# Eberspacher stopped working



## carol (Oct 27, 2018)

Had my heater on during the night and it just stopped working - I'm freezing! I don't think it's the battery - would it stop while fired up if it's the battery anyway? Just noticed that the red indicator light to show the heating is on, won't actually turn off and the fan doesn't come on the cool air setting when I press that. Any ideas? Also, I know it's only a little light but am I right to be worried about my battery?


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## Fisherman (Oct 27, 2018)

carol said:


> Had my heater on during the night and it just stopped working - I'm freezing! I don't think it's the battery - would it stop while fired up if it's the battery anyway? Just noticed that the red indicator light to show the heating is on, won't actually turn off and the fan doesn't come on the cool air setting when I press that. Any ideas? Also, I know it's only a little light but am I right to be worried about my battery?



The fans draw a lot of current from your battery. I always run the engine for the first 15 minutes when I put on the heating in the morning. Turn on your engine and see if that gets it going, I reckon your battery may have dropped below 50%. Take care as doing this with a lead acid battery can damage it.

I don’t run the heating all night when wild camping.


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## Fisherman (Oct 27, 2018)

One other point carol your heater does require electricity to function properly.

It won’t run on a flat battery.

If you don’t have a solar panel then you will now need to recharge your leisure battery by going for a drive.

A solar panel is good for wild camping, particularly if you remain in the one place for more than a night.


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## jeffmossy (Oct 27, 2018)

Sounds like your battery to me Carol , try running your engine for a while then try it again x


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## carol (Oct 27, 2018)

UPDATE

Checked the battery level and indicated full - the sun has been out - but thought I'd try with the engine running anyway. It started! But why wouldn't it start if the battery was full? The battery is only a couple of years old and hasn't been hammered.


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## carol (Oct 27, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> One other point carol your heater does require electricity to function properly.
> 
> It won’t run on a flat battery.
> 
> ...



Hi Bill, I've got a solar panel as I don't do hook up and Wild camp when I go over the channel. I'm bemused by the fact that the battery was showin full?


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## Fisherman (Oct 27, 2018)

carol said:


> Hi Bill, I've got a solar panel as I don't do hook up and Wild camp when I go over the channel. I'm bemused by the fact that the battery was showin full?



Well I don’t understand how a battery that has been powering a heater all night could possibly be full.

The fact that you heater kicked in when you turned on the engine would suggest that the battery was low, and that possibly your battery level indicator is faulty. Possibly before turning in the engine you could have tried to see if your tv worked.

But I have the same heater and when I put it on initially I run the engine to support the battery for about 15 minutes. The fan draws a lot of power initially then once the temperature is reached not as much. But I would never leave it on all night. Unfortunately if you have used your full charge or run the hearing through the night  regularly this may have shortened the life of your battery. But I cannot understand how a battery can show full after being used all night.


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## Fisherman (Oct 27, 2018)

Also if you check your battery with the engine running it may show full, depending on type of system you use for measurement.


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## molly 2 (Oct 27, 2018)

H Carol, if it is not your battery it probably needs servicing or repair .eberspatchers should be serviced annually .I did say (should ) , they get clogged up with carbon  and need cleaning .some members have got the cheap ,planer.  knock off ebers and are well pleased .


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## Dowel (Oct 27, 2018)

I agree with all Fisherman has said. 

A clue may be in your comment that you have solar and the sun has been shining?

Diesel heaters may have different control options. If running to maintain a set temperature measured by a thermostat the heater may cycle on and off. So if you have set 20C the thermostat may turn it off at say 21C then on again at say 18C and at each “on event” use the glow plug to ignite the diesel fuel. This is what uses lots of amps for a short period but the amps drawn can pull the battery voltage down if going on and off all night.
Some heaters can be set to run at a low rate continuously so that they are not repeatedly stopping and starting. This can use less electrical power as the glow plug is not used to restart the heater. The downside is that it will give a continuous heat output but if say the night turns very cold the heater will not be able to automatically keep pace with the heat required to maintain a set temperature.

Did you look to see the battery charge when you first found that the heater would not run? Was the sun shining then? If so the battery voltage whilst under charge from your solar can look “full”. Don’t know where you are or how much sun you are getting but I might guess that the alternator can charge the battery at a higher rate of amps than early morning solar.

Do you have a simple multimeter? A very useful tool as to get a realistic measure of the state of charge of a battery measurements with the battery disconnected, so not being charged or discharged, are more accurate.



State of Charge 	Sealed or Flooded Lead Acid battery voltage 	
100% 	12.70+ 	
75% 	12.40 	
50% 	12.20 	
25% 	12.00 	
0% 	11.80​
Cannot find a better way to post a table. The danger to your battery is discharging repeatedly to below 50% which reduces the number of discharge cycles and so shortens the battery life


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## carol (Oct 27, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> Also if you check your battery with the engine running it may show full, depending on type of system you use for measurement.



Hi I understand the point you're making. However, it obviously wasn't working all night. When I first checked the battery indicator it was on green but after a couple of hours was full without engine on. However, heating gone off again and I've checked the battery with those plug in things and it's 12.2  so must be a battery problem. As I said, it's only a couple of years old, 110 and I hardly run anything off it, i.e. no tv, music etc. 

