Taylor Bulkhead Diesel Heaters safety?

[DangerousPirate]

I swear I almost burned my boat down because it shoots out flames on the bottom or is the heater just broken?

I was trying to fix the pump (which is not pumping) when suddenly it backfired flames like a car exhaust from winds going down the cowl (yes I fitted one) and burned my cushion underneath it.

Please tell me that's not normal. I'll add a video in a link.

Is there something missing or what? First time I have one of these.

I genuinely thought these heaters are safer than that. Why is there a giant hole on the bottom in the first place.

As soon as I can get it, I'll buy one of the chinese heaters. Selling this one asap. Even without the cushion there, I wouldn't like literal flames shooting in the cabin just because some wind made it through somehow.

 

[fredrussell]

Which “giant hole in the bottom” do you refer to? The hex bolt removed reveals the lighting hole/aperture. Did you put that bolt back in place after lighting?

Put up a pic of the hole on bottom of heater that the flames came out of. These are great (and safe) heaters - I wonder if your burner pot has corroded and that’s the hole you refer to?

 

[DangerousPirate]

Which “giant hole in the bottom” do you refer to? The hex bolt removed reveals the lighting hole/aperture. Did you put that bolt back in place after lighting?

Put up a pic of the hole on bottom of heater that the flames came out of. These are great (and safe) heaters - I wonder if your burner pot has corroded and that’s the hole you refer to?

I will take a pic when I am back aboard, but there is no corrosion and the hole doesn't seem to have a thread, it's on a thin sheet of metal and machinely even. I put my finger in after it had cooled down.

It's not the hex bolt, it's a large hole on the bottom ofcthe unit. You can clearly see the hex bolt in the video, and that it's screwed on.

Maybe something is missing, I hope there is. But I was told everything is in place when I took over the boat with the heater and I looked around and couldn't find any spare parts. Just a manual, which didn't cover this.

Bit scary if it shoots out flames like that.

 

[Plum]

I swear I almost burned my boat down because it shoots out flames on the bottom or is the heater just broken?

I was trying to fix the pump (which is not pumping) when suddenly it backfired flames like a car exhaust from winds going down the cowl (yes I fitted one) and burned my cushion underneath it.

Please tell me that's not normal. I'll add a video in a link.

Is there something missing or what? First time I have one of these.

View attachment 191270
I genuinely thought these heaters are safer than that. Why is there a giant hole on the bottom in the first place.

As soon as I can get it, I'll buy one of the chinese heaters. Selling this one asap. Even without the cushion there, I wouldn't like literal flames shooting in the cabin just because some wind made it through somehow.

Definitely not normal. I have the same heater, also using an electric pump to deliver the diesel, fitted 20 years ago, has never done that and I'm perfectly content to leave it on all night when sleeping. The hole in the underside of the combustion chamber is the air inlet. Either something is wrong with your combustion chamber internals or there is a problem with your flue or your fuel pump is the wrong spec.

 

[DangerousPirate]

Definitely not normal. I have the same heater, also using an electric pump to deliver the diesel, fitted 20 years ago, has never done that and I'm perfectly content to leave it on all night when sleeping. The hole in the underside of the combustion chamber is the air inlet. Either something is wrong with your combustion chamber internals or there is a problem with your flue or your fuel pump is the wrong spec.

The fuel pump is original, besides, it's not working at all currently. Totally dead. This happened during start up. I tried some days back and there was no backwind. It's literally just wind coming down the chute pushing the flames back through... But this ventilation hole is just evil.

If some stray winds do that to your boat, na thanks man. Rather have an diesel air heater before I die in my sleep. Honestly.


Anyway here is the picture of that hole on the undeside

Okay it's more than a thin sheet, felt differently. But therr is o thread. Am I supposed to block this up or something.

What is that supposed to look like?

