Diesel Heater Explodes

[ACE]

I was on the phone the other day with a friend who runs 8 trucks out of Kansas City. I asked him how we is liking his El Diablo Truckmount he bought about a year ago? He said he was loving it until last week when the diesel heater exploded blowing out 400 degree steam in the face of an employee. The employee was taking the ER with some nasty burns to his face. He tried to explain to me what the service center said caused the failure. I didn’t really understand what he said about the failure but it was something to do with carbon buildup at the igniter and diesel leaking onto the insulation. The excess heated diesel went off like a bomb breaking the coil.

I run have run a diesel heater on my steamway for the last 3 year with zero problems other than the flow switch. The whole thing made me a little leery of buying another diesel heated unit. Has anyone every heard of a diesel heater blowing up? I have to say the company involved is known for absolutely destroying equipment. The give the local service guy lots of hours. I wonder if the chimp might have put gasoline in the heater?

 

[Zee]

I have had issues with a propane burner....the built up gas in there exploded and pushed me back against the wall of a building I was standing next to. A bunch of times i had the propane not lightin right where it was just built up in the cylinder and boom.
A company I worked for years ago had a propane burner go bad and burned the garage door down and parts of the garage of a customer they were serving not to mention the van on the driveway was done....

I have a diesel burner right now without one hiccup for the last 5 years. Not saying it won't happen but so far so good.

I believe Albert Lazo here had a heat exchanger blow his vehicle to pieces...





So....propane, or diesel, or heat exchanger- same thing: they can all go in a similar fashion especially if they are not maintained right or at all! The end result can be dangerous or deadly.

 

[bob vawter]

I believe Albert Lazo here had a heat exchanger blow his vehicle to pieces...

impossible!

 

[Dolly Llama]

I was on the phone the other day with a friend who runs 8 trucks out of Kansas City. I asked him how we is liking his El Diablo Truckmount he bought about a year ago? He said he was loving it until last week when the diesel heater exploded blowing out 400 degree steam in the face of an employee. The employee was taking the ER with some nasty burns to his face. He tried to explain to me what the service center said caused the failure. I didn’t really understand what he said about the failure but it was something to do with carbon buildup at the igniter and diesel leaking onto the insulation. The excess heated diesel went off like a bomb breaking the coil.

I run have run a diesel heater on my steamway for the last 3 year with zero problems other than the flow switch. The whole thing made me a little leery of buying another diesel heated unit. Has anyone every heard of a diesel heater blowing up? I have to say the company involved is known for absolutely destroying equipment. The give the local service guy lots of hours. I wonder if the chimp might have put gasoline in the heater?

I owned and used the same heater that's on the El D (if the El D is still using that Italian built burner)
I suspect the dude that blew his up was burning diesel instead of kero .
It's much dirtier burning (TONS of soot) and just plain STINKS up everything ..i never burn diesel unless I'm caught with my pants down by running low/out and no stations close by with kero

i also had some issues with igniters on mine .(also before I knew enough to burn kero ONLY )
So it might of been different if I'd of known then (20 years ago) and what I know now
Never blew it up, but had some pretty impressive POOFS and flame thrower action out the stack til the raw fuel that was dumped in burnt off

whether propane or kero...we're playing fire and there is a responsibility of the owner to check and maintain equipment .

BTW, the Wayne burner in your Steamway is the same one used in home heating systems .
It has a very safe track record


..L.T.A.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I believe Albert Lazo here had a heat exchanger blow his vehicle to pieces...

impossible!

we're not talking those luke warm coolant HX'rs, Bawb
Al blew the chit out of his van .. due to lack of safety system pop-offs

..L.T.A.

 

[Zee]

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43046&p=478681&hilit=heat+exchanger#p478681

 

[Art Kelley]

[quote="bob vawter":my9albcr]

I believe Albert Lazo here had a heat exchanger blow his vehicle to pieces...

impossible!

we're not talking those luke warm coolant HX'rs, Bawb
Al blew the chit out of his van .. due to lack of safety system pop-offs

..L.T.A.[/quote:my9albcr]

What's to explode on a HX be it a lukewarm 205 degree one on a Steam Genie or a 240 degree dual coolant and blower system on the Pro1200? It is impossible. All those guys running kero and propane bombs are just accidentas de loco Gringo Clene Times el Bane.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Its my opinion that if you are running employees to NOT use a kero,diesel,propane burners as a heat source. It is just one more thing they have to deal and one more hassle for us.