Thanks everyone for your comments, they are much appreciated.


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## Fisherman (Oct 27, 2018)

Dowel said:


> I agree with all Fisherman has said.
> 
> A clue may be in your comment that you have solar and the sun has been shining?
> 
> ...



Have to absolutely honest I was not aware of the glow plug issue.
I was more concerned with the fan running at full pelt initially.

We don’t go out in the dead of winter stopping in October to end of March.
But on the few occasions that we have been out in the cold of night I don’t run the heater, just wrap up a bit more, then put it on just before I get up. 

I reckon this is all down to a low and possibly damaged battery.
And testing a battery under charge is misleading.


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## Dowel (Oct 27, 2018)

Diesel heaters don't like low voltage which means lower amps and watts. They need plenty of power to start up.
A settled voltage of 12.20 at the battery, when all the inputs and outputs are turned off, is about 50% charged.

If the plug in thing you have is a multi meter and if the heater is easily accessed it would be interesting to measure the voltage at the heater input connectors and compare it to the voltage at the battery terminals. If the volts are significantly lower at the heater that will not help. It may just make the difference between the heater starting or not. 

Obviously may not be something you might do anything about right now but may be worth looking at when possible. Undersized cables or poor or corroded connections could cause volts drop.


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## jeffmossy (Oct 27, 2018)

Another thing to check carol is the fuse and fuse terminals for the heater , sometimes these can oxide and make bad connections ,take them apart and  give them a spray with WD40


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## carol (Oct 27, 2018)

Thanks guys, embarrassingly I haven't got a clue how to do any of that and it's so cold at the moment I'm still under the duvet with my clothes on! I'll get it checked out when back in Bradford if I can find someone to do it. Doubt there'll be many Eberspacher specialists in Bradford!


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## Fazerloz (Oct 27, 2018)

These things are only a very rough guide, and usually only tend to confuse as people take them literally.

 As a battery can show a high voltage but have little in the way of amps when they a.re getting knackerd and when a load is applied the battery voltage will drop very rapidly. If you are looking at your solar controller during the day what you could be seeing is the voltage been put  into your battery which os not actually the state of charge of the battery further confusing things. Go to a reputable battery supplier for a proper battery drop test, before spending on your Eber. As it is working Ok with the engine running would indicate there to be nothing wrong with the Eber.
We use these for our battery supplies.batteriesontheweb.co.uk-All types of batteries offered online They are only in Halifax.

POSTAL ADDRESS
 Pellon Tyre and Auto Centre
 Pellon Lane
 Halifax
 West Yorkshire
 HX1 4PZ
01422 410899


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## molly 2 (Oct 27, 2018)

I think carol would use a cig lighter plug in voltmeter .


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## Fazerloz (Oct 27, 2018)

molly 2 said:


> I think carol would use a cig lighter plug in voltmeter .



Its pretty much the same and would give the same misleading reading if the solar was putting in some charge at the time as the reading.


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## RichardHelen262 (Oct 27, 2018)

carol said:


> Thanks guys, embarrassingly I haven't got a clue how to do any of that and it's so cold at the moment I'm still under the duvet with my clothes on! I'll get it checked out when back in Bradford if I can find someone to do it. Doubt there'll be many Eberspacher specialists in Bradford!



Have the battery checked first, on our old T5 the battery would run the lights and tv but not the night heater, had the battery checked and it was down on one cell, changed the battery and never had a problem again with the heater.
If your battery is only two years old is it still under warranty ?


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## molly 2 (Oct 27, 2018)

Fazerloz said:


> Its pretty much the same and would give the same misleading reading if the solar was putting in some charge at the time as the reading.


Correct ,they are just much easier to use than a multi meter  .and give a clear reading .


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## jeffmossy (Oct 27, 2018)

carol said:


> Thanks guys, embarrassingly I haven't got a clue how to do any of that and it's so cold at the moment I'm still under the duvet with my clothes on! I'll get it checked out when back in Bradford if I can find someone to do it. Doubt there'll be many Eberspacher specialists in Bradford!



If you can wait until Hollingworth lake , I can have a look at it for you


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## carol (Oct 27, 2018)

jeffmossy said:


> If you can wait until Hollingworth lake , I can have a look at it for you



Hi Jeff, I'm not going anywhere until then. If you don't mind, that'd be great! Thing is, if it's just the battery I know I need to get one but I can't understand why it's a dud after 2 years ... il have to check the timescale with Tom. It's a bit ironic that I was talking about changing the starter battery cos it's been in for at least 5 years. What an expensive hobby we have!


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## spigot (Oct 27, 2018)

Carol, I have the same set-up as you, I would never run my Eber during the night, it will knacker the battery. Put a microfleece blanket on top of the duvet, you'll be as warm as toast.

When I was operating on one battery I would start the engine when switching on the heater as the glow pin draws a lot of juice. Now, in the evenings, although I have 2 110amp batteries, I still use a Parabolic heater that screws onto a 907 bottle to keep warm.


