Watch this before Powering your Diesel Heater with a Battery!

[@TheGergeDIY]

Amazon Affiliate links - help support the channel! All-in-one Diesel Heater amzn.to/44xc3JE Vevor 5kw Diesel Heater amzn.to/46z9Kro Power Supply AC 110V/220V to DC 12V 30A 360W amzn.to/3PD0WLe Upgraded Exhaust Clamps 23-25mm amzn.to/44aC1mJ Upgraded Fuel Line, connectors and clamps amzn.to/44cfF43

[@MrJackson66]

I use my 20/60 volt DeWalt tool battery to power mine using a step down converter for a golf cart, works great and they don't weigh much. One 5ah battery will last 4-5 hours depending on the settings. For camping its great not having to haul around a 60 pound battery. A small folding solar panel to charge batteries through the day and your golden for a camping adventure.

[@TheGergeDIY]

Sounds like a great setup!

[@ryderhunter7547]

I’m wanting to do this. How are you wiring it from to battery to the actual heater. Are you able to explain a bit

[@MrJackson66]

@@ryderhunter7547 Use the battery adapter I sent the link for, it has four posts for the battery connection and bridges the battery for the 60 volts, hook up an inline fuse and run the power and ground wires to the stepdown converter that I sent the link to. Then run your power and ground wires from the output of the converter to the wire studs on your heater... If you want it to operate and shutdown before the battery is dead, you need a low voltage disconnect as well... I will send a link to it as well

[@MrJackson66]

@@ryderhunter7547 and I used a 48 volt relay to run the low power shut off from the battery connector side, otherwise you won't be able to set the disconnect voltage because out of the converter it's a constant 12.4 volts, and you want to set the voltage higher... Just test a battery that shuts itself off and see what the voltage is and set the disconnect a few volts above that, to ensure complete shutdown and cool off...

[@Didygotu]

@@MrJackson66can you send me a link as well?

[@TheTidyHobo]

This is really helpful. Always wondered how much current my heater was drawing on startup and afterwards...thanks!

[@jasonbroom7147]

I am using the same heater and it works very well, so far. I have it wired to a 240AH lithium iron-phosphate battery (2nd life unit). That battery is charged by solar and will never run out, even if I connected a 50-gallon diesel tank to the heater. The LFP battery I'm using has 2 thermostatically-controlled heating pads under it, so no worries about the cells ever getting below freezing. One of the great things about LFP batteries is they have a flat discharge curve, so voltage sag isn't a concern.

[@TheGergeDIY]

@jasonbroom7147 - great info! Thanks for that! I haven't hooked up my solar yet but plan to do so soon. Having that 50 gallon tank must be great!

[@Dave5843-d9m]

@@TheGergeDIY 50 gallons is a simple oil barrel. Get a second screw top to carry the fuel vent and pipes. Then no drilling is needed.

[@Lysander_Spooner]

Informative video sir! Exactly the answers I was searching for, subscribed.

[@TheGergeDIY]

Glad it was helpful. Thanks for the sub.

[@TheHansoost]

Thanks for information. Just what I needed to know.

[@BlondieHappyGuy]

Quick question about the cooldown cycle. I thought that the electronics on these heaters would detect if the "battery" is discharging past a certain point (let's say, 10.5V for example only) and then the heater would automatically kick itself into the cooldown cycle. Si that nwo how these work? My only concern is that if it doesn't, if the power goes out and we're not there to manually shut it down, it could create all kinds of problems, from destroying the heater since it would keep running and to the point of running the battery down past its safe discharge point. ???/

[@TheGergeDIY]

I don't know if they will go through the cool down cycle if they voltage gets low, that would be a good thing to find out. I have accidently cut off power without going through a cool down cycle once though, and while it wasn't good, it didn't destroy the heater. In my case it started venting exhaust out the air intake into the garage - not good, but I was able to vent it out quickly. I reconnected power and started back up again, all good. I wouldn't do it on purpose though.

[@crazycrab8578]

I use a old type charger, a 4amp one, it has a needle on it, best charger going, if you can get your hands on one,

[@Curtster1962]

Hey, thanks for the video. I really like the idea of using a battery and trickle charger vs a dedicated ac power supply. I just got a CDH and was testing it with a ps, and the power failed when I told the heater to shutdown. A substantial amount of whispy smoke came out of the air intake and into my garage. Think I’ll go the battery direction instead!