My heater blew a coil last week with my tech by the van and he was still shaking when he can back.

 

[Larry Cobb]

No reason to use a heater any more.

We have used oil burners, propane systems and HX's.

HX's are the least maintenance . . . and least insurance claims.

Heat output depends on the design capabilities of the manufacturer.

Larry

 

[renegade_cowboy]

No reason to use a heater any more.

We have used oil burners, propane systems and HX's.

HX's are the least maintenance . . . and least insurance claims.

Heat output depends on the design capabilities of the manufacturer.

Larry

If someone bought your HX what kind of heat would someone get if they had a 21 hp engine and a 47 blower?

 

[ACE]

No reason to use a heater any more.

We have used oil burners, propane systems and HX's.

HX's are the least maintenance . . . and least insurance claims.

Heat output depends on the design capabilities of the manufacturer.

Larry

Show me a HX unit without any proprietary parts and I’ll buy it. Local suppliers will not like working on a Cobbs slide-in
The performance from an El Diablo would be hard to be for the price and it looks super easy to wrench on. It definitely is not going to be the most chimp friendly unit.
All things considered, direct drives may be my best option if I hope to get off the truck.

 

[Dolly Llama]

What's to explode on a HX be it a lukewarm 205 degree one on a Steam Genie or a 240 degree dual coolant and blower system on the Pro1200? It is impossible.

ART, put engine exhaust heat on a HX'r and get back to me

All those guys running kero and propane bombs are just accidentas de loco Gringo Clene Times el Bane.

actually, Art, the REALITY of a bazzilion TMs in the field past, present and future would suggest the concern is wildly over blown (no pun intended) .
and I'd bet a nickel there's been Bane owners unfortunate enough to set their van on fire due to "whatever"
and more than a couple direct drive BDs that have had engine compartment fires.
not to mention the HX slide ins that have lit up like 4th of July too

chit happens


so in conclusion ....one could make an argument that HX'rs are better due to the lack of additional fuel use .
But not due to safety...cause that's nothing but a red herring



..l.T.A.

 

[everfresh1]

Once on my Steamway there was a little excess kero leaking and burning when I was driving, I didn't know it at the time. when I got all the way back home I suspected something was not quite right, I opened the pressure outlet hose and the thing exploded all over the place flapping and denting he van but I got out of the way on time. After that I always told my worker to leave that shut off open, that'll solve any potential problems

 

[ACE]

Wow, there are so many potential liabilities in our business especially when you send employees. Just off the top of my head: Chemical exposure, environmental issues, Carbon monoxide poisoning, slip and fall, Mold, and add explosions to the list good lord Vawter, just die already. .

 

[Larry Cobb]

If someone bought your HX what kind of heat would someone get if they had a 21 hp engine and a 47 blower?

If they used engine & blower . . .

~ 200 degrees.

Larry

 

[FB19087]

all heating systems are a potential "bomb"..............nevermind the fuel....just the water/pressure

I wouldn't think twice before using any of them...or handing them over to employees provided some training was in place

My only "bomb" moment...carpet cleaning related anyway...was with a Little Giant heater which I am assuming had a propane leak. Maintenance wasn't exactly a priority at the company I was working for at the time. The little magnetos didn't work so we were just lighting paper to start it up. While the other tech was inside brainwashing the customer I held the button down and after a few seconds lit the paper (probably a door hanger ) and stuck it in the heater. BOOM...threw me back and actually blew the f'n sliding door off the old ass E150. I remember the smell of burning hair and walking around dazed nnot being able to hear the other tech running down asking me "wtf?"

