Reflex stove high diesel consumption

[madder do ee]

Hi, this is my first winter on my narrowboat and the first time using the Reflex stove for prolonged periods. Diesel consumption on low flame is supposed to be 2.88 litres per 24 hours; I have just gone through 40 litres in 5 days. 8 litres in 24 hours is way more than it should be using.

 

Has anyone had similar issues, or do you have examples of what amounts they are using?

 

This is what it looks like on low flame.

[Mad Harold]

There was a question about Refleks stoves on here a few days ago.

Myself and another poster suggested joining the Refleks Facebook group, where I am sure advice and help will be forthcoming.

[frahkn]

31 minutes ago, madder do ee said:

Hi, this is my first winter on my narrowboat and the first time using the Reflex stove for prolonged periods. Diesel consumption on low flame is supposed to be 2.88 litres per 24 hours; I have just gone through 40 litres in 5 days. 8 litres in 24 hours is way more than it should be using.

 

Has anyone had similar issues, or do you have examples of what amounts they are using?

 

This is what it looks like on low flame.

I use about a third of a litre per hour but I am aware that mine is not adjusted correctly; yours looks better adjusted than mine.

 

Is there any possibility that you have got your consumption figures wrong?

[madder do ee]

2 minutes ago, frahkn said:

I use about a third of a litre per hour but I am aware that mine is not adjusted correctly; yours looks better adjusted than mine.

 

Is there any possibility that you have got your consumption figures wrong?

It's a Refleks 62. Total heat output: 2.4 kW (2100 kcal/h)

Fuel consumption: min. / max. 0.12 / 0.36 l/h

Even on max, it should be using less than it is.

6 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

There was a question about Refleks stoves on here a few days ago.

Myself and another poster suggested joining the Refleks Facebook group, where I am sure advice and help will be forthcoming.

Thanks, I have posted on there as well. 

[Tony Brooks]

1 minute ago, madder do ee said:

It's a Refleks 62. Total heat output: 2.4 kW (2100 kcal/h)

Fuel consumption: min. / max. 0.12 / 0.36 l/h

Even on max, it should be using less than it is.

 

I think that @frahkn's question related to how are you measuring the consumption, rather than what the consumption is supposed to be. Few boats have fuel gauges that accurate and there is always a possibility you had some fuel syphoned out.

[frahkn]

10 minutes ago, madder do ee said:

It's a Refleks 62. Total heat output: 2.4 kW (2100 kcal/h)

Fuel consumption: min. / max. 0.12 / 0.36 l/h

Even on max, it should be using less than it is.

Thanks, I have posted on there as well. 

My point was that judging by your photo, your stove is not using 0.33 l/hour. Are you sure your consumption figures are correct?

Edited November 29, 2023 by frahkn
Tony beat me to it

[Alan de Enfield]

40 minutes ago, madder do ee said:

8 litres in 24 hours is way more than it should be using.

 

 

5 minutes ago, madder do ee said:

Fuel consumption: min. / max. 0.12 / 0.36 l/h

 

But 0.36 litres per hour is very close to 8 litres per 24 hours.

 

Is it stuck on 'high' ?

[cuthound]

My Kabola Old Dutch (4kW) uses about 0.25 litres per hour on setting 1. 

 

Yours is using 0.33 litres per hour, which is in the right ball park. What is the kW rating of your stove?

[mrsmelly]

You will see that over the last few days there have been at least 3 such threads running re these kinds of stoves, do a forum search and you will see that there are many on here from people with all manner of problems relating to diesel stoves. There is a reason that people with many winters living aboard under their belt have multi fuel stoves.

[madder do ee]

20 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

But 0.36 litres per hour is very close to 8 litres per 24 hours.

 

Is it stuck on 'high' ?

It's definitely on low flame; I do turn it up to 3 some evenings, but only for a few hours. I will have to test how much the consumption goes up when I have it in a higher setting. it's about 19 degrees around the stove, and it definitely is not belting out heat.

I also get this fine mist of diesel to build up on the aluminium base plate, which also makes me think some diesel is going unburnt.

[LEO]

I think yours needs flame settings adjusting by an EXPERT.........these fires come in various sizes made by various companies, the common ground seems to be a 'fit all carbs ' on which there are 2 screws which need careful adjustment...............I have a similar fire ( a Kabola Old Dutch) - same carb - needed a new one - got one - it fits a Rayburn, Refleks and others. needs very careful adjustment  to set it up --- don't fiddle with the screws - a 1/64th" make a lot of difference to oil flow. which takes ages to burn off. Get the expert in).

[madder do ee]

On setting 3 it's a much bigger flame and you can hear the expansion as it heats up.

