Eberspacher and paraffin

[lpdsn]

Not similar at all. I have asked Owen and he tells me it is a definite NO. Planar heaters run a lot hotter than the others and will be damaged by running on kerosene/paraffin. But thanks to this temperature difference they do not soot up like the others, so there is no benefit in trying.

Is that because there's not enough energy in the Kero and they run too cold?

 

[vyv_cox]

Is that because there's not enough energy in the Kero and they run too cold?

I don't know. I would have thought the thermal energy in kerosene and diesel is pretty similar. I am guessing it is because of the viscosity, which would cause more kero to pass through the burner nozzle. I only know that Owen asked on a training course and was told it was a good way to wreck the unit.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I don't know. I would have thought the thermal energy in kerosene and diesel is pretty similar. I am guessing it is because of the viscosity, which would cause more kero to pass through the burner nozzle. I only know that Owen asked on a training course and was told it was a good way to wreck the unit.

Heat of combustion: diesel 45 MJ/kg, paraffin 42 MJ/kg.

When I installed a replacement heater unit (D1LC to D2) I asked the supplier if I could run it on paraffin. They didn't know, so they asked Eberspacher UK. They didn't know, so they asked Eberspacher Germany. They said fine, but heat output will be slightly reduced. I run it on paraffin. Heat output is slightly reduced. Otherwise it's fine.

The old D1LC manual said paraffin was fine; the D2 manual does not say either way. Eberspacher Germany said hardly anyone wants to run it on paraffin, so they took it out of the manual.

 

[earlybird]

The 4L containers are usually "Premium Paraffin" complying with a different BS from the ordinary stuff. It should be used where heating appliances exhaust into living spaces. Not like the old times!
Wallas specify it as giving longer between service intervals in my 1800 heater.
My cheapest source is a local gardening supplies yard. The local hardware shop stopped selling loose paraffin when Weights & Measures bore down. Otherwise I sometimes raid a relative's heating oil tank.

 

[NormanS]

I don't know. I would have thought the thermal energy in kerosene and diesel is pretty similar. I am guessing it is because of the viscosity, which would cause more kero to pass through the burner nozzle. I only know that Owen asked on a training course and was told it was a good way to wreck the unit.

I would have thought that the amount of fuel passing through the burning nozzle would be entirely determined by the pump.

 

[Kelpie]

I would have thought that the amount of fuel passing through the burning nozzle would be entirely determined by the pump.

Try it with bunker oil and let us know how you get on.

 

[Heckler]

Heat of combustion: diesel 45 MJ/kg, paraffin 42 MJ/kg.

When I installed a replacement heater unit (D1LC to D2) I asked the supplier if I could run it on paraffin. They didn't know, so they asked Eberspacher UK. They didn't know, so they asked Eberspacher Germany. They said fine, but heat output will be slightly reduced. I run it on paraffin. Heat output is slightly reduced. Otherwise it's fine.

The old D1LC manual said paraffin was fine; the D2 manual does not say either way. Eberspacher Germany said hardly anyone wants to run it on paraffin, so they took it out of the manual.

If we accept that diesel is 35 sec and heating oil/kerosene is 28 sec then the diesel will give more bang for it's buck, its denser, therefore I would expect that the diesel fuel will run hotter. Its one of the reasons that diesel engines are more efficient than petrol. Petrol is lighter again and its also a reason why gas powered cars do less mpg than petrol engined ones.
Stu

 

[NormanS]

Try it with bunker oil and let us know how you get on.

Yes, but we're not dealing with bunker oil.

The Eberspacher pump is a pulsing pump (read ram), so the volume delivered is determined by the diameter and stroke and rate of pulsing. These heaters usually have 3 or 4 heat settings, and the amount of fuel delivered, and the associated fan speeds are set by by the ECU.

 

[elton]

I ran my (2nd hand) Eberspacher on paraffin when I first fitted it. It "surged" continuously, but I wasn't concerned because I'd heard it would clean it. Subsequently I ran it on diesel, and it was fine. But I then anchored in Runswick Bay for a couple of nights. All was well for a few hours, 'til it flattened my battery It was a new battery, and I wasn't prepared to risk flattening my engine start battery, so I was left freezing for the next two nights. On the way back to Hartlepool my boat went down along with my heater, so that was that. I got a new boat, but I wouldn't bother with another Eberspacher.

 

[NormanS]

I ran my (2nd hand) Eberspacher on paraffin when I first fitted it. It "surged" continuously, but I wasn't concerned because I'd heard it would clean it. Subsequently I ran it on diesel, and it was fine. But I then anchored in Runswick Bay for a couple of nights. All was well for a few hours, 'til it flattened my battery It was a new battery, and I wasn't prepared to risk flattening my engine start battery, so I was left freezing for the next two nights. On the way back to Hartlepool my boat went down along with my heater, so that was that. I got a new boat, but I wouldn't bother with another Eberspacher.

I think you may have had some other underlying problems!

 

[Plum]

Heat of combustion: diesel 45 MJ/kg, paraffin 42 MJ/kg.

When I installed a replacement heater unit (D1LC to D2) I asked the supplier if I could run it on paraffin. They didn't know, so they asked Eberspacher UK. They didn't know, so they asked Eberspacher Germany. They said fine, but heat output will be slightly reduced. I run it on paraffin. Heat output is slightly reduced. Otherwise it's fine.

The old D1LC manual said paraffin was fine; the D2 manual does not say either way. Eberspacher Germany said hardly anyone wants to run it on paraffin, so they took it out of the manual.

I just looked up the gross calorific value of Paraffin as 46 MJ/kg but even so, its obviously not the burning temperature that is resulting in people saying paraffin gets rid of a buildup of combustion deposits from diesel

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[lpdsn]

I just looked up the gross calorific value of Paraffin as 46 MJ/kg but even so, its obviously not the burning temperature that is resulting in people saying paraffin gets rid of a buildup of combustion deposits from diesel

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

I think the idea is that the shorter hydrocarbons in Kero leave more Oxygen to burn off the Carbon deposits. Diesel is more likely to deposit excess Carbon when it is not fully combusted.