Eberspacher problems

[Badger]

I have an Eberspacher D5W hydronic heater on my narrowboat.When i purchased the boat the system was less than 2 years old.It was temperamental from the start,i had a Eberspacher agent service it who made 3 trips replaced the glowplug,cleaned some carbon deposits and charged me £600!!.Now 2 years on it fails to fire up again.Does anybody have any knowlege of these heaters,or can put me on to someone who does.The boat is in the Chelmsford Essex area.

Cheers Badger.

[Richard Bustens]

Hi Badger

I have just bought one and not even run it yet , but the agent told me for the best results not to use the fuel from the canal side as it is often poor quality, it is important to have a filter/ seporator in the line and they said to use karasine if possable

For me that is no problem as i am a new build, but it may be more dificult for you to fit a seporate tank.

[Badger]

Hi Badger

I have just bought one and not even run it yet , but the agent told me for the best results not to use the fuel from the canal side as it is often poor quality, it is important to have a filter/ seporator in the line and they said to use karasine if possable

For me that is no problem as i am a new build, but it may be more dificult for you to fit a seporate tank.

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[Badger]

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Thanks Richard i am in process of fitting a filter-but i think it just needs a good service again,i am trying to find a local freelance.

cheers Badger

[Paul Evans]

I seem to recall a long thread about the trials and tribulations of owners of Eberspacher diesel heaters on the old forum (http://www.canalworld.net/forum/) but I suspect reading it will bring you nothing but anguish. The trouble is that the heaters were originally designed for lorries using road vehicle grade diesel and not for long term 'domestic' use in boats using the red stuff. As Richard says, the best advice seems to be to fit a separate tank. And of course, like any system, they need regular servicing.

[dor]

The irony of all this is that, if the new tax changes come in, you will be able to buy red diesel for your stove, but not be able to use it, and have to buy white diesel for your engine, which doesn't need it!

[John Orentas]

Badger.

 

If you do get someone in to look at it, make sure you are there, hover over him, pick his brains. Next time you can do it yourself.

 

John Squeers

[Richard Bustens]

DOR. there will still be kerosene (heating oil) that will work better and hotter anyway and that is duty free.

[dor]

Doh. Good point Richard!

[Noah]

Just had my Mikuni diesel boiler serviced by Mikuni agents JJ. Plunketts in Manchester (www.jjplunkettltd.co.uk). Sorry Badger, I know, wrong area and wrong make but info for anyone with a Mikuni: Service cost me £84 inc VAT and included full decoke, new glowplug and gasket set, followed by a two-hour bench test. Mikuni main agents in Southampton quoted me a similar price for a decoke service with a one-week turnaround.

 

My 13 year old heater had worked intermittently until finally packing-in totally last month. As I suspected a major overall might be required, I took the unit and control panel in to Plunkett's workshop and collected it 5 days later. The reason for its failure was obvious when I inspected the heater's exhaust and silencer. Carbon and black gunge had totally blocked the 1 1/4" exhaust and it took me several days to unblock at home using a strong solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) and a good poke with a stick. I have only owned the boat for a year but it seems that the heater had never had a service during its lifetime.

 

Last weekend it was given a thorough testing and I now have piping hot rads and tap water. It remains to be seen how long it will last but I will in future, regularly check both the heater and its exhaust. At least I'll have a toasty boat when I set out tomorrow into the sleet and wind on my way to the Staff & Worcs for two weeks. When next service is due I will have a go myself in my garage if I can obtain a workshop/service manual. I would imagine it would be a messy job to do in-situ.

 

Noah

[Badger]

Just had my Mikuni diesel boiler serviced by Mikuni agents JJ. Plunketts in Manchester (www.jjplunkettltd.co.uk).  Sorry Badger, I know, wrong area and wrong make but info for anyone with a Mikuni:  Service cost me £84 inc VAT and included full decoke, new glowplug and gasket set, followed by a two-hour bench test.  Mikuni main agents in Southampton quoted me a similar price for a decoke service with a one-week turnaround.

 

My 13 year old heater had worked intermittently until finally packing-in totally last month.  As I suspected a major overall might be required, I took the unit and control panel in to Plunkett's workshop and collected it 5 days later.  The reason for its failure was obvious when I inspected the heater's exhaust and silencer.  Carbon and black gunge had totally blocked the 1 1/4" exhaust and it took me several days to unblock at home using a strong solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) and a good poke with a stick.  I have only owned the boat for a year but it seems that the heater had never had a service during its lifetime. 

 

Last weekend it was given a thorough testing and I now have piping hot rads and tap water.  It remains to be seen how long it will last but I will in future, regularly check both the heater and its exhaust.  At least I'll have a toasty boat when I set out tomorrow into the sleet and wind on my way to the Staff & Worcs for two weeks.  When next service is due I will have a go myself in my garage if I can obtain a workshop/service manual.  I would imagine it would be a messy job to do in-situ.

