Diesel heaters become very common through the years. The main reason for it, there are lots of people who are buying diesel vans. Because of it, the use of the diesel heater for van become very common. Here you can find the most important aspects that you need to consider about the diesel heater for van. And also, we have some important recommendations that you can compare and buy.
What is Diesel Heater for Van?
Diesel heater for van is a system that works with diesel gasoline. The diesel fuel burns inside the chamber o the heater. And a fan system circulates the air through this chamber to heat the air. And the fan gives this hot air to the environment of the van.
The most important feature of the diesel heater is, they only work with diesel fuel which is also used in your car or camper. So, most o people decide to use them in their vans and cars.
Advantages of Diesel Heater for Van
There are various kinds of advantages of these heaters that you can use in your van.
- First of all, they are very portable equipment for your van. A typical space of a van can be heated easily without any problem with a basic diesel heater for van.
- They are generally loıw price systems. If you love camping, you do not need to use very high price systems to heat your environment.
- The use of them is very simple. You just need to switch on and adjust the heat level that you need.
- You do not need to run the engine of the van to run this heater. Because it completely works with its system.
- They have a 12V fan system that is directly connected to the car’s battery. And it will not drain the battery by working for long hours.
- Some advanced systems have a very good thermostat system that you can adjust the level of temperature inside the panel room.
What to Look for If you Are Looking for One of Them?
There are different kinds of parameters that you need to consider about the diesel heater for van. So, selecting the correct system will be very easy for you.
Price
The first important thing that comes to mind is the price. It is very important to adjust your budget according to these systems. Because there are different kinds of systems available with different features. And different parameters affecting the price of these applications.
You need to define a strict budget for them and you need to have a limit on how you can expend your money on them. It will be very useful if you compare them with each other, and compare the features to select the best one for you. Also, you need to avoid the extra features and capacities to prevent wasting your money. And also, it is very important to choose a system that best fits your van.
Here we explain all the important parameters that affect money. And you will be sure that you selected the best system that you can install to your van without any problem.
Efficiency
Not the only first pieces are the only expense that you will make. These devices are using diesel fuel. And nowadays the prices of gas and diesel increases. It is very important to consider efficiency.
Efficiency means, how much heat these systems are giving to the environment and how much gas they are burning for this heat. And we need to state that the efficiencies of diesel heaters are generally low.
The mıst devices are using around 0.1 to 0.5 liters per hour according to their capacity. So, selecting a proper capacity is also very important.
But in general, the cost of the heating for the diesel heater is generally low if we compare it with the other heating systems.
Maintenance
What are the maintenance tips for the gas heater that you will have for your one? The most common problem that you will face is carbon buildup on the burners and the chamber. Because the exhaust gases comprise carbon which will take up the space and surface.
You just need to burn the diesel heater for van for 1 hour to prevent this problem. And also you need to read all the manufacturer’s instructions about the maintenance of these systems.
Battery and Electricity Usage
In general most of the applications are 12V. Most people can think that they will drain the battery if they run them for hours. That is not correct.
In the cold start, you need to use 12V and 15 amps of electricity. Think of it like your diesel engine which requires battery power for the cold start. But after it warms, they do not use lots of electricity that drain your battery.
At full warms, they will only use around 1 ampere per hour which is a very low amount of fuel in general.
Heating Capacity
It is very important to choose the best heating capacity for your van. There are different diesel heaters are available with different heating capacities. If you select a higher capacity for your van, you will waste your money. And also they will consume much more diesel gas which will make them expend much more money on gas.
The temperature often places where you are camping is a very important parameter here. You can look for 4-5 kW heaters for larger-spaced vans. But if you are living in normal climates with your average room van, a 2 Kw diesel heater will be sufficient for you.
And also if you buy a smaller heater, the capacity of the eater will not be sufficient. This is because the room to heat is much larger than the capacity and you will not get the comfort that you are seeking from a diesel heater for van.
Altitude
Always know at which altitude you will use the diesel heater for van. The level of altitude has a very big impact on optimal burning. Because the oxygen levels get lower with increasing altitude. You need to look at the general altitude settings available for these diesel heaters in general.
