How to choose a kerosene heater, models, manufacturers, characteristics, reviews. Homemade heater - for the house, to the country, to the garage, for a tent on a hike and for temporary heating. Unusual do-it-yourself heater made from a kerosene lamp

Those who want to make a heater with their own hands are not decreasing: the prices for factory-made autonomous heating devices are not encouraging, and their declared characteristics often turn out to be overpriced compared to the real ones. It is useless to make claims: manufacturers always have an “iron excuse” - the efficiency of heating a room strongly depends on its thermal properties. Cases where it was possible to “squeeze” compensation out of a manufacturer for the consequences of an accident that occurred due to the fault of their product are also rare. True, although it is not prohibited by law to make household heaters yourself, trouble caused by a homemade product will be a serious aggravating circumstance for its manufacturer and owner. Therefore, this article further describes how to correctly design and manufacture safe household heaters of several systems, which are not inferior in thermal efficiency to the best industrial designs.

Constructions

Amateur craftsmen build heaters that are often very intricate in design, see photo in Fig. Sometimes they are done carefully. But overwhelming Most of the homemade heating devices described in RuNet have one thing in common: the high degree of danger they create, harmoniously combined with the complete discrepancy between the expected technical characteristics and the actual ones. First of all, this relates to reliability, durability and transportability.

Make a heater for your home. premises or a camping autonomous one for summer cottages, tourism and fishing, the following systems are possible (from left to right in the figure):

• With direct air heating using natural convection - an electric fireplace.
• With forced blowing of the heater - fan heater.
• With indirect air heating, natural convection or forced air flow - oil or water-air heater.
• In the form of a surface emitting thermal (infrared, IR) rays - a thermal panel.
• Fiery autonomous.

The latter differs from a stove, stove or hot water boiler in that most often it does not have a built-in burner/furnace, but uses waste heat from heating and cooking appliances. However, the line here is very blurred: gas heaters with a built-in burner are commercially available and can be made independently. Many of them can be used to cook or reheat food. Here, at the end, a flame heater will also be described, which is not wood-based, not liquid fuel, not gas-based, and certainly not a stove. And the others are considered in descending order of their degree of safety and reliability. Which, nevertheless, with proper execution and in the “worst” samples, fully comply with the requirements for household autonomous heating devices.

Thermal panel

This is quite complex and labor-intensive, but the safest and most effective type of household electric heater: a double-sided thermal panel for 400 W in a 12 sq. m room. m in a concrete house heats from +15 to +18 degrees. The required power of the electric fireplace in this case is 1200-1300 W. The cost of making a thermal panel yourself is small. Thermal panels work in the so-called. far (more distant from the red region of the visible spectrum) or long-wave IR, so the heat is soft, not burning. Due to the relatively weak heating of the heat-emitting elements, if they are made correctly (see below), the operational wear of thermal panels is practically absent, and their durability and reliability are limited by unforeseen external influences.

The heat-emitting element (emitter) of a thermal panel consists of a thin flat conductor made of a material with high electrical resistivity, sandwiched between 2 plates - dielectric plates transparent to IR. Thermal panel heaters are made using thin-film technology, and the covers are made from a special plastic composite. Both are unavailable at home, so many hobbyists are trying to make heat emitters based on a carbon coating sandwiched between 2 glasses (item 1 in the figure below); ordinary silicate glass is almost transparent to IR.

This technical solution is a typical surrogate, unreliable and short-lived. The conductive film is obtained either from candle soot or by spreading an epoxy compound filled with ground graphite or electrical carbon onto the glass. The main drawback of both methods is the uneven film thickness. Carbon in the amorphous (coal) or graphitic allotropic modification is a semiconductor with high intrinsic conductivity for this class of substances. The effects characteristic of semiconductors appear in it weakly, almost imperceptibly. But with increasing temperature of the conductive layer, the electrical resistivity of the carbon film does not increase linearly, like that of metals. The consequence is that thin areas heat up more and burn out. The current density in the thicker ones increases, they heat up, they also burn out, and soon the entire film burns out. This is the so-called. avalanche burnout.

In addition, the soot film is very unstable and quickly crumbles on its own. To obtain the required heater power, up to 2 volumes of carbon filler must be added to the epoxy glue. In fact, up to 3 is possible, and if you add 5-10% by volume of a plasticizer - dibutyl phthalate - to the resin before adding the hardener, then up to 5 volumes of filler. But the ready-to-use (not hardened) compound turns out to be thick and viscous, like plasticine or fatty clay, and it is unrealistic to apply it with a thin film - epoxy sticks to everything in the world except paraffin hydrocarbons and fluoroplastic. You can make a spatula out of the latter, but the compound behind it will stretch out in clumps and lumps.

Finally, graphite and coal dust are very harmful to health (have you heard about silicosis in miners?) and extremely dirty substances. It is impossible to remove or wash away their traces; soiled things have to be thrown away, they stain others. Anyone who has ever dealt with graphite lubricant (this is the same finely crushed graphite) - as they say, I will live, I will not forget. That is, homemade emitters for thermal panels need to be made in some other way. Fortunately, calculations show that the “good old”, proven over many decades and inexpensive nichrome wire is suitable for this.

