Powering a Chinese diesel heater with an 18-volt battery pack
I was recently introduced to "the Chinese diesel heater" by a fellow camper who installed one in his holiday trailer. I was impressed by its simplistic design and how much cheaper it is to operate compared to other camping heaters. To put this into perspective, it costs me approximately $10.00 to run my "Little Buddy" portable heater for 8 hours at 3 800 BTUs per hour; the diesel heater, on the other hand, costs me approximately $16.00 to run for 16 hours at 27 000 BTUs per hour.
In my opinion, the diesel heater is also safer for two reasons:
- Diesel heaters are "direct vented," meaning combustion happens inside a sealed system that draws fresh air from outside and expels waste gasses outside, preventing carbon monoxide buildup.
- Diesel is considered "hard to burn" because it has a high ignition temperature. In fact, diesel is very difficult to light with a match, making accidental ignition far less likely when compared to gasoline or propane.
Chinese diesel heaters are way more convenient
"The Chinese diesel heater" also has a convenience factor because of its compact, lightweight design. Many diesel heaters come pre-assembled in an easy-to-carry package that contains an internal fuel tank—which is a real game-changer, for me anyway, because there's nothing more annoying than having to lug around propane canisters or even a 20lb tank. My diesel heater also came with a remote starter and built-in Bluetooth, which is nice because it can be controlled from the convenience of your bed.
Using an 18-volt battery to power a diesel heater
Enough said about "the Chinese diesel heater" because I'm not even endorsing or selling these things. I'm here to talk about how you can make these things even more portable by powering them with an 18-volt power tool battery pack, which would be beneficial for someone wanting to use their diesel heater for something like ice fishing or hunting, that would make carrying a generator or 12-volt marine battery difficult.
The first thing you should know about these heaters is that they are not 110-volt AC. They are 12-volt DC, which is part of the reason that these heaters are so popular for heating recreational vehicles because you can simply tie them into the existing 12-volt power supply. If you want to plug your diesel heater into a 110-volt AC outlet, you can simply buy an adapter; however, that's another topic, so I'll try not to get side tracked.
The 18-volt step-down
If your power source is an 18-volt battery, an 18-volt to 12-volt DC step-down will be required. The step-down is important because powering your diesel heater with 18 volts will damage it, probably frying the electronics.
Buy voltage step downThe in-line fuse
An in-line fuse will protect the electrical circuit by interrupting the flow of current, in the event, that too much is being drawn.
low-voltage protector
A low-voltage protector will protect your diesel heater from sudden power loss. The diesel heater has a cool-down sequence that it must perform before powering down. In the event of a sudden power loss, the cool-down sequence won't happen, which can lead to a cracked heat exchanger. A low-voltage detector monitors the battery and tells the heater to go into shut-down if the battery falls below a certain voltage.
Buy low voltage protectorBattery pack adapter
The battery pack adapter plugs the battery into the diesel heater. Every brand has a different design, so you'll need the adapter for your brand. Some people install two adapters, that way, you can switch out batteries without turning off the heater.
Buy 18-volt battery adapterOther options
There are also several other options for making your diesel heater significantly more complicated such as; BlueTooth power level display, power event logs, efficiency gauges, etc. But for the most part, all that other stuff is unnecessary unless you are bored and really want it.