Quote:
Originally Posted by CBintheNorth
I just bought the exact same one (8kw) and just finished putting it through it's paces.
Tank volume is just under 5 litres (calculated).
When I read that the fuel consumption was under 1/2 litre/hr I was a little skeptical of the output. 8kw is roughly 27,000 BTU's.
Sure enough, this heater uses 1/3 litre/hr (averaged over 9hours), which at 37,500 BTU/ Litre, equals 12,500 BTU of Input.
The heater is far from 100% efficient given that the exhaust is coming out over 220°F.
So if I had to take a random stab at a figure, I would say output is roughly 9-10,000 BTU's.
Power consumption was nearly 12 amps in startup mode with the glow plug on. This lasted for a few minutes.
Once the glow plug shut off the draw was reduced to around 5 amps on highest setting.
On lowest setting the draw dropped to around 2 amps.
My Interstate SRM-31 battery has an amp hour rating of 210, which means I should get roughly 40 hrs of run time on high on a fully charged battery, and about 16 hours on a tank of fuel.
To compare, a Big Buddy inputs roughly 18,000 BTU's and because it exhausts inside, you get basically 100% of those BTU's.
I plan to use a piece of steam hose to extend the exhaust out of the ice tent (Otter), and because rubber is a horrible conductor, it shouldn't melt my tent flap.
Overall, this little heater is awesome. As long as you know its limits.
Hopefully this info helps others.
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Thanx for sharing this information. Interesting concept. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.
1) At hunting camp, we all use Big Buddies to heat the sleeping cabins. They work good. But as most may know, you have to leave a window partially open. If this diesel heater is inside, and I realize the exhaust goes outside, do you still have to leave a window partially opened?
2) Our camp kitchen/meeting room is heated with a wood stove. Most guys bring their wet clothes/boots in there for drying, as propane heat is not as "dry" as wood heat. And often, clothing will still be damp in the morning with the Big Buddies. How are these diesel heaters in that department?
Thanx in advance...