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## ScoTTyBEEE (Oct 27, 2018)

Dowel said:


> State of Charge 	Sealed or Flooded Lead Acid battery voltage
> 100% 	12.70+
> 75% 	12.40
> 50% 	12.20
> ...



12.10 is 50%
11.80 is 30%


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## Deleted member 55059 (Oct 27, 2018)

spigot said:


> Carol, I have the same set-up as you, I would never run my Eber during the night, it will knacker the battery. Put a microfleece blanket on top of the duvet, you'll be as warm as toast.
> 
> When I was operating on one battery I would start the engine when switching on the heater as the glow pin draws a lot of juice. Now, in the evenings, although I have 2 110amp batteries, I still use a Parabolic heater that screws onto a 907 bottle to keep warm.



Is a Paraboliuc heater mated to a 907 gas bottle safe to use in a campervan/motorhome ? or do you have to keep the window open ?


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## spigot (Oct 27, 2018)

Taurian said:


> Is a Paraboliuc heater mated to a 907 gas bottle safe to use in a campervan/motorhome ? or do you have to keep the window open ?



Ventilation is required, I have the high level windows & a skylight cracked open slightly & a co2 alarm. Also, as it's an old van, there are a few natural draughts.


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## carol (Oct 27, 2018)

Yes, I realise I shouldn't have kept it on during the night though surely I should be able to ... never again!


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## runnach (Oct 27, 2018)

The other thing to bear in mind and points towards the battery is that last night was the first real cold snap, And there is no quicker way I know of than a battery falling over at the first signs of a cold spell

Channa


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## jeffmossy (Oct 27, 2018)

carol said:


> Hi Jeff, I'm not going anywhere until then. If you don't mind, that'd be great! Thing is, if it's just the battery I know I need to get one but I can't understand why it's a dud after 2 years ... il have to check the timescale with Tom. It's a bit ironic that I was talking about changing the starter battery cos it's been in for at least 5 years. What an expensive hobby we have!



I will also put you down for EHU just in case :idea:


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## carol (Oct 27, 2018)

jeffmossy said:


> I will also put you down for EHU just in case :idea:



Good thinking Jeff, thank you!


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## Deleted member 55059 (Oct 27, 2018)

spigot said:


> Ventilation is required, I have the high level windows & a skylight cracked open slightly & a co2 alarm. Also, as it's an old van, there are a few natural draughts.



Okay, I might try one of those if you beleive they are safe to use.  I've got a 2003 Symbol so I know what you mean about "natural draughts"  !!


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## Fisherman (Oct 27, 2018)

carol said:


> Hi Jeff, I'm not going anywhere until then. If you don't mind, that'd be great! Thing is, if it's just the battery I know I need to get one but I can't understand why it's a dud after 2 years ... il have to check the timescale with Tom. It's a bit ironic that I was talking about changing the starter battery cos it's been in for at least 5 years. What an expensive hobby we have!



Carol, I reckon that if the battery is knackered after just two years, it could be due to the heating system, and the way you have been using it. It would be a good idea to. Replace both the starter and leisure batteries. It’s also important  that you buy the same batteries to avoid uneven or possible over charging.

When using the heating system turn on the engine first and leave it on for 10-15 minutes, this will help your battery.


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## Dowel (Oct 27, 2018)

ScoTTyBEEE said:


> 12.10 is 50%
> 11.80 is 30%
> View attachment 68175



Just like your table the one I posted was copied from the web.


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## Tezza33 (Oct 27, 2018)

carol said:


> Yes, I realise I shouldn't have kept it on during the night though surely I should be able to ... never again!


If you just want to keep warm at night I will pm you my phone number


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## wildebus (Oct 27, 2018)

first weekend away this year for me was a VW Show end of May.  

Got a bit chilly one night and had no heating, so I broke out the portable cartridge stove (instead of using Induction hob).  The excess heat generated by the burner while boiling a kettle for a couple of mugs of Hot Chocolate warmed the van up a treat.  Job Done 

(so in other words, just whack the gas hob on (with ventilation) if heater broken or batteries too low to run it )


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## Caz (Oct 27, 2018)

Carol, you have been away a few nights, haven't you? Mine packed up after 3 nights last New Year due to low battery, even with the 150 watt solar.


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## spigot (Oct 27, 2018)

runnach said:


> Cheaper than diving!



Also a darn sight cheaper than yachting, which has been likened to “Standing under a shower, tearing up £50 notes”


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## RoaminRog (Oct 27, 2018)

This is only a thought Carol, but when I had my truck, it had an Eberspacher overnight heater fitted.
Just occasionally it would stop, and the wire gauze covering the air intake had to be removed and cleaned of dust/hair etc 
When it was replaced, it worked a treat again!


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## Fisherman (Oct 28, 2018)

carol said:


> Yes, I realise I shouldn't have kept it on during the night though surely I should be able to ... never again!



Carol, sorry but you have to deal with the reality of your situation when wild camping, and heating a van up all night in winter without hook up is simply not possible with today’s technology. Possibly when lithium batteries get better and cheaper we will all have four or five of them on board, backed up by much improved solar panels, and then it will be possible.

