Self Cleaning Diesel Heater - Build Video.

If you would like your own Vevor diesel heater or Rotary Flex Shaft Tool, there are affiliate links below. If you use those links to make your purchase, I get a small kickback. Use code VVSALE5 for 5% off. Thank you !
Please note : The flex shaft tool comes in different wattages. The one I have is the 230W, and in my opinion, it is the best option. Not only does it have lots of power, the others MAY NOT come with the quick change tool. I have tested and used the 230W version for over 2 years now. 👍
Flex Shaft tool:
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Basic Diesel Heater: On sale till the end of March 2024 (not sure if the code works for this item)
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s.vevor.com/bfQEYL 2kw
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s.vevor.com/bfQPnX 2kw
s.vevor.com/bfQOVD 5kw
If you would like to support me and my projects, I have created a Patreon account. Regardless of the amount, every bit helps, will be put to use and is awesome motivation. Thank you so much !!
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Actual Description: I have been tinkering with diesel heaters for a while now, trying to burn waste engine oil. Each test I do, I learn a little something. I have decided to attempt to build the beginnings of a self cleaning burn chamber. This is the build video.

[@martinpanks992]

I dont think people don't realise how much effort is needed just to make a 10 minute video. As you know it can take many minutes of wasted footage just to make something 10 minutes long that is worth watching. Love your videos and keep them coming man.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Yes, this is true... It takes a lot of time and effort. Making videos has made me has a new appreciation for those who "do KZbin". Thanks for the comment !

[@philipreich7035]

Hi Joel, I think you'll need to get the rotation shaft to seal so you won't have combustion gas leaks into your conditioned space. One simple way to do this would be to use a brass 1/4" male IPT to 3/8" compression adapter. Tap the hole in the bushing for the 1/4" IPT, and mount the adapter to the bushing. The shaft would go through the adapter. Then use a standard 3/8" soft copper compression ferule around the shaft, and tighten the compression nut to seal the ferule onto the shaft and to the adapter. When you want to rotate the shaft, just loosen the compression nut, turn the shaft, and when done re-tighten the compression nut..... If this works well, you might be able to eliminate the bushing, and just tap and thread the 1/4" ipt male end directly into the heat exchanger, eliminating a part? However, I don't know if the brass/aluminum threaded connection might be problematic down the road. If you used the copper colored high-temp anti-seize it might be okay. Cheers from Oregon, USA Philip

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Yeah, sealing the shaft will have to be done at some point. This is very much just a test platform to see if the general concept works at all. Currently, the material that the shaft is made of, mild steel, will probably only last a few weeks (if that) before it completely falls apart from erosion. Haha... Great minds think alike ! I was thinking of that exact same solution. I was trying to think of a way that the loosening of the nut could be automated in a simple way. I have also been considering a spring loaded system that has a spring on the outside, and pushes a ferrule in from the outside. I do think that the bushing will be necessary for a few reasons... It will have to be able to transfer heat from the very hot shaft to the housing. You want a fairly large contact patch for better heat distribution, and also so that there is less change of galling of the metal. The extreme conditions inside of the chamber definitely make this more challenging.

[@memadmax69]

"No drill bits were harmed in the making of this video." ^.^

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Haha... not in this video... the last one was sooo gruesome I couldn't post it, haha.

[@fxm5715]

Yeah, machining montage, baby!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Haha... yeah. Some people enjoy them 🤟

[@mickgatz214]

Ah Yes! There's always room for IMPROVEMENT. 👍 Awesome video to go with it...

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Absolutely. Always possible to make things better.

[@mickgatz214]

Hi, just bought a 2kw jsut to fk about with. Also looking at alt fuel indicator modules instead of the Hcalory excessive pricing in their 'kits'...interesting. anyway, i gonna hook up an old (first) module and try burning the fuck outta the 2kwatter. It prolly won't match the 270/280deg record, but who knows, it fun messing about with them. Next msg...

