Ardic Diesel Heater not working, please help!

[D&T]

Ardic Diesel Heater - My heater failed to fully start, plenty of smoke ( I assume unburnt fuel), but auto shut down. It did this 3 times and is now locked. Evidently my model 432DL does not have a reset switch and only someone with the special reader and reset the control unit. I am on the East Coast, River Crouch, does anyone know anyone who can service these units? Thank you

 

[penfold]

Ardic were bought by Eberspacher a long time ago and there's no parts support for them; unless you're inclined to tinker it's time to buy a new one.

 

[D&T]

Ardic were bought by Eberspacher a long time ago and there's no parts support for them; unless you're inclined to tinker it's time to buy a new one.

There is a company in Plymouth that services them and has spare parts, but I was hoping there was someone more local who could visit my boat. I may well look at buying a new modern system, but again a fairly local company would be good for advise/recommendations and installation.

 

[Caladh]

There is a company in Plymouth that services them and has spare parts, but I was hoping there was someone more local who could visit my boat. I may well look at buying a new modern system, but again a fairly local company would be good for advise/recommendations and installation.

I had. Similar problem with an Ardic. Sent to Plymouth and repaired but tbh the heater was crap and well passed it’s useful life. It would have had a problem heating a cupboard. I bit the bullet and invested in a Webasto - and have been extremely satisfied with it. Yes - I know you can go Chinese or Russian as well, I wouldn’t touch the other well known make with a bp.

 

[longjohnsilver]

I had exactly the same problem with an Ardic on a previous boat. The advice I was given was to dump the whole unit overboard!
I replaced it with a Mikuni which was excellent. On our current boat we have a Webasto. In 14 years we have never had to touch the unit, it just works.

 

[laika]

As mentioned you can send it to espar in Plymouth (or could 10 years ago). It's not as onerous as you may think to disconnect it and wrap it in bubble wrap. Iirc it's just disconnect the wiring plug, take off heat pipe, exhaust and fuel and unscrew from whatever the unit is attached to. I'm hardly mr. diy but it was no big deal.

The issue for me with replacing the heater was that the new ebers/webastos need wider ducting which would necessitate considerable surgery on the interior.

 

[oldgit]

The cost to sending that ARDIC off and the repair is likely to be more than 2 new Chinaspatchers .
Basically you will have a repaired device supported by 40 year old bits.
When my Ardic proved so unreliable i replaced it with a secondhand Ebberspatcher, when that failed and an estimated bill for £220 pounds was on the horizon, purchased and fitted a Russian version.
Just required metre of pipe and an Ebay sourced reducer to connect new heater to existing piping.
It was worth the money for the silencer alone which came with the heater .
A quiet unobtrusive zephyr instead of a howling roar.
Might still have the old Ardic manual somewhere its written on clay tablet.

 

[D&T]

The cost to sending that ARDIC off and the repair is likely to be more than 2 new Chinaspatchers .
Basically you will have a repaired device supported by 40 year old bits.
When my Ardic proved so unreliable i replaced it with a secondhand Ebberspatcher, when that failed and an estimated bill for £220 pounds was on the horizon, purchased and fitted a Russian version.
Just required metre of pipe and an Ebay sourced reducer to connect new heater to existing piping.
It was worth the money for the silencer alone which came with the heater .
A quiet unobtrusive zephyr instead of a howling roar.
Might still have the old Ardic manual somewhere its written on clay tablet.

A few people have recommended a Chinese/Russian equivalent, I am going to investigate and hopefully the connections will be the same. Thank you (and others) who have replied, very much appreciate all the advise

 

[Oily Rag]

Ardic Diesel Heater - My heater failed to fully start, plenty of smoke ( I assume unburnt fuel), but auto shut down. It did this 3 times and is now locked. Evidently my model 432DL does not have a reset switch and only someone with the special reader and reset the control unit. I am on the East Coast, River Crouch, does anyone know anyone who can service these units? Thank you

Mine has a dedicated fuel tank. I left it full last September and today drained about half a litre of watery emulsion from the bottom of the tank. Even then, it took two attempts to get it running. The first failed after a cloud of white smoke gave away the presence of water still in the fuel. It's steam.

As far as having only three starts, would it be worth disconnecting all electrical connections and connecting to earth?

 

[penfold]

White smoke is unburnt fuel.

 

[Adios]

White smoke is unburnt fuel.

which would happen if its half water mixed with fuel. Its fairly clear when its smoke not steam, the density is much more compared to the look of steam coming from a kettle for an example and it drifts around more.

I had a smoky ardic and the Plymouth guy explained its easy enough to take apart and clean yourself. Mentioned something like one thing needs to be bent while most people drill out a rivet by mistake. I forget, and I parted with the boat before had a chance. Might be worth speaking to him before binning it.

 

[MoodySabre]

I enquired about having my Ardic serviced as it has stopped working. I think it was Espar who were the agents. The basic service cost was ok but they listed the bits that usually needed to be renewed and the total cost was over £400. I didn’t bother. If I really needed a heater off grid then id look at a Planar.