 

[KevinV]

This may be useful...

https://www.plaisance-pratique.com/IMG/pdf/079D_ownersHandbook.pdf

To my untrained eye it looks like there's way too much fuel going in there - evaporating then exploding in the open air. I've only ever seen these functioning as very gentle beasts, not fire breathing dragons

 

[Plum]

The fuel pump is original, besides, it's not working at all currently. Totally dead. This happened during start up. I tried some days back and there was no backwind. It's literally just wind coming down the chute pushing the flames back through... But this ventilation hole is just evil.

If some stray winds do that to your boat, na thanks man. Rather have an diesel air heater before I die in my sleep. Honestly.


Anyway here is the picture of that hole on the undesideView attachment 191288

Okay it's more than a thin sheet, felt differently. But therr is o thread. Am I supposed to block this up or something.

What is that supposed to look like?

please do not block that air inlet hole, you will end up with incomplete combustion which will result on CO in your cabin which will kill you. What does your flue look like, inside and outside of the cabin? If your pump is not working, how is the diesel getting to the combustion chamber?

 

[DangerousPirate]

This may be useful...

https://www.plaisance-pratique.com/IMG/pdf/079D_ownersHandbook.pdf

To my untrained eye it looks like there's way too much fuel going in there - evaporating then exploding in the open air. I've only ever seen these functioning as very gentle beasts, not fire breathing dragons

I put in 100ml of methalised alcohok to start it. These flames literally only happen becaise wind blew down the chute, but still. That could happen at any time really and I wouldn't want to risk my life on it.

Also I got the owners manual here in paperform

 

[DangerousPirate]

please do not block that air inlet hole, you will end up with incomplete combustion which will result on CO in your cabin which will kill you. What does your flue look like, inside and outside of the cabin?

Blackened. It works fine if it doesn't blow right down the chimney. Smoke gets out fine. But I don't want to risk a stray wind causing my boat to burn down.

Since I am not doing anything obviously wrong, I think I'll just get rid of the heater for my own safety and keep this thread as a warning.

Will put it up on ebay soon when my trip is over.

 

[Blueboatman]

If the wind blew down the chimney then you need to fix that.

Right Away .

Acquire-or make- an H top for the flue and make sure the flue has at least one 600mm section of height above deck or cabin top so it is in clear air not eddies .

( Until you achieve this there is zilch point in writing more tips -and I know these things pretty well )

Good luck they’re great

Edit: Ah I see you’re selling it on . That will work too

 

[Plum]

Blackened. It works fine if it doesn't blow right down the chimney. Smoke gets out fine. But I don't want to risk a stray wind causing my boat to burn down.

Since I am not doing anything obviously wrong, I think I'll just get rid of the heater for my own safety and keep this thread as a warning.

Will put it up on ebay soon when my trip is over.

but there is certainly something wrong with your installation. Can you post a picture of the heater and flue inside the cabin and another one of the flue above deck? These are great heaters, nothing wrong with the design.

 

[DangerousPirate]

If the wind blew down the chimney then you need to fix that.

Right Away .

Acquire-or make- an H top for the flue and make sure the flue has at least one 600mm section of height above deck or cabin top so it is in clear air not eddies .

( Until you achieve this there is zilch point in writing more tips -and I know these things pretty well )

Good luck they’re great

Edit: Ah I see you’re selling it on . That will work too

Have one. Put it on. Not sure what happened. Either way, one weird wind and the flame shoots out the bottom??? Hell no.

but there is certainly something wrong with your installation. Can you post a picture of the heater and flue inside the cabin and another one of the flue above deck? These are great heaters, nothing wrong with the design.

I can take one tomorrow when it's daylight again

 

[Blueboatman]

Ok.
Did you do the install ? The heater and the flue benefit from an annual decoking.

If you or the previous user lived aboard(?) there will be a lot of soot to remove and once cleared it can then breath and radiate heat properly .
The flue radiating heat is an integral part of the design as not only does that put out much of the useful heat into your boat, it draws the exhaust out and thus draws the correct air flow in. So a clear unobstructed flue with out downdraught is pretty fundamental requirement.