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@mickgatz214 LOL !! Awesome ! Welcome to the game. I'm not sure what you are talking about. "fuel indicator modules". If you want to get it really hot, you will have to limit the heat that the ECU sensor sees, and then hook up a sensor that you can read separately ... the only reason I got mine that hot is because it has a glitch in the softwear... they normally shut down way before that. Play safe !

[@justonnie]

Make the inserts shaft shorter and the extension shaft longer. You'll be able to spin and drag the insert cup down the length of the chamber.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

That is a good idea. That way the ash can be scraped for most of the chamber. I have considered this for one of the next versions, using a more exotic metal, or ceramic to protect the shaft. The problem with doing it on this version is that the mild steel will be VERY soft as it is, and placing it closer to the heat source could be problematic.

[@huf67]

I'm starting the rumor that Vevor is coming out with an egg roll cooker that runs on waste engine oil....I like egg rolls !!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Haha... I wouldn't be surprised. They have some strange stuff.

[@patchvonbraun]

I broke 3 drill+tap thingies making 4 holes in an alloy steel wall a few weeks back. This was for 3/8" holes, so, not teensy or anything. But that steel was both *tough* and grabby.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Haha... it SUCKS... A lot of the time, it has to do with the type of steel and if you are drilling into another hole or feature. Of course, worse with the tiny bits.... more costly when you break the larger ones. I get my jobber bits in a bulk container from Canadian Tire ... they have the kits on sale a few times a year for I think $30 for 300 bits.

[@patchvonbraun]

I picked up some combo drill+tap bits that were DeWalt branded, thinking "oh these should be awesome". Yeah, not so much. The equipment cabin was part of a former NATO facility, and I think they used expensive steel to make the walls -- only 1/4" thick, but, good lord!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@patchvonbraun Oh, yeah... that coould be some hardened or work hardening steel. No fun to work with unless you have the right tools.

[@martinpanks992]

Try drilling tiny holes like that with a pillar drill as there's going to be less chance of lateral movement and hence the drill bit snapping off..

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Yeah...That works better as long as you can hold your part stable, true and square, if not, it just makes things worse. It can be tricky to hold small and odd shaped parts like this.... I could of course make a jig, or figure it out in some way. I don't have a standard pillar drill (drill press) but I do have my milling machine. I use it when hole placement is critical, otherwise it is a lot of trouble to set up, mostly because it is a round column mill.

[@reubenk7331]

Cool stuff! I think that spinning piece is a really good idea!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks. I planned this mod a long time ago, but at the time only had one heater and didn't want to hack it apart... then it slowly got hacked apart anyway, haha. Now that I have more than one heater, I don't mind getting a bit creative. I have been testing the heater on and off for about a week now, and it seems to be working fine, however, I think the drive shaft finally eroded away today. as the shaft is now spinning freely. I have purchased some ceramic sleeves so that I can shield the shaft from the heat.

[@reubenk7331]

@@loweredexpectations4927 Dang, but I suppose it was inevitable. The thing is basically just a contained blow torch after all! With how thick that rod going into the heater was, I figured it would last years though.

[@werner.x]

@@loweredexpectations4927 How did it go so far with the ash - did it come out with the exhaust gasses? One could design an ash trap in the exhaust pipe later. If the design proves to be working.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

​@@werner.x Sorry ... I thought I had responded to your comment. Although I did not get to burn very much fuel through it, it apppears as though the fine ash is gathering like sand in the exchanger, and not making it to the exhaust. Based on my previous tests, it appears as though, if it continues to do this without any intervention, you could burn at least 20 liters before it became a problem... It should be noted that my heater is running on it's side, and so the expectation was never to have the ash go out the exhaust... it very well exit the exhaust if it is mounted upright, but I wanted it to collect, so that I could keep track of what it looks like and how much there was. The drive shaft ended up eroding away and I have some ceramic sleeves that I will be attempting to shield the shaft with, in my next tests.