[@TheGergeDIY]

Yeah, there's something to be said for batteries vs ac power. You could use a power bank for DC power, and keep the power bank topped off with solar. I'm doing that with one in the upstairs of the garage.

[@ASVProductions]

Great vid though my electrician chops are lacking. Looking to get one of these similar to yours for ice fishing. Been a warm year so not looking to bring truck or quad into ice so looking to bring lightest battery I can haul onto ice with me on a sled. Have any recommendations for type of battery that might do the trick to get me a few hours until I get it home to charge? One of these deep cycle jobs?

[@TheGergeDIY]

I don’t have one, but I think one of those lifepo batteries would be lighter than a leaded deep cycle. The thing is though, lithium loses efficiency below 32f and also can’t charge. Leaded does too, but not as bad. I have videos on the channel about the bluetti eb3a - that might work for you? They are lithium and also suffer in the cold; something to consider.

[@ASVProductions]

@@TheGergeDIY great insight thank you

[@dt8460]

Milwaukee drill battery

[@redauwg911]

Thank you for the video, If i had your diesel heater and just a regular battery out of a car, would it have enough power to start the heater and run it on high. What would be your guess as for how long it would run ?

[@TheGergeDIY]

Sorry, but I really don't know. I do know car batteries are not intended for long term power draw, they're made to dump a lot of current quickly to turn over the starter. I marine/rv/deep cycle battery is a better choice for running an appliance like this heater.

[@petem.3719]

Yes, it would have plenty of power. The current draw isn't high after startup. Millions of these things ran on regular car batteries every day. They were OEM equipment on VW Beetles for years, and they had no special battery, decades before the cheap Chinese versions were available. If you heat with the motor off, you want a deep cycle because car batteries weren't meant to run down regularly. But it would last at least a few hours.

[@redauwg911]

@@petem.3719 thank you👍

[@MaritimeUnprepared]

Nice work. I heat my tiny home with a CDH that is connected to 3 deep cycle batteries and 300w of solar with a cheap 30a pwm charge controller.

[@TheGergeDIY]

That's great! Do you have a backup? I ended buying an extra one of these, just to have on hand.

[@MaritimeUnprepared]

@TheGergeDIY I've got spare parts for my Vevor heater. But it's been really reliable so far. The only mods I've done is I mounted it outside and I ran duct for the cold air intake as well as the heat so I'm warming my inside air. And I modified a 5 gallon Jerry can to be the new fuel tank. I just put a fuel filter at the end of the line so it sits down on the bottom of the tank.

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@MaritimeUnprepared ah nice! Yeah, I've accumulated some spare parts as well; glow plug, intake atomizer screens. Not much to these things really! I can't mount mine outside or store the fuel tank outside as it gets down to -30f here sometimes (it's been -40f/c) - not good for diesel fuel! I do plan to move my combustible air intake outside at some point this winter.

[@MaritimeUnprepared]

@TheGergeDIY Where are you located? I'm in New Brunswick Canada. It can get to -30°c but generally it doesn't get much below -20°c. My heater and fuel tank are outside in my mud room. The combustion intake is inside the entryway but the exhaust is vented through the wall

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@MaritimeUnprepared N.VT, QC border.

[@Dave5843-d9m]

A small battery that can deliver the 150 watts needed on heater start is all you need. After less than two minutes the power drops to 40 watts. A charger that can make 12 volts 5 watts will keep the battery charged. Just make sure it has long term conditioning ability so it can't "boil" the battery when the heaters is off and all will be well. I use a mains connected 150 watt 240Vac to 12Vdc converter to drive the heater. Continuous demand is 40 watts but it needs the extra oomph (tech term) to drive the starting heater plug.

[@baileymoto]

Thanks for this. For tent camping (with access to a vehicle), do you have a recommendation on how you’d top up/recharge the battery using a vehicle?

[@TheGergeDIY]

Hmmmm, that's a great question. I wonder if there is some sort of cigarette plug to trickle charger type device available?

