Just as a bit of an update to this video, we have been running the heater successfully on kerosene, and have not experienced and running issues or differences in the operations. We have just switched back to red diesel/gas oil and this is only due to the supplier not having kerosene on the day I went to buy this winters fuel
The only problem I can possibly see running kerosene is that it has no lubrication for the tiny injector pump. Diesel has plenty of lubrication and so does red diesel., Jet-A has absolutely no lubrication in it, but is cleaner than kerosene.
Problem is that you get condensation build up and even if you have it designed to "drain" it'll build up in the radiator, which will be nearly impossible to get out unless you use some sort of vacuum setup periodically.
Oh and another point of note. Kero is less viscose, tolerates colder temperatures and so atomises easier giving rise to a better burn. It's often used in trucks where temperatures are well in to the minus C.
I've 3 of these heaters. One on a boat and two heating garage/shed. I've run all on kerosene only for 5 years without any issues. We have marked (dyed) diesel available here for agricultural use (not for road use as the duty applied is less) which is about the same price as kerosene but my preference is to use the latter. It burns cleaner. Ive never had an issue with priming/fuel pumps (or anything else ). I've also had no problems with carbon build up in the combustion chambers as I had when burning marked diesel years ago. I highly rated these heaters - I've found them more reliable than the well known German brand which I had before (and which was more than 10 times the purchase price of the Chinese ones)
I run my heater only on Kerosene well over 150 liters since i got it seen its the summer i decided to strip it down and give it a cleaning after seen some video's of them totally clogged up with carbon i have to say i wasted my time it was spotless im in the process of reassembling new gaskets new atomizer and glow plug and hoping it will fire up first time,So Kerosene is the way to go
There is far less sulphur in kerosene than red diesel and you will always see a cleaner burn with kerosene central heating oil than red diesel...the same thing applies with oil fired central heating boilers,they run sootier on red diesel than kerosene.
Kerosene is a common fuel used for heating homes in Ireland as well, and the price is circa half compared to road-taxed diesel. It doesn't make sense to run heaters on road-texed diesel! Just make sure none of the red tainted fuel makes its way to the car fuel tank, because it is a sure way to make a lot of new friends on the road checkpoint! ;)
@@pavel9652 They are typically around 3-3.4kw heat output to air but that does not account for the great deal of heat going out through the exhaust pipe. Fitting an exhaust heat recovery system increases the overall air heating output quite a lot.
Yes.. Burning Kerosene is better than burning diesel.. kerosene burns sooooo much cleaner than pump diesel...... You'll find that the diesel heater soot's up alot less... (Therefor will last longer before needing stripping and cleaning out), when running on kerosene... I have a diesel heater in my reptile room (huge insulated shed in my garden, i have too many snakes to be able to keep them in the house haha), running 24/7 on kerosene....... Absolutely no problems yet..... 1000's of litre's of kerosene through it.... It never gets turned off during winters.... and not 1 problem yet
Great video, I like how you considered other variables besides if it can burn kerosene, but for how long you have been(liter wise) thank you for the content. It was very informative l.
We have been using heating oil for sometime and no problems but a little advice we found out if you rise your fuel tank slightly above the heater you pump will last longer but we fit the fuel pipe close to the bottom of your fuel tank where as you have yours fitted to the fuel tank cap. In passing from time to time add a little Dipetane as that will clean the burner but run the heater at max for a round an hour..
for me kerosene is better. because diesel need to buy but the kerosene is free. Our shop use kerosene as special hydraulic test media and after test to dump the kerosene to recycle bin. I asked and get free kerosene after filter it.
What oil do you use for house heating in Canada? Kerosene is refined diesel and heating diesel would be a functional equivalent. The difference is diesel has road tax included in the price which makes it more expensive. I heard kerosene is added to diesel in Alaska and cold climates to prevent diesel from gelling up in low temperatures.
There is really no such thing as a Canadian fuel price. Fuel prices in Canada vary greatly from province to province and region to region within the provinces. Last winter diesel in my area hit $2.34/L and currently sits at $1.46-$1.69/L.
@@pavel9652 In Canada and the US (so including Alaska), diesel is adjusted seasonally. Standard No 1 diesel doesn't gel down to -30c, but winterized diesel is good down to around -45c.
I use a boat fuel tank and fittings so it can be swoped out easily with led lights over the tank and you can still see the level i run kerosene just before i shut it down for spring
I think it was Richard Baker did a video on the heat he got oot of a '8k' diesel heater and he got output closer to 3k. If people compare on electric rates they may be using the wrong numbers when comparing the cost.
kero is a cleaner diesel, been using it in one for a few years , run some hot shot secret diesel additive to cut down on carbon , last two times i tore it down , it was fairly clean compared to off road and road diesel. ITS Just refined more and zero additives burns cleaner. also atomises better. found another rc guy nice stuff builders are a rare breed these days.
We use it and yes less carbon build up in the burning chamber :) we also use Dipetane in our diesel wagons and we notice cleaner injectors but a big plus on the pump.
The last time I priced kerosene here in Australia it was $98 - $99.00 for a 20 litre drum . What I would like to know is does kerosene give a longer run time per litre than diesel ?. Then I would consider changing over to kerosene . Diesel here where I live varies from $1.98 a litre down to $1.78 depending on the fuel station you go to. Roughly your paying half the price for diesel per 20 litres. Thanks for answering a question that has been nagging me ever since I got a diesel heater for heating my two bedroom unit/small house as LP gas is $31-$ $32 for an 8.5Kg cylinder and on full 3 bars on the gas heater using it on cold nights will only last three and half days which as you can figure is too too expensive that's the main reason I changed to a diesel heater. Cheers Mate 👍👍👍😎💨💨🏴☠💡🔧
I work as an aircraft fueler, and I have access to more "sump" jet-a fuel than I can carry. It is always clean. That being said, winter in Idaho is approaching, and I am looking for a good diesel heater for my garage, so I'm just researching if I can burn straight jet-a in it since the fuel would be free. I'm finding that as long as I keep the exhaust vented outside, it should be fine. Thoughts?