 

[oldgit]

A few people have recommended a Chinese/Russian equivalent, I am going to investigate and hopefully the connections will be the same. Thank you (and others) who have replied, very much appreciate all the advise

Went for the Russian version because it was the only version available at the time.
On our moorings many folks bought Chinaspachers to replace a defunct Eber..Most paid around £100.00
No complaints of any description so far. One skipper bought two ...just in case.
Had my replacement heater about three years so far.
Only one skipper to my knowledge went for a new Eberspacher and that was a professionaly installed unit.

Used the original fuel supply connected to the new pump and connected power to the existing wiring , the heater body fitted directly the the old bracket.
Have 4 outlets on my 35ft boat.
2 half days of work.
The only real faff was running the control unit/thermostat wiring from inside the cabin behind all the woodwork to where the heater was located.
Sold the old Eberspatcher fuel pump on Ebay. Sold for nearly 50% of the cost of an entire chinese heater.

 

[plumbob]

The cost to sending that ARDIC off and the repair is likely to be more than 2 new Chinaspatchers .
Basically you will have a repaired device supported by 40 year old bits.
When my Ardic proved so unreliable i replaced it with a secondhand Ebberspatcher, when that failed and an estimated bill for £220 pounds was on the horizon, purchased and fitted a Russian version.
Just required metre of pipe and an Ebay sourced reducer to connect new heater to existing piping.
It was worth the money for the silencer alone which came with the heater .
A quiet unobtrusive zephyr instead of a howling roar.
Might still have the old Ardic manual somewhere its written on clay tablet.

Didn't realize you had gone the Russian route. Was the electrical connection easy? What about the controls they supply? I'd like to say asking for a friend, but I'm not ?

 

[plumbob]

Overlapping post.

 

[penfold]

Given what they look like they should be called Vladispachers.

 

[D&T]

Mine has a dedicated fuel tank. I left it full last September and today drained about half a litre of watery emulsion from the bottom of the tank. Even then, it took two attempts to get it running. The first failed after a cloud of white smoke gave away the presence of water still in the fuel. It's steam.

As far as having only three starts, would it be worth disconnecting all electrical connections and connecting to earth?

I did try to disconnect from power and reconnect, but it made no difference. I do not have a reset switch on my heater, it has to be factory reset (which is crazy). Not sure what connecting to earth means?

 

[oldgit]

Didn't realize you had gone the Russian route. Was the electrical connection easy? What about the controls they supply? I'd like to say asking for a friend, but I'm not ?

Connecting the existing 12v supply to the heater was the simple bit to supply 12V.
All other connectors are idiot proofed to only connect with the bits they are supposed to go with.

Being rather hard on understanding, got the basic thermostat.

Sold on the remote tank and old tick tick pump on ebay.

Old straight through exhaust pipe was reused.
Connected supplied new pipe from heater to silencer and connected old exhaust pipe from silencer to skin fitting on boat.
Kit also came with an exhaust insulating sleeve.
Autoterm-Planar-Air-Heater-Installation-Instructions_PF_Jones_PFJ-0035-min.pdf

The new eber clones allegedly have brushless motors, more reliable and consume less current. ????

 

[Oily Rag]

I did try to disconnect from power and reconnect, but it made no difference. I do not have a reset switch on my heater, it has to be factory reset (which is crazy). Not sure what connecting to earth means?

I've no ide

I did try to disconnect from power and reconnect, but it made no difference. I do not have a reset switch on my heater, it has to be factory reset (which is crazy). Not sure what connecting to earth means?

I don't know how your cut out circuit works,so I was suggesting that if you disconnect the unit and then short out the various wires on its plug to the one that connects to the battery negative (earth), you might manage to discharge an internal circuit. Perhaps an electronics expert could advise, but is it possible to lock out a circuit for a week, a month, a year.......?

 

[plumbob]

Went for the Russian version because it was the only version available at the time.
On our moorings many folks bought Chinaspachers to replace a defunct Eber..Most paid around £100.00
No complaints of any description so far. One skipper bought two ...just in case.
Had my replacement heater about three years so far.
Only one skipper to my knowledge went for a new Eberspacher and that was a professionaly installed unit.

Used the original fuel supply connected to the new pump and connected power to the existing wiring , the heater body fitted directly the the old bracket.
Have 4 outlets on my 35ft boat.
2 half days of work.
The only real faff was running the control unit/thermostat wiring from inside the cabin behind all the woodwork to where the heater was located.
Sold the old Eberspatcher fuel pump on Ebay. Sold for nearly 50% of the cost of an entire chinese heater.

So I'm getting there. Quick question. The fuel pumps connection are actually 5mm so the only way to join with the existing copper pipe is via proper fuel pipe, not the stuff that comes with the heater, and Jubilee clips. Agreed? Do you have to have BSS on the Mudway?