Converted my Eberspacher to Kerosene today

superheat6k

superheat6k

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Following advice on threads and apparently as suggested by Espar in the US, I have converted my Eberspacher D4 to kerosene (aka Paraffin). Simple job, and should keep the thing from coking up.

I understand at high load the D4 burns around 0.25 litres /hr, so the 5 litre fuel container I have used should burn for around 20 hours, easily enough to cover a weekend's intermittent use.

Used some 10mm OD braided clear tube, with a 5mm ID which slipped straight over the ticky pump inlet, then routed this to the fuel container, via a snug hole drilled in the filler cap, with a tiny notch to allow air in as fuel is drawn off.

Priming took several fault resets, and it would be useful if Eber had a priming mode to allow the pump to draw the air up on first use or from an empty tank. Any tips for this - kerosene doesn't taste that nice. Don't ask how I know this !

Once I got it primed it ran beautifully, and I am sure it was quieter than before. I have kept the original diesel supply plugged off nearby so if I run out of kerosene I can easily put it back on diesel.
 
superheat6k said:
I understand at high load the D4 burns around 0.25 litres /hr, so the 5 litre fuel container I have used should burn for around 20 hours, easily enough to cover a weekend's intermittent use.
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I found our D4 used rather more than that last w/e when I did the same thing! Manufacturer says 0.51L per hour on high output.

But I do have a solution to the "paraffin doesnt taste very nice" issue. Fit an outboard fuel line (the sort with a priming bulb ) between the container and the pump. The pump primed second go! [smug smiley]
 
I think that if you connect the feed pipe to the pump with the paraffin running out the pipe,that pipe will have little or no air in it.

Then turn on the power to the pump so fuel runs from the pipe to the heater.

Then hook this one up to the heater.

Then clean up the spilt paraffin.............................
 
macnorton said:
Or fit a change over valve?
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I thought about a changeover valve, but the pump is rubber mounted and the feed tubes are flexible plastic, so I wanted to keep the weight down. A simple 30 sec job to swap the feeds over, so not that big a deal.

I have ordered a priming bulb with 6mm tails from ebay. That should do the trick when I need to refill. I have two identical fuel containers, so its just a case of swapping the pickup in the filler cap over, the priming bulb should keep the fuel line above up to the ticky pump full.
 
Regarding priming, I did mine by disconnecting the live feed for the pump from the loom and "tapped" the wires across the battery to run the pump whilst bypassing the ecu.
Agree that they need a priming mode, it always seems to trip out on the third attempt just as the fuel reaches the burner, most frustrating!
 
Is it wise to run the Eber continuously on paraffin? I thought it should be used only for a short period to burn off carbon as it runs much hotter.
 
LionsDen said:
Will this invalidate your insurance btw :confused:
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Not thought about this, but on what grounds would it. The fuel source is an oil of broadly similar flammability to diesel, and there is also spare engine and gearbox oil stored nearby too. No restrictions on what oils I have in my engine bay.

The Insurers have never asked if I have Eber heating, not placed any form of restriction on this aspect.
 
theoldsalt said:
Is it wise to run the Eber continuously on paraffin? I thought it should be used only for a short period to burn off carbon as it runs much hotter.
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I suppose you could turn this one around and ask if it is wise to run it on diesel, after all serious coking up is a common fault. Perhaps not so much running hotter, as running at a temperature where complete combustion occurs, which may not be the case with diesel. If the thing gets too hot it will cut out. So far and obviously I have only a few hours observations, it is quieter and the exhaust smells sweeter. The specific unit is two years old now and has around 50 hours or so, but I haven't inspected the internals for carbon build up.
 
LionsDen said:
Hi Superheat - Just wondered as they are not sold as paraffin heaters :D
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I guess they are intended primarily to use the main available fuel. I read the Espar article saying Kerosene was good for cleaning the unit. Paraffin per se is not longer available, and buying a small quantity of kerosene was not that easy. I understand they don't like mucky bio-diesel, so I wonder how truck mounted units will fare, bearing in mind these are primarily intended to be a vehicle heater.

I will report back here any problems that arise.

I have also found this site referring to use of kerosene as being a major advantage - seems to say it all.

http://letonkinoisvarnish.co.uk/Eberspacher_Fuel_1.html
 
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GHA said:
Interesting, my refleks should run fine on kerosene , but where can you fill up a couple of 20l cans in Kent?
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Most heating oil suppliers will supply it (28 second heating oil), but they may want to supply 500. Yellow Pages I suppose. I got mine through our firm's industrial lubricants supplier. 20 lt was about £18 so cheaper than diesel at 60/40.
 
superheat6k said:
I guess they are intended primarily to use the main available fuel. I read the Espar article saying Kerosene was good for cleaning the unit. Paraffin per se is not longer available, and buying a small quantity of kerosene was not that easy. I understand they don't like mucky bio-diesel, so I wonder how truck mounted units will fare, bearing in mind these are primarily intended to be a vehicle heater.

I will report back here any problems that arise.

I have also found this site referring to use of kerosene as being a major advantage - seems to say it all.

http://letonkinoisvarnish.co.uk/Eberspacher_Fuel_1.html
Click to expand...


Interesting article btw :encouragement:
 
Running on paraffin has been shown to have no detrimental, or particular major benefit come to that when compared against ULSD on a properly set up heater of the likes of the old technology like Ebers and the pre EVO Webastos AT3500 & AT5000), though I would be wary of putting it through an Evo due to the high boost feature and very sensitive overheat sensor. Certainly it should never be used in Wallas diesel heaters at any time. The Espar dealer advice was a bit clutching at straws to reduce warranty costs on heaters used with poor diesel and only worked on light sooting with any consistency, also was never recommended by Germany or UK. Set a heater up correctly, give it clean low sulphur fuel and an occasional service and you should have few problems. If the thing is running rich it will coke up, I know I bang on about it but setting the burn rate is important, hands up anybody that has it checked at least?
 
Although we only use it maybe 15/20 times a year, we have an Ebay bought DL1 that has been running on paraffin for the last 9 seasons. I've never done any maintenance work on it using the principle that if it ain't bust don't fix it. I normally try to remember to start it up at least once a month throughout the year. It just keeps working so paraffin is obviously not a bad thing.
 
David2452 said:
Running on paraffin has been shown to have no detrimental, or particular major benefit come to that when compared against ULSD on a properly set up heater of the likes of the old technology like Ebers and the pre EVO Webastos AT3500 & AT5000), though I would be wary of putting it through an Evo due to the high boost feature and very sensitive overheat sensor. Certainly it should never be used in Wallas diesel heaters at any time. The Espar dealer advice was a bit clutching at straws to reduce warranty costs on heaters used with poor diesel and only worked on light sooting with any consistency, also was never recommended by Germany or UK. Set a heater up correctly, give it clean low sulphur fuel and an occasional service and you should have few problems. If the thing is running rich it will coke up, I know I bang on about it but setting the burn rate is important, hands up anybody that has it checked at least?
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What exactly do you mean by "setting the burn rate"? Mine is an Airtronic D4 Plus. All I do is press the button to switch it on, and set the desired temperature. What else should I be doing?
 
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