Burning Used Motor Oil in my Chinese Diesel heater

[@TrevorStruthers]

The algorithm has been feeding me diesel heater videos. I am a farmer here on youtube and I know of a lot of places to get this "black diesel" as I have been hearing it called. I like the bus and you are making me think about picking one up to make into a mobile workshop. Subscribed! Have a good one.

[@thehouseholder5468]

Two tanks on a Y piece should help it mix better then you can shut off the used oil until it gets hot enough to introduce it , also running a copper brake line wrapped around the exhaust will heat up the used oil and help it combust quicker, before you shut it down run it on straight diesel for a few minutes so it’ll start up on straight diesel from cold

[@gadget8066]

Almost exactly what I did... Had the Y inlet with auto stop/starts on them on a timer prestart on fuel then switch to oil. Also used cheaper starter burn fuel kerosene or Paraffin, these are not the same here in the UK, Paraffin is very clean and can be used indoors. Definitely warm the old motor oil before it hits the burn chamber, burns really hot and really clean.

[@thehouseholder5468]

@@gadget8066 I’m going run 8mm copper pipe around the exhaust to warm it up , getting chilly here in the West Midlands 🥴🤣❤️

[@critical_awareness7587]

@@thehouseholder5468 how did that work for you? That exhaust gets red hot...

[@viscache1]

The Vevor 8Kw wall mount heater puts out 220F-240F consistently. I use straight used tractor oil in the spring and fall but Winter Diesel through the Winter months that we have 20F to -25F. I use two of these in my shop. The key is to put a course screen filter followed by a fine screen filter followed by a paper fuel filter that I change ever three months. A build up of carbon (without filters) will build up over six months but with filters you will never have to clean it out. I’m heating a 1200 sq.’ Rabbitry and a machine shop of about 2500 sq. ‘ with two of the 8Kw heaters. The cost when running both from a barrel of diesel is about $.04 per Kw or about $6 per day.

[@JoelArseneaultYouTube]

That's interesting. I just got a Vevor 8kw unit and it worked for two days (44 hrs) before I had to pull it apart and clean it out. I got it to burn lawnmower oil, as I am a lawnmower technician, but in the first day I did burn some random fuel including 8-10 year old diesel, chainsaw bar oil mixed with gasoline (come to think of it, this could have been the cause of my issues) and some mower oil with just a little gasoline. I am now running it on a mix of mower oil with 10% gasoline and 50/50 oil diesel mix... 32 hrs in now with no issues except that it takes 2-3 attempts to get started with the oil diesel mix.

[@urbannorstrom6255]

Any chanse of a video of that filter-system?

[@mobiusx8117]

You mentioned burning "straight tractor oil". What weight oil would that be? (Yeah, I'm not a farmer).

[@mobiusx8117]

@@JoelArseneaultKZbin Some people use two tanks, and start/stop the heater on pure diesel.

[@viscache1]

@@mobiusx8117 >10w30 from the backhoe, track loader and farm trucks and 15w40 Rotella from the diesel tractors. We change oil every 40 hours of use and most the tractors take 8-22 gallons. Once per year we dump the hydraulic fluid and replace all filters so we have about 300 gallons of old hydraulic fluid. I only run it in one of the heaters because if they do start clogging or stopping up it will only be one heater to strip, clean and rebuild.

[@jamesmason7124]

Hello from the high desert of New Mexico USA 🇺🇸. I have been installing and repairing diesel air heaters for over 20 years. I just wanted to mention that you really need to route the exhaust out from under your bus. I personally would not run oil in my diesel heaters in my bus, it's just too much hassle, besides I have my heaters plumbed into my bus fuel tank.

[@HOODS]

Yes the cleaning frequency from running oil is to much hassle so I've already figured out. I just haven't had time to do an update video. I don't like the idea of plumbing into the engine diesel tank. And yes I definitely will be routing the exhaust out from under the bus. I just haven't been able to order another exhaust extension. Thanks for watching.

[@openyoureyes3113]

@@HOODS You should do a video of processing your oil Through filters or a centrifuge. The amount of money you can save by processing your oil Is crazy. With the price of diesel you could just buy a new heater before you burn it out. I run my oil through the homemade Centrifuge. I run 70% oil. 20% diesel 10% gas. You have to filter the oil!!! Even pump it through a filter system.

[@elvindekle9835]

I would add 10% gasoline to the oil and then filter before adding the diesel. Bio diesel would be a good choice . Then you could run the bus using black biodiesel. Mixing your biodiesel with clean #2 works well .

[@viscache1]

I have three of these, one in a rabbitry, two in my machine shop. I run one on used motor oil, hydraulic fluid etc but I run a course filter screen, a fine filter screen and a regular fuel oil filter in line and replaced the cheap fuel pump with a better one. I also filter the oil before I add it to the tank. I’ve never had a problem with the used oil but I pull it down and clean it every three years just because.

[@viscache1]

@@openyoureyes3113 >You should never throw out the heater when it plugs up. It takes about 30 minutes to break it down to parts and run solvent through it and have it as good as new. I use multiple filter systems and a better fuel pump for the one heater that burns used oil, hydraulic fluid, cooking oil and ‘off’ diesel from the bottom of the main farm tank every year. If you filter it right you will never have to break your heater down. But when you can revive it for a half hour of work there is never a reason to replace it! These are dirt simple and infinitely replaceable. The one thing this guy does that is nuts is to run the exhaust out under the bus! He is begging for carbon monoxide poisoning!