When it’s right you should be able to get a nice, modest BLUE flame, not a sooty yellow one, chugging along at around 60-70 drips of diesel per minute.

Are you using a gravity feed, vented header tank or a pump feed from the boats main engine tank?

 

[DangerousPirate]

Ok.
Did you do the install ? The heater and the flue benefit from an annual decoking.

If you or the previous user lived aboard(?) there will be a lot of soot to remove and once cleared it can then breath and radiate heat properly .
The flue radiating heat is an integral part of the design as not only does that put out much of the useful heat into your boat, it draws the exhaust out and thus draws the correct air flow in. So a clear unobstructed flue with out downdraught is pretty fundamental requirement.

When it’s right you should be able to get a nice, modest BLUE flame, not a sooty yellow one, chugging along at around 60-70 drips of diesel per minute.

Are you using a gravity feed, vented header tank or a pump feed from the boats main engine tank?

Without wind, it's working without backfires.

The installation was done by the previous owner.

Pump is supposed to deliver diesel to the heater (not working tho, maybe 1 drip every 2 minutes on max setting. Pump getting 12v but not clicking. Gave up inspecting the issue when it burned my cushion).

The problems I had came after starting it up with methylated alcohol. Maybe the cowl wasn't on properly or something but still... It shouldn't even be possible for that to happen if you ask me.

 

[simonbertie1]

Hi, I've spent quite a bit of time on these . The hole in the bottom of the burner pot is a short tube which the burner stool goes over from inside. The stool is a brass tube with stainless swirls on the sides. One slid in place it doesn't allow flames to escape the bottom.
I've just replaced my original one which had burned/corroded away.available on ebay

 

[simonbertie1]

Let me know if u want any further help. Or wanna sell. Ps looks like the internal bracket holding the pot in the stainless case needs fixing. It shouldn't be crooked.

 

[Minerva]

I agree with the other posters - I think it’s an issue with your install. I’ve got one and never experienced what you have. It’s a great wee heater and gives out a lovely soft heat of an evening.

For a start your thermocouple should be poking up through that hole into the burn chamber. Where is your thermocouple placed?

Without it going into the chamber it presumably won’t get hot enough to open the safety valve /blue button. This is probably the reason why it won’t run for you…?

 

[DangerousPirate]

Hi, I've spent quite a bit of time on these . The hole in the bottom of the burner pot is a short tube which the burner stool goes over from inside. The stool is a brass tube with stainless swirls on the sides. One slid in place it doesn't allow flames to escape the bottom.
I've just replaced my original one which had burned/corroded away.available on ebay

Do you have a part number so I can look it up? Maybe I am truly missing this.

I agree with the other posters - I think it’s an issue with your install. I’ve got one and never experienced what you have. It’s a great wee heater and gives out a lovely soft heat of an evening.

For a start your thermocouple should be poking up through that hole into the burn chamber. Where is your thermocouple placed?

Without it going into the chamber it presumably won’t get hot enough to open the safety valve /blue button. This is probably the reason why it won’t run for you…?

I don't know quite honestly. Maybe there's this part missing. If this is not supposed to be like this, I might just keep it. But I was going to sell it under the impression that there is nothing missing and it just went wrong because of the wind conditions.

It does get hot however with the starter fluid burning amicably.

 

[simonbertie1]

Home Page
John.

 

[Minerva]

Do you have a part number so I can look it up? Maybe I am truly missing this.

I don't know quite honestly. Maybe there's this part missing. If this is not supposed to be like this, I might just keep it. But I was going to sell it under the impression that there is nothing missing and it just went wrong because of the wind conditions.

It does get hot however with the starter fluid burning amicably.

On the video, I think your thermocouple is just coiled on the left hand side. It’s a thin copper tube / wire. One end feeds into the back of the blue button. The other end goes under the burner and up into the chamber through the hole your getting back firing through.

What does your above deck chimney set up look like? Got a photo of that?