Smokey Heating

[rwoofer]

I have just finished installing my heating (took 3 full weekends - mainly because the instructions kept missing out very important details). After bleeding the diesel fuel, fired it up and hey presto, hot air.

I went outside to check the exhaust and could feel the hot exhaust on my hand, so that seemed to be be working OK. I then opened the lazerette and a huge smoke cloud billowed out of the lazerette. I checked for exhaust leaks and couldn't find anything (the exhaust simply passes through the lazerette). The exhaust is well lagged and not touching anything. The heater is located under a rear berth and that seemed smoke free, so can't figure out where the smoke is coming from.

Has anyone else experienced clouds of smoke? Is it something that happens initially and then settles down. Could the fact that the wind was blowing directly up the chuff been a factor?

Any ideas gratefully received for investigation.

RB

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[petery]

When I installed my Eberspacher, I led the plastic fuel pipe too close to the start of the exhaust ; it melted - the diesel sprayed on the hot exhaust and made smoke!

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[John_Clarke]

What important details?

I am just about to install an Airtronic D4 and would appreciate any tips you can give.

Re smoke, I have read that there is an oil on the outside of the exhaust which has to burn off. I thought that this just created a smell but perhaps it can smoke as well at first.

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[Heckler]

its machine oil burning off the air and exhaust tubing, did it on mine as well, crapped myself same as you did but thats all it was, check that you havent got a petery prob just in case but i think you will find out it is ok
stu

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.beneteau-owners-association.org.uk

 

[StugeronSteve]

What have you insulated the exhaust with?

My company insulates industrial and marine exhaust systems and supplies insulated covers to engine manufacturers that find there way all over the world. It is not unusual to get a call from an end user, way down the supply chain, suggesting that an insulation jacket has caught fire, as most high temperature fibrous materials are manufactured with a resin binder that smokes when first exposed to heat.

Of course if the material you have used is unsuitable there is a combustion risk. If you are concerned drop me a pm and I'll have a look at what you have used.

Steve.

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[Martin_e]

When I installed my D4 and started it up for the first time, there was a lot of frantic checking to see where the smoke was comming from and what I had done wrong. Nothing wrong just oil and grease etc from the manufacturing burning off.

One thing to note though it did pong a bit. After a while (a few two hour cycles) that too stopped, Untill. One day I wanted to run the heater at full chatt (-15 outside) and then the pong came back. It went away by the time I had come back from the pub. So my advice is fire it up check that all is ok and then run a couple of 2 hour cycles at full chatt with hatches open.

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[ccscott49]

Normal on a new instalation, insulation drying out and burning off any manufacturing oil etc.

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[robbieg]

Re: What important details?

Just fitted one. A few thoughts:
1. Dead right about the smell-took me 10-20 hrs of running to get rid of it.
2. Takes longer than a couple of days-at least if your working single handed-took me about 6 days.
3. If your happy to drill your diesel tank to fit a new standpipe etc fine. If not think about taking a second lead off your CAV filter (assuming you have one).
4. Need to think carefully about where to fit the heater bearing in mind electric run/postioning of pump & length of diesel supply. Make sure you read the instructions for the pump since there is certain criteria you have to meet when fitting it which can influence where you put the heater.
5. Easy to make mistakes with the ducting/outlets again prep. does pay dividends.
6. The ducting does get very hot. Think about insulation. Espacher don't do any as far as I'm aware but Webasco do which you can adapt but its v. expensive for what it is in my opinion. I used hot water cylinder insulation which seem to work well-about £16 all in for my system.

Hope the above is of help.

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[rwoofer]

Re: What important details?

The best tip I can give is preparation. It took me a few weekends with calls to a very helpful chap called Brain Kaye from BK Marine to figure the best place to put everything. Even then I had to revise plans because of hidden bulkheads etc.

The instructions that I got with the heater weren't good so I was very dependant on Brian, but since he doesn't work weekends and I can only work weekends it was a little awkward. Most of the issues we due to items in the kit that I couldn't figure out what they were for, because they weren't even mentioned.

PM me if you have a specific questions.

RB

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