[@dewaynewhitney5703]

I just watched a video of a couple guys in the UK run straight used oils in their unit for 3 years before they had to take it apart and clean the inner screen out. He said that he should have had it filtered before the heater. But they cleaned it out and put it back together and had it running again. The other guy had it plumbed into his house for heating it up in the winter. But it smoked a little bit at first but then it cleared up.

[@welshe222]

@Swim Fan Pretty sure if it was some sort of cooking oil mix then it would be completely fine, infact it would most likely clean the inside, and maybe the last batch of oil they ran through it was filthy, who knows.

[@AndersonERockefeller]

I used 70% vegetable oil(very clean) and 30% diesel , after about 5 gallons of mixed the inner burner chanber was completely clogged of soot, vegetable oil has glycerin and doesn't burn. If you make biofuel from veggie oil should work just fine because making biofuel removes the glycerin.

[@donnobles5272]

@Swim Fan Run kerosene through it for a day and it cleans it well

[@swimfan6292]

@@donnobles5272 they're already mixing with kerosense. eventually when you're burning motor oils and transmission fluids like they are, inevitably the machine needs maintenance that it just wasn't getting. Basic cleaning was all.. few times a year. But they'd wait until the flame rollout switches would trip on safetys, then call for help lol

[@AndersonERockefeller]

After you poured that black mixed fuel in the diesel heater fuel container I said to myself here comes the trouble 🤣, there's too many comments to read but take in consideration that used motor oil has fine particles from metal, copper, aluminum and other contaminates which simply the burner will not be able to burn and eventually clog up from 8 hours to max 2 days,also make sure you don't mix motor oil with gasoline, if you do gasoline will ignite before the motor oil when it gets injected and you will clog your burner in less than a day.

[@richardsandwell2285]

Be careful the oily funnel does not gather dust and grit, it is best to store funnels in a tin or box.

[@equid0x]

We used to burn the used motor oil from changes in the old heating diesel furnace which found a new home at the garage when we had natural gas installed. It was fine.

[@cfh4201969]

I sometimes run used motor oil in my diesel truck, 7.3 IDI. at about the same ratio maybe a little less oil , but you should filter it before you dump it into the tank. I just use a cone filter meant for paint sprayers, put it right in the funnel and just poor the oil through it. I do have one of those diesel heaters in my motorhome which I live in. Good to know I can start using used motor oil 👍

[@w124mercedes7]

If you value your heater stick to diesel. Used oil will fill your heater with carbon And it sill stop burning. Motor causes them to fill up with soot and carbon within a couple tanks. I have lived in my 42ft yacht and 34ft motorhome for over 15 years And use these heaters as primary heat. Except I run the planar 44d heater. They were designed to heat military vehicles in Siberia so they are the most reliable. I have used eberspacher and other high end brands but have found planar to be more reliable and they dont discontinu parts like other high end brands. I run mine 24/7 from fall to spring and on 7th year with no problems. I never got a Chinese heater to last 1 full season running 24/7.

[@slrs3908]

Yep, don't be afraid. Others have used theirs non-stop for 3 years, and then it did stop. The disassembled it, cleaned it and then used it again. It is not about valueing your heater. it is about your time and the money saved. Go for it if you so desire. So done with others trying to make people afraid.

[@gerardahern4041]

It piles up when you do your own work. Great idea.

[@RADMAN752]

thanks for posting, there is a little screen around the glow plug that can gum up with carbon and contaminates. if it starts to smoke or not stay lit, pop the glow plug out and clean keep posted about issues with it

[@philipread7741]

With regards to the amount of oil in the slope sided container: You could fill it up with diesel fuel and using a permanent marker, put on calibration marks, say every half gallon dispensed. Motor oil has all sorts of additives in it to make it work properly: i.e. dispersants, anti friction. and alkali compunds to counteract the acid build up from sulphur in the fuel etc. These are going to create ash deposits n the oil burner. When you service / clean it, do not breathe in the ash.

[@Uriah625]

Burned used oil myself. Found out running it on the low setting was a really bad idea. Cleaned it up and ran it on high. Got about 12 hours before it plugged up and shut down. Was much easier to clean as it was more soot than clinkers. At this point, I’m only going to run used on the weekends so I have time to clean it each day.

[@paulkaygmailcom]

did you by chance try running the heater vertical with the burn chamber/air outlet at the bottom?

[@joedee1863]

Measuring a precise amount into a container then a mixing attachment on your cordless power drill could do a better blending job...maybe. Some cheaper paint thinners or other solvent could thin down the used engine oil Also priming the heater with a little kerosene or similar would ensure the thing getting a good ignition. I am glad you shared this with us thanks 👍

[@punker4Real]

most people use gasoline to water it down instead try and get E0 if possible, No e85

[@HOODS]

I thought about thinning with gas but that really quickly raises the flammability and would require precise tuning per specific gravity. My biggest issue stems from needing to get the oil clean first.

[@joedee1863]

@@HOODS - there's a few videos showing the cleaning of the oil. Looks like needing a lot of specialised equipment and effort.

[@joedee1863]

@@punker4Real - good idea. I can't get gasoline without the added ethanol but there's a few videos on YT showing how to remove most of it.