[@gordonwilloughby8793]

Maybe a gear motor running continuously at a very slow speed connected to the shaft to clean the burn chamber will keep it clean.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Yes... this is my first thought... that probably makes the most sense. Just turning at a few rpm. Less likely to break anything that way, not noisy.

[@wallacefrey6247]

If that works like it should, the next step could be to add a small motor on a timer to automatically turn and clean it.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Based on what little testing I have done, it looks very promising, and I think it would be a good idea to have a gear reduction motor that turns the chamber slowly... maybe 1 or 2 revolutions per minute. Or, have it on a timer so that it turned for 4-6 revs every 10-20 minutes. It would use less power that way, but perhaps be more likely to have some sort of failure. Starting, after sitting still, is when things are likely to get broken.

[@colinhamer6506]

Can't wait to see the testing. I have a good feeling about this one and even if it doesn't work as intended I think we will learn a lot from it.

[@colinhamer6506]

The aquarium air pump the way you have it running and plumbed could need look at I'm pretty sure that type of pump can't handle having the air flow restricted to much and if it's running while completely blocked I don't think it's going to last very long

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Yeah... it's always interesting to see what the outcome is. In the past, I have always found it interesting to see how wrong I was about my assumptions, haha. Initial testing looks good, I will say that, but it does need some tweaking, already. Some if it was expected.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

This is a diaphragm pump, and can be totally plugged without any harm, as long as the pressure backing up doesn't cause the piston to stop. (if that is even possible) The way that they limit flow into tanks, or to direct air to one area of it tank is with a manifold with many valves that can be closed or partly closed. What it really don't like is having oil pumped into it, haha... and I have done that once. I need to purchase some silicone sheets so that I can cut out some durable valves.

[@3ox3]

Very cool! Nice work

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks !

[@aaronpeterson385]

Awesome as always

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks ! r

[@gregorykucera4235]

Great I'm pumped up about this video can't hardly wait for next one keep up the great work Joel, Thanks

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Good to hear ! I'm excited for this project as well.

[@StratOvation]

Another very interesting video Joel. I enjoy hearing your thought process and seeing how you work to address obstacles. It seems that you do not anticipate any substantially sized ash or oxide growth within or beyond the chamber? I assume most small particulates of dislodged debris will likely be transported out the exhaust with air flow, but is there not an expectation of larger pieces of debris becoming dislodged and collecting in the combustion chamber and eventually restricting the exhaust path or plugging the exhaust all together? Anxious to see your next video on this effort!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks for the comment. Based on the testing that I have been doing, the ash tends to be very fragile. I believe it only clumps, as it grows like stalactites. I suspect that the ash being brushed away regularly, will cause it to be more of a sand or dust, than clumps. This can also be aided by directing the air / fuel flow to a specific area with the fuel nozzle, so that the carbon and ash gather in an are where it will be scraped, instead of where it will end up outside of the baffle. For a few tests now, I have not seen any issue caused by ash being outside of the main burn area. After the test with 10.8 L of oil (21L of total fuel) consumed, the ash in the exchanger (about 40 grams) did not seem to have any effect on heater operation, despite much of it being fairly large chunks. While this build shows the scraping device, and I explained that, I fully expect that the heater will have to have the ash either blown, and or sucked out with compressed air and a vacuum after a couple of weeks of operation. This could be improved by not running the heater on its side, and having an exhaust that runs into a chamber for ash to collect ... the testing that I am currently doing may fill us in on some of these details. 👍

[@Spencer1609751]

Not bad!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks !

[@johncollinsgrove1750]

Having it on high speed would probably help blow the particles out of the heater a little better than having it on low. I do understand the point of trying to cool it down some before using the cleaner feature tho.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Yes, this is true ... future versions will have either an exotic metal or (and or) ceramic sleeves protecting the shaft, so that it doesn't weaken or oxidized from the heat... and the finger and nozzle can be made separately, so the scraping isn't done with a thin wall hollow dube, haha. I assume, whatever crud was knocked free would blow out after the heat was then increased. I have also almost decided that it should just turn at a very slow speed, nonstop... never allowing any significant amount to build up.