The same applies to water, toilet cassette, and other uses of power, they are all limited, and that’s what makes wild camping fun for me and my wife. I much prefer wild camping with all its limitations to a caravan site.


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## runnach (Oct 28, 2018)

Eberspachers originally are aimed at the truck market and still their staple market, the subtle difference is that trucks run off 24 v electrics as opposed to campers at 12 v I sometimes wonder that even after their jiggery pokery the transition to 12 v systems make them susceptible to voltage drops

Northern commercials at Brighouse, Chatfields in leeds Cross roads in Birstall all have the knowledge to repair if you need parts or service and other members cant help you

channa


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## spigot (Oct 28, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> Carol, sorry but you have to deal with the reality of your situation when wild camping, and heating a van up all night in winter without hook up is simply not possible with today’s technology. Possibly when lithium batteries get better and cheaper we will all have four or five of them on board, backed up by much improved solar panels, and then it will be possible.
> 
> The same applies to water, toilet cassette, and other uses of power, they are all limited, and that’s what makes wild camping fun for me and my wife. I much prefer wild camping with all it’s limitations to a caravan site..




Quite agree with all that.

Caravan sites are boring!


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## Fisherman (Oct 28, 2018)

spigot said:


> Quite agree with all that.
> 
> Caravan sites are boring!



They have their place spigot, and we have been to some excellent sites.

But there’s something about sitting next to a beautiful lake or by the sea surrounded by mountains and no one else in sight that makes it so appealing. But after three nights it’s of to a site, empty the loo, fill the water tank, empty the grey water, and hsve a good shower, then out on the road next morning. :camper:


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## wildebus (Oct 28, 2018)

I'm curious about the comment that you can't expect to be able to heat a camper continuously overnight without hookup?

Electric heater - yes, I'd agree (although I have run an electric blanket overnight if that counts  )

But a Gas or Diesel Heater? Surely so! 
I did a power usage test on my 'Chinese' Diesel heater and once started it drew around 20W/hour (so say 1.8Ah/hour for those who like that type of measurement) - that is not excessive at all I think and apparently the genuine Eberspachers are more electrically efficient as well.


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## runnach (Oct 28, 2018)

wildebus said:


> I'm curious about the comment that you can't expect to be able to heat a camper continuously overnight without hookup?
> 
> Electric heater - yes, I'd agree (although I have run an electric blanket overnight if that counts  )
> 
> ...


 no idea about electric stuff, but Carver and trumas are room sealed and designed to be used overnight of course all gas ,Alde wet systems too I suspect but don't know much about those 

Channa


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## Fisherman (Oct 28, 2018)

wildebus said:


> I'm curious about the comment that you can't expect to be able to heat a camper continuously overnight without hookup?
> 
> Electric heater - yes, I'd agree (although I have run an electric blanket overnight if that counts  )
> 
> ...



I am pretty new to this widebus, but before I took the mh out I carried out some tests.
One was to try out the heating.
I set it to the middle setting then left it on for one hour.
When I got back in the battery had went from full charge to 3/4 charge.
Now when you consider that when going to bed at night we have been using the battery during daytime to watch tv or dvds, lighting, operating the pump etc it normally reads about a 2/3 charge.
I don’t think leaving the heating on all night would be a good idea.

When I get up in the morning I turn on the engine then put on the heating, I find this saves the battery.


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## wildebus (Oct 28, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> I am pretty new to this widebus, but before I took the mh out I carried out some tests.
> One was to try out the heating.
> I set it to the middle setting then left it on for one hour.
> When I got back in the battery had went from full charge to 3/4 charge.
> ...


it is a good idea running the engine for the startup phase - the glowpin takes a lot of power for the time that runs (2-3 minutes) and the engine can make the difference between it starting or no I could imagine in some cases depending on battery capacity.
Running a Diesel heater for say 10 hours will be around 240Wh (~20Ah) - 20% of a reasonable wild-camping battery usable setup (pair of 100Ah Batteries), and could be be replenished well within an hour of engine running, so seems pretty ok?


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## Fisherman (Oct 28, 2018)

wildebus said:


> it is a good idea running the engine for the startup phase - the glowpin takes a lot of power for the time that runs (2-3 minutes) and the engine can make the difference between it starting or no I could imagine in some cases depending on battery capacity.
> Running a Diesel heater for say 10 hours will be around 240Wh (~20Ah) - 20% of a reasonable wild-camping battery usable setup (pair of 100Ah Batteries), and could be be replenished well within an hour of engine running, so seems pretty ok?



We only have one 100ah bettery.