[@punker4Real]

@@joedee1863 just be careful though and don't use it in a gas engine as it will lower the octane, causing ping and damage

[@1worldgaming18]

acetone is used in most if not all fuel blends and paint thinners as a stabilizers it also thinnes the used oil

[@66Pipes66]

There’s a video of a guy that ran his on used engine oil/hydraulic oil for 3 yrs with no problems. He did run it full blast though, he takes it apart to inspect and clean it, it’s more coked up than running on clean diesel obvs but well worth the time invested in cleaning the unit for the free fuel.

[@MikeVeldhuis-v6z]

I’ve ran a 30/70 gasoline to used oil blend for the winter 30 gas/70 used oil n I’ll adjust that a bit depending on the temperature so my heater can cycle n run on the low settings as well I also cook the gasoline into the motor oil n use a plate heater to keep the oil fuel warm right before it goes into the heater for better atomization

[@laurenceperkins7468]

Used oil generally has a lot of soot from the engine built up in it, so you've got a much higher carbon content. (especially used diesel oil from things like your bus) It'll need to have a leaner mix to avoid coking up the inside of the burner. For this reason most waste oil burners use high pressure air to disperse the fuel and have combustion chambers that are easy to clean. For these heaters I'd probably get the advanced settings code and lean out the mix as much as will still run reliably on the used oil to slow down the buildup, and then put in a fuel line switch to flip it over to something with a lower carbon content like propane occasionally and reduce out what carbon deposits do occur. Unfortunately, you do kind of have to choose between needing to clean it occasionally if it's too rich and burning out your combustion chamber if it's too lean.

[@Storman77]

If you have the model that has Alpine mode ( high altitude ) you could set it in that mode because it lowers the pulse mode for the lack of oxygen in the air so lean out the burn ( as per Laurence advice) may help. My unit has this feature I may test it.

[@skblack5050]

@@Storman77 They cost $100, Have a spare is my plan. I really like the one I have which is the 8K, I think a 5K for $100 will be just fine because it may need to run on high more often. Running on low seems to cause problems with carboning up too.

[@wanderingstarcruiser4126]

@@skblack5050 5k and 8k are the same heaters. It's a marketing gimmick. Lavaner pro does make a 9k, and it literally twice as long as the 5k.

[@alasdair4161]

There is no mixture adjustment with these heaters, the pulse timing simply sets the burner temp, adding more oil simply increases the out[put temperature. Mixture is controlled by the burn chamber vortex duct and cannot be adjusted, however restrictions to the air intake can richen the mixture by starvation, that is also why they run more efficiently at higher temp settings, the increased air flow and burner temperature works at the optimum design speed. The little onboard computer simply runs a closed loop temp sensor to meter the pump dosage and fan speed. If it fails to reach optimum temperature due to fuel, it usually indicates the air intake is not flowing properly or there are problems with the fan motor, there are some really low quality cheap plain bushed versions around that are unable to deliver the right fan speed (burner and exchanger). I always replace these cheapies with a ball raced version which also has a better commutator and field magnets. It's also worth cleaning/replacing the flame generator screen on the glow plug. these soot up and the flame becomes erratic and weak, sometimes even going out at low settings. after burning a few hundred hours I also now rebuild with a high grade stainless steel burn chamber. Again there are some super dodgy ones floating around, even aluminium... the standard steel versions are ok, but the fabricated stainless version lasts almost forever. I've had zero degradation with any of mine, it's one of the best upgrades, along with the ball raced motor.

[@laurenceperkins7468]

@@alasdair4161 Some of them claim to have a mixture adjustment in the advanced settings or a "high altitude" mode. But you're right that it probably can't be adjusted very much without either the fire going out or needing to run at a temperature that cooks some important parts. It doesn't help that, in addition to varying manufacturing quality, there seem to also be a couple of different internal designs circulating around. And they all look the same from the outside.

[@schum009]

I ran a school bus on used motor oil cut with gasoline at about 15%. Just had to advance the timing on the injector pump a few minutes. If you've never heard of it, look up "black diesel". It does stink like burning oil, but if you get the timing right, it runs fine and doesn't smoke.

[@MikeVeldhuis-v6z]

Ran mine 6 months straight mixing gasoline n used motor oil 50/50-30 gasoline up to at -50c no cleaning it no problems yet

[@bomax5995]

Well since I try to make as small footprint as possible, Im glad to see that a lot of others are doing what they think is the best for the environment.

[@erwin643]

You'd be surprised how many of us Survivalists re-utilize waste material on our suburban homesteads, etc: Used motor oil, wood stove ash, food waste, paper/cardboard waste, etc.

[@bomax5995]

@@erwin643 Just by the fact that we are behaving like pigs dont mean that we will survive together with them.

[@escapetherace1943]

@@bomax5995 there is nothing bad about using waste oil

[@jasonhale4639]

Yeah, I tried that with mine and it ran for a couple days before it fouled out and I had to clean it and the burn chamber had hard deposits that I literally had to chisel out of it. It was like concrete and was stuck in the back side of the burn chamber where thier is a metal mesh. It was actually stuck in the mesh and I damaged the mesh trying to get it out. I don't recommend doing it as I eventually had to replace the burn chamber due to loss of metal mesh that actually heats up and sustains the flame in the burn chamber. Burning used motor oil eventually destroys the burn chamber to the point it no longer can burn properly.

[@paulkaygmailcom]

did you by chance try running the heater vertical with the burn chamber/air outlet at the bottom?