In which attitudes that you can use that diesel heater? This is the question that you need to ask about a product. And you need to assess if it will work properly at the maximum altitude at which you will use it.
The Capacity of the Fuel Tanks
Also, the capacity of the fuel tanks is a very important thing that you need to consider. They are the systems that you can use for your different kinds of applications without any problem.
With the increasing fuel capacity, the total jours that the system that you can use increases. Also, the available space is very important for your van.
Most of the applications that capacities of 10-15L and they are consuming maximum fuel of around 0.5 l per hour. This means you can use them for 20-30 hours without closing them.
Avaliable Temperature Range
Also, the available temperature range that you can use is very important. Most of the applications are available at -40 to 40 degrees of Celsius. And it will be very easy for you to use at very cold temperatures without any problem.
Noise Level
If you are living in a van or camping in a van, you are probably seeking a low-noise environment that is filled with the natural sounds coming inside your van. And also if you have joy about reading a book inside your van, high noises will be very troublesome for you.
Always look for the noise levels that these devices produce. But you need to be aware that you can not find a device that has 0 noise. Because there is combustion takes place inside the device. And, naturally, some sort of noise takes place.
Reliability
Do not underestimate the quality of the system that you are buying. According to which standards and regulations that they are manufactured? What is the expected lifespan of that diesel heater for van? These are the important questions. And you need to buy them from the most reliable sellers available in the market.
And also some low-quality systems will be very low prices that can amaze you. Do not fall for these systems. You need to make different kinds of considerations about the quality. And also you need to look for customer reviews about them to find the best application for yourself.
How Does a Diesel Heater for Van Work?
Before understanding the general instructions for diesel heaters, it is very important to look at how they work.
As you understand from their names that they are working with diesel fuel. So, there is a diesel tank that we need to attach to a proper space. The system does not take diesel fuel from the van’s tank. There is a spare tank that you need to put diesel fuel inside it. So, the place o the tank must be easy to reach the place. When it runs out of diesel fuel, you must be able to replace the fuel easily without any difficulty.
So, there is a connection between the diesel heater and the fuel tank. The length of the connection is very important. Because there is a fuel pump that pumps the diesel fuel to the diesel heater system. And the length of this connection must not be very long. Because the capacity of the pump must not be exceeded which will prevent the fuel supply to the diesel heater for van. In most of the models, the length can be between 1-2 meters.
Also, there must be a clean air connection to the diesel heater. Because we need to mic the fresh air with diesel fuel to get combustion. And the system will take the fresh air from the outside. This means you need to open a hole to place the hose and intake system of the device that will provide fresh air from the outside.
And also there will be an exhaust hose. You need to place the exhaust hose that will look to the open atmosphere. You need to expel the burnt gases outside. And you need to make sure that the exhaust gases will not mix with the fresh air that we are taking to the system.
As you see that the placement of the system is very important. If you are building a van from scratch, it is very hard to select a proper space for it. We recommend that you find yourself a mechanic to do it.
Best Diesel Heaters for Vans
By considering all of these facts about the diesel heater for a van, you can choose the best application for yourself. It will be very easy to select if you read all the important considerations and information that we explained above.
HCALORY 5KW-8KW 12V Diesel Air Heater
This is the first diesel heater that we can introduce to you. If you are driving your van in very cold environments such as northern sections of America and Canada, the high heating power of this heater will be very sufficient for you. And using it will be very easy for you
- The first important thing that we can state about it, is the fuel consumption is not high. It consumes around 0.1-0.6 lt per hour of diesel fuel which is very good for the capacity that it has.
- Its heating capacity of it is higher than the average. You can adjust the power between 5-8 kW with remote control.
- There is an LCD switch that makes it very easy to control for the users. And also you have a remote control that you can easily control the heat of the environment without any problems.
- In terms of altitude the use, of this heater is very useful. You can use it up to 45000 meters from the sea level.
- The available working temperature range is between -40 to 40 degrees Celsius.
- The capacity of the fuel tank is 10L and if you fill it one time, you can use this system for very long hours without any problem.