 

Noah

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[Badger]

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Thanks Paul-and everyone else who replied.I am also useless with computers but finally figured out how to reply to all your mails.(hopefully)

I will strip the heater down over xmas and clean it up with the help of a friend-and see what that does.If i was buying a diesel heater new it would not be Eberspacher.

On a different topic i have just fitted a Sterling digital alternator controller and had loads of grief getting it to work.Cutting a long story short it turned out that the earth post on the Bosch 90amp alternator was not good enough.When i moved the earth cable to the alternator case BINGO everything works fine.Has anyone else experienced a similar problem.?

Merry Xmas to you all

Badger

[JWB III]

Hi, sorry to be such a newbie but what do you mean by kerosine? is it the same as parafin? or am i totally off the wall?. This is all because i have a Webasto blown air sytem on mine that does'nt look as if it has been serviced since it was installed. I have always had problems starting it,e.g. if the battery is not fully charged or the engine is not running, it just don't wanna know, and always starts with a great belch of black smoke out the exaust.Should i get it serviced? and would it be worthwhile fitting a seperate fuel tank for it?. any advise would be most appreciated !

Cheers!

[Richard Bustens]

Hi Kerisine is parafin i think sold for house heating boilers it is thiner and cleaner than derv so burnes hotter see www.eberspacher.com

[Big COL]

Hi Richard

Quote

Kerisine is parafin i think sold for house heating boilers it is thiner and cleaner than derv so burnes hotter

 

Unfortunately this is not true. see table below.

 

Comparison of calorific values - Oil Vs Gas

Quantity Fuel Heat content/unit quantity- kWh

 

1 kWh Gas (mains) 1

1 litre Propane (LPG) 7.113

1 litre Kerosene 10.35

1 litre Gas oil 10.85

 

I thought you were intending to work on your boat over the hols, hows it coming along.

Edited December 30, 2004 by Big COL

[Paul Evans]

Should i get it serviced? - JWB III

From what you say, the answer must be yes! How often do you have your central heating boiler at home serviced? Annually, I bet. The same rule applies to heaters on boats.

[Richard Bustens]

Hi BC

Well yes i have checked on the net and the calarfic value of derv is higher.

Strange as it was eberspacher that told me that Karasine was cleaner and burnt hotter. also the flash point is lower and that is confirmed on the net .

Went to the boat today but got nothing done as the lady was varnishing the boatmans and i could not make any dust, it is getting a bit frustrating now as i want to get on but seem to get noware fast, still the boatmans cab looks great.

[JWB III]

From what you say, the answer must be yes! How often do you have your central heating boiler at home serviced? Annually, I bet. The same rule applies to heaters on boats.

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Hi, thanks Paul , never thought about that before in my defence, i can only say i only joined the 'happy boat owning?' fratenity last march, and all it seems to be doing at the moment is costing money

[Paul Evans]

Did somebody tell you there would be times when a boat costs you nothing? If they did they either know nothing about boats or were telling you porkies! A boat is just like a house in this respect - a money pit as big as you want to make it.

[Richard Bustens]

That is why we have a weed hatch, a boat is a hole in the water to tip money in.

Just remove weed hatch and tip in £20 notes.

[JWB III]

That is why we have a weed hatch, a boat is a hole in the water to tip money in.

Just remove weed hatch and tip in £20 notes.

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I'm just getting the idea !!!

[John Orentas]

I am a bit reluctant to resurect this site but I have had what I consider to be aurthoritative opion from a chap who has operated and maintained a fleet of lorries for many years.

 

As seems to be generally agreed, domestic heating fuel and Paraffin is different from diesel fuel, it seems however that as I have always understood the situation, red diesel is exactly the same as white DERV fuel but with the inert dye added. Plant machinery these days, diggers, excavators, cranes and the like have cab heaters fitted, those heaters are invariably Eberspachers and they all run off red diesel.

 

So I think if these Eberspacher agents and suppliers are telling us that red diesel is not a suitable fuel, they are telling Porkies.

Edited January 13, 2005 by John Orentas

[JWB III]

Cheers for that John , I think i may have solved my problem as i serviced my heater last week and found the glow plug and exhaust outlet was almost totally choked with soot! after a days work scraping out kaka and replacing the glow plug, she now starts first time, and no smoke !!

Edited January 13, 2005 by JWB III

[Richard Bustens]

Hi John

i have just spoke to Shell tecknical marine people. and they agree with your chap

There is only one type of gass oil and that has two things added 1) red dye for tax reasons and 2) for true marine aplications a additive to raise the flash point from 55 to 60 deg for safty reasons.

I would not think that the marinas will be getting the true marine stuff. but the man at shell said it would not make any diferance.

 

So the red diesel is exactly the same as white with dye added.

 

Now what we need to know fron your man is do they have problems in the vehicals they use them in?

[John Orentas]

Richard

 

They don't seem to have problems with the heaters, but having said that, we all know that commercial use is always different. If the service bloke is fiiting a new burner every year it would not be a bit deal in context of the running costs of a bulldozer, so who knows.