Espar Diesel Heater

[skipperdude]

I bought and installed an espar on the boat last weekend and was suprised at how easly the instillation went.

I went with the D4 Right around $2,000.00

Nice little unit.* This weekend I will see how well it does. The weather is perdicted to be around* 0 deg.

SD

 

[JohnP]

RE: Espar diesel heater

How hot do the fittings get where the exhaust exits the boat?* Do these units draw combustion air from outside?* Just wondering.*

 

[skipperdude]

RE: Espar diesel heater

JohnP wrote:

How hot do the fittings get where the exhaust exits the boat?* Do these units draw combustion air from outside?* Just wondering.*

The kit came with a thru hull fitting and a heat resistant tube to go around the exhaust pipe. All you need is 2 inches of clearance.* You can take the combustion air from outside but that means drilling an other hole in the hull or cabin. I have plenty of room where I mounted the unit so I pull the combustion air from inside.

SD

*

 

[JohnP]

RE: Espar diesel heater

Sounds Good,* Let us know how it works. Your in the right place to test it out!

 

[Nomad Willy]

RE: Espar diesel heater

Wabasto's take their intake and exhaust from the same thru-hull. It has an inner tube and an outer sleeve just like the furnace in my house. Skip * *...I sure hope you bought one w a high enough output * * ...I didn't. *At less than 30 degrees my Wabasto runs all the time.But when I get my oil stove installed that should,nt be a problem. In Alaska I want three independent sources of heat. If I was out in an anchorage now at 13 degrees and the Wabasto quit I'd need to run my engine all the time for the bus heater. Not good.
I think there is an advantage to drawing combustion air from inside as it draws the drier air in from outside.

 

[skipperdude]

RE: Espar diesel heater

I looked at and talked to other boaters in the harbor with Espars.
As I also have a Dickenson diesel stove I should have all the heat I need.
When running I have the red dot off the engine and the dry stack runs up thru the head.
Makes for a nice warm place to take a...

SD

 

[albin43]

RE: Espar diesel heater

SD can you caculate how many gal of fuel you use in a 24 hr period and tell me the outside temp and your room temp?

 

[skipperdude]

RE: Espar diesel heater

I'll check it out this weekend when I am on the boat.

SD

 

[Nomad Willy]

RE: Espar diesel heater

Albin 43,As I recall you are a liveaboard and you should know these little diesel furnaces aren't recommended for continuous use. However I've seen them used that way. Look at a Toyo heating oil stove. They're everywhere here in Alaska. Only about $500 too.

 

[albin43]

RE: Espar diesel heater

they are recommended for 400-600 hrs per year max. i had an espar in my boat and removed it, wasnt working anyways. I installed a boiler (burnham) and it works well, im just wondering what type of fuel the espar uses so i could compare it to my boiler.

 

[Conrad]

RE: Espar diesel heater

Our Espar uses diesel, although the previous owner used kerosene; no changes required to switch between the fuels.

 

[FF]

RE: Espar diesel heater

I used to sell the Espar units (1970) and have a few simple mods if required.

In those days the hassle was starting the units was done with a glow plug .

Is there a modern ignition or still the same old glow plug?

 

[skipperdude]

RE: Espar diesel heater

FF** They do have something new it is called a glow pin.

I tested it out this weekend.

When I got to the boat it was -3 deg bolow zero the wind was at a steady 20 knt with gusts to 50. or -38 deg below zero with the wind chill factored in.

I fired it up and in about a half hour I could take off my coat and gloves.I got tired of waiting and fired up the Bristol.
At that temperature it needed a little something xtra to kick it over the top.
I ran it on high the rest of the weekend and burned about 2 gallons of diesel.
With the stove and the Espar both going the boat was nice and warm all weekend long including the V berth which I usually keep closed up.

SD

 

[Phil Fill]

Espar diesel heater

Our Webasto is a 2020 Diesel Boiler 300, 104,000 BTU, 1.1 gallons per hour.* When the weather is in the 20 and 30 F we use 30 to 40 gallons per week or 0.25 gph.* (40/(7X24)).* Fires for about 8 to 10 minutes and off 30 to 40 minutes.* *By increasing the injectors it can be increase to 120,000 BTU. *We burn #2 diesel.*


-- Edited by Phil Fill on Monday 17th of January 2011 05:27:50 PM

 

[FF]

RE: Espar diesel heater

"They do have something new it is called a glow pin."

The early ones had a Bosch coil that would fire it off.

The problem was these are actually built for trucks and buses , 14.3 volts is the expected operating voltage.

Espar use a big external coil to lower the voltage for the 7,5V Bosch glow plug to 6 volts for longer life.

In a boat where 12.8V might be in the batts floating but l , starting the unit at about 20A the voltage drop meant far less , about 4.5 to 5.5 at the glow plug.

Kerosene helped units on thermostats with frequent starting, but the best cure was a set of snips , chopping a resistance coil or two , giving 7 volts to the coil , in actual on board start sequence.