[@johncollinsgrove1750]

@loweredexpectations4927 if you know someone with a kiln making it out of clay then having it fired wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe even glaze it so nothing will really stuck to it. Hit up the local high school Maybe they still have a pottery class and you can get some help from them.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@johncollinsgrove1750 Hmmm... Vevor has kilns for sale, haha. The ceramic tubes that I have found are pretty inexpensive and i know that it can withstand 1750C (3182F) Apparently "fire clay" can withstand over 1500C Doing it with clay would be good as it could conform to the shape of whatever I make, instead of being strait tubes.

[@cowboy6591]

Your welcome Joel, Keep your chin up. {Scott Clancy}.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

🤟 Thanks Scott !

[@WaffleStaffel]

Ha Ha, ingenious. Looing forward to seeing how it works!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks ! ... I thought of this a LONG time ago, but didn't want to start hacking apart my only heater, at that time. Now that I have a few spares, it gives me some freedom. It is almost certainly going to need some tweaking to get it dialed in, but I think this could eventually be a sellable or copyable product. WIth a 12V geared down motor constantly turning that shaft, it would keep it nice and clean, for a long long time.

[@kirkwalsh1932]

Oscar worthy performance. But I did notice a different air intake at the end of the video. Did you put a tube on the ported intake....lol

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Haha... There was some acting in this one for sure. I had the ported housing on it at first, then I realized that I wanted to run some tests on the ported fan housing (compare it to a stock one) so I pulled it back off before I did the testing. I also thought it was a good idea to keep the heater as stock as possible so we know if it will run that way.

[@kenj469]

I'm not sure what the clearance between the two pieces is but it will be interesting to see if they try to fuse together..

[@loweredexpectations4927]

I assume you are referring to the rotating part and the chamber walls? I was worried about this, but it appears, after a little testing, that that will not be an issue. I'm guessing the oxides that form stop them from bonding.

[@werner.x]

I'm a bit late for that video. Got mixed feelings with all that fragile stuff. The fuel intake will melt the low temp solder in case of power outage, i'd guess. The cleaning rod sits exactly, where every material you tried, did disintegrate last winter. The project sure is honing your building skills!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Sorry for the delayed response. I have been busy with house stuff. There is some fragile stuf and I realized it while building it, but didn't want to spend too much time thinking about it and just went ahead with this design. It is late in the winter and I felt like I needed to get something together to test the overall concept. I tried to edit a video for Sunday, but some of the footage was corrupted, and after my computer freezing several times over an hour, I gave up, as I didn't have enough time to mess with it. The solder isn't a good idea, but I was hoping that the fan would keep that area cool enough. The fuel nozzle will have fuel and air passing through it, so it should stay cooler, and hopefully not deteriorate. After a little testing, the scraper and now sepparat fuel nozzle, seem to be holding up fine. I am very close to my house purchase, and now I owe Vevor two vodeos that they have been asking about, so the pressure is on...

[@turtle1723]

You should do more of the lathe work in your videos.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks for the comment. It is typically very hard to film ... though I could make some changes and get some different camera mounts. The audio is also always pretty nasty, so it means more editing, hence the music. I am personally interested in the build process, and enjoy watching machining, but this video would have had to be 2-3 videos if I were to go into detail on the machining work.... but I will keep this in mind for the future... Again, thanks.

[@DanDan-yy8sf]

@@loweredexpectations4927 was that a Vevor hydraulic press Joel?

