Taylors drip feed heater - tips?

[Gordonmc]

With help from a previous owner I managed to get my Taylors drip feed 79D heater going. The original problem was the thermocouple had been dislodged.
The heater now lights but I am less than impressed with the heat output. I certainly do not get the internal burner glowing, which is what I was told to expect.
The drips are steady, 2 per second-ish.
A pointer might be that the flame (yellow) seems to be in the bottom of the combustion chamber. Should I expect a blue flame?
The flue is more than a metre long.
Any ideas before I strip-down and de-coke?

 

[masterofnone]

Empty the soot out of the combustion chamber

 

[dovekie]

Strip down and clean I think. Looks like it is getting fuel but not enough air. We have the same model exactly, and two drips per second has the burner metal glowing dull red.

 

[Blueboatman]

http://www.youngsunowners.org/pdf/079D Instructions.pdf

Operators manual here.

I have installed the same 079d and as said, at 2 drips per second that thing should be turning your cabin into a sauna and putting out over 2kwatt of heat-which is a lot, there should be a column of blue and yellow flame coming out of the numerous holes in the central flue seen through the window, and the inner circular casing will be a dull cherry red.

One clue to poor combustion and clogging is if there are sooty deposits on the mica window..

Start by undoing the brass cap nut under the casing where the fuel feed goes up into the baseplate- it may be full of coke and crud. Then poke a bit of monel seizing wire (for example) up the exposed hole to make sure the burner orifice is really clear. 12mm spanner iirc.
Remove the chimney flue next if you like ( put a tesco bag under the bottom end as there will be loose sooty deposits lining it that you dont want to fall out onto the cabin sole.

Take the flue outside and either dunk it in the sea or run a water hose through it to clear out any loose soot, and reassemble.

Now the final test..Relight it ( I use a syringe, squirting through the start hole) and light with a gas lighter and after about 30 seconds screw the starthole brass cap back on and continue to observe the meths burning brightly through all the small holes in the central flue, for 4- 5 minutes by which time the base is clean, coke free and dull red and ready for you to open the diesel supply.. If the methylated spirit is reluctant to get going and the flame keeps persistently trying to pop back out through the start hole and blows out, then THERE is your indication that the problem is neither a blocked fuel supply nor restricted flue, but is a problem of down pressure sucking air down the flue when it should be drawn nicely up and out once the flue is warm to the touch. Try opening/closing the forehatch and closing/opening the companionway or turn the boat round until you get the right 'draw' on the warm flue..

Incidentally in really windy conditions the meths can be a pig to light anyway, so I use a plumbers blowtorch to effortlessly get the meths going. Once the flue is warm etc all is fine.

And once you have got used to the heater, I would suggest that the only maintenance you need to do occasionally is to run it hard for 10 minutes to really clear out any lingering soot in the chamber and flue..
There. Hope that helps !

 

[Gordonmc]

Blue...
A very comprehensive reply for which I am grateful.
The manual is far superior to the pamphlet I inherited with the boat and heater.
Thanks.

 

[contessaman]

With help from a previous owner I managed to get my Taylors drip feed 79D heater going. The original problem was the thermocouple had been dislodged.
The heater now lights but I am less than impressed with the heat output. I certainly do not get the internal burner glowing, which is what I was told to expect.
The drips are steady, 2 per second-ish.
A pointer might be that the flame (yellow) seems to be in the bottom of the combustion chamber. Should I expect a blue flame?
The flue is more than a metre long.
Any ideas before I strip-down and de-coke?

My was a recon 2nd hand one when I installed it so was nice and clean. Initially had same results as you just getting some yellow flames flickering in bottom of the can with barely any heat. It had a new mica window but this quickly sooted up. Having spent weeks and hundreds of pounds on a really nice installation, I was gutted.

However, it became apperant to me that using this heater was a bit more of an artform than a science. 120 drops per minute may well be enough to sustain a good heat, but it wont get it going unless you have primed it with about half a pint of meths.

Yours may well be sooted up, or another problem,but I was getting the same results you describe just due to poor technique..

so for what its worth, heres what I do now and I get a toastie boat in short order:

1) switch on fuel pump (mine's pumped from main tank)
2)Prime it with about 25cc's of meths (I use a surgical syringe 50p from chemists, but they'll think you're nuts when you explain what its for)
3)light it with a cricket gas lighter (I need to do this with my main hatch shut or I get wierd air currents)
4)watch it burn on the meths, soon the spiraly ring thing inside is glowing red
5)just as the meths is running out crack open the fuel cock and press the priming button
6)adjust fuel flow so that its dripping about as fast as it can without 'pouring'
7)it goes straight to blue flames out of the pepperpot burner inside
8)within 5 minuts the whole cylinder burner inside the outer case is starting to glow red
9) gradually slow down the drops to about 100-120 per minute, waiting a while for the adjustment to take effect.
10)lots of heat, blue flame only, clear glass, and no smoke outside.

as it warms up the fuel supply pipe warms also, I guess this makes the fuel les viscous because for about the first hour I have to cut back the setting on the fuel control knob every 5 mins or so to maintan the same drip rate.

