you.
Propane heaters put off a 'wet' heat. I've read that when burning 1 gallon of propane you'll get around 1 gallon of water vapor. Explains the condensation I get when using a propane heater! Haha Diesel heaters are dry, you don't get any water vapor so that's a large benefit.
As Jason said about the wetness of propane, Also, since the unit is outside it doesn't emit carbon monoxide into your work area and Mr. Buddy brings the flames inside. I run two Big Buddy heaters to heat my big metal building and I am interested in these diesel heaters,
Can you tell me please how long this lifepo battery can work the heater?
100 ah battery would probaby run this for 48 hours or so
I was looking for a diesel heater video recently so great timing Jason!
What's your opinion on the narrower version of that heater? I was looking at the one as i think I can fit it more easily in my rig.
Are your mods applicable to the narrow version?
They all have pretty much the same internals, just different form factors and different display/controllers. I picked this one for a few different reasons. The tall skinny ones should work just the same. Just do the same checks on the inside.
@@Jasonoid Would you mind sharing your reasons for choosing that model? Thanks.
@@zigzagluck I chose this one since it is less likely to tip over. I liked the price and it had good reviews. I also thought I could mod it easily.
Hey Jason, sorry kind of off with my question here however I put this comment/question on obe of your older shorts and didn't get a response so i thought idyry here.....
Late comment/question here...
Watched this I don't know how tines just to make sure I understand.
I got two of the XTAR 100 panels after seeing you really liked this panel. Can I put the two in parallel to charge the EB70? Amps don't matter as long as the panel voltage is OK ?
Thanks!!👍👍
Parallel will work fine with the EB70. Just don't SERIES the panels, that will burn up the EB70.
@Jasonoid thanks for the info. I appreciate it!!
Are there any fumes in the heat?
Nope, didn't smell anything.
Oh, new camp trailer. About the same size as "Gonagain" on RUclips. That heater will probably work great in that trailer.
New trailer yes, camping trailer.... not really haha. I has a few mods in mind but it's mostly for towing some toys for our trips. I plan to install some lighting and a battery system and maybe some solar on the roof. Sure, I'd sleep in it but it won't be a full conversion to a camper :)
How did you get the 90 degree elbow to fit? The part you listed does not tighten to secure the elbow around the pipe. Did you use a different clamp that was not included in the package?
I used a clamp in the kit, I just tightened really good. It did crimp the pipe down but it holds.
Did you add larger pipes on your fireplace heat blower?
I did not update the fireplace heat exchanger but I bet that would allow for better heat transfer and efficiency.
I'd like to know what fuel can and spout you are using?
It's not a traditional "fuel can" so I chose not to show it off. Didn't want to deal with the controversy about it. Look up VP racing cans.
Will it run used kitchen oil?
Only if you want problems.
what dia. is the exhaust port 24 mm or 25 mm
This is what I purchased:
90 Degree Exhaust Elbow: amzn.to/4biBWB8
What was the puddle under the muffler?
It seems to be water vapor or condensation. After I shut everything down the puddle dried up and there wasn't a stain so it wasn't fuel.
I am researching diesel heaters would like to see more videos. Nice video
Sounds good!
Test in the Willlld!
I sure wish mine would run for a couple of hours. It constantly throws an E6 code. I have done every trick in the book and I cannot keep it running longer than 5 minutes at a time.
E6 error seems to refer to low voltage or a fan failure. How are you powering your unit? What gauge of wire are you using and how long is it?
I am using the factory wire that comes with it. I only use half the amount though that they send. I'm using a Power Queen. 100 amp hour battery. Maybe it's just me and I didn't have it fully charged which I usually always keep it fully charged. I'll try it again this weekend to see if I'm able to get it to stay running. Thanks for your feedback though! Anything is worth a try!
@@jeffcornelison888 the wire they have is pretty small and might cause a bit of voltage drop. That's why I upgraded mine. If you get an error on a fully charged battery I'd try a larger gauge wire to see if that helps.
I started thinking that you might get some of that fiberglass muffler wrap; so no one gets burned by the exhaust.
That would be a good safety step for sure!
So is indoor use recommended? I need it for a sprinter van. Does the bottom of the unit get hot? Does that exhaust pipe need to be hanging out of a window if used indoors?
If you are going to be running it indoors you'll want to make sure you have a CO alarm for safety.
Regarding the exhust smell. I want to use one of these for thawing ice out in an enclosed vnose trailer that hauls snowmachines. Would it smell up the trailer and machines badly if used for say 10 hrs or so? I have a 12x12 roof vent. Hate to cut holes to make it work. Using a Kerscene heater now and that works.
The biggest complaint I see with these diesel heaters is the noise of the pump. You’d think that there would be a better silent way of pumping the diesel.
The pump on this one was really only noticeable when priming before startup. The pump was pretty hidden by the noise of the exhaust and fans. For me, it wouldn't keep me up at night, but I guess it might be annoying for some people.
I believe Amazon sells a quieter pump and another RUclipsr installed one and wrapped it in foam and it's remarkably quieter. He was using it for a rooftop tent.
I wouldn't allow this fuel line within a couple of inches of that exhaust pipe. Too much of a safety hazard.
It's been working well so far, I'll keep an eye on it. All Chinese diesel heaters have that same design.
👍🏽
i bought one of these after watching this video and a couple others , damn thing is junk - it worked for about 2 hours , company has no product support/warranty and they aren't returnable for a refund . so i got screwed out a hundred bucks . live and learn i guess , but dang it's cold in this tent ..
I guess its a lottery with these cheap units. Project Farm just did a video on this unit and it worked fine for him.
What are the symptoms? Error codes? Does it start at all?
no codes ever , motor is trash , control board has cold solder joints on damn near every component . never could get a straight answer from them on a replacement . so i got a refund from amazon two days before the 30 day refund window expired . almost a week later another one showed up , and it's no better than the first one . thank god i got my money back
@@TS-mo6pn btw - they also mount the fuel pump with the output pointing down , that's just plain ignorant , these fuel pumps air lock and quit working when they are upside down like that .
Chinese diesel heater! NOT RISKING MY LIFE FOR A COUPLE OF $$$$! CHINESIUM THATS ALL I KNEET TO KNOW! FORGET IT!
Oh my 🤣
Uugh... There are so many technical and safety problems in this set up.... It will work but very far from ideal. John Mckay47 RUclips videos will educate you on these units.