Heatwave

I know a lot of people don't use these but they really do help both in summer and in winter. Just want other people opinion on these. Also have a 9kw thurmo heatwave 2 for sale as I brought a new van which already had this installed.

They are very good on anything heavily soiled, I use it on first cleans on big commercial jobs. I don't bother using it on day to day jobs as I don't think it's necessary 

How difficult are they to add to a diy'd system?

will look to add hot next year. 

Minty said:

How difficult are they to add to a diy'd system?

will look to add hot next year. 

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Its a self contained unit.

So you fill an internal header tank (you can see the filler cap at the top) with an antifreeze mix (probably about 8 liters worth). Drill a hole in the floor of the van for the exhaust and drill 4 holes to bolt the unit down on the vans floor.

The hose from your pump to the van port/hose reel is cut and fitted on the inlet of the heater and the other end is put on the outlet of the heater - so cold in; hot out. Most find they have to change this hot water hose for something more substantial such as car heater hose. On the other side (which you can see in the picture) is a temperature adjusting thermostatic valve so you can regulate the temperature of the water you want to the brush head. 

The power cables (+ and -) are connected to a good, fully charged battery and you have to supply a diesel source. Most tap into the vans diesel tank (using a 'standpipe') or tap into the diesel return pipe from the engine back to the tank. You could also buy a outboard motor fuel tank and secure it separately in your van next to the heater. Webasto also sell an auxillary tank but are expensive and don't hold much diesel. The diesel tank always needs to be full enough for the diesel heater's pump not to suck air.  In the worst case scenario of the heater locking out, it would need to be reset at a Webasto authorised dealer's workshop which can be inconvenient and expensive.  



Header tank is at the top, the heat exchanger at the bottom and the diesel heater is behind the heat exchanger. The black pipes belong to the internal heater pipework and the braided hose are the internal pipework from your pump to the heater and from the heater to your van ports/hose reel. The fuel pump is on the right. This is a two man system.

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Spruce , how reliable are these units and any ideas what the servicing costs are? I really like the looks of these systems, very compact units! 

@spruce on a side note I think under EU law it is now illegal to tap into vans fuel tank. 

Part Timer said:

@spruce on a side note I think under EU law it is now illegal to tap into vans fuel tank. 

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I wasn't able to find a reference to this EU law when someone else brought it up recently.  I've never heard of it tbh.

If its so then how do canal boats and other craft manage as their heating oil requirements are drawn from the same tank as the propulsion requirements.

So if you can provide a link this will help to see what the story is @Part Timer . Thanks. It must have come from somewhere.

I did read once that tapping into a Sprinter van's diesel return pipe for a fuel source can upset the vans ECU system, so doing this is a no no in the trade.

If you have a Landrover they have fuel takeoffs already built into the tank - you just have to open it up.

They don't actually go into you fuel tank they t in on the fuel line had this is my old vivaro 15plate no problem and no faults with the ecu 

Cristian said:

Spruce , how reliable are these units and any ideas what the servicing costs are? I really like the looks of these systems, very compact units! 

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Honestly, I think the actual boiler is an incrediable piece of kit. But it needs to work. If it doesn't it will soot up quickly.

Some window cleaners do well with them and others have issues. Starting them up takes a up to 20 amps of current and an ordinary leisure battery won't last long delivering those amps. So batteries are going to be a problem and they need to be kept fully charged. The bigger Numax leisure batteries that also can be used as starter batteries will be a good step forward for this application.

One would also need to have a split charge relay setup as the ideal is to start the heater with the engine running on the way to your first customer. This way the vans alternator will provide the extra starting current needed and you will have 'instant' heat for the first job.

Unfortunately a single operator who likes to stop and chat is going to run into trouble. The boiler heats up the internal water circuit. In this circuit is a water to water plate heat exchanger. This heat exchanger has separate water channels. The first is the hot water in the internal circuit and the second is the water thats pumped through the other channel on its way to the brush head. The cold water going to the brush head zaps heat from the boiler circuit.

If a windie stops to talk the boiler continues to heat up in the internal water circuit. Once it reaches a preset temperature the boiler goes into idle mode. When the heat builds up a further 3 degrees, the boiler starts it shutdown mode. This shutdown mode takes around 180 seconds. If the windie comes back to his job and starts working again just as this shutdown has started then he has to wait for the process to finish (180 seconds) and then the boiler will go through a start up procedure which takes another 180 seconds to complete. By that time the windie has exhausted all the heat in the boiler and has cold water at the brush head. So he's not going to be very happy. During start up the unit will draw a high current from the battery.