I would like another, but hsve nowhere to house it.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Oct 28, 2018)

Having run a T5 yourself you will be aware or running an Eberspacher correctly.
the biggest problem with running the heaters is most do not know how to use them, in most if not all motorhomes the heaters are poorly installed no attempt to install the correct length of exhaust duct ( its stainless steel quite expensive so huge cost saved by shortening length ) not many fit exhaust silencers ( I always fit 2 ) no one fits intake air silencers ( again I always fit 2 )

The main problem is no one fits a room thermostat most assume the standard turn on unit is a room stat, it is in a way but its the on / off switch, cold air selector switch. The rheostat part has  a sensor in the return air duct in the HEATER itself consequently most turn the dial up to 3/4 or full in this position the heater wont turn into the economical fan / heat setting,  I run mine on just barely turned on.   On cold days such as in the snow on the North Yorks Moors yesterday the heater ran on Full for about 10 / 15 minutes and then turned down to the middle setting for a few minutes and then on to the minimum setting where you cannot hear the heater running you have to feel at the air duct to tell if the fan is running at this setting the power consumption is 8 watt.
My heater is in the double skin under the floor pan so the sensor is in the heater under the floor setting the wall rheostat high it would never turn off so the power consumption would be 34 watts a mighty difference. 

It is Always a good idea to run the engine prior to stat up if you use TV's,  are a heavy power user or don't move your van for several days as in start up mode the power usage can above 120 watts or 10A depending on the heater condition.

Alf





wildebus said:


> it is a good idea running the engine for the startup phase - the glowpin takes a lot of power for the time that runs (2-3 minutes) and the engine can make the difference between it starting or no I could imagine in some cases depending on battery capacity.
> Running a Diesel heater for say 10 hours will be around 240Wh (~20Ah) - 20% of a reasonable wild-camping battery usable setup (pair of 100Ah Batteries), and could be be replenished well within an hour of engine running, so seems pretty ok?


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## jeffmossy (Oct 28, 2018)

I always try to start my heater just before we arrive at our destination , then it does not take the initial heavy start up power direct from the leisure battery when it is not having charge inputted into it


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## mistericeman (Oct 28, 2018)

We always run our d2 overnight.... (we do have 3 x 100ah leisure batteries though)
Turned it on yesterday before our 120 mile drive down to north Wales....
Sat and watched fireworks at shell island with side door open... Then tucked up and toasty for rest of night...
Still running now as were sat eating fish and chips before walking the hounds on blackrock sands.


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## wildebus (Oct 28, 2018)

Alf said:


> Having run a T5 yourself you will be aware or running an Eberspacher correctly.
> the biggest problem with running the heaters is most do not know how to use them, in most if not all motorhomes the heaters are poorly installed no attempt to install the correct length of exhaust duct ( its stainless steel quite expensive so huge cost saved by shortening length ) not many fit exhaust silencers ( I always fit 2 ) no one fits intake air silencers ( again I always fit 2 )
> 
> The main problem is no one fits a room thermostat most assume the standard turn on unit is a room stat, it is in a way but its the on / off switch, cold air selector switch. The rheostat part has  a sensor in the return air duct in the HEATER itself consequently most turn the dial up to 3/4 or full in this position the heater wont turn into the economical fan / heat setting,  I run mine on just barely turned on.   On cold days such as in the snow on the North Yorks Moors yesterday the heater ran on Full for about 10 / 15 minutes and then turned down to the middle setting for a few minutes and then on to the minimum setting where you cannot hear the heater running you have to feel at the air duct to tell if the fan is running at this setting the power consumption is 8 watt.
> ...



I know there is a definate benefit in running a silencer on the inlet hose, but I have not heard of anyone doubling up the silencers? be interested how much difference that makes and their placements. (I have spare silencers so could add some on  )

Ref temp sensors, most of the controllers had no capability of that, but the 801 model did - and worked very well IF the wiring was correctly modified to use it  (many/most installers didn't seem to bother)


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## spigot (Oct 28, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> We only have one 100ah bettery.
> 
> I would like another, but hsve nowhere to house it.


 

You must be joking, I’ve only a small camper van but I managed to shoe-horn another in.


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## carol (Oct 28, 2018)

spigot said:


> You must be joking, I’ve only a small camper van but I managed to shoe-horn another in.



Where?


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## wildebus (Oct 28, 2018)

It may be an unorthodox approach but here is an option for those who are 'spaceally challenged' and have no room for an additional battery but sometimes need the extra capacity....

1) Get a basic relay and switch setup that allows you to electrically connect the leisure and starter batteries when you want to - and disconnect when you want to.  For the typical van with an existing split-charger or B2B charger, it would be be very simple to fit and cost would be well under a tenner
2) Get a Jump Starter Pack - such as this one - Car Jump Starter - 600A 16500mAh Power Pack (NOTE: That is just an example. I am not familiar with that specific model and so not recommending it for that reason)

Step 1 would allow you to use a decent amount of extra battery capacity 'locked away' in your starter battery and in many ways going to waste otherwise.
Step 2 would mean you were not left standed should you pull a bit too much.

I wouldn't suggest this approach for any vehicle that is not a good quick and easy starter.

You could also add in Step 3)  Replace the Starter Battery with as big a battery as physically possible to maximise the benefit in 1) and reduce the potential to need to use 2)


Like I said, unorthodox maybe as a ongoing solution but if you need a bit of a boost on an unexpectedly cold night or very poor solar harvesting it could be worthwhile, as idling a diesel engine for any significant length of time is not recommended.