- All the accessories are included inside the package.
| Pros |
| – Remote control. – Usable in high altitudes. – Low fuel and electricity consumption. – Easy to operate |
| Cons |
| – Can be a very high capacity for average vans. – Generally used for trucks and freights. |
ZHIBANG Diesel Air Heater Unique Intelligent
Another common diesel heater for van is this product. The heater power is 8 Kw which can be very high for an average van application. All the equipment is included inside the package that you will need.
- Also, this one has an LCD control that you can easily control the temperature of the environment.
- You can use it up to 5000 meters of altitude without any kind of problem which is much higher than the previous selection.
- The available temperature range is -40 to 50 degrees Celsius.
- The heating is very fast because of the very high heating capacity.
| Pros |
| – Very high heating capacity for different kinds of bigger applications. – Rapid heating. |
| Cons |
| – No remote control. – High capacity for vans. – The capacity is not adjustable. |
NaoSIn-Ni 12V 2KW Diesel Air Heater
This is the product that we can recommend to heat the vans and middle-sized panel vans. The capacity of the heating is 2 kW which will be sufficient for most of the applications in general. The LCD and remote control make it very useful. Applicable to the 12V battery connections.
- The 2 kW total power will be very useful for the middle-sized vans which you are looking for a system for them.
- The available working temperature is between -40 to 50 degrees Celsius.
- Also, the fuel consumption is between 0.18 to 0.68 liters per hour according to the environment in which you are using this device.
| Pros |
| – Suitable for middle sizes vans and big car interiors. – Easy to operate with remote control and LCD. |
| Cons |
| – Comparatively high price. |
Last Words on Diesel Heater for Van
As you see above we tried to give all the important information about the diesel heaters that you can use in your vans and RV. So they are very useful systems that will heat the space that you have. And it will be very easy for you to install them on your cars, and RVs.
We explained all the important parameters that you need to consider about them. So, selecting the best application will be very easy for you.
If you have additional comments and questions about these systems please leave them below.
FAQ About Diesel Heater for Van
There is fuel combustion inside the heater. So one may think that these systems are not safe for vans. This verdict is not true in general. Because most of the high-quality applications have safety systems in their burners. If there is an unexpected fuel consumption or unexpected air supply the system cuts the fire and prevents any hazard. And also another important danger is the burn of the fuel that leaks from the combustion chamber. The same safety systems prevent this situation in general. So, it is very important to look for systems that have very strict safety applications.
An average diesel heater runs with 0.3 lt per hour of diesel fuel in general. And also if we conceive that 1 gallon is approximately 3.7 liters, you can run your diesel heater for around 10-12 hours without any closing offs. Also the temperature and the capacity of the heater is very important here. For example, some low-capacity heaters consume around 0.1 liters per hour which you can run for about 30 hours. But in average, you can expect to run these systems minimum of 10 hours with 1 gallon of diesel fuel.
The most useful size of diesel heater for a van is generally the 2-3Kw ones. They will be the best fit for your van or Rc application without any problem.
As you understand that they work with diesel fuel. And also they are connected to a battery system for the first ignition of the fuel inside the combustion chamber. And also there is a system that works inside the consumption chamber. So this fan system makes the air go through the chamber to heat the air. Also this fan system directs this hot air inside the van. The fuel comes from a spare fuel tank for that system. And the fresh air comes from the outside for the combustion. Exhaust gases are expelled to the outside. This is the general working principle of the diesel heater for van.
It depends on the capacity of the diesel heater, the average temperature that you are running, and also the capacity of the fuel tank. Most diesel heaters have generally 10 lt of gas cans. And they generally burn around 0.3 liters per hour of diesel fuel. So, if you make the calculation you will probably use the diesel heater without interruption for 30-35 hours.
It is not possible. Because the system needs a spark coming from the battery system of your car. But some diesel heater systems have their battery systems. And they are using this battery system for a run. But if the system that you are using is not one of these systems, you will probably not run the diesel heater in your car.
They are generally safe. But you need to look for extra safety measurements that they provide with these systems. Also, you need to look for diesel heaters from reliable brands.