[@ctclimberguy34]

Best way would be a Victron Orion DC/Dc 30amp charger. Wired properly

[@AK_Ray]

Lol, yes, start the vehicle 🤣

[@curve5746]

1 100 watt solar panel works perfect. Got mine at harbor freight. You can get a cheap battery monitor about 8 bucks that will keep you informed

[@TheGergeDIY]

Thanks, good to know! I've got a harbor freight 100w kit... I just need the time to hook it up and run it into the gerge.

[@escapetherace1943]

Good video, I found this out myself by running a trickle charger that was too weak to my battery. Just using a lawn mower battery so it's small, it cannot supply enough amperage to start the glow plug even if the battery falls to 12.4 volts, which it did because my trickle charger was only 0.5A/H. Looks like I need a 1AH or higher, which I assumed so I got a 2AH charger/trickler, a cheap low tech one so it continued to float instead of shutting off like the fancy modern ones like to do (that also cost 3x as much). Yeah I realize I shouldn't be using a 30 dollar lawn mower battery, but as long as it can start the machine and let the machine power off in loss of power safely I'm ok with using it for this purpose, ain't mowing anyway. Cheers.

[@TheGergeDIY]

@escapetherace1943 - thanks, appreciate hearing about your setup.

[@escapetherace1943]

@@TheGergeDIY 👍I went with one of the cheapest 6 amp chargers, realized I wanted it to keep up better with the draw, my battery is too damned small

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@escapetherace1943 - the battery I'm using came from walmart - going from memory I think it was a model 29? I believe it was $100. It's worked well and the 1A trickle charger seems to keep things going. It's getting colder here and I'll be doing more experiments with the battery. I'll also try charging it with a 100w of solar panels during the and running the heater at night. We'll see how it goes!

[@escapetherace1943]

@@TheGergeDIY I was out in my shop today and had the thing running close to 10 hours. Still losing overall voltage but just barely, I happened to have two 0.5 amp chargers so I just connected them both to my battery. They didn't overcharge it they brought it to 13.4 volts together so what works works for the moment anyway....

[@Dave5843-d9m]

A small motorbike battery is all you need. The heater pulls 150 watts on start (battery delivers that). The running is just 40 watts, so you'll need a 4 amp charger (4 amps x 12 volts = 48 watts). That easily powers the heater and the charger will automatically maintain voltage so the battery won't get overcharged.

[@philliplopez8745]

Ran my heater last winter with two old starting batteries and a 6 amp battery charger. The batteries are acting as capacitors . This year I changed to an inexpensive 30 amp power supply I still have the batteries as a cushion for start up draw .

[@TheGergeDIY]

Sounds like a plan. If you can, let me know how it works out.

[@philliplopez8745]

​@@TheGergeDIY switched to a UPS to power the power supply set the power supply to 13.8 volts the heater likes that voltage . Wired two cheap temperature controls together to act as a thermostat. Now it shuts off completely when satisfied and fires right up on demand , hoping to cut my fuel cost in half

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@philliplopez8745 are you shutting the heater down gracefully through the interface somehow? It does need to go through its cool down.

[@philliplopez8745]

@@TheGergeDIY yes it does .

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@philliplopez8745 that's awesome. Do you have any videos on your setup? I'd love to see it.

[@shaneroper5470]

Good job! Lead acid battery? How many amps? I've got a desiel heater by vevor and am looking forward to hooking it up. Just want to do it once, and do it right the first time. Thanks!

[@TheGergeDIY]

That battery is from Walmart. Lead acid, sealed deep cycle. I forgot the exact model number, 29DC comes to mind? I believe it's 845CCA.

[@jasoneaston919]

Have you ever had the positive clamp get hot? Enough that it melts the pastic on the clamp?

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@jasoneaston919 - never. I’d recommend getting a DC amp meter (I like the clamp-on ones) and testing how much current is being drawn. Max draw should be about 10a on startup and then dropping down considerably in the run cycle.