8 minutes ago, LEO said:

I think yours needs flame settings adjusting by an EXPERT.........these fires come in various sizes made by various companies, the common ground seems to be a 'fit all carbs ' on which there are 2 screws which need careful adjustment...............I have a similar fire ( a Kabola Old Dutch) - same carb - needed a new one - got one - it fits a Rayburn, Refleks and others. needs very careful adjustment  to set it up --- don't fiddle with the screws - a 1/64th" make a lot of difference to oil flow. which takes ages to burn off. Get the expert in).

Agreed, I did get a so called expert in to look at it, but it just got ripped off. I'm going to call Lockgate tomorrow, as several people have suggested.

[cuthound]

1 minute ago, madder do ee said:

On setting 3 it's a much bigger flame and you can hear the expansion as it heats up.

 

That looks like the high flame screw needs turning down. Mine has blue flames up to and including setting 4, then goes yellow on settings 5 & 6 because on a boat yoy cannot have the recommended minimum flue length to draw sufficient air into the stove.

 

High and low flame setting instructions on the Releks Facebook page, but only turn the screws a quarter turn at a time and wait 10 minutes between adjustments before seeing if it has helped.

 

[Ex Brummie]

I always reckon my Bubble Stove will use between 6 to 8 litres over 24 hours. This is running on a touch above no 1, and maintains a good ambient temp around 24o in the saloon, and feeds a small rediator in the bedroom with a radiator. 

As a professional technician of vaporising appliances, I would dispute the minimum figures of 1.12 cc min. That amount of fuel would not keep the pot at a sufficiently high temperature to maintain vaporisation. 

The calorific value of diesel will give you about just under 11kw per litre, so 1/3rd of a litre per hour will give you 3-4 kw, which fits in with your quoted ambient temperatures.

[Alan de Enfield]

38 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

The calorific value of diesel will give you about just under 11kw per litre, so 1/3rd of a litre per hour will give you 3-4 kw, which fits in with your quoted ambient temperatures.

 

But he says it is only the 2.6Kw model. (Which I'd suggest is insufficient to keep a boat warm anyway - we have always had 5Kw on our narrowboats, and have an 8Kw on our fat-boat)

[madder do ee]

11 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

But he says it is only the 2.6Kw model. (Which I'd suggest is insufficient to keep a boat warm anyway - we have always had 5Kw on our narrowboats, and have an 8Kw on our fat-boat)

I have a Webasto diesel heater that runs runs three rads, and has a coil in the Calorifier. The Refleks oil heater 62 only keeps the salon and galley warm.

[Alan de Enfield]

27 minutes ago, madder do ee said:

The Refleks oil heater 62 only keeps the salon and galley warm.

 

 

Or not (as the case may be)

[madder do ee]

On 29/11/2023 at 14:05, madder do ee said:

Hi, this is my first winter on my narrowboat and the first time using the Reflex stove for prolonged periods. Diesel consumption on low flame is supposed to be 2.88 litres per 24 hours; I have just gone through 40 litres in 5 days. 8 litres in 24 hours is way more than it should be using.

 

Has anyone had similar issues, or do you have examples of what amounts they are using?

 

This is what it looks like on low flame.

Paul from Lockgate Stoves had a look at the stove today. Excellent service explaining what he was doing and why. There was a small leak around the regulator then running under the stove. Paul removed the regulator, set it back up on his jig in the van, and changed olives and nuts on the connections.

He removed the stove and cleaned up the diesel underneath.

Low flame is massively lower than before, explaining the high consumption before.

The Facebook Reflex group is helpful, but there are nuances with these stoves. I had a look at the instructions for adjusting the High and low flame screws, but they are for a Toby regulator and unlike many Reflex stoves, my 2062MK has a different regulator, and you have to turn the screws the other way.

I was advised to call Lockgate, and it was the right advice. The stove is running well, and I feel like I had a crash course in running and maintaining it going forward.

 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, madder do ee said:

Paul from Lockgate Stoves had a look at the stove today. Excellent service explaining what he was doing and why. There was a small leak around the regulator then running under the stove. Paul removed the regulator, set it back up on his jig in the van, and changed olives and nuts on the connections.

He removed the stove and cleaned up the diesel underneath.

Low flame is massively lower than before, explaining the high consumption before.

The Facebook Reflex group is helpful, but there are nuances with these stoves. I had a look at the instructions for adjusting the High and low flame screws, but they are for a Toby regulator and unlike many Reflex stoves, my 2062MK has a different regulator, and you have to turn the screws the other way.

I was advised to call Lockgate, and it was the right advice. The stove is running well, and I feel like I had a crash course in running and maintaining it going forward.

 

Thanks for getting back to us and pleased you got it sorted. Was your boat fitted out by Bob Loftus (probably spelt it wrong)

[madder do ee]

42 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Thanks for getting back to us and pleased you got it sorted. Was your boat fitted out by Bob Loftus (probably spelt it wrong)

Fitted by Louis & Joshua in 2001, I believe the stove was fitted in 2003