Got my little giant fixed today. Nice and toasty! Worked well with the Cat pump. Pretty tough and illegal to use in some places here, but I know a few where it'll earn it's keep.Yes, it's better than electric, but the plug in heater still has it's place.
Well that was HOT!
- Thread starter Willy P
- Start date
Mikey P
Administrator
Pics of your set up would be appreciated
Old Coastie
Supportive Member
Why illegal?
hogjowl
Idiot™
Because it's not Alabama there.
Nate The Great
Member
Wait until I get the whole set up finished and the 700 done. It's going to be an awesome set up - with no bucket brigade.
( I may even get Chavez on side)
Desk Jockey
Member
We used to run a propane heater on a cart in the janitors closet. And drive a propane TM inside the mall to clean with.
Can't do any of that now.
Can't do any of that now.
Cleanworks
Moderator
I got a sneak peak at the 700 yesterday. The manifold looks awesome. Should be ready today or tomorrow.Wait until I get the whole set up finished and the 700 done. It's going to be an awesome set up - with no bucket brigade.
Jack Zipper Zerkie
Member
Hey Willie keep using it but, convert to look like hot dog cart and double your money. jz.
GeneMiller
Member
I remember a while back a Canadian guy couldn't get his new rig approved because of the propane. Not sure what ever happened. Werner I think.
Cleanworks
Moderator
Approved by who? I run diesel, gas and propane in my unit. I only need approval from my custies. Unless I get stopped in a commercial vehicle inspection.
Nate The Great
Member
@Ron Werner I believe had his box van, TM and LG running on propane.. He said some government official said he couldn't run the LG so he had a HX installed on his Judson Canal unit..
Cleanworks
Moderator
I think to run the Lg, you need some kind of adapter or vaporizer or something like that. I used to run old ford pto vans on propane and we used the same propane for the Lg but it wasn't just plug and play like hooking up to a bbq. tank.
Ron Werner
Member
Yeah. It wasn't that I couldn't get propane approved it was more that it was going to cost several $1000 and take a couple months.
Oh. And the fool of a bureaucrat at the BC safety office said I couldn't use the 4HT as it didnt have a high heat sensor and would explode. The Class A gas fitter said the same thing. Yet the heat sensor is right there in the thermostat dial.
Oh. And the fool of a bureaucrat at the BC safety office said I couldn't use the 4HT as it didnt have a high heat sensor and would explode. The Class A gas fitter said the same thing. Yet the heat sensor is right there in the thermostat dial.
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Cleanworks
Moderator
As far as I know, to make it legal, you need to have the tank mounted outside the vehicle and a vent inside. I'm curious, how did the safety authority find out about your set up?
Ron Werner
Member
I was phoning around to find someone to reinstall it. Eventually led me to BC Safety. The rules changed in 2011. Back in 08 it was perfectly fine to have it in a sealed box ( we made it of wood) and then an auto propane mechanic could run the hoses for a few $100.
NOW need permits and a Class A gas fitter. The box needs to be stainless or aluminum. Or mount it underneath. Needed kill switches on the door, plumbed with copper pipe.
A lot of overkill.
NOW need permits and a Class A gas fitter. The box needs to be stainless or aluminum. Or mount it underneath. Needed kill switches on the door, plumbed with copper pipe.
A lot of overkill.
Cleanworks
Moderator
It almost sounds like they are leading you down the wrong road somehow. I had a Rv that I sold a while ago. It had propane appliances, hot water heater, stove, fridge, that ran off a belly tank that we fill at a auto propane dealer. They still make them this way today and are serviced by Rv dealerships who have mechanics skilled in propane systems. These RV's pose exactly the safety issues as running a lg heater. There has to be a simpler way.
Cleanworks
Moderator
Just checking the CSA Reg. and it appears that the RV dealerships and repair facilities have certified gas fitters and if they install or repair propane equipment will issue a compliance decal. This also applies to food trucks that use propane or natural gas for their cooking appliances. Having said that, if you do everything properly, it will probably cost more than a heat exchange system. Cost of the heater, belly tank, installation is probably $3,500 to $ 4,000.00. My system is completely illegal but as an owner/operator, I can get away with it somewhat. If I was having employees using the system, I would probably rethink it.