Personally I’ve never tried it but I see no reason why you couldn’t use it after all we use Jet A, kerosene and sometimes diesel in model turbines and these diesel heaters work on a similar burning principle. You might end up with a less pleasant smell due to all the additive that are in Jet A but if you can live with that give it a try especially if the fuel will free ‘waste’
Caracina is great, however, there's different types of caracine like the lamp oil care scene is not good To burn on it because it can run your oil fuel pump. But in the car, so you can get from a gas station is super great for that.
that is correct. What is called kerosene in some countries is in fact paraffin which has virtually no lubricity at all. In the UK what is termed kerosene is 28 second central heating oil which is very different from paraffin oil.
Be careful with Jet-A1, it contains the somewhat nasty Stadis 450 (improves conductivity to reduce static charge build up). Make sure your exhaust is well away from getting into windows etc and you have no leaks........and never use Jet-A1 with old skool,open flame indoor kerosense heaters. Quit a few turbo prop aircraft and helicopters can use diesel in place of Jet-A1..........but Jet-A1 always burns cleaner than diesel and makes more shaft hp. Kerosense/Jet-A1 works better in cold temperatures (big plus in aircraft) and ignites more easily.
The entire design concept behind the national grid and distributed energy infrastructure is to provide everyone with cheaper power. But here we are..... You can reduce your energy bills by 80% by simply going off grid.
Diesel heaters have a mechanical fuel injector, which probably requires lubrication from the diesel fuel . Kerosene doesn’t have any lubricants in it. So the only problem I could possibly see is that the injector will wear out sooner..
Good explanation, thanks. However I think most people do know by now that these excellent heaters will work just fine on Kerosene, and in fact they tend to burn a bit hotter. The problem that many people have in the UK is where do we buy it in smaller quantities, i.e. less than a 1,000 or so litres of either Kerosene or red diesel? The main supplier in my county will only deliver a minimum of 500 litres and at that quantity it's not a lot cheaper than garage diesel. I would love to find somewhere around Northants, Beds or even Leics that sells Kerosene at the price you are buying in small quantities. Our local fuel wholesalers offered me an "Emergency heating pack" that was 100 litres of red in 5 X 20 litre plastic cans for £1.79 a litre when pump diesel is available a mile away at Tesco's for £1.65 a litre.
I think you are right, finding somewhere to buy kero in say 25ltr quantities is probably the most difficult part to this. I count myself lucky that I have this supplier local to me
Get a few UN-approved NATO 20L metal jerry cans (avoid the Chinese closes, since they are flimsy and aren't certified), and you can store safely 100L or more, even in the vehicle. They are certified and drop tested from 1.5m on concrete/steel surfaces.
I prefer using kerosene or tiki torch fluid over diesel fuel because diesel fuel maximum flashpoint temperature is actually only 98° versus kerosene versus in maximum flashpoint is over Fahrenheit 100 so basically what I’m saying is it takes less time to heat up with kerosene then diesel fuel?
If you use kerosene then just use a pop can and a carbon felt to make capillary effect to wick the kerosene to make a kerosene burner to put in your stove?
Mine runs fine on kerosene but not as hot ? Until it flamed out due to a brown sludge in a batch of kerosene .Also kerosene stinks far more than diesel noticable when filling tank .
Kerosene here is about $6 a gallon and diesel is only $3.65 and diesel gives more BTUs than kerosene so it's a no brainer to use diesel. Kerosene may be more refined and does not lubricate the pump which is why they are made for diesel so that's what to use. I doubt, by the slow speed of that pump that would wear out much faster with kerosene than diesel fuel. Maybe it would in the long run but they are cheap and so easy to replace, it wouldn't be much of an issue for anyone to change one.
In Canada kerosene is more expensive then diesel and the red diesel saving is not worth driving to get it. I wonder would aviation fuel be OK to be run in these heaters?
I looked and sellers want over 35 quid for 20 ltr drums of kerosene which is more thsn road diesel. And doesn't diesel burn hotter thats why its not good to use diesel in a home heating system for long periods?
I like your tank Idea. I use separate tanks, but i use a 12v pump to transfer fuel into tank of one heater and a detatchable non leak boat tank for the upstairs heater, so its filled outside ot avoid spills and smell in house I have 2 diesel heaters fitted in waterproof fireproof insulated boxes outside my house ground and 1st. floor both have flow and return ducts into house walls for increased efficiency both heaters are burning neat Kerosene and no added lube, as i have been insured by a user of over 5 yrs that lube is not needed its only 3 months of use, but they run much cleaner burn in my mind so safer to run them at low settings without sotting up like diesel does when run low. One heater supposed to be a 8kw(not) has a controller that at default runs pump at 1.6 hzs I have gone into the 1688 password of controler and reset it at 1,1hz. It keeps my livingroom at 21c if doors closed to hall and kitchen and doors open 19 to 20c keeping at lowest setting. heating my my home is costing about the same as old gas prices That i get on fixed tarriff till end of march, so it will be a huge saving for next winter unless gas prices fall back pre war prices, ( I wish)
Hi Chris, setting up at 1.1hz, do you need to adjust for the fan speed at all? Thanks for your comment! No one seem to have a video out there on how to,do this...
I did not alter fan speed. I have just started reusing heaters after the summer rest for them!, and the down striars heater came up e8 error. so i cleaned filter and all was ok again for now, but i will have to clean tank as theres stuff at bottom of it, easy when its outside. goood luck
as richardleech5858 stated in another comment these will run fine on kersene however you need to add a little 2 stroke oil as there is'nt enough lubricant in kerosene to to lubricate the pump any over time the pump will fail
@@darrenwilson3905 just because the pump works now dont meam it will still be working in a few weeks or months,youve just got to ask yourself is it worth loosing a pump for the sake of a few drops of cheap oil
Depends on which grade of kerosene. Lighter fractions have less lubricity. Where you reside can be the difference. In the UK , burning central heating oil is OK. But the designs are to burn diesel. Follow the manufacturers instructions and they should be trouble-free. I expect most, who have trouble with these heaters, have not followed the installation and use instructions. I see it on many occasions on you tube videos. I know of one fellow who has burned heating oil in these heaters for in excess of 3000hours with no problems. Kerosene will burn leaner, due to the slightly reduced calorific value of the fuel, so more heat lost in that excess air. Not a lot and the price differential will easily justify burning that fuel.
My kero is 89. 9 pence at the pump but if you buy heating oil in bulk it can be cheaper that is to say 500ltrs maybe 79 pence per ltr cut out middle man and I do use kero or parifin oil heating oil whatsoever you want to call it. One thing I do say is to lift your stand pipe of the bottom of the barrel as water does accumulate in bottom of your barrel and you will get the nasty e10 code or 8 whatever the ideal way is to fit a in-line water filter to save yourself trouble in the future well done another in favour of the kero.