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Those burner screens are cheap. My German Espar D2 heater used two over the course of ten years. Espar USA has helpfully uploaded every maintenance procedure to KZbin in a very DIY friendly way

[@jasonhale4639]

@@wallacegrommet9343 Yeah I know about the round tubular ignitor screen that goes around the igniter, but this is a steel mesh that is actually incorporated into the back of the burner assembly itself that I inadvertently damaged trying to get the concrete out of it. I know on some heaters this screen was made to be replaceable, but on mine it was not. It was in behind the tooth looking part in the very back of the burner tube and no way to get to it.

[@HOODS]

Mine doesn't have a mesh in the burn chamber. Only a tiny screen around the igniter.

[@paulkaygmailcom]

@@HOODS screen = mesh

[@stevenee1ply]

A clawfoot tub in a school bus? I admire the stones. :)

[@mickwolf1077]

Used motor oil is full of contaminants, that's the black colour. If you don't see smoke coming out it'll be leaving a small amount of residue in the heater, free heat is free heat though and I'll be doing this to mine. Waste oil heaters are great too, burn red hot.

[@taterzsalad9252]

furnace oil runs great

[@3v068]

Im feeling bad for the guys in the UK right now. They just banned burning used oil in these heaters. Because they want you to go to recycling plants, where they get paid to burn it anyways. Its just more businesses trying to squeeze money out of the people.

[@paulkaygmailcom]

what they don't know won't hurt them

[@1FishinAddict]

How would they know what you're burning? Lol

[@poguemahone5476]

Don't feel bad. Nobody will pay any notice to that, and nobody will do anything to enforce it.

[@trev8932]

Hi. As far as I can see the regulations apply to businesses, the regs are apparently stricter in Scotland with a permit costing £10,000. I change my car's oil every 6 months irrespective of mileage and it's from a petrol engine, I have tried it in my heater 30% oil to 70% Kerosene with no ill effects, no smoke and slightly more heat. I'd run out of my supply of oil before the end of the winter if I continued to use it.

[@blackseabrew]

Very interesting of course. I'm confident the heater will handle it but most plastic starts to degrade or melt at 200 degrees F. So as long as the hot air supply piping is ok with that temp I say fire it up. I'm going try this as well. I just purchased my first diesel heater. My torpedo heater runs just fine on ag diesel, even in stupid cold weather. But it uses a siphon system so I don't think I will try mixing that with motor oil. This is good to know.

[@jjohnpara]

I tried a 50/50 mix and seem to work fine on low.. but i like to have a tap where i can regulate the motor oil and diesel on a split fuel system. That way i can put it on clean before i turn off.. i used straight engine oil but soon stopped working.. i had to use a blow touch to burn off the crap that was inside the burn chamber.. now normal motor oil is best. But if you use fully synthetic oil it will smoke then clog up over time.. also there are acids in motor oil so might corrode over time..

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Hear you on synthetic smoking. Pour a little used mobil one into a carburetor on a running engine and be prepared to lay a massive smoke screen

[@9999plato]

IDK. I might think of bolting that tank outside to prevent any spills, fumes or odors.

[@Northwestprepper411]

I have several of these put away for emergencies, I love this idea. Would love to see how dirty it is running though.

[@HOODS]

It clogged up and began having issues pretty soon. And was a pain to clean out. Maybe one day they will create a design that is simply easier to clean. I feel it is impurities and additives in motor oil that cause these rock like formations in the burn chamber. I've went back to running pure diesel. But I want to figure out how I can use used motor oil more efficiently to heat with. Simply because it is a resource that is very commonly overlooked and could be acquired virtually free. Or at a low cost.

[@pauls466]

@@HOODS Maybe you should put (pin ) this on the top. to warn others

[@Caseytheradioguy]

With that style of IR thermometer you have to be really really close. Check the manual bc some do a 16" radius at 2" away . The laser is only a guide

[@debohannan4315]

I tried it in my 85 300sd Mercedes and it was wonderful but the suspended unburned carbon in black oil can and will settle out over time , in vehicles we just don't let it sit or sludge will build up . Another way if you have a 55 gallon barrel of waste oil is to run it through a purifier then its good to go however being a heavier fuel it might not be such a good idea for those heaters , there are heaters it will do fine in but those I think are to much for a school bus.

[@kennethschultz6465]

ASK BOSH !! THEY LOVE RETARDOE'S LIKE THIS WHO GIVE REAL BAAD ADWICE!! LOTS OF NEW FILTER PUMP AND BURNER HEAD CLUGGED UP IN HEAWY SOD !! AND THE EXSHAUST IS WAY WAY MORE SMOOKY SO CLEANER.. WELL THATS A HUGE LIE

[@billynnc1998]

That one way to save some $$. I would suggest using the small jugs of oil up first. Be knocking out one those todo list items.

[@lonnieblackwell9215]

Interesting video. The only thing that I can think of that might be a negative is, if the little fuel pump can handle the oil. That oil is a bit heavier than the fuel. Other than that I think your good to go.

