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Hot water Systems

Mark75

Active member
Messages
123
Location
Caterham
Hi Guys need a bit of help . I need a Heater fitted to my system , but unsure what is best , Either a diesel Facelift fitted one or a LPG instantaneous , Obviously the Diesel one is More expensive but I just want to to anyone who has either and can help me please ...Thanks 

 
If it's just the requirement to use hot water whilst washing then the cheapest way is using an immersion heater.  
Hi thanks for the Reply . I just need it for some Conservatorys I got coming up as they are green 1 has not been cleaned in 5 years and under trees  . I don't stand a chance with cold water on this  . And he is a new customer with 2 houses .  Also I just think it be a lot easier to have hot water with the colder weather in a few months time . 

 
There are a few posts regarding this and I believe Squeaky Clean has a video on YouTube on how to do it yourself. Personally wouldn't go down the LPG route and I have a 9kw Webasto heater and given what I know now I would go the immersion route, assuming you can plug the van in overnight.

 
There are a few posts regarding this and I believe Squeaky Clean has a video on YouTube on how to do it yourself. Personally wouldn't go down the LPG route and I have a 9kw Webasto heater and given what I know now I would go the immersion route, assuming you can plug the 
ok I have a look at Dave . Why do you say not LPG Route . Just asking 

 
LPG ones tend to have a safety cut out - kicks in after 15-20 minutes of continuous use. In my experience (I had two and both caught fire) the flame kept blowing out, I mounted mine on the back door which kept blowing shut in the wind - and nearly cooking the inside of my van. LPG was expensive to re-fill (local marina).

I have a webasto diesel heater as back up now and I run an immersion heater daily for my hot water. 

 
LPG ones tend to have a safety cut out - kicks in after 15-20 minutes of continuous use. In my experience (I had two and both caught fire) the flame kept blowing out, I mounted mine on the back door which kept blowing shut in the wind - and nearly cooking the inside of my van. LPG was expensive to re-fill (local marina).

I have a webasto diesel heater as back up now and I run an immersion heater daily for my hot water. 
Thanks for the advice . I have to.have a rethink now for sure 

 
LPG ones tend to have a safety cut out - kicks in after 15-20 minutes of continuous use. In my experience (I had two and both caught fire) the flame kept blowing out, I mounted mine on the back door which kept blowing shut in the wind - and nearly cooking the inside of my van. LPG was expensive to re-fill (local marina).

I have a webasto diesel heater as back up now and I run an immersion heater daily for my hot water. 
Gotta be honest, if you fit something like an lpg heater on a door that moves all the time I'm not surprised you had issues. Definitely needs to be in a not moving (not including the actual vehicle before anyone says it) location and mounted using rubber bushes to absorb any vibration/movement. Used mine everyday for a year and not had any issues

 
It was on rubber mounts. The door was always wedged open (with a ‘prop’) can’t see what happens when you are working away from the van so I don’t actually know if a passer by decided to close the door or whether a gust dislodged the door stay. Thanks for the input though. These little LPG heaters were seen as the ‘saviour’ to quick hot water at one point. I tried it - didn’t like it. Back to an immersion heater and a webasto as they are much simpler (IMO)

 
It was on rubber mounts. The door was always wedged open (with a ‘prop’) can’t see what happens when you are working away from the van so I don’t actually know if a passer by decided to close the door or whether a gust dislodged the door stay. Thanks for the input though. These little LPG heaters were seen as the ‘saviour’ to quick hot water at one point. I tried it - didn’t like it. Back to an immersion heater and a webasto as they are much simpler (IMO)
To be honest they are great, I use mine all the time, and have also fitted a gasit cylinder so that I can refill at the petrol station. Wouldn't want to be without it and the fact its on demand means I dont use what I don't need ?

 
To be honest they are great, I use mine all the time, and have also fitted a gasit cylinder so that I can refill at the petrol station. Wouldn't want to be without it and the fact its on demand means I dont use what I don't need ?
As long as they don't comprehend the van's insurance then I see it as a cheap hot water system. I have the 9kw Webasto but have to pay £600 a year for service to my system. I must be nearly £2k now for insurance and service a year for van, system, liability and tools (£15k cover). Today I took delivery of a Branch chipper machine and now £3.6k lighter but can always sell it second hand and get more than half back.

 
As long as they don't comprehend the van's insurance then I see it as a cheap hot water system. I have the 9kw Webasto but have to pay £600 a year for service to my system. I must be nearly £2k now for insurance and service a year for van, system, liability and tools (£15k cover). Today I took delivery of a Branch chipper machine and now £3.6k lighter but can always sell it second hand and get more than half back.
run your webasto on kerosene and wave goodbye to your 600 yearly service and its alot cheaper than diesel 

 
Gotta be honest, if you fit something like an lpg heater on a door that moves all the time I'm not surprised you had issues. Definitely needs to be in a not moving (not including the actual vehicle before anyone says it) location and mounted using rubber bushes to absorb any vibration/movement. Used mine everyday for a year and not had any issues
I had a fogwash gas heater bolted to my back door without any rubber thingys for nearly 10 years.