I've been using kerosene (heating oil) and it's less than 60p a litre. But there is a drawback to this so don't start running around with a boner about cheap oil because you have to buy a minimum of 500 litres. You can get it delivered free within 4-5 days. If you want it faster you have to pay for the delivery. Obviously I've bought a bunded tank, it was 2nd hand and cost £150. The 500 litres was just a bit more than £300. The tank is the expensive bit but you only have to buy it once. I've got an 8kw heater and it's gets so hot so fast that I often have to open the door to let the heat out.
I buy it from the pump as that is an option at the local supplier. Minimum amount is 5ltrs and I buy 100ltrs at a time. It’s not as cheap as a bulk delivery but cheaper than road diesel
It might well be lower but if you put it on a scale with other flammables I would say that it is just as safe as diesel in the conditions that it is used for in this heater
As yet I don’t think I’ve been running it long enough to give a fair opinion but so far I’ve had no problems. The biggest advantage is the reduced cost
A little question I just filled a can up with diesel for my heater but I realised after it had about 300ml of of fuel I put almost 2 gallon of diesel in with it Do you think it would be ok to use the fuel in the heater??
K1 in the USA is a lot more expensive than stinky diesel. It's a better, more refined product. There's no reason it wouldn't work in that heater. Any unit that runs on diesel will prefer the better alternative Kerosene. The only reason they say "diesel" heater is because diesel is the cheapest crap you can get. Very odd that it costs more abroad.
I presume the agricultural diesel is the same as road but taxed differently and therefore possibly dyed to indicate as such? Dont take my word as gospel but i would just mix the lot up and stick it throught the heater.
I've returned four of these heaters on eBay as they were refusing to restart after running on kerosene. A black smoky liquid was gathering in the air inlet pipe. After 5-7 days of constant running the flames got extinguished and I couldn't restart them. I have C1 (Premium) kerosene. I have no idea what I was doing wrong. I'm now on zibro which is a bit smelly and leaves moisture behind of course. :(
@@michaelllewellyn7215 Run the one at work on jet fuel, but doesn't get as hot. So far of 3 heaters, one burnt out, i accidentally switched off power on cool down. Another the pump won't run, tried 2 pumps.
What bits 'n' pieces did you use to make that 25L tank - some kind of gland nut for the pipe through the lid - size etc. please? and what kind of filter at th e end please?
The fittings came from a model aircraft supplier here in uk (search for IAD Model Designs) and in the tank there is a length of Tygon tubing with a felt filter on the end, nothing fancy
Which sort of kerosene was it? As I presume it was the one with the higher sulphur content? But aviation was mentioned earlier with the jet reference so bit confused.
To be perfectly honest I don’t know what type it is, it is just sold as Kerosene. They also sell ‘gas oil’ which is a different name for red diesel here in the uk.
@@njrmodelling I am sure it is probably the one people use for home heating, which I believe is classified as C2, the higher sulphur content which is meant to be good as a lubricant for the diesel heaters and of course you wont have the coke problem from the diesel either. I am also in the UK and looking into getting a camper van but I can see trying to get hold of kerosene is going to be a problem as when I google it it's all delivered and someone mentioned the government introduced a minimum spend orders of 300ltres! Will have to figure out a way around this but appreciate your video and trouble you went to, thank you.
It certainly is! The only down side is the amount of keep I’m going through! It’s no fault of the heater, we have had it in a lot more than really needed due to the temps outside
I got one just to keep the chill off inside my transit . And thanks to you I can put kerosene in it would you recommend using diesel first or just put the kerosene straight in . Thank you for you reply
@@billhoggy4461 I can’t recommend putting kero straight in from new as I didn’t and haven’t done it. It wouldn’t hurt to put a tank of diesel in first, get it fired up and sorted and then swap to kero
28 second kerosene central heating oil is not dry and causes zero lubricity issues with these heater pumps. The same 28 second kerosene also has plenty of lubricity to keep gear type pressure pumps working reliably in oil fired central heating boilers.....it is not a reliability problem at all.
@@howardosborne8647 I have been running on a 5050 mix of heating oil and pump diesel for 2 years due to the story of too dry for the pump Now have been running on heating oil only but a drop of 2 stroke oil but no one seems to know how much 100 to 1 maybe ? was my thinking But will now run with heating oil 28 second kerosene with no extra oil as reports seem to say not a problem Yes heating oil always seemed like a good lubricant to me Thanks for reports
nobody running a chinese diesel heater has a 1100 litre storage tank. 95% of people either need it in 5 gallon drums or be able to fill their own 5 gallon drums from a fuel bunker site, and the ppl will be nearly double.
I live in the U.S.A (state of Maine) we have a heating oil called #2 heating oil, i wonder if thats the same as your red diesel (it is dyed red) here its only used in heating furnaces. anyone know if thats the same stuff? been thinking of running my china diesel heater on #2 heating oil..
It does sound like your #2 oil is the same or similar to our red diesel. Our red is the same as road vehicle diesel but dyed red as it’s taxed differently for non road vehicles and therefore cheaper. I think I would do an experiment with #2 and mix a small quantity of it 50/50 with normal diesel and see how the heater works on it
sounds right, our #2 heating oil is not taxed (as all heating fuels here are tax exempt k-1, propane, firewood) My primary furnace runs on #2 and i was thinking of plumbing my diesel heater into my 275gallon oil tank. i will do as you say and test it, maybe make a video as i haven't found anyone running one on heating oil yet. here heating oil is $3.89 per gallon while kerosene is $4.91 diesel is $4.38, so it would be the cheapest fuel for me if it works. thanks for the help. @@njrmodelling
Kerosene is considered a number one diesel pump gas is considered number two it is a type of diesel you have to add lubricant for your pump it is considered dryer
Mine personally won't run on kerosene and it took me an entire day to figure out why. 🤦 Kerosene is too thin. The self priming pump gets confused and starts pumping air into the line. Diesel bleeds properly.
Hi, I believe you have a small air leak at or before your pump, exaggerated by the lower viscosity of kero, kero cannot produce air, so its being drawn in at a connection or pump itself.