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@DanDan-yy8sf Unfortunately, no... I think Vevor has sold presses in the pa/.... goes and checks... Vevor sells presses, haha. I got this a few years ago in anticipation for rebuilding a few crankshafts. I think that may be one of the first every videos on this channel... the unboxing of that press... unless I have deleted it. I did a video on my other channel talking about why I chose a 40T press instead of going with a cheap one. Vevor sells a 6 and 12 ton in Canada, and I'm sure they would work, however, that BANG when the part broke, would have been substantially more energetic if it was done on a 12 ton press...The closer you get to the limit of your press, the more it flexes, so although I will normally only be around 5-10 tons, and a 12 ton press would work, a 40 ton gives you a lot more control and is a lot less exciting when it does break something free.

[@champmarly7665]

It's almost time to switch gears into spring/summer mode. How about trying to improve on a swamp cooling device of some sort or something new. It's just an idea to keep the channel flowing through the off heating season. Thanks for the content.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks for the comment and suggestion ! I appreciate it. Due to my current situation, going through a separation and having to refinance my house, I am going to have to do some house renovations so that I can rent half of it out, so I may do some videos about that or about my summer job (mobile lawnmower repair). The next few months / years are likely going to be a serious struggle, so I'm hoping to be able to keep my channels alive.

[@champmarly7665]

@loweredexpectations4927 So you have higher expectations on the horizon, brother. It gets better to take it from someone with experience in this area. Don't let the channel die if at all possible. You are at the point that things will work. Thank you for all the great content.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@champmarly7665 Thanks. I expect things to get better with time

[@JohannesBrotBaum]

​@@loweredexpectations4927 I always thought that I was going through some serious stuff but reading this I am not alone and somehow everyone is struggling in life on his own way but it will get better you should not give up . This channel has so much potential and I think you are doing everything right with it 👍 keep it up. Wishing you the best in life :D Somewhere in the comments I read about some swamp cooling Project that reminds me of the idea to build an split AC from a scrap fridge compressor, I saw a couple videos of people building one with some PC water cooler on KZbin.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@JohannesBrotBaum Thanks for the kind words... You are right... We all struggle, and it often helps to not feel sorry for oneself and realize that others have it much worse, and get on with it, every day. Not to say that it's not hard, but hard times build character. That's a cool idea ! ... if you gut a mini fridge, or a real fridge, you can use the bits to make a AC unit... as long as your hot coil is outside and cool coil is inside... Oooo... that has me thinking... If you reverse it in the winter you can possibly use it as a heating system, similar to a heat pump. Cool.

[@JohannesBrotBaum]

If you succeed with the self cleaning mod I would love to buy some kind of product and manual to build this myself :D Edit: This drill action looks so much fun.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Haha... Yes, the drill action is fun. A 12V motor that was geared to turn the insert slowly, would be a better idea. This has the potential to actually turn into a product or kit. We will see what happens intime. It will take a lto of testing.

[@JohannesBrotBaum]

@@loweredexpectations4927 I could imagine if a stepper motor turns the insert a quarter or half turn after a set time to break the carbon

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@JohannesBrotBaum Yeah... I'm trying to decide if it would be better to turn it slow all the time, really slow, like 2 rotations per minute, would be better than turning it periodically. If there is going to be an issue, it would be starting to turn after sitting still and getting stuck or partly stuck. It would be more energy efficient to turn it every 5 minutes or so if it is not necessary to keep it turning.

[@HarryT9]

Any suggestions on how to store your heater over summer… I’ve had diesel that got diesel bug in one summer in a plastic container

[@loweredexpectations4927]

For the heater itself, if you are going to leave it installed, but not used, you may want to cover the inlets and outlets so critters don't nest in there. For the diesel you can get anti-bug stuff... If you have a battery, disconnect it and put it on a battery tender or charge it periodically. That's about it.

[@HarryT9]

So it’s better to store them with fuel , then to drain them

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@HarryT9 It doesn't matter either way. They are not like an engine with a carburetor or injectors. There is just a fuel line, and that's it. Even if the fuel went really bad, it likely wouldn't have any effect on anything other that perhaps the fuel pump.