[@loony457]

How’s it set up in England battery only has 2 connection points live & negative so how could that be set up using electric and solar batty charging ? Thanks

[@TheGergeDIY]

@loony457 - although my battery has 4 terminals, there are only two poles; positive and negative. The smaller terminals are connected to the positive/negative respectively. I believe this is to facilitate adding solar or a trickle charger, like I did here. In my case, the trickle charger isn't raising the voltage that much over 12v, so I can run the heater at the same time it's charging (with a trickle charger or solar). If it did raise the voltage much higher than 13v or so, I would probably use a voltage regulator running off the battery to power the heater and provide a steady 12.something volts. I hope that helps.

[@loony457]

@@TheGergeDIY I have 2 lead acid battery’s in joint parallel to start my heater but it stopped half way through basically say low voltage I can’t work it out I’ve seen many run on 12 volt battery’s so not sure why mine won’t start its new machine SUNSTAR

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@loony457 The initial power-up uses the most power. There will be a voltage drop if the batteries aren't up to snuff. I would test those batteries individually and see if one (or both) needs replacement.

[@jbenedict967]

how about a normal battery charger? they are cheap enough... or a power supply 13.4dc constantly charging while you have AC

[@SecretSquirrel-et6dl]

Just bought two like this based on reviews I’ve seen. So, from this, I’m taken that the warning not to charge while running in the manual is nit an issue? Assuming they say that if you are charging at a very high rate in the battery and possibly overloading the electronics on the heater…?

[@TheGergeDIY]

The diesel heater manual says that? If that's the case, I'm guessing it says that to avoid an overvoltage situation. As you can see in this video, the voltage on my configuration doesn't rise much. So in my case, I don't see it being an issue. Do what you think it is right in your case though.

[@fisherkieds6282]

I use my ecoflow river max,works great

[@TheGergeDIY]

Excellent to know.

[@rainbowpcdash]

I got 3 triple chargers hooked up to a battery that's not in good shape it does work and I have no problems none so far in a camper

[@snapcrack55]

Id suggest changing your connectors to a more solid connection, clips could easily be bumped off

[@TheGergeDIY]

Thanks, that’s a really good suggestion - I’ll definitely do that before using the battery again.

[@RGD-Games]

i ran my diesel heater, solely on battery.. Just to test run time.... On a 60Ah car battery, Fully charged before hand.... Running the heater constantly at 2.2hz heat setting (Low to keep temperature constantly and comortable in my workshop), I ran out of fuel, In my 10L wall mounted tank, Before the battery even went dead..... I emptied the tank and performed the cool-down cycle..... and the battery still wasn't depleted.... Just to give you some idea..... I do what you have done though.. I keep my battery on a 4A trickle charger constantly... So if i experience a power loss.. the heater can continue running on the battery alone.. and loads of time for me to let it cool down, if needed.... Its simple to work out..... Say the heater draws 1A (just theoretical).... and you have a 100ah battery.... It should in theory, Run for 100 hours on battery... Obviously give or take... As amps fluctuate slightly..... Battery health etc etc... But a ballpark figure...

[@TheGergeDIY]

Good info, thanks. I find that mine fluctuates around 200ma while running at 4hz. I’ve also found that batteries don’t drain in an exactly linear fashion, so it’s probably best to monitor your particular setup to see what the battery is going to do under load. And even with that, be conservative and give yourself a good buffer to allow for a proper cooldown cycle. Appreciate you sharing your experience here!

[@Aesthention]

Maybe you can help me out, I've got a brand new 8kw vevor heater that lasts maybe a couple hours off a car battery. Battery is brand new, it'll first throw an E09 code for faulty sensor, shut down, but if I try starting it back up, it throws an E02 (too high voltage code) despite the battery being 12v. I have to top the battery up with a trickle charge before it'll start up again. Having a charger connected full time just throws the same E02 code until its removed. I've gotta replace the sensor first and see of that helps, but for an out of package product this thing has been a headache.

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@Aesthention I've never run off a car battery, just a deep cycle. The reason I've never tried a car battery is I've always been under the perception that they're made for quick discharge with a lot of current, then rapidly recharged - but not for the long haul (so to speak). If you have AC available, I've had great results with an AC power supply: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5CVXpRoasiWmK8 - if you don't have AC available, I'd say a power bank or a deep cycle RV/Marine style battery is your best bet. I hope that gets you closer to success!

