Auxiliary Heater experiment.

[Flood51]

This morning it was below freezing so I conducted this (mostly useless) experiment. Using three Oregon Scientific remote temperature/humidity sensors. I placed one outside the garage, its a detached triple brick built garage so relatively large, one inside the garage 3m from the Cali and one in the Cali on top of sink/burner unit and closed the sliding door. The Cali is parked in the middle bay. I set the auxiliary heater to setting two then turned it off. 30 minutes later I took the following readings outside -1.2c, inside the garage 5.2c, inside the Cali 2.1c. I then used the remote to activate the heater and waited an hour. The next set of readings were outside -1c (the sun had just started to come up), inside the garage 14c, inside the Cali 21c. So my deduction is that the heater also heated the garage and initially the inside of the Cali was colder than the garage it was in.

Probably time to do something more useful with my day.

Admin please move this if it's not in the right section.

 

[WelshGas]

This morning it was below freezing so I conducted this (mostly useless) experiment. Using three Oregon Scientific remote temperature/humidity sensors. I placed one outside the garage, its a detached triple brick built garage so relatively large, one inside the garage 3m from the Cali and one in the Cali on top of sink/burner unit and closed the sliding door. The Cali is parked in the middle bay. I set the auxiliary heater to setting two then turned it off. 30 minutes later I took the following readings outside -1.2c, inside the garage 5.2c, inside the Cali 2.1c. I then used the remote to activate the heater and waited an hour. The next set of readings were outside -1c (the sun had just started to come up), inside the garage 14c, inside the Cali 21c. So my deduction is that the heater also heated the garage and initially the inside of the Cali was colder than the garage it was in.

Probably time to do something more useful with my day.

Admin please move this if it's not in the right section.

Results to be expected. Heater exhaust would heat the Garage.
The California has an element of insulation so I would expect at some point over the past few days the Garage temperature had been lower than 5.2c, warmed up during the day because of its thermal mass but insufficient time for the California to absorb sufficient heat from the garage to come upto the garage temperature before your experiment.

So conclusions:-
1. California has an element of insulation capacity to slow down heat loss and also to heat up from ambient temperature.
2. The Heater works effectively on the California.
3. You just added to Global warming by heating the garage interior above ambient temperature.

 

[Flood51]

WG well done I put the bit in about it being colder in the Cali than the garage as a test to see who was awake.

 

[Rich20]

Did the garage smell quite fumy if that's even a word?

 

[stuarta]

Sounds like a quick way to get carbon monoxide poisoning - especially if garage door remains closed (e.g. Accessed via side/pedestrian door).

 

[WelshGas]

You would have to run the Diesel Heater for a lot longer than 1 hour to get anywhere near 10% of the level of CO to cause mild symptoms or even to trigger a domestic CO alarm.

 

[Flood51]

Did the garage smell quite fumy if that's even a word?

Rich, a little, not that noticeable. I think it makes a smell while it warms up but then its pretty neutral. It is a great heater though, I wonder whether Webasto make greenhouse heaters. I am guessing the VW one is Webasto.

 

[Flood51]

Sounds like a quick way to get carbon monoxide poisoning - especially if garage door remains closed (e.g. Accessed via side/pedestrian door).

Sounds like another experiment to me, I keep a spare CO monitor in the lounge for the log burner.

 

[WelshGas]

Rich, a little, not that noticeable. I think it makes a smell while it warms up but then its pretty neutral. It is a great heater though, I wonder whether Webasto make greenhouse heaters. I am guessing the VW one is Webasto.

Eberspacher.
Webasto make the Coolant Heater fitted to the engine that operates below 5c.

 

[Trailertrash]

I have just painted my dining room door. I intend sitting here watching the paint dry. I have not been this excited since Crossroads burnt down.

 

[sidepod]

 

[Days out]

The remote heater is the best thing in the winter for me. Don't need a heated windscreen! 20 mins before work I plip the heater (Cali is still locked of course) have a cup of tea and by the time I've put my coat on my windscreen is defrosted and the Cali is cozy and ready for my trip to work. Today it was -7 degrees and would have taken me ages to de ice the car.

 

[Flood51]

Finally 24 hours after heating the Cali interior to 20C and another night below freezing and 1C in the garage the interior is 8.3C a testament to the insulation properties of the Cali. Must go I have a door to paint.

 

[Trailertrash]

Finally 24 hours after heating the Cali interior to 20C and another night below freezing and 1C in the garage the interior is 8.3C a testament to the insulation properties of the Cali. Must go I have a door to paint.

I hope you have as much fun as I did.Stock up on popcorn and Valium in case the excitement gets too much!