Calculation

Through 3-mm window glass, approx. 8.5 W/sq. dm IR. From the “pie” of the thermal panel emitter, 17 W will go in both directions. Let's set the dimensions of the emitter to 10x7 cm (0.7 sq. dm); such pieces can be cut from culls and cutting waste in almost unlimited quantities. Then one emitter will give us a room of 11.9 W.

Let's take the heater power to be 500 W (see above). Then you will need 500/11.9 = 42.01 or 42 emitters. Structurally, the panel will consist of a matrix of 6x7 emitters with dimensions without frames of 600x490 mm. Let's put it on a frame up to 750x550 mm - ergonomically it works, it's quite compact.

The current consumed from the network is 500 W/220 V = 2.27 A. The electrical resistance of the entire heater is 220 V/2.27 A = 96.97 or 97 Ohms (Ohm’s law). The resistance of one emitter is 97 Ohm/42 = 2.31 Ohm. The resistivity of nichrome is almost exactly 1.0 (Ohm * sq. mm)/m, but what cross-section and length of wire is needed for one emitter? Will the nichrome “snake” (item 2 in the figure) fit between 10x7 cm glass?

Current density in open, i.e. in contact with air, nichrome electric spirals - 12-18 A/sq. mm. They glow from dark to light red (600-800 degrees Celsius). Let's take 700 degrees at a current density of 16 A/sq. mm. Under the condition of free IR radiation, the temperature of nichrome depends on the current density approximately by the square root. Let's reduce it by half, to 8 A/sq. mm, we get the operating temperature of nichrome at 700/(2^2) = 175 degrees, safe for silicate glass. The temperature of the outer surface of the emitter (without taking into account heat removal due to convection) will not exceed 70 degrees with an outer surface of 20 degrees - it is suitable both for heat transfer by “soft” IR and for safety if you cover the emitting surfaces with a protective mesh (see below).

A rated operating current of 2.27 A will give a nichrome cross section of 2.27/8 = 0.28375 sq. mm. Using the school formula for the area of ​​a circle, we find the diameter of the wire - 0.601 or 0.6 mm. Let's take it with a margin of 0.7 mm, then the heater power will be 460 W, because it depends on its operating current squared. 460 W is enough for heating; 400 W would be enough, and the durability of the device will increase several times.

1 m of nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.7 mm has a resistance of 2.041 Ohms (0.7 squared = 0.49; 1/0.49 = 2.0408...). To obtain a resistance of one emitter of 2.31 Ohms, you will need 2.31/2.041 = 1.132... or 1.13 m of wire. Let's take the width of the nichrome “snake” to be 5 cm (1 cm of margin at the edges). Add 2.5 mm per turn of 1 mm nails (see below), for a total of 5.25 cm per snake branch. The branches will be needed 113 cm/5.25 cm = 21.52..., let's take 21.5 branches. Their total width is 22x0.07 cm (wire diameter) = 1.54 cm. Let's take the length of the snake to be 8 cm (1 cm of margin from the short edges), then the wire laying coefficient is 1.54/8 = 0.1925. In the lousiest Chinese low-power power transformers it is approx. 0.25, i.e. We have plenty of space for the bends and gaps between the branches of the snake. Phew, the fundamental issues have been resolved, we can move on to R&D (experimental design work) and technical design.

OCD

The thermal conductivity and transparency of IR silicate glass vary greatly from brand to brand and from batch to batch. Therefore, first you will need to make 1 (one) emitter, see below, and test it. Depending on their results, you may have to change the diameter of the wire, so do not buy a lot of nichrome at once. In this case, the rated current and power of the heater will change:

• Wire 0.5 mm – 1.6 A, 350 W.
• Wire 0.6 mm - 1.9 A, 420 W.
• Wire 0.7 mm - 2.27 A, 500 W.
• Wire 0.8 mm - 2.4 A, 530 W.
• Wire 0.9 mm - 2.6 A, 570 W.

Note: who is literate in electricity - the rated current, as you can see, does not change according to the square of the wire diameter. Why? On the one hand, thin wires have a relatively large radiating surface. On the other hand, with a thick wire, the permissible IR power transmitted by the glass cannot be exceeded.

For testing, the finished sample is installed vertically, supported by something non-flammable and heat-resistant, on a fireproof surface. Then the rated current is supplied to it from an regulated power supply (PS) of 3 A or more or LATP. In the latter case, the sample cannot be left unattended during the entire test! The current is controlled by a digital tester, the probes of which must be tightly compressed with the current-carrying wires using a screw with a nut and washers. If the prototype is powered by LATR, the tester must measure the AC current (limit AC 3A or AC 5A).

First of all, you need to check how the glass behaves. If it overheats and cracks within 20-30 minutes, then the entire batch may be unusable. For example, dust and dirt become embedded in used glass over time. Cutting them is sheer agony and the death of a diamond glass cutter. And such glass cracks at much lower heat than new glass of the same type.