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## Fisherman (Oct 28, 2018)

hairydog said:


> Not true at all. Not even nearly true.
> You can still buy gas heaters that is no power at all, but with a standard Truma combi, we can run the heating 24 hours a day for several days at a time without starting the engine or solar panel input.
> The Truma takes around 1A on average (probably less when the thermostat is turned down at bedtime), so you don't need a lot of battery power to sustain it for one night.



I was referring to carols heater not gas heating.


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## spigot (Oct 28, 2018)

carol said:


> Where?



I managed to shoe-horn it in the compartment that holds the Trauma & the Eberspacher, probably against all Elf 'n Safety regs but that was 3 years ago & I'm still here.


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## Nabsim (Oct 28, 2018)

I do have an Eber control that has on/off switch and a rheostat but the is not connected to anything and I thought it may have been intended for the immersion that isn’t wired up?

My Eber has another controller with led display, on or off button (green light when on), arrow up button to increase set temperature, arrow down button to decrease set temperature and final button (blue light) is for turning on a fan which I assumed was for cooling when is off. I thought this controller was maybe an upgrade from rotary dial, is that not so? This is on an Eber D4


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## wildebus (Oct 28, 2018)

Nabsim said:


> I do have an Eber control that has on/off switch and a rheostat but the is not connected to anything and I thought it may have been intended for the immersion that isn’t wired up?
> 
> My Eber has another controller with led display, on or off button (green light when on), arrow up button to increase set temperature, arrow down button to decrease set temperature and final button (blue light) is for turning on a fan which I assumed was for cooling when is off. I thought this controller was maybe an upgrade from rotary dial, is that not so? This is on an Eber D4


The second controller to me sounds like the 801 Model. Probably the most straightforward and best Eberspacher controller (IMO).
Does it look like the right hand controller on this page? Controllers 1


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## carol (Oct 28, 2018)

Ok, everyone ... after a good drive home the leisure battery was at 12.9 and the heater kicked in straight away. Should I still replace battery or is that a good sign? Apologies for my ignorance. I'm so grateful for all your replies and suggestions


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## molly 2 (Oct 28, 2018)

carol said:


> Ok, everyone ... after a good drive home the leisure battery was at 12.9 and the heater kicked in straight away. Should I still replace battery or is that a good sign? Apologies for my ignorance. I'm so grateful for all your replies and suggestions


 check it after a few hours rest .


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## spigot (Oct 28, 2018)

wildebus said:


> I know there is a definate benefit in running a silencer on the inlet hose, but I have not heard of anyone doubling up the silencers? be interested how much difference that makes and their placements. (I have spare silencers so could add some on  )



The main benefit of adding another silencer is to reduce the noise to others.

In Morocco earlier this year I was accused of operating a rocket launcher at a wild camping venue when it was a bit parky one morning.


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## Fisherman (Oct 28, 2018)

carol said:


> Ok, everyone ... after a good drive home the leisure battery was at 12.9 and the heater kicked in straight away. Should I still replace battery or is that a good sign? Apologies for my ignorance. I'm so grateful for all your replies and suggestions



Carol batteries are strange things, but it sounds like your battery should be ok for now, but you may have shortened its life by using more than 50% of full charge.


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## wildebus (Oct 28, 2018)

spigot said:


> The main benefit of adding another silencer is to reduce the noise to others.
> 
> In Morocco earlier this year I was accused of operating a rocket launcher at a wild camping venue when it was a bit parky one morning.


I would have a bit of a concern about total exhaust length. Eberspacher quote no more than 2 Metres.  The restrictions on a silencer would add the equivalent of a fair amount of pipework I would imagine. A second silencer could push the effective length over the 2 Metres?


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## Nabsim (Oct 28, 2018)

wildebus said:


> The second controller to me sounds like the 801 Model. Probably the most straightforward and best Eberspacher controller (IMO).
> Does it look like the right hand controller on this page? Controllers 1



Yes that’s the one Dave


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## Dowel (Oct 29, 2018)

carol said:


> Ok, everyone ... after a good drive home the leisure battery was at 12.9 and the heater kicked in straight away. Should I still replace battery or is that a good sign? Apologies for my ignorance. I'm so grateful for all your replies and suggestions



That sounds good to me, the battery may be OK. Worth having some tests done to see if any parts are not working quite as well as they should be. I am sure some of the folks here would be willing and able to check these out for you. 

I admit to being a bit cynical and suspect some garages automatically tell less technically knowledgeable customers that parts need replacing. My daughter had many more brake shoes pads etc changed than one might ever expect necessary.

Last winter my sister in law's car wouldn't start in a cold spell and she assumed the battery should be replaced. We put it on charge for a good period and it is still serving her well. Batteries not in use do suffer from self discharge and if not attended to can lose capacity.