You can run it on kerosene but I would not suggest it they're DIESEL heaters are supposed to run on diesel, kerosene has no lubricity to it to keep the pump lubricated that's why you have to run diesel, kerosene has none to it. And I think the kerosene runs hotter than diesel so you would risk burning it up and burning out your pump
none of the things you raise about using 28 second central heating oil (kerosene) in these heaters is ever an issue. A friend and myself have five of these heaters between us and run many hundreds of hours on both kerosene and red diesel with no problems caused by running kerosene.
@@howardosborne8647 I don't know all I ever heard was not to run kerosene through home because there's no lubricity in it and you'll burn the pumps out and the heater will run hotter
These pumps don't require extra lubricant as they are not rotary pumps, they are pulsed types. They will run for thousands of hours whether they run on diesel or kerosene.
@@trev8932 that's what I heard that kerosene was bad, I ran kerosene through mine in the beginning and I got extra hotter heat out of it. I guess you can't believe everything you hear on the internet is true
Hi Nick, please do not take this as a criticism. Your channel is about modelling, when a vid is on a model project you spend more time explaining what you are going to do, than do it. This vid again was very in depth but no actual action, say regards the tank mod. Show more doing than talking.
Thanks for the feedback, it is all appreciated. This particular video was basically to answer the simple question of can these heaters run on Kerosene and the answer is yes. I made the vid as previously i didnt know the answer to this question and had to try it out for myself. It is very hard to know what the bulk of people want to see in content but i thought this would be of benefit to those with model workshops that need heated for as cheaply as possible.
Well done,that man. I agree 100% and you was not rude. This is a great channel ,Nick knows his stuff for sure. The channel would be even better if more building was covered OR shown.I realise editing etc can be a issue though. i have not sub`d yet because of the lack of build content. i visit now and again only. Bayona`s rc,mark robinson ,cliff harvey etc.
Gary, as above, thanks for the feedback. The channel was initially meant to be a 'This is how i do it' channel but has evolved and became a 'film what you think others might benefit from wether is be directly related to modelling or not' channel. by that i mean not everything will be a build, review or flying vid but in some way will be related. in this case its to do with heating my workshop.
In defense of this video and the critique... I would say that more model building enthusiasts working in garages and workshops etc can benefit from this heating / fuelling solution. All relevant, even a video on choice of teabags imho...
Can a chinese diesel heater run on Kerosene. - Yes. Yes it can. I do it already. Still nothing like a 9 minute video to waste your life on ! - incidentally.. if you have an old diesel (with a bosche pump ) then yes.. you can put it in your car if you were so inclined.
it would run more reliably than diesel. kerosene and diesel are pretty much the same minus the additives in the diesel. want even better results? run it on jet fuel
Just as a bit of an update to this video, we have been running the heater successfully on kerosene, and have not experienced and running issues or differences in the operations. We have just switched back to red diesel/gas oil and this is only due to the supplier not having kerosene on the day I went to buy this winters fuel
Kerosene is also known as Paraffin in the Uk , I know that there are specific differences possibly due to the purity
@@stevenclarke5606 Parafin more expensive.
Our airfield does jet A1 £1.11
Kerosene runs way better in these.... it is thinner and more refined than diesel....
The only problem I can possibly see running kerosene is that it has no lubrication for the tiny injector pump. Diesel has plenty of lubrication and so does red diesel., Jet-A has absolutely no lubrication in it, but is cleaner than kerosene.
To cut a long story short....yes you can use kerosene.
Thank you master.
Thanks Sensei...Lol
Spoiler alert 😆
The exhaust gas contains heat as well. If you run the exhaust gas through a radiator and then outside, you get more heat output.
Problem is that you get condensation build up and even if you have it designed to "drain" it'll build up in the radiator, which will be nearly impossible to get out unless you use some sort of vacuum setup periodically.
unfortunately while yes that will work it will also fill up with condensation and soot. the exhaust relies on being hot to stay clean
fit the radiator upside down so the bleed plugs are at the bottom to drain off condensate, job done
I've considered a way to run an exhaust through the center of a sand battery.
Oh and another point of note. Kero is less viscose, tolerates colder temperatures and so atomises easier giving rise to a better burn. It's often used in trucks where temperatures are well in to the minus C.
I've 3 of these heaters. One on a boat and two heating garage/shed. I've run all on kerosene only for 5 years without any issues. We have marked (dyed) diesel available here for agricultural use (not for road use as the duty applied is less) which is about the same price as kerosene but my preference is to use the latter. It burns cleaner. Ive never had an issue with priming/fuel pumps (or anything else ). I've also had no problems with carbon build up in the combustion chambers as I had when burning marked diesel years ago.
I highly rated these heaters - I've found them more reliable than the well known German brand which I had before (and which was more than 10 times the purchase price of the Chinese ones)
I run my heater only on Kerosene well over 150 liters since i got it seen its the summer i decided to strip it down and give it a cleaning after seen some video's of them totally clogged up with carbon i have to say i wasted my time it was spotless im in the process of reassembling new gaskets new atomizer and glow plug and hoping it will fire up first time,So Kerosene is the way to go
There is far less sulphur in kerosene than red diesel and you will always see a cleaner burn with kerosene central heating oil than red diesel...the same thing applies with oil fired central heating boilers,they run sootier on red diesel than kerosene.
Kerosene is a common fuel used for heating homes in Ireland as well, and the price is circa half compared to road-taxed diesel. It doesn't make sense to run heaters on road-texed diesel! Just make sure none of the red tainted fuel makes its way to the car fuel tank, because it is a sure way to make a lot of new friends on the road checkpoint! ;)
where can i get red diesel in uk?
@@mihaisorin9705 Any pump in a rural town will have it...Or the oil company head depot will have it
Any car driving round in rural Ireland 😂
Can you ix kerosene with diesel?
The problem with kerosene is the smell. It is far more pugnant than diesel and can linger in the air.
I have run 500 litres of kerosene through our heater no issues through the winter heating our house been nice and warm using 5 litres per 14 hrs
Interesting data! It seems your heater has effective power of 3.5 kW since it uses .35 liter per hour.
@@pavel9652I've seen higher kw heaters use less fuel. 200ml per hour
@@ICWieneryay I am not surprised. Typical marketing numbers race, effectively 2 kW.
@@pavel9652 They are typically around 3-3.4kw heat output to air but that does not account for the great deal of heat going out through the exhaust pipe. Fitting an exhaust heat recovery system increases the overall air heating output quite a lot.