[@Hiker97]

Good info. Too bad you couldn't put the meters next to one another and steady the camera. My LFP battery has an app and showed a 12A draw.

[@FromMetayou]

How can i run diesel heater of a mains power supply unit thst reduces to 12v and a battery as a backup how can i wire this idea safely plz reply

[@TheGergeDIY]

You could use a power bank like the bluetti eb3a and an ac-> dc converter. The power bank can be plugged in and it will operate like an UPS. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXWuiYKtlqeYeMksi=NViCWPUdDfriglZU

[@nlo114]

From the way that battery voltage sagged under the load presented, I'd say it was on the way out, going west, or has a poor connection. A battery that size should hold up a lot better than that! It is probably worth giving it a really good charge up to 100%, then try it.

[@TheGergeDIY]

Yeah, you’re probably right, it shouldn’t sag that much. I haven’t used that battery much since the video. I’ll put a tester on it and check it.

[@jeffvoght1632]

Will it run on a regular car battery? Can you get a better trickle charger that can keep it charged at full blast? Thank you for the video. I just subscribe.

[@TheGergeDIY]

Car batteries are designed to dump a lot of current really fast (to turn the starter), while marine/rv batteries are meant to drain slowly but hold a lot of capacity. I would think you could run a diesel heater from a car battery, but it's probably not ideal - I personally wouldn't for an extended amount of time. The trickle charger would need to provide charge enough to offset the drain of the battery.

[@jeffvoght1632]

@TheGergeDIY Thank you sir for the quick reply. I will do that.

[@sirwhistler]

What battery are you using exactly

[@troytaylor1913]

I can't have heater failure so it getting its own dedicated battery. It gets -20F here so no lithium batteries. I have a 150w solar panel I just need a charge controller then I can charge it with a 24 VDC 250w switching power supply. I'm almost building a power station just for the heater. It's not really for camping but for working but I have to camp where I work.

[@TheGergeDIY]

Sounds like an interesting setup you have!

[@jrifter1281]

i tested my batteries a few years ago, with no incoming power my diesel heater runs about 5 weeks give or take.

[@TheGergeDIY]

That’s great! Be curious to know more about your setup. What capacity battery and how long each day were you running the heater?

[@toddstainfield4165]

Why does my 20amp fuse blow everytime when connecting the heater wires to a battery?

[@TheGergeDIY]

No idea. Sounds like you should get someone to look at it in person.

[@BluesBoy-ij2rb]

Sounds like a short circuit, look inside perhaps there is a wire touching metal.....??!! Erik

[@jimmymcjimmyvich9052]

You know your stuff)) Thanks.

[@TheGergeDIY]

Thank you!

[@heidislz]

easy peasy math. your battery I think said 100 amp hours. So if the heater draws say about 2 amps at 2.1 hrz, thats 50 hours till the battery is exhausted. But as you know that depends on heat, wear on the battery, etc. Thanks for the video! I plan on doing something very similar with my heater as we do have power outages.

[@TheGergeDIY]

Thanks, @heidiszl - pretty straightforward. There are some variables to consider; the heater doesn’t draw a steady current when it’s running, and I don’t feel the bluetti drains the battery at a linear rate. This fall/winter I’ll run a complete session with the bluetti to get a better understanding of the power consumption. Also, don’t forget to leave enough power to shutdown the heater properly!

[@heidislz]

what is bleutti? @@TheGergeDIY

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@heidislz - it's the brand of power bank

[@marionsutcliffe1119]

What do you mean linear rate? Is it possible you are expecting the voltage to decrease linearly as the capacity is drained steadily? Bluetti's use lfp batteries that will remain between 13.4-12.9v until about 20% soc, where it drops quickly.

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@marionsutcliffe1119 - I'm referring to the percent reported as the power is consumed. For example, if there is a steady draw of 1a, the reported percentage will not decrease in a linear manner, it may go faster or slower depending on the state of the battery. I'm not stating this is fact, I'm just thinking this out loud. One thing I learned when I did a test recharging Makita power tool batteries was that at the end (1%), the Bluetti stayed on quite a long time. I'll do more testing this winter. Thanks for your comment.