[@keaton8521]

I just started working on mine doing the same, yet I use petrol instead of diesel/K1. I have only run about 20% petrol in the mix and did find hard deposits on the bottom of the burn chamber. In order to prevent oil pooling I tips the heater straight up and down so the burn chamber faced down. This made it so any extra oil would burn at the bottom, instead of making a solid rock inside the burn chamber. I would imagine that 50/50 WMO and Petrol would actually burn much cleaner. Also if you have the red LED controller you can reduce pump speed which might help. Keep us updated! I’m going to try and get this running cleaner. Maybe even start and stop on diesel so that it comes up to temp on diesel and burns hotter with waste oil.

[@dougjohns5115]

that and metal filings would worry me not to mention the unit will shut down if too hot.

[@paulkaygmailcom]

any updates? I'm attempting another go with WMO.. running a 2kw heater vertically this time so I can keep the Hz up ~4 to keep chamber temps higher as well as filtering the oil down to 5 micron "running about 50/40/10 diesel/WMO/Gas"

[@CapeCodCNC]

Diesel fuel and motor oil have virtually the same BTU content so there should be no difference in heat output. IR temp sensors can't read air temp, you need a thermistor or some other physical sensor to measure air temp. It does make heat cheaper at the expense of more clean outs so it's a win....

[@pattyprice2644]

Morning Dave Love the new intro shows off some of your many talents Great video Dave

[@emilee172]

i GOT 210 f OUT OF THE BOX WITH diesel, AND over 400 at the exhaust so I took baseboard hot water heat pipe with the fins and extended the exhaust to 10 feet to get ALL that wasted heat.. You Will get a lot more suite with oil and may require more cleaning or run a gallon of kerosene to help clean

[@jhrickey]

you need to get a conduction thermometer like a old school one. Your IR thermometer is giving you the temp of the surface of the duct you are shooting it into, not the air.

[@YellowstoneBrew]

Good stuff, thanks! I don't use oil but I believe that synthetic oil burns well too, better, and with less impurities. As for me, I'd like to see more information about frequency of cleaning the burner. Not an fun task.

[@CopperStateCustomAdmin]

ultra sonic cleaner int its a breeze. It also gets it cleaner than you ever could manually.

[@viscache1]

So far I’ve used hydraulic fluid, old diesel that I don’t trust in the new tractors, used engine oil of all weights and varieties…the oils that don’t seem to go well are power steering and brake fluid…which can gather moisture. Just a little brake fluid in the whole mix tends to put the burn ‘off’ and build carbons.

[@Riscyrich]

With all due respect I strongly suggest you stop doing this. I spent hours experimenting with used motor oil in my diesel heater a couple of years ago to much regret. I tried different blends of diesel, kerosene, ran it for days on end etc. Each and every time the burner unit would clog up with deposits that were hard as rocks. I had to chip and chisel them out. I ended up buying a new burn chamber in the end as they were just too difficult to remove. Straight oil (I heated it with a copper pipe coil wrapped round the exhaust to make it easier to pump) will only accelerate the fouling of the burn chamber. I took pictures and videos which I can send over if you are interested.

[@Marks-Garage]

Similar to what i found. I tried 5 litres of kerosene to one litre of used engine oil and it will fire and burn but it will get harder and harder to restart until it stops starting completely. When i dismantled it i found the burn chamber clogged up with hard white deposits that i had to use a hammer to free up. Ultrasonic cleaner would probably do the best job but i need to get one at some point soon!

[@HOODS]

Yes it was a pain to scrape and clean the burn chamber.

[@nathanhudelson4935]

Burn chambers are $30 and I can install one in about 20 minutes, if I can burn 15-20 gallons it would be well worth it to throw in a new burn chamber. I’m planning on trying it next winter.

[@HOODS]

I don't recommend a 50/50 blend maybe 80% diesel 20%oil

[@nathanhudelson4935]

80/20 due to viscosity or other issues?

[@oojimmyflip]

the air filter needs to go inside so that it recirculates the warm air inside it will run much more efficiently that way.

[@SgtDuster]

The f*** you're saying? The filtered air input is for COMBUSTION not the same thing as the heated air that comes from the back of the unit. And it goes outside, especially in a small space.

[@mobiusx8117]

Any updates on the diesel heater? Are you still burning WMO? Any tips you can pass on to us?

[@timkempowski7012]

I have had nothing but trouble trying to do this as well. One piece of advice is to run it on high and change the factory setting for the max and min fan speed up by 10-15%. I stopped trying to burn alternative fuels, kero or diesel only. And with the increased fan speeds I get over 212F and almost no carbon buildup. 1000 hrs running this winter (10 hrs/gal and 100+ gals) just wish diesel was $2 and not $5

[@Refertech101]

you need to reduce the pump frequency, you want to keep fan a bit lower to keep its life.

[@paulkaygmailcom]

did you by chance try running the heater vertical with the burn chamber/air outlet at the bottom?

[@HOODS]

No

[@wallacegrommet9343]

These heaters should be able to burn heating oil just fine. #2 or #1 is usually a little cheaper than diesel. The main drawback to diesel is that the refinining efficiency of converting crude oil is only 40 percent. In addition, not all grades of crude can be refined into diesel.

[@davezamora5343]

Lots of free used oil left by the back door of my local Autozone.