If you run an air intake pipe to the ceiling to recirculate the air, your heater will run more efficiently.
Yes.. Burning Kerosene is better than burning diesel.. kerosene burns sooooo much cleaner than pump diesel......
You'll find that the diesel heater soot's up alot less... (Therefor will last longer before needing stripping and cleaning out), when running on kerosene...
I have a diesel heater in my reptile room (huge insulated shed in my garden, i have too many snakes to be able to keep them in the house haha), running 24/7 on kerosene....... Absolutely no problems yet.....
1000's of litre's of kerosene through it.... It never gets turned off during winters.... and not 1 problem yet
Great video, I like how you considered other variables besides if it can burn kerosene, but for how long you have been(liter wise) thank you for the content. It was very informative l.
We have been using heating oil for sometime and no problems but a little advice we found out if you rise your fuel tank slightly above the heater you pump will last longer but we fit the fuel pipe close to the bottom of your fuel tank where as you have yours fitted to the fuel tank cap. In passing from time to time add a little Dipetane as that will clean the burner but run the heater at max for a round an hour..
for me kerosene is better. because diesel need to buy but the kerosene is free. Our shop use kerosene as special hydraulic test media and after test to dump the kerosene to recycle bin.
I asked and get free kerosene after filter it.
I know someone who ran a car for years on it, no damage caused
Fuel prices are very different here in Canada. Diesel is definitely cheaper here. Kero is $3.60/ltr vs. $1.51/ltr for diesel. Cheers
What oil do you use for house heating in Canada? Kerosene is refined diesel and heating diesel would be a functional equivalent. The difference is diesel has road tax included in the price which makes it more expensive. I heard kerosene is added to diesel in Alaska and cold climates to prevent diesel from gelling up in low temperatures.
@@pavel9652 we use piped in natural gas for home heating. Kero and diesel are only really used for small portable heaters.
There is really no such thing as a Canadian fuel price. Fuel prices in Canada vary greatly from province to province and region to region within the provinces. Last winter diesel in my area hit $2.34/L and currently sits at $1.46-$1.69/L.
@@PUBHEAD1 Yeah, again, it depends where you live. Most people around here use electricity for heat.
@@pavel9652 In Canada and the US (so including Alaska), diesel is adjusted seasonally. Standard No 1 diesel doesn't gel down to -30c, but winterized diesel is good down to around -45c.
I use a boat fuel tank and fittings so it can be swoped out easily with led lights over the tank and you can still see the level i run kerosene just before i shut it down for spring
I think it was Richard Baker did a video on the heat he got oot of a '8k' diesel heater and he got output closer to 3k. If people compare on electric rates they may be using the wrong numbers when comparing the cost.
Interesting in Australian kero is double the price per litre and diesel is taxed 🤣
kero is a cleaner diesel, been using it in one for a few years , run some hot shot secret diesel additive to cut down on carbon , last two times i tore it down , it was fairly clean compared to off road and road diesel. ITS Just refined more and zero additives burns cleaner. also atomises better. found another rc guy nice stuff builders are a rare breed these days.
Try adding dipetane to kerosene it works great in all combustion engines it lubricates makes fuel last longer and makes engines run smoother
We use it and yes less carbon build up in the burning chamber :) we also use Dipetane in our diesel wagons and we notice cleaner injectors but a big plus on the pump.
Wow red diesel where I am in Staffordshire 1.19 ltr heating oil is 64p a ltr
The last time I priced kerosene here in Australia it was $98 - $99.00 for a 20 litre drum . What I would like to know is does kerosene give a longer run time per litre than diesel ?. Then I would consider changing over to kerosene . Diesel here where I live varies from $1.98 a litre down to $1.78 depending on the fuel station you go to. Roughly your paying half the price for diesel per 20 litres. Thanks for answering a question that has been nagging me ever since I got a diesel heater for heating my two bedroom unit/small house as LP gas is $31-$ $32 for an 8.5Kg cylinder and on full 3 bars on the gas heater using it on cold nights will only last three and half days which as you can figure is too too expensive that's the main reason I changed to a diesel heater.
Cheers Mate 👍👍👍😎💨💨🏴☠💡🔧
Yes but it puts out significantly less heat, so if your in cold conditions is better to get red/green diesel.
I work as an aircraft fueler, and I have access to more "sump" jet-a fuel than I can carry. It is always clean. That being said, winter in Idaho is approaching, and I am looking for a good diesel heater for my garage, so I'm just researching if I can burn straight jet-a in it since the fuel would be free. I'm finding that as long as I keep the exhaust vented outside, it should be fine. Thoughts?
Personally I’ve never tried it but I see no reason why you couldn’t use it after all we use Jet A, kerosene and sometimes diesel in model turbines and these diesel heaters work on a similar burning principle. You might end up with a less pleasant smell due to all the additive that are in Jet A but if you can live with that give it a try especially if the fuel will free ‘waste’
Caracina is great, however, there's different types of caracine like the lamp oil care scene is not good To burn on it because it can run your oil fuel pump. But in the car, so you can get from a gas station is super great for that.
that is correct. What is called kerosene in some countries is in fact paraffin which has virtually no lubricity at all.
In the UK what is termed kerosene is 28 second central heating oil which is very different from paraffin oil.
Be careful with Jet-A1, it contains the somewhat nasty Stadis 450 (improves conductivity to reduce static charge build up). Make sure your exhaust is well away from getting into windows etc and you have no leaks........and never use Jet-A1 with old skool,open flame indoor kerosense heaters. Quit a few turbo prop aircraft and helicopters can use diesel in place of Jet-A1..........but Jet-A1 always burns cleaner than diesel and makes more shaft hp. Kerosense/Jet-A1 works better in cold temperatures (big plus in aircraft) and ignites more easily.
The entire design concept behind the national grid and distributed energy infrastructure is to provide everyone with cheaper power.
But here we are.....
You can reduce your energy bills by 80% by simply going off grid.
I'm using same stuff in Northern Ireland but here the price for kerosene only 80 pence. If you buy big tank even cheaper. :)
Diesel heaters have a mechanical fuel injector, which probably requires lubrication from the diesel fuel . Kerosene doesn’t have any lubricants in it. So the only problem I could possibly see is that the injector will wear out sooner..