[@dariuspeciulis8455]

Use both meters in one point so we can see current and voltage in one moment. Advice for next time

[@draganarc0131]

The heater automatically goes through cool down/shut down when voltage drops too low. No worries about ruining your heater.

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍👍👍.Thanks

[@CoastGord]

Well wuddaya know...I thought Mastercraft was a Canadian Tire in-house brand. (Your multi-meter)

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@CoastGord I think that’s where I bought it. Mighta been 20 years ago? Maybe 25.

[@CoastGord]

@@TheGergeDIY the 'We the People' poster in the background had me a tad confused...😀

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@CoastGord lol, well, I *am* in the US and I'm definitely American!

[@rayherriott6517]

Maybe put the 2 meters side by side so that the readings are visible simultaneously.

[@TheGergeDIY]

Yeah, in retrospect that would have been better! I'll probably refilm this video at some point this winter and will do that.

[@flapper111uk]

If its indoors why not just use a 12v power supply direct ??

[@TheGergeDIY]

I do (see my other videos). I also use a battery that's recharged by solar. Using a battery is also useful if the power goes out.

[@2hotscottpro]

Without paying detailed attention my 90ah bat with 2 starts fell to 12 v burning almost 2 gallon in approximately 20-24 hours.

[@TheGergeDIY]

That’s a lot of fuel. Where you running on 5hz?

[@2hotscottpro]

@@TheGergeDIY I don’t know about hz’s it was on full burn.Its 6.5-8kw unit.

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@2hotscottproYeah, full burn will use up some fuel!

[@aaronmathewson5522]

So was the room on a roller coaster? The video was so shaky I thought there might be an earthquake… 😅

[@cabracove]

With 400 AH of lithium IP it will run a lot longer than I can pack enough diesel for and also a lot longer than I want to be out camping in the winter with the van.

[@TheGergeDIY]

That's awesome! I considered getting a lithium battery, and probably will at some point. The cost is pretty high on those, and I worry about using them in the severe cold as well. How has your experience been with that?

[@cabracove]

@@TheGergeDIY Doesn't get that cold up there. I charge them while the suns out and its 50, then it'll be 25 at night. It could be done in colder weather though. I'm bringing in 8 amps in the sun, and using about 5 or 6 to run the fridge during the day and to keep the interior (and the batteries) warm. Add in the coffee maker and occasional microwave and I almost break even. Wake up and turn the heater and the coffee on, and by the time it's ready, it's warm inside.

[@fisherkieds6282]

Me over here using my , ecoflow river max for mine

[@indianajones477]

Not helpful... too much irrelevant info.... what people should do on youtube is to show clearly the details, what kind, type, Watt, fuse etc.. what kind of battery... the type, the condition, is it 100Amp etc... That should be basically the intro. The vevor heater has 5 Kw and 8kw. Which one is used,?. Many of the clips, the information is lacking. I am not able to find what kind of battery is used to start the heater. Yeah, they all say 12V and the rest, we should figure by ourselves. ... there are so many batteries...

[@TheGergeDIY]

You are right! I anxiously await your informative KZbin channel!

[@daverogers4283]

Why not just ditch the battery and use a ac to dc power supply?

[@TheGergeDIY]

Fair question- you can do that. I have another video with an ac->dc power supply hookup on the channel. A lot of folks have batteries though, and there are times you won’t have ac.

[@deathonawhitehorse]

What was that knocking noise? It would get on my wick that tapping, like Chinese water torture :(

[@TheGergeDIY]

@davewallace5008 - it's the fuel pump, they all do it. Mine seems to get quieter as it runs, but it's always there. There are quite a few videos about ways to mitigate it.

[@deathonawhitehorse]

@@TheGergeDIY Thanks, I was contemplating as to whether to purchase one or not, someone I talked to runs red diesel through his after first washing through cat litter of all things ;)

[@TheGergeDIY]

@@deathonawhitehorse I run red (off road) through mine, doesn't make a difference. No cat litter filter, lol. There's not much difference in the price of red vs regular (white) diesel here, so I just run whatever costs less at the time. I've also run kero through it, works fine.

[@jimmymcjimmyvich9052]

Its a person outside knocking to get in out of the cold))))