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## runnach (Oct 29, 2018)

Still worth getting your battery checked under a load

On my Fiat same as yours essentially but some badge engineering, the battery in its twighlight years would show full charged on the meter inside the van but simple putting on lights it would discharge in as little as a couple of hours possibly less

channa


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## wildebus (Oct 29, 2018)

channa said:


> Still worth getting your battery checked under a load
> 
> On my Fiat same as yours essentially but some badge engineering, the battery in its twighlight years would show full charged on the meter inside the van but simple putting on lights it would discharge in as little as a couple of hours possibly less
> 
> channa



Kind of reminds me of my starter battery before I replaced it .... Charged up fine. But come the cold weather, soon as I turned the key to start the engine, instant volt drop to 10.5V or something. 
Replaced with a AGM battery exactly the same model as the leisure batteries


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## spigot (Oct 29, 2018)

wildebus said:


> I would have a bit of a concern about total exhaust length. Eberspacher quote no more than 2 Metres.  The restrictions on a silencer would add the equivalent of a fair amount of pipework I would imagine. A second silencer could push the effective length over the 2 Metres?



Surely, you could have 2 silencers next to each other, this would decrease the exterior noise but not increase the length of pipework.


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## Floridaphill (Oct 29, 2018)

carol said:


> Ok, everyone ... after a good drive home the leisure battery was at 12.9 and the heater kicked in straight away. Should I still replace battery or is that a good sign? Apologies for my ignorance. I'm so grateful for all your replies and suggestions



I would check the battery.
we have a 100ah battery and solar, 60w, the battery was 4 years old but gets about 1-2 day every week wilding.
During the summer the solar was able mostly to keep up with fridge demands, but the battery was found wanting once we went on holiday and had 2 poor weather days and no driving, the fridge stopped working, this draws 2 amps.

Voltage looked fine but when tested it lacked capacity, it was intact about 50ah.
To test, I covered the solar panel and ran the fridge, noting the voltage on the cetec voltage monitor.
The battery was fine until about 50% charge then as soon as the fridge turned on the voltage plummeted from 12.5 to around 11.5 in less an a minute.

New battery, all fine now.

Hope this helps.
Phill


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## Fisherman (Oct 29, 2018)

wildebus said:


> Kind of reminds me of my starter battery before I replaced it .... Charged up fine. But come the cold weather, soon as I turned the key to start the engine, instant volt drop to 10.5V or something.
> Replaced with a AGM battery exactly the same model as the leisure batteries



I see the same with standbye batteries in alarm systems.
If you simply check the voltage of the battery disconnected from the system it may read over 13volts
Reconnect the battery then remove the mains (load test) and I have seen batteries drop to as little as 6-7 volts in


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## wildebus (Oct 29, 2018)

spigot said:


> Surely, you could have 2 silencers next to each other, this would decrease the exterior noise but not increase the length of pipework.


I understand the length of pipework is set at a maximum for avoid a back pressure (or whatever the term may be) over a certain level.  A small silencer would be worth a fair amount of pipework equivalent length, so I would think another silencer WOULD increase the length of pipework - and more than just the length of the silencer.

The above is based on my own logic and may be totally wrong, but considering some people REMOVE silencers to allow exhaust gasses to flow better, the reverse will be true?


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## Deleted member 5816 (Oct 29, 2018)

Quite so but having used the same two intake air and the extra exhaust one over the last 10 Auto Sleepers I would say the proof is in the pudding.
But the world is full of Flat Earth believers its every one to there own. I wish I had not broke my resolve not to post anymore. 
This is why I don't post any more there are enough experts here 

Alf 




wildebus said:


> I understand the length of pipework is set at a maximum for avoid a back pressure (or whatever the term may be) over a certain level.  A small silencer would be worth a fair amount of pipework equivalent length, so I would think another silencer WOULD increase the length of pipework - and more than just the length of the silencer.
> 
> The above is based on my own logic and may be totally wrong, but considering some people REMOVE silencers to allow exhaust gasses to flow better, the reverse will be true?


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## RichardHelen262 (Oct 29, 2018)

wildebus said:


> I know there is a definate benefit in running a silencer on the inlet hose, but I have not heard of anyone doubling up the silencers? be interested how much difference that makes and their placements. (I have spare silencers so could add some on  )
> 
> Ref temp sensors, most of the controllers had no capability of that, but the 801 model did - and worked very well IF the wiring was correctly modified to use it  (many/most installers didn't seem to bother)



Our last T5 Autosleeper had two exhaust silencers fitted from new by Autosleeper


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## wildebus (Oct 29, 2018)

Alf said:


> Quite so but having used the same two intake air and the extra exhaust one over the last 10 Auto Sleepers I would say the proof is in the pudding.
> But the world is full of Flat Earth believers its every one to there own. I wish I had not broke my resolve not to post anymore.
> This is why I don't post any more there are enough experts here
> 
> Alf



Did I say you were wrong? This is why I asked you more info about your own exhaust setup - position of silencers, etc. so if I were to add another I would have a reference to work to.

Need a step for the high horse?


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## Fazerloz (Oct 29, 2018)

wildebus said:


> Did I say you were wrong? This is why I asked you more info about your own exhaust setup - position of silencers, etc. so if I were to add another I would have a reference to work to.
> 
> Need a step for the high horse?