If this happens numerous times a day then it won't take long before the battery is flat and starting problems occur. If a windie is on his own and he has a twin operator heater then an obvious solution is to run the second operator system back to the tank. So whilst the windiw is talking etc, the boiler is still working heating up the tanks water.

There is another windie on the other forum who uses the smaller Thermo Top C boiler. The moment he stops working he redirects the water back to the tank and this keeps the boiler running and burning cleanly.

Many at one time liked the idea of using red diesel in a separate tank. Its perfectly legal to use red diesel as a heating fuel and is cheaper than road diesel. At one time red diesel created all sorts of issues for Webasto heaters due to some elements in the fuel. But it does seem that the quality of red diesel sold to boatyards and marinas has improved recently to meet pollution requirements and doesn't cause as many problems with soot as it used to.

Here is a video clip of a problem that is fairly common with these heaters - soot. This is an air heater but they work on the same principle.





Servicing is expensive if you take it to a Webasto service agent. The parts are also eye wateringly expensive. But they aren't complicated to take apart so with a bit of diy savvy you can service your own boiler and save a bit of money.

spruce said:

I wasn't able to find a reference to this EU law when someone else brought it up recently.  I've never heard of it tbh.

If its so then how do canal boats and other craft manage as their heating oil requirements are drawn from the same tank as the propulsion requirements.

So if you can provide a link this will help to see what the story is @Part Timer . Thanks. It must have come from somewhere.

I did read once that tapping into a Sprinter van's diesel return pipe for a fuel source can upset the vans ECU system, so doing this is a no no in the trade.

If you have a Landrover they have fuel takeoffs already built into the tank - you just have to open it up.

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I asked Pure Freedom to swap my heater from my current van to my new van, when I get round to buying it, and was told that under EU law they couldn't now go into the vans fuel system.  

Yo heat wave how much is the heater ?


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pieman said:

Yo heat wave how much is the heater ?


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It's on eBay mate.

Listed at more than a new one?


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No because if you put vat on any price you find online then it's more then £4k

Bonkers - sorry mate but someone's selling a thermopure 650 Ltr system for £1200. If you sell for that I think your Christmas has come early.


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I thought I was the only Del Boy on here,,  :1f603:

Sod all that expense and confusion for me. £150 gas water heater, job done

What price will you except ?


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Part Timer said:

I asked Pure Freedom to swap my heater from my current van to my new van, when I get round to buying it, and was told that under EU law they couldn't now go into the vans fuel system.  

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This is a video of a newbie narrowboater who took delivery of his shell in February this year.





The fitters of the diesel heater weren't allowed to use the existing tap due to a change in regulations but they fitted another take off for the heater into the same tank. (He doesn't enlighten us what the new regs are.)

The only other regulation (seems more as a guide rather than a regulation) is that any 'standpipe' in the tank must not be extend down to the bottom of the tank. This is to ensure that the supply of diesel to the accessory with run out and still leave enough diesel for propulsion to the nearest fuel depot.

I have an Eberspacher Airtronic diesel heater in my van. I have pumped it into the return pipe from the engine back to the tank. The return pipe doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the tank. It use to go about 3/4s of the depth of the tank. So I can use this heater when the tank is fuller than 1/4 without concern. In the winter I try to keep my tank above 1/2.

These standpipes are still being sold through the boatyards so it can't be illegal to tap into the vans fuel tank.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EBERSPACHER-WEBASTO-HEATER-FUEL-TANK-PICK-UP-STANDPIPE-600MM-60CM-251226895000/221264481357?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D3c72fbf030dd46b1bd04271fce51c771%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D9%26sd%3D332149075316&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598

For me it make sense to have a separate fuel tank for the diesel heater. I claim 90% of my van's running costs as business and 10% as private. (I have my own car for private use.) The fuel used in the heater would be claimed as a 100% business expense, so I would fill that tank separately and obtain the relevant receipts as proof of that claim.

pieman said:

What price will you except ?


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Click to expand...

Sorry but it's on eBay now.