xxxspachers use at home.

[Beneteau381]

Thinking on the other day as it got colder and watching my smart meter ratchet up!

A 2kw electric fan heater uses 2kw per hour at circa 35p a kwhr so 17.5p/kwhr

My old 24 kw gas combo boiler costs 1.50 per hour to run but heats the whole house

A 5kw spacher uses 0.5 ltrs of fuel an hour, 28 sec oil is about a quid a ltr, so 10p/kwhr.

Is the spacher now a viable domestic heater alternative for spot areas?

 

[superheat6k]

Works for me in my workshop with one of the Chinaspachers supplied with a casing and tank, but still requires a 12v battery and charger running, which would rule out it running for very long if there were a power cut, although I guess not too much extra load to the base circuits for my 3.5 kVA mains generator.

 

[vyv_cox]

Planar did a consumption test a few years ago. A 2 kW heater with a 7 litre diesel tank and a new battery from Halfords, 75 Ah from memory, ran at full power for nearly 3 days. Battery and fuel ran out at about the same time.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Also thinking about this for heating my workshop and my wife's Studio. We use oil for heating and the tank is nearby so easy to fit the heater outside with just the hot air going into the shed/studio. Probably have to have 2 heaters though. I use a fan heater usually but not used this winter yet, just put thermals on at the moment. The Studio has underfloor electric heating which really ramps up the usage.

 

[yotter]

Thinking on the other day as it got colder and watching my smart meter ratchet up!

A 2kw electric fan heater uses 2kw per hour at circa 35p a kwhr so 17.5p/kwhr

My old 24 kw gas combo boiler costs 1.50 per hour to run but heats the whole house

A 5kw spacher uses 0.5 ltrs of fuel an hour, 28 sec oil is about a quid a ltr, so 10p/kwhr.

Is the spacher now a viable domestic heater alternative for spot areas?

I think you need to check your arithmetic wrt the fan heater.

 

[MAURICE]

on you tube people are running these things on old engine oil and other oils sounds interesting. The inside does get coked up but they seem easy to take apart and clean. I expect if you mix in diesel it would be better Also run on neat diesel or parafin every so often on full heat will probably help.

 

[gordmac]

Mains gas is traditionally a much cheaper form of heating than oil, presuming that is still the case would it not make more sense to use your gas heating?
There is normally a minimum purchase quantity for heating oil, do you have somewhere to store it? Can you get red diesel in small quantities locally?

 

[Gsailor]

Mains gas is traditionally a much cheaper form of heating than oil, presuming that is still the case would it not make more sense to use your gas heating?
There is normally a minimum purchase quantity for heating oil, do you have somewhere to store it? Can you get red diesel in small quantities locally?

Difficult to buy red diesel now where I am.

Isn't it the same overall UK? A new law or something?

 

[gordmac]

Don't know UK wide, I think farmers and the like buy it in bulk. I have heard stories of petrol stations having a pump for it but never seen that.

 

[Gsailor]

Don't know UK wide, I think farmers and the like buy it in bulk. I have heard stories of petrol stations having a pump for it but never seen that.

My local petrol station has a pump but is no longer allowed to sell to private individuals.

Yes, farms can get it in bulk.

 

[Beneteau381]

I think you need to check your arithmetic wrt the fan heater.

Indeed ?

 

[Beneteau381]

Mains gas is traditionally a much cheaper form of heating than oil, presuming that is still the case would it not make more sense to use your gas heating?
There is normally a minimum purchase quantity for heating oil, do you have somewhere to store it? Can you get red diesel in small quantities locally?

Heating oil has always been cheaperthan red diesel

 

[greeny]

Or just get one of these for workshops etc........ No ducting no wiring.
MasterPro Diesel Heater 70,000 BTU (20KW) | Euro Car Parts
or these............if you need ducting etc
Air Diesel Heater LCD Dispaly 5KW 12V for Truck Motorhome Campervan Boat 5000W | eBay

 

[Beneteau381]

Or just get one of these for workshops etc........ No ducting no wiring.
MasterPro Diesel Heater 70,000 BTU (20KW) | Euro Car Parts
or these............if you need ducting etc
Air Diesel Heater LCD Dispaly 5KW 12V for Truck Motorhome Campervan Boat 5000W | eBay

£264 each as against £100 ish for a china one, 1.7 lph as against 0.5 and isnt that one of those that uses theexhaust as the heating medium? Nah thanks ?

 

[Beneteau381]

Or just get one of these for workshops etc........ No ducting no wiring.
MasterPro Diesel Heater 70,000 BTU (20KW) | Euro Car Parts
or these............if you need ducting etc
Air Diesel Heater LCD Dispaly 5KW 12V for Truck Motorhome Campervan Boat 5000W | eBay

the bottom one is better could also run the exhaust through a heat exchanger to warm water

 

[Beneteau381]

£264 each as against £100 ish for a china one, 1.7 lph as against 0.5 and isnt that one of those that uses theexhaust as the heating medium? Nah thanks ?

I see the chinesespahers have all gone up in price! Market forces eh?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I am thinking of using one to blow hot air under the floor boards at ground level. I live in a tradition house, 175 years old, so air blows under the floor, then between the lathe and plaster and into the loft. This year I didn’t close the solum vents and froze some pipes. I lifted the floor boards and placed a fan heater which worked. However, a portable diesel heater pumping through one of the outside vents, I thought could be a good preventative measure.

 

[ChromeDome]

the bottom one is better could also run the exhaust through a heat exchanger to warm water

Note it has no chimney: Exhaust will be mixed with the hot air outlet and even the best fuel makes it smell. Then there is the CO2 matter...
Must be used in well ventilated areas only.

Probably easier to route the exhaust out (as it is a separate port) from the portable xxxspacher units of which several are offered:

 

[superheat6k]

Note it has no chimney: Exhaust will be mixed with the hot air outlet and even the best fuel makes it smell. Then there is the CO2 matter...
Must be used in well ventilated areas only.

Probably easier to route the exhaust out (as it is a separate port) from the portable xxxspacher units of which several are offered:

This is similar to the one I have in my workshop. The exhaust exits underneath direct from the Chinaspacher inside - I would be surprised if this one pictured was any different. On my one the exhaust vents through a hole in the wall to outside air, dead easy, but once set up not really portable.

The disadvantage is the requirement for a 12v 20a supply, which for me means an old battery and charger running when the heater is on, although once going I would expect quite a few hours without the charger just on the battery, which does give some resilience if there is a power cut, but I have no provision to run the thing in the house, and don't much fancy knocking a 30mm diameter hole for the exhaust in a house wall. I suppose I could sit it on a window ledge and run the house through a partially open window, which would also provide fresh air for the combustion, but also a considerable (possibly -2 kW) draught.

 

[Beneteau381]

Note it has no chimney: Exhaust will be mixed with the hot air outlet and even the best fuel makes it smell. Then there is the CO2 matter...
Must be used in well ventilated areas only.

Probably easier to route the exhaust out (as it is a separate port) from the portable xxxspacher units of which several are offered:

As superheat says, the exhaust is underneath, a 24mm ? stub sticking out that you connect an exhaust pipe to. This is basically a box with one of the units inside with a tank, controls etc as well