I suppose Alf could borrow yours. 

anyone saying use petrol also mention the fact that it will need rinsing off VERY well and also remove all wax?  

 No, didn't think so.  If a solution () is proposed, those people pushing it should give the facts and not assume the person asking the question will know they must do that  (if they did, the chances are they would know the options already).

 So well done for providing the missing info.


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## wildebus (Oct 29, 2018)

Fazerloz said:


> I suppose Alf could borrow yours.
> 
> anyone saying use petrol also mention the fact that it will need rinsing off VERY well and also remove all wax?
> 
> ...


Quite so.  Snippets of advice which, when followed without the followup care required, can damage the paintwork the person is attempting to improve is not that great advice is it?


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## wildebus (Oct 29, 2018)

I thought I would do a more involved real-life power and fuel consumption test on my Diesel Heater to see just how much is used when running.
Anyone interested can saddle up and mosey along to motorhomebuilder.com and have a look here :baby:


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## n brown (Oct 29, 2018)

as this seems to have become about heating in general ,then for any self builders or those who want a change , if you can find the room for one of these Caravan Carver TRUMATIC 1800 heater complete and tested working  | eBay . i had one similar , a morco , in a van as well as a webasto 5kw . they have no electrics, no moving parts ,so no noise, and are floor vented.very cheap to buy and slightly quicker to warm the van than the webby.absolutely gutted i couldn't put it in my latest van , so have a propex


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## Fazerloz (Oct 29, 2018)

wildebus said:


> Quite so.  Snippets of advice which, when followed without the followup care required, can damage the paintwork the person is attempting to improve is not that great advice is it?




anyone saying use petrol also mention the fact that it will need rinsing off VERY well and also remove all wax?  

 No, didn't think so.  If a solution () is proposed, those people pushing it should give the facts and not assume the person asking the question will know they must do that  (if they did, the chances are they would know the options already).

 So well done for providing the missing info.

Even though when you were on your high horse  you were wrong. There was a post saying to wash it.


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## Nabsim (Oct 29, 2018)

n brown said:


> as this seems to have become about heating in general ,then for any self builders or those who want a change , if you can find the room for one of these Caravan Carver TRUMATIC 1800 heater complete and tested working  | eBay . i had one similar , a morco , in a van as well as a webasto 5kw . they have no electrics, no moving parts ,so no noise, and are floor vented.very cheap to buy and slightly quicker to warm the van than the webby.absolutely gutted i couldn't put it in my latest van , so have a propex



That looks a newer model than we used to have in one of our caravans but they were brilliant and soon had van warm Nige


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## mistericeman (Oct 29, 2018)

n brown said:


> as this seems to have become about heating in general ,then for any self builders or those who want a change , if you can find the room for one of these Caravan Carver TRUMATIC 1800 heater complete and tested working  | eBay . i had one similar , a morco , in a van as well as a webasto 5kw . they have no electrics, no moving parts ,so no noise, and are floor vented.very cheap to buy and slightly quicker to warm the van than the webby.absolutely gutted i couldn't put it in my latest van , so have a propex



Fab things..... Especially the later fan blown versions.. 

HOWEVER if buying second hand please be wary that they can suffer from cracked heat exchanger casings and rusty flues...
Both of which risk Co making its way into the living space... 

Not scaremongering BUT just trying to make folks aware that some of these have had a hard life.


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## Fisherman (Oct 29, 2018)

hairydog said:


> If the battery was a typical 100Ah one, and it used 25% of its capacity in one hour, that is a 25A load. There is something very wrong with your battery, your measurement technique or your heater.



Nothing wrong with the battery it was brand new then, now two years old, nothing wrong with my technique, I check batteries for a living have done for over 40 years.
I was actually referring to one quarter of the batteries usable capacity, or one eighth of its total capacity. I also mentioned that our battery is normally down to around 2/3 total capacity before going to bed, owing to its use throughout the day. Thus further reducing its capacity for all night use for the diesel heating system.

Nothing wrong with the heater so long as I run the engine for first few minutes initially.


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## Fisherman (Oct 29, 2018)

hairydog said:


> No you weren't. Perhaps that's what you were thinking of, but it's not what you were referring to.



I know fine well what I was referring to Carols heater, as I have all the way through this thread.
This is not an ideal way to communicate.


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## Hurstie (Nov 14, 2018)

*Hurstie*

I noticed my thermostat/control unit is the one that only runs for an hour then shuts down! The serial number ends in 001. 
I’m assuming 003 carries on overnight. This might not be the answer but I wasn’t aware of this till mine shut down one evening!!


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## carol (Nov 14, 2018)

wildebus said:


> I thought I would do a more involved real-life power and fuel consumption test on my Diesel Heater to see just how much is used when running.
> Anyone interested can saddle up and mosey along to motorhomebuilder.com and have a look here :baby:



Wow, who's a clever boy, then? I'm really impressed!


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## spigot (Nov 14, 2018)

carol said:


> Wow, who's a clever boy, then? I'm really impressed!




Yeah, I’ve just read that, it’s blown my mind but think I’ll leave those chinky jobs well alone.


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