[@ronlowther9044]

🤙

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Thanks !

[@Shawnee845]

So I was thinking. What if you used electricity like lightning. Have a rod in the chamber and use it to create a lightning bolt. That will move around.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

That's the first time I have heard that idea... Very interesting. I'm not sure what effect this would have on ash / carbon or the combustion process. My feeling is that the arc would jump to the least path of resistance, so if an area has ash, the arc would avoid that spot. As for the combustion... I have no idea, but I assume that it would take a fair amount of KW to produce and effective arc to effect the process. I know that arcs pass through flame much easier than air, due to the decreased resistance... Either way... very interesting idea.

[@Shawnee845]

This also might help weld a ball at the end of the rod. Copper or stainless steel, not sure which is best. Ya never know...

[@clovenbeast5183]

Damn the flex shaft is only 66 bucks

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Yeah... it's an incredible deal. I have had mine for a few years and bought it with my own money... long before I was affiliated with Vevor. Great tool.

[@TheMamonti1]

you don't sleep well do you............ If your mind is like mine..... I get constant ideas pop up all the time..... No matter what I buy for some reason I have to make it better!

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Haha... In the past I have had trouble sleeping, or have not been able to sleep for days... I have gotten better in the past couple of years... Though, I do need to work myself to exhaustion so that I can sleep. I love tinkering with things and "making them better" ... adn hope that they are actually better and not garbage when I am done, haha.

[@DanDan-yy8sf]

@@loweredexpectations4927 lower caffeine consumption after1 PM. Lower your carbs, take a B1 supplement 30 min b4 bed. Promote good gut microbiome with probiotics, consume enough of quality "Sea Salt" for your sympathetic nerve system. If your nose is plugged , you're deficient in Vit. D3 Take 10,000 IU's D2 every day over the winter months when the sun is in the southern hemisphere. Looks like I'm still shadow banned on my other account. ScrewTube hates me exercising my free speech rights.

[@958chaz]

Hey buddy I really need some help here. I need a 12v/24v universal motherboard foŕ 5kw/8ķw heater that has a white 5 wire plug for the lcd controller with bluetooth. I have a new heater thats 12/24 volt universal but the controller has the white 3 pin connector. I need a white 5 pin connector. I bought this new controller with the knob thats bluetooth. I've seen them on Hcalory, and on Vevor I think. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Hey, sorry to hear you are having trouble. I have actually only every used a 3 wire system. I generally recommend only purchasing controllers and motherboards as a set, as they can be really tricky to match up. Come to think of it... You will need a new wiring harness if you are switching form one to the other, as the ECU / motherboard plugs into the harness, and the controller plugs into a separate plug in in the harness. This may turn into a long search.

[@958chaz]

Thanks for replying. I've spent hours looking for a main harness with a 5 pin connector for the controller. You wuld think that if they sell the controller then there should be a main harness and motherboard for sale. I know you have the bluetooth controller in your truck and I'm guessing it probably is a 5 wire connector

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@958chaz Nope. The controller for my Bluetooth heaters are 3 wire. I know because I cut and extended the one in my truck. I'm curious as to what the extra wires are for. Most retailers / manufacturers do not sell parts for their heaters, annoyingly ... so to get parts is almost always a third party like aliexpress. Most people won't be searching for a wiring harness so it could be tricky to find one. They make some extension cables / harnesses for the controllers, but I have never seen a harness for sale.

[@jesusc4384]

Not everyday your tool is too big XD

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Gotta say... too big or too small ... neither is right for the job.

[@AuditorsUnited]

how is that going to clean the chamber out? 1:59

[@loweredexpectations4927]

"I'm glad you asked" haha. I have actually redesigned it already, and the nozzle will be separate from the cleaning finger.