Never had a single issue with it ??‍?

 
It was on rubber mounts. The door was always wedged open (with a ‘prop’) can’t see what happens when you are working away from the van so I don’t actually know if a passer by decided to close the door or whether a gust dislodged the door stay. Thanks for the input though. These little LPG heaters were seen as the ‘saviour’ to quick hot water at one point. I tried it - didn’t like it. Back to an immersion heater and a webasto as they are much simpler (IMO)
Was it different fitting the immersion heater?

Ive seen squeaky clean Dave’s video. Any problems you found?

 
As long as they don't comprehend the van's insurance then I see it as a cheap hot water system. I have the 9kw Webasto but have to pay £600 a year for service to my system. I must be nearly £2k now for insurance and service a year for van, system, liability and tools (£15k cover). Today I took delivery of a Branch chipper machine and now £3.6k lighter but can always sell it second hand and get more than half back.
ive got the same diesel heater...had it 3 years in december..... and never had it serviced and it runs just as good as the day i had it installed......

 
I wonder how many car owners have the same webasto heaters that never get them serviced!!! I believe VW, Audi and Land Rover all use webasto diesel heaters to warm them up quicker!!!

It's not like there is much to go wrong really. As long as you know how to fix it and you are not dependant on hot water then you will be fine.

 
Was it different fitting the immersion heater?

Ive seen squeaky clean Dave’s video. Any problems you found?
I fitted an immersion last week after see squeaky clean Dave's video. But mine is leaking it seems to be with the size of the tank his looks smaller than mine and I think the side wall must be thinner as he put a flange on the inside of the tank. On mine the threads of the heater didn't go inside the tank so I couldn't get the flange fitting on. I have sealed it on the inside and out with ob1 from screwfix but it still leaks i am going to try and remove it this weekend and clean it up, PTFE the threads and reseal it and see if that works

 
I wonder how many car owners have the same webasto heaters that never get them serviced!!! I believe VW, Audi and Land Rover all use webasto diesel heaters to warm them up quicker!!!

It's not like there is much to go wrong really. As long as you know how to fix it and you are not dependant on hot water then you will be fine.
yes a lot of the German vehicles are fitted with them as are some emergency vehicles but the owners don't know about them or don't bother with them when they pack in. they are fine when running at full power the problems occur when they are running at a lower setting. They carbon up inside and the sensors shut them down but if they have a separate fuel tank run them on kerosene as it doesn't produce carbon, its a lot cheaper and it will over time clean out the carbon in the combustion chamber

 
I fitted an immersion last week after see squeaky clean Dave's video. But mine is leaking it seems to be with the size of the tank his looks smaller than mine and I think the side wall must be thinner as he put a flange on the inside of the tank. On mine the threads of the heater didn't go inside the tank so I couldn't get the flange fitting on. I have sealed it on the inside and out with ob1 from screwfix but it still leaks i am going to try and remove it this weekend and clean it up, PTFE the threads and reseal it and see if that works
I've been using an immersion for several years now, with great success. It's fitted near the bottom of a Wyedale 650 litre flat tank. I followed Squeeky Clean Dave's video, almost but not quite to the letter. What I did differently was I fitted mine under the filler cap but on the side so it's accessable from the side door. This means I can adjust the thermostat or change the unit without having to get in the van (I had to replace it once after 2 or 3 years of heavy use). Having fitted it once, replacement after a few years is easy. I use a short 2kw immersion with thermostat. This was supplied by Grasshopper Liesure. It's important to not go above 2kw if you want to be able to use a 13 amp plug, socket and extension cable. Be aware, most shop bought extension cables are only rated 10 amps. I made my own 13 amp ext cable to suit the length I needed plus a couple of yards. The immersion was supplied with a heat resistant O ring. I had to buy a backing flange from Toolstation. The threaded part of the immersion was only just deep enough to go through the tank wall and allow the backing flange to screw on. I had to carefully remove the plastic burrs with a round file to get the last millimetre I needed to start the thread. My son held the backing flange inside the tank with a large Stilson's while I tightened the unit with an immersion spanner. We didn't use any sealant or PTFE tape. The O ring seals perfectly.

I put masses of insulation on, under and around the tank and it stays very hot for the whole day. Take your time and I'm sure you'll get it sorted. It's a two man job though, I reckon. ?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
yes a lot of the German vehicles are fitted with them as are some emergency vehicles but the owners don't know about them or don't bother with them when they pack in. they are fine when running at full power the problems occur when they are running at a lower setting. They carbon up inside and the sensors shut them down but if they have a separate fuel tank run them on kerosene as it doesn't produce carbon, its a lot cheaper and it will over time clean out the carbon in the combustion chamber
So I have a separate tank for my Webasto heater, does this mean it will work better on Kerosene

 

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