Parafin/kerosene and eberspachers

[pcatterall]

I believe that kerosene is ok ( some say best) for eberspachers it certainly should be cheaper?
Is anyone using it for their heaters? how much do you have to buy to get it at a good rate?
Is it as cheap as the 'red stuff' ?
Can it run a diesel engine? I seem to recall that TVO ( which I think was just parrafin) was used a lot in tractors and we also used it for our parrafin stoves

 

[Stork_III]

I believe that kerosene is ok ( some say best) for eberspachers it certainly should be cheaper?
Is anyone using it for their heaters? how much do you have to buy to get it at a good rate?
Is it as cheap as the 'red stuff' ?
Can it run a diesel engine? I seem to recall that TVO ( which I think was just parrafin) was used a lot in tractors and we also used it for our parrafin stoves

Kerosene is I believe 28 sec home heating oil, my supplier needs 500 litre minimum, but presumably it can be obtained in smaller quantities. I could drain it off from my home tank, 39p/l in Oct, about 73p/l today.

 

[elton]

I tried it in my Eberspacher and it didn't sound at all happy. It sort of surged every 5 seconds or so. As soon as the tank looked like it had some space, I started topping it up with diesel. Eventually it ran as normal and I didn't try it again.

 

[alan_d]

Kerosene is I believe 28 sec home heating oil, my supplier needs 500 litre minimum, but presumably it can be obtained in smaller quantities. I could drain it off from my home tank, 39p/l in Oct, about 73p/l today.

You can buy paraffin (aka kerosine) for use in greenhouse heaters etc. from B&Q for £6.98 for 4 litres.

 

[rotrax]

I believe that kerosene is ok ( some say best) for eberspachers it certainly should be cheaper?
Is anyone using it for their heaters? how much do you have to buy to get it at a good rate?
Is it as cheap as the 'red stuff' ?
Can it run a diesel engine? I seem to recall that TVO ( which I think was just parrafin) was used a lot in tractors and we also used it for our parrafin stoves

Hi,I know someone who was involved with a NATO project to get diesels to run on kerosene-aircraft engines use it and the idea was to see if normal trucks,jeeps and diesel cars could use it also.The problem was that as a fuel it does not have the same "lubricity" as diesel.This causes premature wear of the injector pump.Power was about 10% down also.The addition of a small amount of lube oil into the fuel-a la pre-mix two stroke-fixed it,but still with reduced power.

 

[alahol2]

I've been running my (second hand) Eber on paraffin since I installed it several years ago. Mainly because I have a separate tank and paraffin is easy to buy in plastic containers. I also use paraffin for the cabin lights. I've never had a problem with the heater and I know the fuel is clean.

 

[Martin_J]

Interesting though that Espar specifically recommend running the Airtronic on Kerosene/Paraffin as a way of decoking the burner chamber...

http://www.espar.com/tech_manuals/Troubleshooting and Tips/Airtronic Flame Tube Carbon Removal.pdf

As an experiment I do plan to run mine on 4 litres of Paraffin and then open the burner chamber to see what it is then like. It will need a day when I can then open the unit and take an 'after' photo to compare with the 'before'. Hopefully in the not too distant future since the 'before' photo was taken a couple of weekends ago.

 

[savageseadog]

Works fine on mine although I mix 50-50 with diesel at times

 

[pcatterall]

Blimey! the before and after ( using kero) pics were interesting ( thanks Martin J I had'nt seen that snippet) looks like all our heaters would benefit from a kero session, at least from time to time.
How they would perform using it long term is another matter.
The guy who passed on the tip to me said he had contacted 'Eberspacher' about fuel and they told him that kero was best.
I guess that I can use it for testing customers heaters as they will benefit from a decoke!!