[@AuditorsUnited]

Cleaning soot from a burn chamber, especially if it's a steel tube, requires a method that can effectively remove the buildup without damaging the chamber itself. An automatic cleaning system can be designed around a few key concepts. Here are some simplistic yet potentially effective approaches: Mechanical Scraping System: This system would involve mechanical scrapers or brushes that are automatically driven through the chamber. The brushes could be on a timed cycle, moving back and forth inside the tube to scrub away the soot. The design could be similar to chimney cleaning brushes but automated. For instance, a motorized system could extend and retract the brushes, ensuring that the entire inner surface of the tube is scrubbed. Compressed Air Jet System: Another method could be the use of high-pressure air jets to blow the soot out of the chamber. This system could involve a series of nozzles strategically placed to cover the interior surface of the tube. Timed blasts of compressed air would dislodge the soot, which could then be collected at one end of the tube for removal. This method is less abrasive than mechanical brushing and could be more suitable for tubes with sensitive surfaces. Water Jet or Steam Cleaning: Similar to the compressed air system, but using water or steam. High-pressure water jets or steam could be used to soften and dislodge the soot, washing it away from the interior surfaces. The main advantage of water or steam is its ability to soften and remove stubborn soot deposits, but the system would need to account for the removal of water and potential corrosion issues. Ultrasonic Cleaning: This is a more advanced and less common method, but ultrasonic cleaning can effectively remove soot and debris. It works by generating ultrasonic waves in a fluid medium, creating microscopic bubbles that implode (a process called cavitation). This action can dislodge and remove soot from surfaces. For a burn chamber, implementing this could be challenging and would likely require the chamber to be filled with a fluid medium periodically, which makes it less practical than other methods. Rotating Ball System: This method involves a series of small, heavy balls (made of steel or another hard material) that are circulated within the tube when it is not in operation. The motion of the balls, driven by a combination of gravity and possibly mechanical agitation, scrubs the interior surface of the tube, dislodging the soot. The balls would need to be collected and possibly cleaned after each cleaning cycle.@@loweredexpectations4927

[@AuditorsUnited]

ultrsonic , using an cheap pair of trimmer you could attach it to the chamber and it would vibrate the chamber enough to clean it.. this is how me make a poor mans ultrasonic cleaner in a bucket@@loweredexpectations4927

[@loweredexpectations4927]

​@@AuditorsUnited I'm sure you are using the word soot and ash interchangeably and I don't' mean to pick, but want to be clear. Soot happens when the heater is running too cool or too rich. We are not concerned with soot or carbon, as they can be taken care of with the proper burn ratio. In my tests leading up to this, we have reduced / eliminated carbon and soot from being a concern. The cleaning system in this heater is based off of previous experiments, and the finger will not damage anything, as it does not touch the rotating piece, but allows a few mm of ash and or carbon to accumulate on the inside of the rotating assembly. Not enough to cause a problem, but perhaps enough to act as a wick for any unburnt fuel. I have considered a wire brush, like a chimney sweep, but, due to the extremely harsh conditions inside of the chamber, the brush would erode away from oxidation, even if it were able to stand up to the heat. Whatever is in there, also needs to not cause a restriction to flow, or the heater won't function properly, or at all. I have used / tested compressed air, and while it can help with the burn, a little too much, more than 20 PSI, and it blows the flame out. I have considered a very quick "explosion" to clear debris, using a pellet that was injected into the fuel line on a timer .... every 30 minutes or something like that. Not sure that people would want to buy that though, haha. If it happens quickly enough, even though it put the flame out, it could restart, if the chamber doesn't cool off too much. Pressure is also a problem, due to the design of the heater. The fan is capable of producing very little pressure. If the pressure in the chamber reaches the same pressure as the fan, no air will go in, and the flame will go out... if the pressure in the chamber is greater than the pressure supplied by the fan, then air will go back out the intake port, along with smoke and or burning gases. Many people have suggested water or steam. It poses some of the same problems as the air, changing the pressure will cause a flame outage. It also has the negative effect of cooling off the chamber, and that is not desirable. These heaters struggle to stay hot enough to flash off the oil, so anything that cools the chamber is not good. This COULD work in very short blasts, but I am skeptical... I will likely try it, just because, why not. I think the US idea is interesting and have had one other person suggest this. If you can have it clean successfully through the air, then this could be a very cool solution. Perhaps at the right frequency, it is possible. I like the idea of the balls and have heard a similar idea a few times... I did think of putting ball bearings in my current setup, to see what would happen... I may try that in the future. A person could use ceramic balls so that they weren't affected by the heat or oxidation. I was thinking of an idea where a strong electromagnet was used, plugged into AC, so that it switched polarity, and that could cause the balls to vibrate around .... Unless They get too hot and pass the curie point, where they become non magnetic. That temp is 770 C for mild steel... so this could potentially work really well, as long as the chamber doesn't disrupt too much of the magnet field.