Good explanation, thanks. However I think most people do know by now that these excellent heaters will work just fine on Kerosene, and in fact they tend to burn a bit hotter. The problem that many people have in the UK is where do we buy it in smaller quantities, i.e. less than a 1,000 or so litres of either Kerosene or red diesel? The main supplier in my county will only deliver a minimum of 500 litres and at that quantity it's not a lot cheaper than garage diesel. I would love to find somewhere around Northants, Beds or even Leics that sells Kerosene at the price you are buying in small quantities. Our local fuel wholesalers offered me an "Emergency heating pack" that was 100 litres of red in 5 X 20 litre plastic cans for £1.79 a litre when pump diesel is available a mile away at Tesco's for £1.65 a litre.
I think you are right, finding somewhere to buy kero in say 25ltr quantities is probably the most difficult part to this. I count myself lucky that I have this supplier local to me
Check out canal boat yards, there should be plenty in your area - they are often a good place to find red diesel and sometimes have kerosene too.
Get a few UN-approved NATO 20L metal jerry cans (avoid the Chinese closes, since they are flimsy and aren't certified), and you can store safely 100L or more, even in the vehicle. They are certified and drop tested from 1.5m on concrete/steel surfaces.
Ebay delivered straight to your door..:-) thank me later
TFM stableford pump Kero by the litre
I prefer using kerosene or tiki torch fluid over diesel fuel because diesel fuel maximum flashpoint temperature is actually only 98° versus kerosene versus in maximum flashpoint is over Fahrenheit 100 so basically what I’m saying is it takes less time to heat up with kerosene then diesel fuel?
If you use kerosene then just use a pop can and a carbon felt to make capillary effect to wick the kerosene to make a kerosene burner to put in your stove?
Can you upload a DIY video on how to transfer over to the larger storage tanks because I don't know how to. Thanks
And notice know one talking about #1 or #2 pump deisel..
hi do have power cut backup great vid thanks
Mine runs fine on kerosene but not as hot ? Until it flamed out due to a brown sludge in a batch of kerosene .Also kerosene stinks far more than diesel noticable when filling tank .
Kerosene has a lower calorific value than diesel and the heaters dont put out as much heat
Kerosene here is about $6 a gallon and diesel is only $3.65 and diesel gives more BTUs than kerosene so it's a no brainer to use diesel. Kerosene may be more refined and does not lubricate the pump which is why they are made for diesel so that's what to use.
I doubt, by the slow speed of that pump that would wear out much faster with kerosene than diesel fuel. Maybe it would in the long run but they are cheap and so easy to replace, it wouldn't be much of an issue for anyone to change one.
In Canada kerosene is more expensive then diesel and the red diesel saving is not worth driving to get it. I wonder would aviation fuel be OK to be run in these heaters?
Jet-A1 is kerosene with Stadis-450 additive.
You can also run it on red commercial diesel which is probably about 90 per litre
where can i get it from?
Put hole in cap fit a fishing float.
I looked and sellers want over 35 quid for 20 ltr drums of kerosene which is more thsn road diesel. And doesn't diesel burn hotter thats why its not good to use diesel in a home heating system for long periods?
I like your tank Idea. I use separate tanks, but i use a 12v pump to transfer fuel into tank of one heater and a detatchable non leak boat tank for the upstairs heater, so its filled outside ot avoid spills and smell in house I have 2 diesel heaters fitted in waterproof fireproof insulated boxes outside my house ground and 1st. floor both have flow and return ducts into house walls for increased efficiency both heaters are burning neat Kerosene and no added lube, as i have been insured by a user of over 5 yrs that lube is not needed its only 3 months of use, but they run much cleaner burn in my mind so safer to run them at low settings without sotting up like diesel does when run low. One heater supposed to be a 8kw(not) has a controller that at default runs pump at 1.6 hzs I have gone into the 1688 password of controler and reset it at 1,1hz. It keeps my livingroom at 21c if doors closed to hall and kitchen and doors open 19 to 20c keeping at lowest setting. heating my my home is costing about the same as old gas prices That i get on fixed tarriff till end of march, so it will be a huge saving for next winter unless gas prices fall back pre war prices, ( I wish)
Hi Chris, setting up at 1.1hz, do you need to adjust for the fan speed at all? Thanks for your comment! No one seem to have a video out there on how to,do this...
I did not alter fan speed. I have just started reusing heaters after the summer rest for them!, and the down striars heater came up e8 error. so i cleaned filter and all was ok again for now, but i will have to clean tank as theres stuff at bottom of it, easy when its outside. goood luck
Kerosene is designated as #1 diesel while the normal diesel is #2. They are both diesel. The energy density of Kerosene is only 3% less than diesel.
It’s £1:10 p for red diesel in Newcastle 👍
where about i can get it?
where are you getting it? i am near morpeth
dunno where u r getting your kerosene, but everywhere I have looked, it is well above £1.60 per litre and some places £1.90. Diesel is now cheaper.
Love all the RC way cool Ops off subject but oh well I do some flying myself
as richardleech5858 stated in another comment these will run fine on kersene however you need to add a little 2 stroke oil as there is'nt enough lubricant in kerosene to to lubricate the pump any over time the pump will fail
Fake news.
@@darrenwilson3905 just because the pump works now dont meam it will still be working in a few weeks or months,youve just got to ask yourself is it worth loosing a pump for the sake of a few drops of cheap oil
theres already oil in kerosene
Depends on which grade of kerosene. Lighter fractions have less lubricity. Where you reside can be the difference. In the UK , burning central heating oil is OK. But the designs are to burn diesel. Follow the manufacturers instructions and they should be trouble-free. I expect most, who have trouble with these heaters, have not followed the installation and use instructions. I see it on many occasions on you tube videos.
I know of one fellow who has burned heating oil in these heaters for in excess of 3000hours with no problems.
Kerosene will burn leaner, due to the slightly reduced calorific value of the fuel, so more heat lost in that excess air. Not a lot and the price differential will easily justify burning that fuel.
how about 50/50 to be safe?
My kero is 89. 9 pence at the pump but if you buy heating oil in bulk it can be cheaper that is to say 500ltrs maybe 79 pence per ltr cut out middle man and I do use kero or parifin oil heating oil whatsoever you want to call it. One thing I do say is to lift your stand pipe of the bottom of the barrel as water does accumulate in bottom of your barrel and you will get the nasty e10 code or 8 whatever the ideal way is to fit a in-line water filter to save yourself trouble in the future well done another in favour of the kero.