[@ME-jc7xi]

I did the whole bus conversion thing and then had to replace the electric fuel pump and lift pump costing me over 4 grand parts and labor. Then 800 per tire. And if you break down you need a massive tow truck which is at minimum 200 per hour not to mention cost per mile to whatever garage can fix it. Not worth it. Buy a U-Haul type box truck and be happy

[@jimvo4788]

I thought I was a genius 5 years ago and did the same thing and it plugged up the screen solid,took a bit of taking apart and cleaning to use it again, let me know what happens in a month or two

[@LadyTSurvival]

What I would like to know is if we're person were to aggressively filter the used motor oil, would that cut down on the carbon deposits. Like maybe filter it twice to make sure that solids are removed and that all that's left is going through is motor oil even if it's used. I don't have a lot of money but I do have a Chinese diesel heater that I have not installed yet, and I have access to all the used motor oil I could want. So being able to blend this with diesel would be a serious bonus for me. However I'm not good at things like tearing them the part and chiseling deposits out of the burn chamber. So if anybody out there knows of a way to filter the used motor oil sufficiently to avoid the carbon buildup please let me know.

[@norm5785]

So you had an opportunity to see how it has done over a few months. How has this worked out for your heating needs?

[@pauls466]

probably with a clogged up gauze.

[@randybobandy9828]

@pauls466 derpty derp! Probably not. The amount of money he will save burning used free oil will far out weigh the added maintenance cost of the cheap deisel heater.

[@Billy-cs4cc]

I have an international skoolie. Hoping on veg oil to mix with diesel to run and heat it?

[@silvursprings]

Interesting...didn't know this was possible!

[@Billy-cs4cc]

Could you try burning used veg oil blend?

[@oluja95cro]

My opinion is to start heater with diesel so proper temperature can be made, if you start with oil mixture than carbon build up is going to be greater because of colder combustion chamber. Also it is good to switch again befor shutting off to go again on pure diesel so chamber can be cleand. Here is video of guy who was burning pure oil for years and never cleaned the burner kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6Gvmaqrrp6Ab6c

[@sylvester2294]

I was hoping to see where you purchased the tank with the 4 screw holes. capacity also..

[@HOODS]

It came with the heater there should be a link in the description of the video

[@sylvester2294]

@@HOODS I figured it out when I went to ebay to shop for one..

[@mikebryde3207]

First time viewer just a few mins into the vid figured I'd let u know, your videos would and will do much better off with a much shorter intro. I pressed the f- fwd 2 or 3 times. Just thought u might appreciate the feedback, otherwise thanks for the video! I tried 50/50 mix with black motor oil and it was a smoke show 😅

[@phychotic_turtle7987]

You need to get a transfer pump it will help out a lot

[@Weldoholic]

We need an update!

[@iansvecs]

Your air intake that blows over the engine is sucking air from the room you're warming. So the warmer the room the hotter that air is before it passes over the heaters engine and in turn the hotter the heated air will be. This also means it could eventually overheat if you don't keep your eye on it.

[@daniboi4270]

The combustion intake is outside. thats a normal setup no need to wory about overheating it. you could get more efficiency by having the combustuon intake inside the space being warmed but not a good idea as when you turn the heater off it may backflow unburned diesel smoke into your space.

[@TheDirtyChef]

@@daniboi4270 another reason you don't want to have the combustion Intake inside the space you are going to be living in is because it will be competing with you for oxygen. If it is a very well sealed place that could be deadly.

[@asdasd-jl3ls]

If you can run 500-1000 hours free fuel you have saved the price of the heater. So why not, then buy new and sevice old one.

[@HOODS]

Good point

[@user-td5th1lz7e]

I might try that with my diesel heater I seen the video and where you are looking under the bus at the exhaust I could not see it. I hope it is vented outside the bus and not underneath the bus so carbon monoxide flows back in

[@Xpp.]

Very interested in how you get on using old oil . Im looking into doing the same thing with mine

[@keithm6117]

Have you tested the exhaust gasses with a Co meter... !!! The Co emissions when running Diesel on my unit is 35ppm Carbon monoxide, which could be an issue if you're parked in a poorly ventilated area, the fumes can build up and have a negative effect on the fresh air inlet for combustion. The emissions with a 60/40 mix of Diesel/Motor Oil is 90ppm which is lethal if you're unit is exhausting in a poorly ventilated area. Please consider this when using you're units with a Diesel/ waste oil mix..

[@zuutube875]

Hi, how have you been getting on with this? Are you still burning oil and diesel mix?

[@joedee1863]

I would have liked to have seen an internal and external thermometer displaying a comparative temperature rather than your heat sensor gun.

[@Jimimac73]

The lazer measures surface temp not air temp ķ series probe is needed

[@johnkelly8614]

You have an awesome intro for this video! Great music and great scenes. I look forward to seeing how things work out over time with the 50/50 blend.

[@Lordlindef]

Have it bean cloged up at 50% diesel and 50% wais/used Oil?? Wegy Oil is much better. But Oil will last for Long time in this heaters ?? I will do this to day my self in a 8kw heater. All in one, but taken apart and put it where i did want it. Your inlet pipe for burn scamber shud go out whit exsos!!!!! If not u suck Hot air out of ur buss. And get eksos pipe out on side not have it under. U dont want to die of carbon

[@johnwyman6126]

Holy Mackerel intro is over a minute and a half long! Most others are only about ten seconds.

[@helmutlembke7320]

thanks for information

[@slrs3908]

Interesting info here. Search: Chinese diesel heater ran on used waste oil clean out

[@nigeldlm]

I hope you filtered your old oil ? It's black for a reason !

[@JohnCope-t2y]

I believe engine oil has a higher btuh rating than diesel.