Ron Werner
Member
That again was part of the changes. RV dealerships fall under their own category. They couldn't do the install into my truck cause it was commercial :/ One of the first places I went too
It still cost me $5k as I had to buy a gas engine too.
It all runs extremely well except I haven't got the long heat flow that I had with the burner.
I'm designing a hx I'll add to my existing hx which should give me unlimited heat.
It still cost me $5k as I had to buy a gas engine too.
It all runs extremely well except I haven't got the long heat flow that I had with the burner.
I'm designing a hx I'll add to my existing hx which should give me unlimited heat.
Cleanworks
Moderator
Do you still have the 4ht? Would you sell it?
Ron Werner
Member
I sold it to Mike Draper later that yr. Took it apart for shipping which is where I learned the BC Safety guys were fos.
Cleanworks
Moderator
that's too bad. I have a 3ht high pressure and 2-2ht's, hey, maybe I can put them together and make a 4ht. I run my heaters from a portable 20lb tank. It's a bit of a hassle compared to a belly tank but serves me well for the most part. I have the tank inside the van, which some people say is illegal, but not really. People are allowed to take their bbq tanks to be filled and transport them in their car. I transport mine in my truck, disconnected, with the valve turned off. When operating, the doors are wide open so even if their was excessive venting, there could be no explosion. I have used propane for over 30 years and if used with a little common sense, it poses no serious safety risk. I would like to try a hx but it's been a little complicated for me to build myself. I am working on it. I don't want excessive by-pass to my recovery tank and am undecided on automatic heat diverters. I need to see some other systems first. The 3ht gives me all the heat I can use right now and I can turn it up to a 1000psi for tile and grout.
Ron Werner
Member
You could plumb them in series. 2ht and then the 3ht.
Cooling us the issue with hx. They WILL get hot if not using water so they need to cool. Mine dumps to a copper coil in my recovery tank which cools the water before it mixes with the water being bypassed by the unloader going back to the fw tank.
When working the issue is not heating water fast enough
Cooling us the issue with hx. They WILL get hot if not using water so they need to cool. Mine dumps to a copper coil in my recovery tank which cools the water before it mixes with the water being bypassed by the unloader going back to the fw tank.
When working the issue is not heating water fast enough
Cleanworks
Moderator
I hear it's a common complaint with hx's. Check out Amtex Equipment. I haven't always heard positive things about his Tm's but his heat exchangers look awesome. Even the guys that have issues with his Tm's rave about the heat. It looks like he runs one hx off one side of the engine as a preheater, then plumbs it over to a second hx on the other cylinder to finish heating. The apparent heat on his videos is amazing. Like any hx though, you have to pause to let it catch up. Making sure you do a dry vac should be enough.
Ron Werner
Member
heat usually isn't a problem for a good hx. If not controlled they WILL heat up really quickly. I've buried the needle on my temp gauge twice, first time was my first run with the hx install, 2nd time I had a failure in my dump system. The biggest challenge is building it so there is minimal reheat time and then regulating that heat so it doesn't spike.
Nick mentioned something about the way he makes them which got me thinking, and I think I have a design which will not only reheat very quickly but will regulate as well. Requires some points of failure, but it really isn't that complicated though it may look like it when I get it done. I'll have to tidy the hoses so it looks cleaner.
Its what I love about this Judson. So easy to work with. The 4HT sure was a lot simpler.
Nick mentioned something about the way he makes them which got me thinking, and I think I have a design which will not only reheat very quickly but will regulate as well. Requires some points of failure, but it really isn't that complicated though it may look like it when I get it done. I'll have to tidy the hoses so it looks cleaner.
Its what I love about this Judson. So easy to work with. The 4HT sure was a lot simpler.