I've been using kerosene (heating oil) and it's less than 60p a litre. But there is a drawback to this so don't start running around with a boner about cheap oil because you have to buy a minimum of 500 litres. You can get it delivered free within 4-5 days. If you want it faster you have to pay for the delivery. Obviously I've bought a bunded tank, it was 2nd hand and cost £150. The 500 litres was just a bit more than £300. The tank is the expensive bit but you only have to buy it once. I've got an 8kw heater and it's gets so hot so fast that I often have to open the door to let the heat out.
I buy it from the pump as that is an option at the local supplier. Minimum amount is 5ltrs and I buy 100ltrs at a time. It’s not as cheap as a bulk delivery but cheaper than road diesel
The only thing that is stopping me from switching is Kerosene has a lower flashpoint than diesel?
is it less safe?
It might well be lower but if you put it on a scale with other flammables I would say that it is just as safe as diesel in the conditions that it is used for in this heater
Does the kerosene burn cleaner than diesel? Less cleaning of internals?
Hard to say. I’ve never had the need to take it apart to see if it needs cleaning
@@njrmodelling I think yes Just look at the exhaust pipe very clean on heating oil just a bit of gray dust no black soot
What I'm interested in is getting rid of that sick sugar smell deasel gives off! What was the experience with any change switching to the other fuel?
As yet I don’t think I’ve been running it long enough to give a fair opinion but so far I’ve had no problems. The biggest advantage is the reduced cost
it will also run on jet fuel,
A little question I just filled a can up with diesel for my heater but I realised after it had about 300ml of of fuel I put almost 2 gallon of diesel in with it Do you think it would be ok to use the fuel in the heater??
When you say ‘fuel’ what fuel do you mean?
K1 in the USA is a lot more expensive than stinky diesel. It's a better, more refined product. There's no reason it wouldn't work in that heater. Any unit that runs on diesel will prefer the better alternative Kerosene. The only reason they say "diesel" heater is because diesel is the cheapest crap you can get. Very odd that it costs more abroad.
Q : I have about 250 litres of agricultural diesel and about 40 litres of parafin.
Can I mix the whole lot together before use and advantages?
Thanks
I presume the agricultural diesel is the same as road but taxed differently and therefore possibly dyed to indicate as such? Dont take my word as gospel but i would just mix the lot up and stick it throught the heater.
@@njrmodelling Yes been running on 50 50 mix for 2 years for better lubrication but now going heating oil only
I've returned four of these heaters on eBay as they were refusing to restart after running on kerosene. A black smoky liquid was gathering in the air inlet pipe. After 5-7 days of constant running the flames got extinguished and I couldn't restart them. I have C1 (Premium) kerosene. I have no idea what I was doing wrong. I'm now on zibro which is a bit smelly and leaves moisture behind of course. :(
Did you have the exhausts running a bit up hill maybe Just an Idea
@@michaelllewellyn7215 no, actually on a slope. Kerosene leaves a smoky residue and I think that kills those heaters
kerosene has energy density 4 times higher than dynamite so yeah i bet youl get more heat output!
Kerosene is of course formulated for burning domestic, who knows what additives are in diesel.
A very good point
@@michaelllewellyn7215 Run the one at work on jet fuel, but doesn't get as hot. So far of 3 heaters, one burnt out, i accidentally switched off power on cool down. Another the pump won't run, tried 2 pumps.
What bits 'n' pieces did you use to make that 25L tank - some kind of gland nut for the pipe through the lid - size etc. please? and what kind of filter at th e end please?
The fittings came from a model aircraft supplier here in uk (search for IAD Model Designs) and in the tank there is a length of Tygon tubing with a felt filter on the end, nothing fancy
Which sort of kerosene was it? As I presume it was the one with the higher sulphur content? But aviation was mentioned earlier with the jet reference so bit confused.
To be perfectly honest I don’t know what type it is, it is just sold as Kerosene. They also sell ‘gas oil’ which is a different name for red diesel here in the uk.
@@njrmodelling I am sure it is probably the one people use for home heating, which I believe is classified as C2, the higher sulphur content which is meant to be good as a lubricant for the diesel heaters and of course you wont have the coke problem from the diesel either.
I am also in the UK and looking into getting a camper van but I can see trying to get hold of kerosene is going to be a problem as when I google it it's all delivered and someone mentioned the government introduced a minimum spend orders of 300ltres! Will have to figure out a way around this but appreciate your video and trouble you went to, thank you.
Jet reference Is a brand of garage like Shell or bp
can u post a link wher to buy the lid u use for the fuel drum
It’s the one that come fitted to them. There will be a vid going up soon explaining how I did it.
ok perfect I use the tank it come with but want to upgrade to the big drum save me transferring it
Does the heat from kerosene have that smell ?
The heat itself no. The exhaust does a little bit nothing to worry about
@@njrmodelling Great, I keep K-1 on hand for a wick type kerosene heat and nice to know if diesel fuel was not available
There should be more energy in diesel than kerosene.. so more BTUs in diesel..
Is the heater still going good on the kerosene
It certainly is! The only down side is the amount of keep I’m going through! It’s no fault of the heater, we have had it in a lot more than really needed due to the temps outside
I got one just to keep the chill off inside my transit . And thanks to you I can put kerosene in it would you recommend using diesel first or just put the kerosene straight in . Thank you for you reply
@@billhoggy4461 I can’t recommend putting kero straight in from new as I didn’t and haven’t done it. It wouldn’t hurt to put a tank of diesel in first, get it fired up and sorted and then swap to kero
fuel pump requires constant lubrication and kero is too dry.
28 second kerosene central heating oil is not dry and causes zero lubricity issues with these heater pumps. The same 28 second kerosene also has plenty of lubricity to keep gear type pressure pumps working reliably in oil fired central heating boilers.....it is not a reliability problem at all.