 

[Trailertrash]

Seriously....We stay on sites with 16a hook up. I have been struggling to find a way to heat the magic bus. I tried a 1kw fan heater (Which magazine recommended and very quiet) but it was too hot because the thermostats are useless. A 500w oil filled rad was too week. A bunch of o'levels on VWCC suggested a remote control thermostat plug which sounds the ticket. I have bought one and we are off to Devon next week with the plug and fan heater..... i will report back.

 

[WelshGas]

Seriously....We stay on sites with 16a hook up. I have been struggling to find a way to heat the magic bus. I tried a 1kw fan heater (Which magazine recommended and very quiet) but it was too hot because the thermostats are useless. A 500w oil filled rad was too week. A bunch of o'levels on VWCC suggested a remote control thermostat plug which sounds the ticket. I have bought one and we are off to Devon next week with the plug and fan heater..... i will report back.

So you dont have a Diesel Heater?

 

[Trailertrash]

So you dont have a Diesel Heater?

Yes. But it sounds like Captain Hook. Also we pay for site electric. I am down to my last two million.... I am not as rich as you!

 

[Trailertrash]

Yes. But it sounds like Captain Hook. Also we pay for site electric. I am down to my last two million.... I am not as rich as you!

The Croc I meant. Sorry got distracted pouring the Baileys on my cornflakes.......

 

[MattBW]

You would have to run the Diesel Heater for a lot longer than 1 hour to get anywhere near 10% of the level of CO to cause mild symptoms or even to trigger a domestic CO alarm.

For me it's not worth the risk, CO doesn't get expelled easily from our bodies, in fact it holds onto it strongly, so can build up over time which prevent the blood from holding as much oxygen. It effectively latches onto your haemoglobin preventing oxygen from doing the same. Consider 30% exposure is considered severe.

I was surprised how quickly one of those things will trigger, we've had one go off in stationary traffic in older vans (admittedly smelly old petrol burner).

For something you can't see or smell, best just to play it safe and use an alarm. I would happily test the theory but my garage is too small for a cali If you smoke you will already have a level in your blood too.

 

[Flood51]

Funny my heater doesn't tick at all, you can faintly hear the fan blower inside. Have Eberspacher resolved the tick ? Slight ticking noise outside the van.

 

[Teejay]

Funny my heater doesn't tick at all, you can faintly hear the fan blower inside. Have Eberspacher resolved the tick ? Can't hear anything outside the van either.

Not had mine on that many times, but I can hear a faint click when running, it's pretty loud when outside but I cannot hear it from inside if that makes sense.

...message ends...

 

[sidepod]

Eber don't make the pumps.

 

[MattBW]

My webasto parking heater doesnt tick but the coolant heater does, you can just about hear it on a cold morning when stationary.

 

[WelshGas]

For me it's not worth the risk, CO doesn't get expelled easily from our bodies, in fact it holds onto it strongly, so can build up over time which prevent the blood from holding as much oxygen. It effectively latches onto your haemoglobin preventing oxygen from doing the same. Consider 30% exposure is considered severe.

I was surprised how quickly one of those things will trigger, we've had one go off in stationary traffic in older vans (admittedly smelly old petrol burner).

For something you can't see or smell, best just to play it safe and use an alarm. I would happily test the theory but my garage is too small for a cali If you smoke you will already have a level in your blood too.

Having worked in Anaesthetics and Intensive Care for some 40+ years I have some experience in this field and using the gas burners in the California is a much greater risk than using the Eberspacher Diesel Heater in the California.
A monitor is of use, but not infallible. Ventilation is more important.
Oh, and just to put the record straight, CO is produced naturally in the body, whether you smoke or not.


" In biology, carbon monoxide is naturally produced by the action of heme oxygenase 1 and 2 on the heme from hemoglobin breakdown. This process produces a certain amount of carboxyhemoglobin in normal persons, even if they do not breathe any carbon monoxide. Following the first report that carbon monoxide is a normal neurotransmitter in 1993,[14][15]as well as one of three gases that naturally modulate inflammatory responses in the body (the other two being nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide), carbon monoxide has received a great deal of clinical attention as a biological regulator. In many tissues, all three gases are known to act as anti-inflammatories, vasodilators, and promoters of neovascular growth.[16]Clinical trials of small amounts of carbon monoxide as a drug are ongoing.[17] Too much carbon monoxide causes carbon monoxide poisoning."

 

[MattBW]

Absolutely agree with you. An eber shouldn't be any significant risk if you are inside the van and it is working properly. It's gas heaters inside vans that really worry me. I see so many using them on youtube without proper ventilation.

I just try to always take an alarm with me, just gives peace of mind if something goes wrong. Our old T25 van would trigger a CO alarm within a short time if we just got stuck in queuing traffic for example. at least then we knew. In fact a couple died last year of CO poisoning. Was it a bad appliance? Nope they were sat in a running parked car after the exhaust/cat failed, and they were quickly overcome. We simply have no way of knowing when things are giving off more CO than they should so the alarm is a cheap solution to not knowing.