[@InsaneMopar]

Is it still working good on the 50/50 mix? I ordered an 8kw heater just waiting for it to come in and i plan on using a 50/50 mix since i have a ton of used oil to burn

[@frankbriante4044]

why not put the heater closer to your exterior wall and run the exhaust line as a floor heater and then exhausted outside near back of the bus , this way you can use the exhaust pipe as a radiant heat source.

[@MagentaRV]

Would it work on filtered vegetable oil? I'm guessing it would have to be filtered and probably preheated, but it should work very similar, no?

[@Athrunwong]

I heard of people using 50/50 used cooking oil + diesel too. Not sure how that work out on the heat, BTU and soot after sometime. Diesel is getting expensive nowadays.

[@HOODS]

The problem with used motor oil is buildup of rock hard soot and minerals left behind clogging the burn chamber. It's a pain to clean out. But if a person has to they can use it. Just plan on cleaning like once a week.

[@Athrunwong]

@@HOODS cleaning up once per week is too much of a hassle. Why the F is the fuel costing so much anyway? Fuel is like very cheap and we have abundance of those.

[@HOODS]

@@Athrunwong politics is why

[@carlbrown5150]

@@Athrunwong If you voted democrat that's why it's expensive.!!😉

[@Athrunwong]

@@carlbrown5150 Well...not next time.

[@nickf6144]

hows it holding up after a year

[@Fanzindel]

Great test. Have you done a CO exhaust check and calibrated the heater for the diesel/oil blend? It running hotter might imply it could use more air to run clean. Might test this on my heater.

[@HOODS]

No I have quit running the oil blend for now till I have a backup heater. Due to having to clean it so often.

[@Fanzindel]

@@HOODS good to know. Thanks for the feedback!!

[@Tec-v3h]

chances are used oil will have traces of water in it fitting a fuel filter with a water trap inline before the pump

[@victoryfirst2878]

Does this heater smell when it starts and runs ???? What about when you shut it off ?? Thanks

[@guyfawkesMcCool]

How long did it last using oil in it pls.

[@randall1959]

I wonder how jet fuel would work? After all it's usually got smokeless additives that might help with coking

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Thats high grade kerosene, basically. The price of kero is usually much higher than diesel in most regions.

[@juliogonzo2718]

Yeah it would burn it fine but think energy content of Jet A is lower than diesel

[@randall1959]

@@juliogonzo2718 It's been running fine on pump diesel so I'm staying with that

[@rhiantaylor3446]

I used to think advert placement was a little random on US TV but YT is going the same way. Intro lasts 1min 36 secs and already there has been an ad inserted. I always thought it better to wait until you have hooked your audience with some, you know, content...

[@HOODS]

Nice opinion

[@RT-tn4ry]

They will clog up and get dirtier faster FYI .

[@Lordlindef]

Whit the right tune in secret menu too ?? Almost all People pump waaaay to much fuel in to burners. 1.2 hz at low. And 3.6 at topp is maximum for the perfekt burning at diesel. And same heat lower consume at fuel. How is this when mix 50 50 good used Oil and diesel mixed and filtered????

[@donnobles5272]

If you were only getting 145 degrees on diesel you have a problem. On wide open I get 218 degrees. Periodically if you run straight kerosene it will clean the burner.

[@Jimmy-xu2jn]

Hi, did you end up burning straight used oil in it yet?

[@HOODS]

No

[@blakeburgess7171]

I run a blend of waste vegetable oil and gas in my old 82 isuzu diesel engine, it's 4 gallons of very well filtered vegetable oil and one gallon of gas, I've saved close to 50k dollars in the last 17 years, do you think that would be a good blend to run in this heater, it runs extremely well in my car

[@HOODS]

I'm sure with the right settings in the heater it could run on that. I'm currently working on using a centrifuge and trying to find a filter combination to get the used motor oil cleaner to reduce the amount of coking. I'm afraid I may have to distill the oil which is likely not feasible. I've had to do some fan setting modifications due to installing a longer exhaust pipe.

[@blakeburgess7171]

@@HOODS I recommend mixing your fuel before filtering, thinning it out makes it so much easier to filter

[@scottc8152]

@@HOODS I have heard that running it through a pair of used blue jeans filters used motor oil great. Jeans at the thrift store are a few bucks, could be a cheap filter. Gravity filter overnight.

[@jamest.5001]

I have two main concerns, one being, will it cold start on oil only or high oil/diesel mixes, then next, is Can it burn too hot? Could it melt down, possibly burn a hole in the aluminum case, causing a fire? I think I'd rather go with biodiesel, I was thinking about building a tiny wood stove, from a refrigerant tank, or two, using 2.25"-2.5" exhaust pipe, inside a 3" exhaust pipe, using a small fan to pull air through the gap between, and feed the basically force fed rocket stove, But then, you got me thinking waste oil! Maybe use a similar stove pipe, but build a small oil burner / combustor using heat plugs and a small blower, and pump, still pulling the air through the pipe, basically the size of a qt jar, to a 3litre bottle, inside the tank, slightly smaller than a propane tank, it could also be used to heat water, with fail-safes, and safety precautions, using 3/8" -1/2" copper tubing, coiled inside, about 12 6" coils could do it, especially if used with a electric water heater used as a tank, using a pump to circulate the water, I'd use a 1" tee to circulate through, using one outlet as a pressure release, on both sides of the coil, and a similar setup could make steam, circulating the water through a 2gallon tank, filled less than half way, with relief valves, use the steam to spin a small alternator, 40amp or so, it would probably peak around 600-800watts, 100%duty would probably be around 300 watts, a very rough guess, it could per it's self at least, however scale it up a bit with a coil made from twice 3-4x the material or so, and it should do 2 kw easy, for a while anyways,

[@xavierlumley7997]

What about home heating oil. No road tax!