Story disclaimers:

****There is a very good chance I was high at the time...just like your employees...so it could have been operator error....and a smaller event than I described

*****It wasn't completely unheard of for the door to easily come off the 1979 e150 nicknamed Hootie that I was the only one brave enough to drive...............in fact I can think of several times I had to pick it up off the road...........or a custies drive

That van also taught me the importance of a divider and the importance of securing the 50/gal drum used for a freshy

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yea I never cared much for those piezo ignitors, couldn't depend on them. You let enough gas build up and then the ignitor wouldn't work and you'd risk blow back.

We used propane for several decades never had what would be called a major issue but we respected propane.........actually feared it. LIKE! The biggest thing is if it doesn't ignite right away allow some time for the build up to disapate before trying again.

If we were still using propane today I'd use one of those barbecue lighters.

 

[Zee]

Yea I never cared much for those piezo ignitors, couldn't depend on them. You let enough gas build up and then the ignitor wouldn't work and you'd risk blow back.

We used propane for several decades never had what would be called a major issue but we respected propane.........actually feared it. LIKE! The biggest thing is if it doesn't ignite right away allow some time for the build up to disapate before trying again.

If we were still using propane today I'd use one of those barbecue lighters.

Doesn't matter...I used the bbq lighter 10 years ago already on an oxley machine...it still blows up and you don't need to shave your arm hair for a while..
Or worse the shockwave throwing you around..if. You never had that happen- you wouldn't believe how much pressure/force Is in a little propane flash.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We that's extactly why we are all HE. While maybe not completely idiot proof there a lot less chances of bodily harm or death.

 

[everfresh1]

Nothing is idiot proof... I worked with a guy who pulled his Hydramaster CDS too close to the doo,r it was a night job at a shoe store, they found him and the store manager lying on the floor passed out from carbon monoxide poisoning. Lucky they recovered..What an idiot KMA!

 

[idreadnought]

I don't think a 20 hp honda hooked up to a 47 blower will create much heat at all. That is not enough of an engine to drive that sized blower. Barely enough for engine for a 45 blower.

 

[Duane Oxley]

If someone bought your HX what kind of heat would someone get if they had a 21 hp engine and a 47 blower?

If they used engine & blower . . .

~ 200 degrees.

Larry

Quoting temperature without flow rate (or at least pressure and jet size) is as much as saying nothing.

And since with HX systems, cycling the wand valve is often necessary to produce the heat levels claimed, I always wonder how much and how long "cycling" is necessary to attain the stated heat...

 

[steve r]

if i want real hot water i just fill up the night before and plug in my in tank heater. ive melte my filler cap and the pvc tube i used to vent it before. i have since turned it wayyy down lol.

but normally i start with water about 160 from a 100 gl hot water heater and i can use two plugs on the jobsite if needed.

i was looking at the pics of before and after and feel pretty confident i can clean and get things as dry as the rest at a much lower cost per job.

someday i hope to prove this or at least try to with some of you here.

 

[ACE]

Lol

I bet Bane Units have a great safety record if not production rate.

With the ambient temperature being 105 F here lack of heat is not an issue. I bypassed the secondary EX on my Pro 1200 because it was way, way too hot.

The thing I like about oil fired heat is not so much the maximum temperature, it’s that it delivers heat continually and reliably at any temperature I chose. The down side in my mind, is that it is not chimp friendly and cannot be run at low idle.

 

[Ron Werner]

had the 4HT for the past 4yrs lighting it with a BBQ lighter. Nary a problem.

Challenge with coolant HX'rs is "the coolant". My old unit I was always having to top it up, or it was leaking somewhere, etc etc.
Never had and Exhaust HX, well, not a true one. My old BIg Red had and exhaust hx that would preheat or post heat the water. The engine water jackets were the main HX originally. The biggest problem with that arrangement was that the pump had to pressurize hot water, which blew the seals every so often.

 

[K P]

Just a little hint for you guys running a propane heater,when you turn it on after you have lit the pilot,there should be no hesitation in it igniting.When this starts, it is time to clean your jets with a tool from your disty or a welding tip cleaner.The longer the hesitation,the more fuel buildup before it does ignite.

 

[Ron Werner]

thats what I've learned and how I determine when its time to clean the jets.
It does sound cool though.

btw, reminds me of how to make a cat sound like a dog.



Put gas over it and throw a lit match, it goes "woof!"