Good luck, they are worth the effort. I'll dig out some pics of my installation if I can find them and attach them on this thread.

 

[contessaman]

Hi again,

heres some photos of my installation incase anyone is intersted. By the way gordonmc, my used unit came with an additional 1m length of home made external flue. The pervious owners said they couldnt get a decent draw off the thing, so for in the marina they made an extra length that just pushed on in place of the flue, it stuck up 1m above deck then they put the flue on top of that. I think its still in the garage. I dont need it mine works fine without. If you find the draw is the problem you'd be welcome to have this flue off me I dont want anything for it, just the postage or you could pick it up. that goes for anybody else out there too.

I spent weeks grinding an aperture into my deck and fairing out the camber with fibreglass so I could get a neat, as flush as possible fit. when I finished it I regelcoated the whole area so it looks like it was always meant to be there. Lots of work but worth it I feel.
Down below I mounted it on a stainless heat shield. I had a mate weld my sections of chimney together so they didnt rattle, leak or need additional support. finally I ran the copper fuel pipe (bought cheaply off ebay as car brake pipe, not from taylors!!)all the way back to my 10 gallon engine fuel tank and fiited the taylor electric pump. It uses only milliamps.

I tee'd the fuel off the engine inlet even though it says not to in taylors manual. Not had any proplems with engine or heater. In fact I think its good because if Im running the heater a lot in the winter then any condensation in the tank will end up going through my heater which is surely better than the engine getting it?

 

[Blueboatman]

Contessaman.

Interesting, you have done pretty much as I did, welding pipe etc and proper cabintop aperture.
Here's a piccy of mine-On the list of jobs ( number 203A I think) now that I realise just how cool remains the backplate I shall be creating a ''smartish'' inset fielded panel in the half bulkhead there and recessing the unit a further 20-30mm, still with a good 20mm airgap at the rear.Though it is already totally unobtrusive and low down enough to warm the FEET !

Did you know that the leccy pump is a standard SU unit available from them for very reasonable pricing? My copper pipe is brakepipe as well though I do run it through a separate filter unit. Cannot believe how much better it has proved than an oil filled radiator, blowheater or that Eber thang ( now evicted). Almost like coming home to a house with a real fire or multiburner in the hearth..

Now, perhaps if Gordon does not wish to have your flue extension piece, may I put in an offer, postage and RNLI contrib and/or beer tokens to yourself please?

The reason is that I fitted mine way aft near the dodger, which is fine but I am using the very inelegant piece of old flexi flue as an extension, with bits of string, a bit Steptoe really..A metre extension would be perfect..But I quite understand if it is already spoken for, thanks,
Tim.

 

[contessaman]

Now, perhaps if Gordon does not wish to have your flue extension piece, may I put in an offer, postage and RNLI contrib and/or beer tokens to yourself please?

The reason is that I fitted mine way aft near the dodger, which is fine but I am using the very inelegant piece of old flexi flue as an extension, with bits of string, a bit Steptoe really..A metre extension would be perfect..But I quite understand if it is already spoken for, thanks,
Tim.

Hi blue,

Just dug it out of the garage. Surprised Mrs M hadn't thrown it out by now -it must have been hiding in a corner Anyway, here's a picture. It has an aluminium and PVC outer with an air gap from the inner - I guess so the wall does not get hot in use . Will come up alright with a bit of Jiff on the plastic and paint on the metal. Sounds like you have the best use for it with where you mounted your heater, so its yours.
Definately dont want anything for it, people have done me enough good turns in my short time on this forum with owners manuals etc. Will get a quote for shipping and PM you for contact details. Will be interested to hear how you get on with it as I've never used it!

Bought my heater from a very pleasant blue water livaboard couple. they kindly rebuilt it before handing it over to me. It came off a very large yacht with more than one heater. Think they used this extension on the one in their aft cabin, probably for similar reasons to yourself.

Nice installation by the way, its funny how left to our own devices we all come up with the same conclusions!

Glad I never went for an eberspacher or similar. The talyors gives of a lovely radiant heat that seems more than its 2 kw power. Cant stand the noise of the former either. Its also damned cosy in the winter! Even more so aboard your boat I bet -looking at that lovely interior!

There was a rather naff fold up saloon table on my bulkhead where my heater now is and the heater, flue, etc is half the weight of that table so its even acceptable aboard a racer. just

 

[Blueboatman]

Contessaman, great!

I am replying rather late just not to seem rude (after a really good pub gig not a million miles from the boat), and heading off to London early tomorrow and wil be away from the internet for 3 days...., so , er, YES PLEASE ! And Thank you.
Please pm me the postage and may I bung the local lifeboat £25 in your name, so to speak ? Would that be ok, cos your ''cunning device'' has my boats name written all over it, Taylorwise !

As you say, funny how we all drift to the same conclusions ( which is why I love the spirit of this forum in its most genuine, 'share-all' genesis).

Btw I was trying to ''guess'' your Contessa model and gave up. Whatever it is, it looks seriously well sorted for sail handling, big time, or is that you having 'tweaked' it? Very nice.

aye,regards

Tim