[@juliogonzo2718]

It is just dyed diesel. It may be cheaper to just buy dyed from a distributor who has it at the pumps. A lot of cardlocks here have dyed but you usually need a card and an account. The one locally will let me pay inside and pump it. When I used to drive a fuel truck it was kind of sad that there is a $0.10/L tax on heating oil here. I'd do a home heating oil delivery, then go fill a genset with the same fuel and the industrial customer got it cheaper than the poor person trying to stay warm.

[@Jagerhund]

Anyone know if full synthetic used motor oil burns the same? It's all I use in my cars so if that won't work, no sense in buying the heater.

[@HOODS]

Full synthetic will burn but the real question is how much coking will result and how often you will need to service the heater. Cleaning out the burn chamber is a pain. But some of us think it's well worth it. Because it's a great way to dispose and make good use of a used product that you've already bought or can get at a relatively low cost. I think its worth the 150.00 or so that one of these heaters cost. But that is up to each individual to decide for themselves.

[@gbear1005]

Synthetic oil is just oil with single monimer chains (not the entire spectrum of asphaltines and bitumens found in "natural" oils. Iits PREFERRED for this use

[@coreybabcock2023]

Guess I won't be doing this

[@krimke881]

and in negative 10 celcius, how does it behave wtith that mix? does it even fire up?

[@creation9320]

In UK you not allowed to burn waste oil :(

[@paulkaygmailcom]

not allowed to speed, not allowed to earn income without reporting it....

[@UQRXD]

My bet is it will shoot it up. I would not take a chance on used oil. Also is the pump in it made to pump heavy oil.

[@jeffkenyon483]

Interesting,where do you get a used bus?

[@HOODS]

You can buy them from school districts, Facebook market place Craigslist and just about anywhere you look

[@w124mercedes7]

If you dont mind replacing your heater every 6 months you can run 50/50 Because the inside gets full of carbon. But 50/50 is pushing it. You will find any more oil than that they probably won't light up. I have used these diesel heaters for over 25 years as my primary heat source And have experimented with different fuels in Chinese heaters because I wasn't going to risk my $1.200 heater. I have used many different brands of Chinese heaters and have found they consistently burn up blower motors. Glow plugs and fuel pumps. Like they say you get what you pay for. I run the planar 44d to heat 32ft motorhome and am on my 7th winter with no issues it runs 24/7from fall to spring with no shutdown. A Chinese heater i neve never seen make 1 season non stop. But good luck.

[@equid0x]

I've never understood why a full time camper would want one of these over a proper jet heater. These might make a good backup but they don't look to be built for a high duty cycle.

[@w124mercedes7]

@@equid0x i would never run a Chinese heater. They just don't last. Personally I prefer not to buy Chinese stuff. The saying you get what you pay for is %100% true.

[@nextellcup8]

@@w124mercedes7 this is my second season running a Chinese diesel heater and its been perfect. set it correctly and they are great. i know one guy has many of them in his trucks. he takes them apart to clean every 3 years. having said that, the ones that don’t follow instructions and mess with the elevation adjustments often run into issues. 👍

[@nextellcup8]

@@equid0x this is my second season running one in northern Alberta where we do get down into the -40s . full time living in an rv . Honestly i couldn’t be happier with it . 👍

[@kmann1430]

The key is properly cleaning/preparing the waste oil,I've ran it in a 7.3 diesel for over ten years without an issue.

[@silvursprings]

I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed the way you edited this video....I noticed! The intro was awesome! The format was spot on. I liked that you welcomed us and gave us a brief introduction to what we were about to watch and learn about. This was perfect, Dave. Very good job. ❤️🇺🇸❤️

[@houstonfirefox]

2 Minute intro was a bit long. I usually prefer 30 seconds or less

[@HOODS]

That's cool I like long creative intros

[@videodistro]

Long intros are a waste of time. It's one reason we get away from traditional TV.

[@gracelonas2930]

Good job dave 👍

[@timsziminski2461]

Why couldn't you mount that whole unit underneath the bus? Then put vent in floor lots of space under there

[@HOODS]

Because you don't want road grime getting in it.

[@timsziminski2461]

@@HOODS I should of said enclose it lol

[@pauls466]

I runs ofcourse. But when will the gauze clog up.

[@HOODS]

It didn't take very long to clog the burn chamber. Currently cleaned out and running back on straight diesel. Waiting for my centrifuge to come in so I can see if I can get most of the solids carbon and such out to slow the coking of the burn chamber also will be getting a second fuel tank so I can start up and shut down on straight diesel.

[@ParasiteZappers]

What will happen if you mix 97% rubbing alcohol in with the diesel fuel?

[@juliogonzo2718]

It would probably just separate

[@reedvending2384]

Adding 3 % water lol

[@philliphall5198]

Looks like letting it blow in to a large muffler would heat it and put more heat ?? Has anyone tryed this???

[@rosemaryberry6351]

That’s awesome.