@@howardosborne8647 I have been running on a 5050 mix of heating oil and pump diesel for 2 years due to the story of too dry for the pump Now have been running on heating oil only but a drop of 2 stroke oil but no one seems to know how much 100 to 1 maybe ? was my thinking
But will now run with heating oil 28 second kerosene with no extra oil as reports seem to say not a problem Yes heating oil always seemed like a good lubricant to me Thanks for reports
Current uk prices January 2024
Heating oil,kerosene 64.5p diesel £1.45 per litre
I think that is also dependent on where you are in the country. 10 days ago I paid 99p ltr for kerosene
@@njrmodelling we have oil heating, tank is 1100 litres, just put in 675. Was 14p/L when we moved in in 2002😮
nobody running a chinese diesel heater has a 1100 litre storage tank. 95% of people either need it in 5 gallon drums or be able to fill their own 5 gallon drums from a fuel bunker site, and the ppl will be nearly double.
I live in the U.S.A (state of Maine) we have a heating oil called #2 heating oil, i wonder if thats the same as your red diesel (it is dyed red) here its only used in heating furnaces. anyone know if thats the same stuff? been thinking of running my china diesel heater on #2 heating oil..
It does sound like your #2 oil is the same or similar to our red diesel. Our red is the same as road vehicle diesel but dyed red as it’s taxed differently for non road vehicles and therefore cheaper. I think I would do an experiment with #2 and mix a small quantity of it 50/50 with normal diesel and see how the heater works on it
sounds right, our #2 heating oil is not taxed (as all heating fuels here are tax exempt k-1, propane, firewood) My primary furnace runs on #2 and i was thinking of plumbing my diesel heater into my 275gallon oil tank. i will do as you say and test it, maybe make a video as i haven't found anyone running one on heating oil yet. here heating oil is $3.89 per gallon while kerosene is $4.91 diesel is $4.38, so it would be the cheapest fuel for me if it works. thanks for the help.
@@njrmodelling
Kerosene is considered a number one diesel pump gas is considered number two it is a type of diesel you have to add lubricant for your pump it is considered dryer
here kerosine is $20 a gallon
Can it run on jetA fuel?
I can’t see any reason why not, but I haven’t tried it
It burns hotter and they say it burns up the plug in heater and don't lube parts up ,just and some old engine oil in kerosene
Which is all an 'old wives tale' Kerosene central heating oil runs just fine in these small diesel heaters without any negative effects.
Kerosene is 28 second fuel, diesel is 35 second fuel. There is more btu's in diesel.
k1 kerosene runs a little cleaner.
If there's any concern on which fuel do a 50/50 mix. So far mines been fine on both 🤞👍
Yes been on a 50 50 mix for 2 years all very good exhaust pipe very clean but going to try heating oil only now
Mine personally won't run on kerosene and it took me an entire day to figure out why. 🤦
Kerosene is too thin. The self priming pump gets confused and starts pumping air into the line. Diesel bleeds properly.
Hi, I believe you have a small air leak at or before your pump, exaggerated by the lower viscosity of kero, kero cannot produce air, so its being drawn in at a connection or pump itself.
Or the pump is close being “brown bread”😊
@@MrSlugbait Yes
It's a simple "yes or no question". Will it run on kerosene ?
Y not red diesel
You can run it on kerosene but I would not suggest it they're DIESEL heaters are supposed to run on diesel, kerosene has no lubricity to it to keep the pump lubricated that's why you have to run diesel, kerosene has none to it. And I think the kerosene runs hotter than diesel so you would risk burning it up and burning out your pump
none of the things you raise about using 28 second central heating oil (kerosene) in these heaters is ever an issue.
A friend and myself have five of these heaters between us and run many hundreds of hours on both kerosene and red diesel with no problems caused by running kerosene.
@@howardosborne8647 I don't know all I ever heard was not to run kerosene through home because there's no lubricity in it and you'll burn the pumps out and the heater will run hotter
These pumps don't require extra lubricant as they are not rotary pumps, they are pulsed types. They will run for thousands of hours whether they run on diesel or kerosene.
@@trev8932 that's what I heard that kerosene was bad, I ran kerosene through mine in the beginning and I got extra hotter heat out of it. I guess you can't believe everything you hear on the internet is true
@@howardosborne8647 OK thanks going from 50 50 to heating oil only as no one seems to have ever had a problem it seems
Kerosene is twice the price of diesel in the us
Is that the same product as we call kerosene in the UK? I have read in several places that kerosene in the US is what we would call paraffin.
Just out of interest, how long does a 25l drum last you if it’s on all the time?
Hard to say really as I’ve never done it but I have just finished one and it’s lasted about 3.5 weeks of near daily used but not over night
@@njrmodelling Good info as the standard tank runs for about 2 days max
Kerosene is same as diesel, it just has a dye in it so you can tell them apart. They make kerosene to be a bit cheaper because its for heating .
No not quite the same I seem to remember Heating oil is 28 sec and Diesel is 32 sec a bit more oily
Hi Nick, please do not take this as a criticism. Your channel is about modelling, when a vid is on a model project you spend more time explaining what you are going to do, than do it. This vid again was very in depth but no actual action, say regards the tank mod. Show more doing than talking.
Thanks for the feedback, it is all appreciated. This particular video was basically to answer the simple question of can these heaters run on Kerosene and the answer is yes. I made the vid as previously i didnt know the answer to this question and had to try it out for myself.
It is very hard to know what the bulk of people want to see in content but i thought this would be of benefit to those with model workshops that need heated for as cheaply as possible.
Well done,that man. I agree 100% and you was not rude. This is a great channel ,Nick knows his stuff for sure. The channel would be even better if more building was covered OR shown.I realise editing etc can be a issue though. i have not sub`d yet because of the lack of build content. i visit now and again only. Bayona`s rc,mark robinson ,cliff harvey etc.
Gary, as above, thanks for the feedback. The channel was initially meant to be a 'This is how i do it' channel but has evolved and became a 'film what you think others might benefit from wether is be directly related to modelling or not' channel. by that i mean not everything will be a build, review or flying vid but in some way will be related. in this case its to do with heating my workshop.
In defense of this video and the critique... I would say that more model building enthusiasts working in garages and workshops etc can benefit from this heating / fuelling solution.
All relevant, even a video on choice of teabags imho...
Can a chinese diesel heater run on Kerosene. - Yes. Yes it can. I do it already. Still nothing like a 9 minute video to waste your life on ! - incidentally.. if you have an old diesel (with a bosche pump ) then yes.. you can put it in your car if you were so inclined.
it would run more reliably than diesel. kerosene and diesel are pretty much the same minus the additives in the diesel. want even better results? run it on jet fuel
I used to have a great source for Jet-A but not anymore
Kerosene is fine in these Chinese diesel heaters