Catalytic Gas Heaters

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Does anyone have experience of these heaters. I just bought one of them second hand

www.ebay.co.uk

Aks Mini Catalytic Gas Heater | eBay

Used but still works as it should still available on line around £200.
www.ebay.co.uk

I can only describe our brand new Webasto diesel heater (well 2019) as a piece of £$%^. Twice now our ‘friendly dealer’ fobbed us off saying their local Webasto specialist plugged the unit into their diagnostic machine and twice the computer said yes!.

knowing now it’s less than useless during cold weather and despite describing exactly how it has no thermostatic control, my complaints fell on deaf ears. I swear I will never ever entertain this dealer again for so many reasons. Their incompetence is well into the next level. I got a missed call from them a couple of days ago saying that our van was ready for collection having had ‘all of the snags completed’ and a habitation check sorted. Great news considering I got the van back weeks ago and we are out touring in it now!

Anyway back on track I did some trials with this heater at home preempting next winter and it seems pretty good. I intend to run it from external canistered gas. The Americans do this a lot……not talking about their much favoured Mr Buddy heater which produces a lot of condensation, catalytic heaters are more efficient and don’t even show a flame. This one seems to be similar to the American ‘Wave heater’.

It sips gas, small 220g gas canisters will run it for 6 hours!

Do any of you have any views about catalytic gas heaters?

By the way, the £$%^ dealer I spoke of rhymes with ‘Slybridge’. 🙄
 
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Hi,

Had one some years ago, very good, low gas use, plenty of heat.

Personaly I never use'd it whilst asleep(!) plus plenty of fresh air needed, other wise all good.


Boots
 
Oxygen depletion is a dangerous problem some have built in cut outs . They also produce a lot of condensation , Google catalytic marine heaters . Hopefully it will put you of ,
 
**** said:
Do any of you have any views about catalytic gas heaters?
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Yes, we use a catalytic heater. It's a "Thermix", which, unfortunately, aren't available, anymore, in the UK.
It produces 900 watts, but seems much more. I fitted it, when our motorhome was new, back in 2005. We have used it ever since, and it continues to give us trouble free heating, without using any battery power, of course.
It has a oxygen depletion sensor, and, being catalytic, does not produce any carbon monoxide. Only problem experienced, was a blocked jet, which was easily sorted.
Incidentally, we also use a living flame catalytic wall fire, in our lounge, at home. It too, has been trouble free, over many years.
 
Any gas or even coal these days requires a venting port by law, gas heating other than a caravan type heater will or could be the end of you, all diesel blow heaters should have a stat fitted, get someone who knows what there doing to have a look.
Not forgetting gas will have water running down the windows like a waterfall unless an indirect caravan type.
 
Nor me. :eek:
gas danger.png
 
mistericeman said:
Sort the Webasto out OR fit a eberspacher....

Eberspacher is IMHO THE only sensible option for extended winter trips away.
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Slybridge have had the Webasto specialist look at it twice now and both times it was given a clean bill of health. Of course was only a diagnostic computer saying it was fine🙄. Strangely we had an Eberspacher heater in the last van and it was sh1te too.
 
**** said:
Slybridge have had the Webasto specialist look at it twice now and both times it was given a clean bill of health. Of course was only a diagnostic computer saying it was fine🙄. Strangely we had an Eberspacher heater in the last van and it was sh1te too.
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I've worked on eberspachers for many years (and had them in many vehicles)
Any old/poorly maintained heater will give problems (ebers included)
However in my experience, well maintained and correctly installed units often run for years without issues.

As for catalytic heaters.... In enclosed spaces...
It's a no from me I'm afraid.
 
So what are your thoughts about the safety of the catalytic ‘Wave’ heaters installed in thousands of American RV’s, are they dangerous?
 
**** said:
So what are your thoughts about the safety of the catalytic ‘Wave’ heaters installed in thousands of American RV’s, are they dangerous?
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Explains why there all a dozy lot. 😂 head down now.
 
I've seen quite a few videos on those heaters.

Look quite good but seem to be quite like the Electric Halogen heaters in that the heat is very directional? So would have be careful of how it is positioned and as a general space heater they don't seem that useful unless you can put up with the high front heat as well while warming up the van?
From what I recall, dust is a major enemy of them? They need to be covered whenever not in use to keep them as clean as possible.

If I had a Webasto diesel heater fully fitted which was playing up, I think personally I would invest in getting that sorted out rather than spending the money on one of these Catalytic heaters and then enjoy the nicely distributed central heating from the Webasto.
 
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wildebus said:
I've seen quite a few videos on those heaters.

Look quite good but seem to be quite like the Electric Halogen heaters in that the heat is very directional? So would have be careful of how it is positioned and as a general space heater they don't seem that useful unless you can put up with the high front heat as well while warming up the van?
From what I recall, dust is a major enemy of them? They need to be covered whenever not in use to keep them as clean as possible.

If I had a Webasto diesel heater fully fitted which was playing up, I think personally I would invest in getting that sorted out rather than spending the money on one of these Catalytic heaters and then enjoy the nicely distributed central heating from the Webasto.
Click to expand...
As far as I know, most work on the convection principle. Both of ours certainly do, and, having no flue, all the heat generated, is used, for warming. Very efficient, compared with other gas appliances.
We don't cover them, to stop dust, and although it obviously collects, and so tends to smell, when first used, each year, it doesn't seem to make any difference.
Dust collects on all heaters, including our Truma boiler, which smells too, until the dust has been burned off.
What I like about them, is, the instant heat, as with many gas fires, although it does take some time to warm up the whole van, naturally.
On a personal note, using a catalytic heater, is probably another reason that we haven't yet needed solar panels, which many of you can't live without.
 
Gas appliances are inherently inefficient generally when it comes to converting gas to energy.
You can heat the inside of a van pretty well using a gas cooker purely as a by-product of cooking dinner :)
 
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