Refleks heater: installation tips?

[Kelpie]

I've come into posession of an old Refleks heater. I had a knackered one before, this one is slightly better condition and I have been able to light it and have it running at home.

Question 1- how long should it take to go out after I turn the regulator to 'stop'? I didn't time it but it seemed to keep going for an absolute age. Half an hour at least.

Question 2- is it worth installing a fire safety valve? The new models seem to have this as standard, and one designed for central heating is only £30. Whereabouts should I position the valve and the sensor for best results?

Thanks

 

[PTB]

My refleks circa 1976 ran excellently for 40 years without a flame failure device. However, it did worry me and I never left the boat with the heater running and no one on board. I'd have a go at retrofitting one but not sure where to fit the sensor I'm afraid.
Ref question 1, it depends from what setting you are turning it off from as the amount of diesel in the combustion chamber will vary. With mine on low it then took about 10 mins to go out completely.
Phil

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks for the reply. I was running it on high so maybe that's the problem. The seller had said there was a problem getting it to light, and that he had had sent the regulator away for servicing recently, so I'm sort of expecting problems with it! I wasn't expecting problems with getting it to go *out* though.

Another 'peace of mind' modification that I was thinking about was a flame failure device. I presume that if a gust of wind blows out the fire, the diesel will keep dripping through into the burner pot and at the least make a big mess, at worst spill out into the bilges. Flame failure is completely standard on modern gas appliances so I wonder if such a device could be made to fit. Or perhaps it would be easier to arrange for a container to catch any overflow?

 

[NormanB]

Contact the manufacturer - they are apparently very helpful.

Have a look at Madz on Sail Life - https://youtu.be/U_DeyphzhBs. Here he describes the trouble he had setting his new Reflexs to work and the help he got from the manufacturer.

 

[PTB]

Thanks for the reply. I was running it on high so maybe that's the problem. The seller had said there was a problem getting it to light, and that he had had sent the regulator away for servicing recently, so I'm sort of expecting problems with it! I wasn't expecting problems with getting it to go *out* though.

Another 'peace of mind' modification that I was thinking about was a flame failure device. I presume that if a gust of wind blows out the fire, the diesel will keep dripping through into the burner pot and at the least make a big mess, at worst spill out into the bilges. Flame failure is completely standard on modern gas appliances so I wonder if such a device could be made to fit. Or perhaps it would be easier to arrange for a container to catch any overflow?

My heater has an overflow pipe on it that runs to a 1 litre plastic overflow bottle under the heater ... having said that it never overflowed. If a gust of wind were to put the flame out it is awful, as the diesel drips onto a hot plate without igniting and produces acrid fumes for a while. I know this because I ran it once without a proper chimney and it blew out ! Never happened with chimney on though even in strong winds,. So a flame failure device would be a good idea or don't leave unattended in gusty conditions. As someone has commented. the manufacturers are really helpful as well. P

 

[oldvarnish]

Contact the manufacturer - they are apparently very helpful.

Yes, v helpful. My Refleks was very tricky to light but a 60 quid service sorted the regulator and no problems since.

By the way, it takes about a minute to go out,

One snag - they don't take credit cards and you have to do an expensive bank transfer.

 

[BabaYaga]

Flame failure is completely standard on modern gas appliances so I wonder if such a device could be made to fit. Or perhaps it would be easier to arrange for a container to catch any overflow?

If the flame goes out the regulator will cut the oil flow, so a flame failure device is not necessary. The safety device often fitted is an over-heat shut off device. I believe some regulators already have these, or else they could be installed in the fuel line, before the regulator.
I also believe that regulators for seagoing applications have an overflow pipe at the bottom, this should be connected by hose to a container.

 

[GHA]

Question 1- same as another poster - about 10 minutes maybe, but ages if I use the cut off valve before the regulator.
Question 2- mine will just fill the burner pot up maybe in inch with diesel which will need to be removed before next lighting obviously. ISTR the heater needs to be installed in a drip tray anyway. Sometimes with the wind in a certain direction and the dinghy stowed just in front of the chimney it would blow back a bit, smelly.

Top tip, a small computer fan installed on the air intake helps get a lovely blue flame without the chimney extension on deck. Mine runs for weeks non stop at a time, CO gas alarm will get set off by a gas soldering iron but never shows above zero with just the fire on.


Handy link..
http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=51727..

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks all. I think I will check the operation of the regulator today as it doesn't appear to be actually shutting off the fuel supply.

 

[Kelpie]

Have had anothe look at it today. I think perhaps it is the burner pot at fault. It burns quite yellow and then after shutoff the regulator does not appear to be letting any more fuel through, but my theory is that inadequate oxygen in the burner pot is allowing fuel to accumulate and this slowly burns away. Does that sound plausible?

 

[GHA]

Have had anothe look at it today. I think perhaps it is the burner pot at fault. It burns quite yellow and then after shutoff the regulator does not appear to be letting any more fuel through, but my theory is that inadequate oxygen in the burner pot is allowing fuel to accumulate and this slowly burns away. Does that sound plausible?

Maybe. What length is the flue? And what model refleks?
On mine you need a good long flue to get enough draw for it to burn clean, which the computer fan helps with.

 

[Kelpie]

Interesting. It's a 66. At the moment it's stood outside my shed, in -1 conditions, with just a metre long length of flue stuck on the top. Once installed in the boat it will have considerably more flue than that and hopefully higher ambient temperatures too.

 

[NormanB]

The work and checks detailed in post #8 above would be well worth following on your old Reflex.