[@AuditorsUnited]

google this and rethink of heating the water "Making a jet burner with diesel and water - Combined fuel of diesel with water"@@loweredexpectations4927

[@anthonywatton6081]

Joel what version (wattage) rotary tool do you have? I see they have several options. I told you before you were a bad youtube influencer. LMAO

[@loweredexpectations4927]

The one that I have is the 230W version. The others may NOT have the removable / quick change tool. Haha... I'm a good influence ! That's a heck of a deal !! I will add this to the description, as people may assume bigger is better. The 230 watt is LOTS of power. I personally think the other ones are silly.

[@anthonywatton6081]

@@loweredexpectations4927 Must be doing something right LOL I am pimping you out on a rather large Diesel heater group I admin. :)

[@Joe-hj6pg]

Come back

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Don't worry...I'm still here.

[@KingofallDiffs]

😡😡🤣🤟🏻👑

[@loweredexpectations4927]

You are as confused as I am !

[@KingofallDiffs]

@loweredexpectations4927 confused? No. Just wondering where you're doing all these experiments??

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@KingofallDiffs In Calgary.... you silly goose 🤣 JK... I think I've got a few good Garaaage references for you in the next one..

[@KingofallDiffs]

@@loweredexpectations4927 🤣🤣🤟🏻👑

[@cliffmorrison7074]

Cool but you shouldn’t wear gloves when operating rotating machinery 🙄

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Yeah, I know... I wear latex / nitrile gloves and accept the risk to avoid the nasty chemicals on my skin. 12 of one, half a dozen of the other. These gloves will tear off, rather than suck you in. A little over two years ago, I had a brain fart and touched a rotating shaft, in my lathe, while wearing those rubber palm work gloves. My fingers and hand hurt pretty bad for a month, and was tender for over 2 months. The lathe came to an abrupt stop using my hand as a brake ... so I got lucky...

[@martinpanks992]

​​@@loweredexpectations4927 Here in the UK we say 6 of one and half a dozen of the other!..😂

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@martinpanks992 That's probably what we say here too, and I just got it wrong, haha. That does sound right.

[@colinhamer6506]

​@@loweredexpectations4927surely it wasn't a serious comment.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@colinhamer6506 Well... he's not wrong.

[@sixdegrees6434]

Dude, stand back from the camera.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Why ? Too loud, focus or framing ?

[@sixdegrees6434]

@@loweredexpectations4927 Framing. Too, in your face. It’s like you’re standing too close to me. Hard to describe.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

@@sixdegrees6434 Thanks for your input.

[@HighBanker]

Use Titanium its the only thing that can handle the high temp. I know because I allready did this.

[@loweredexpectations4927]

Really ? What parts did you make from titanium ? Titanium can handle the temp, but it is also a VERY reactive metal... " I already did this." What did you already do ? I have used stainless and tungsten (that can take more heat than titanium) in the burn chamber (in previous tests) and altho melting is not an issue, both the stainless and surprisingly, the tungsten had a huge amount of oxides pretty quickly.