 

[elton]

This has got me wondering if mine was surging as the carbon build-ups were burning off

 

[Heckler]

I believe that kerosene is ok ( some say best) for eberspachers it certainly should be cheaper?
Is anyone using it for their heaters? how much do you have to buy to get it at a good rate?
Is it as cheap as the 'red stuff' ?
Can it run a diesel engine? I seem to recall that TVO ( which I think was just parrafin) was used a lot in tractors and we also used it for our parrafin stoves

Peter
the prob is that the word kerosene has changed in its meaning, when we were kids it was an americanism for paraffin, nowadays we cant get paraffin as such. The stuff sold for 6.99 a 4 litre jug and marked kerosene is actually 28sec heating oil. Diesel is usually 35sec oil, heating oil is 28sec and paraffin, if you can get it is about 32 sec oil. Our local garage sells "kerosene" for 65 a litre from the pump (it was 35p a litre in the summer) He told me it actually is 28sec heating oil.
Hope that helps
Stu

 

[earlybird]

28 sec. heating oil is to BS2869 C2. The stuff sold in 4 ltr. packs as "Premium Paraffin", (at a premium price), should be to BS2869 C1. This is more highly refined, less smokey, and is suited to lamps and appliances that exhaust into a living space. AFAIK the old, coloured, domestic paraffins were to this standard.
Wallas recommend it for their heaters for giving maximum time between servicing.

 

[Martin_J]

yes.. and running a litre of paraffin though it and then going back to diesel.... we'll never know what it's effect was unless we dismantle at that stage and check.

I have a spare gasket ready and waiting... anyone know where I can get a few spare hours???

BTW - the paraffin sold in Homebase is not labelled as such although I cannot remember what. Will check this evening.

 

[VicS]

the paraffin sold in Homebase is not labelled as such although I cannot remember what. Will check this evening

.

The paraffin I have is "Parasene" " Superwarm Fuel"

The label says it is premium paraffin to BS2869 C1.

The data panel on the label is headed Kerosene.

Not sure if it came from B&Q or Homebase

 

[Martin_J]

VicS - You're right, the 4 litre container I have from Homebase is labelled Parasene.

There is a reference to BS2869 C1 on the side but nothing at all to suggest Kerosene or Paraffin. Staff at the store could not confirm what it was either!

When I find those spare four hours I'll give it a go... I guess the first three hours (burning Parasene at full blast will be the easy bit.. The next hour to remove, split, and put back together again is the 'not so much fun' part. I will keep you updated.

 

[VicS]

As I indicated mine has both paraffin and kerosene on the label.

My technical dictionary defines paraffin as the term for the whole series of aliphatic hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2

That is the series that goes methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, etc etc.
We call them alkanes these days.

For paraffin oil it refers to kerosine

For kerosine it says a petroleum fraction with a boiling range 150 to 300C, spgr 0.78 - 0.82 and a flash point not lower than 32C.

I think traditionally the word paraffin has been used in the UK rather than kerosine ( or kerosene) but from a scientific point of view has, or had least had, a more specific meaning.

Kerosene seems to be the more common spelling although one dictionary says it is the older spelling!

 

[simonfraser]

Wallas also suggest 3 to 5 % iso propyl alcohol to dry the fuel, comments ?

 

[Seajet]

If that Iso propyl is in any way related to the stuff of that name used in 1960's jet fighter starter motors, it's highly volatile and demands great respect dealing with, ie self protective gear...

Incidentally the person mentioning the NATO requirement was right, it's amazing what you can run a jet on ! People think 'jet fuel' must be the apex of combustibility, but in fact like diesel one can throw a lighted match into a pool of it and the match will go out ( still best not to try this at home ).

If kerosene or diesel are suspended in a spray it's a very different matter of course...

 

[VicS]

Wallas also suggest 3 to 5 % iso propyl alcohol to dry the fuel, comments ?

2-propanol
Maybe it will tend to take small quantities of water into solution, rather than allowing it to settle out.

I'd not add it because it is highly flammable ( flash point 12C) It is, as pointed out, volatile.
The flash point is slightly lower than that of ethanol and its boiling point only a few degrees higher. It would be appropriate therefore to store and handle in the same way as meths or any other highly flammable liquid.

 

[Martin_J]

I have just mounted the pump on the top of a 4 litre container of Parasene...

My D4 eberspacher has now been running for an hour on it and I can't tell any difference.. Still need to find that spare hour tomorrow to open the unit up and see if it's cleaned the burner out inside..