Then, after 1-1.5 hours, the strength of the IR radiation is checked. The temperature of the glass is not an indicator here, because... The main part of the IR is emitted by nichrome. Since you most likely will not have a photometer with an IR filter, you will have to check it with your palms: they are held parallel to the emitting surfaces at a distance of approx. 15 cm from them for at least 3 minutes. Then, for 5-10 minutes, you should feel even, soft warmth. If the IR from the emitter begins to burn the skin immediately, reduce the diameter of the nichrome. If after 15-20 minutes you don’t feel a slight burning sensation (as in the sun in the middle of summer), you need to take thicker nichrome.

How to bend a snake

The emitter design of a homemade panel heater is shown in pos. 2 fig. higher; The nichrome snake is shown conditionally. Glass plates cut to size are cleaned of dirt and washed with a brush in water with the addition of any dishwashing detergent, then also washed with a brush under running clean water. “Ears” - contact lamellas measuring 25x50 mm made of copper foil - are glued to one of the covers with epoxy glue or instant cyanoacrylate (superglue). The overlap of the “ear” on the lining is 5 mm; 20 mm sticks out. To prevent the lamella from falling off before the glue has set, place something 3 mm thick (the thickness of the lining glass) under it.

Next you need to form the snake itself from nichrome wire. This is done on a mandrel template, the diagram of which is given in pos. 3, and a detailed drawing is in Fig. Here. The “tails” for annealing the snake (see below) should be given at least 5 cm. The bitten ends of the nails are sanded to roundness on an emery stone, otherwise it will be impossible to remove the finished snake without crushing it.

Nichrome is quite elastic, so the wire wound on the template must be annealed so that the snake holds its shape. This should be done in semi-darkness or low light. The snake is supplied with a voltage of 5-6 V from a power supply of at least 3 A (this is why a fireproof lining is needed on a tree). When the nichrome glows cherry, turn off the current, allow the thread to cool completely, and repeat this procedure 3-4 times.

The next step is to press the snake with your fingers through the plywood strip placed on it and carefully unwind the tails wound on 2-mm nails. Each tail is straightened and shaped: a quarter of a turn remains on a 2-mm nail, and the rest is cut flush with the edge of the template. The remainder of the “tail” of 5 mm is cleaned with a sharp knife.

Now the snake needs to be removed from the mandrel without damaging it, and secured to the substrate, ensuring reliable electrical contact of the leads with the lamellas. Remove with a pair of knives: their blades are slipped from the outside under the bends of the branches on 1-mm nails, carefully pry up and lift the crimped thread of the heater. Then the snake is placed on the substrate and the leads are bent a little, if necessary, so that they lie approx. in the middle of the slats.

Nichrome cannot be soldered with metal solders with inactive flux, and the remnants of the active flux can corrode the contact over time. Therefore, nichrome is “soldered” to copper, so-called. liquid solder - conductive paste; It is sold in radio stores. A drop of liquid solder is squeezed onto the contact of the stripped nichrome with copper and pressed with a finger through a piece of plastic film so that the paste does not stick out upward from the wire. You can immediately press it down with some flat weight instead of your finger. Remove the weight and film after the paste has hardened, from an hour to a day (the time is indicated on the tube).

The “solder” has frozen – it’s time to assemble the emitter. Along the middle we squeeze a thin, no thicker than 1.5 mm, “sausage” of ordinary construction silicone sealant onto the snake, this will prevent the wire bends from slipping and closing. After this, we squeeze out the same sealant with a thicker roller, 3-4 mm, along the contour of the substrate, retreating from the edge of approx. by 5 mm. We apply a cover glass and very carefully so that it does not slide to the side and pull the snake along with it, press down until it fits tightly, and set the emitter aside to dry.

The drying rate of silicone is 2 mm per day, but after 3-4 days, as it may seem, it is still impossible to take the emitter into work further; you need to let the inner roller that fixes the bends dry. You will need approx. a week. If many emitters are made for a working heater, they can be dried in a stack. The bottom layer is laid out on plastic film, and covered with it on top. Elements following. layers are laid across the underlying ones, etc., separating the layers with film. The stack, for guarantee, takes 2 weeks to dry. After drying, the protruding excess silicone is cut off with a safety razor blade or a sharp mounting knife. Silicone deposits must also be completely removed from the contact lamellas, see below!

Installation

While the emitters are drying, we make 2 identical frames from slats of hard wood (oak, beech, hornbeam) (item 4 in the figure with the diagram of the panel heater). The connections are made by cutting into half the wood and fastened with small self-tapping screws. MFD, plywood and wood materials with synthetic binders (chipboard, OSB) are not suitable, because prolonged heating, even if not strong, is strictly contraindicated for them. If you have the opportunity to cut frame parts from textolite or fiberglass, that’s generally great, but ebonite, bakelite, textolite, carbolite and thermoplastic plastics are not suitable. Before assembly, wooden parts are impregnated twice with a water-polymer emulsion or water-based acrylic varnish diluted in half.

Ready-made emitters are placed in one of the frames (item 5). The overlapping lamellas are electrically connected by drops of liquid solder, as are the jumpers on the sidewalls, forming a series connection of all emitters. It is better to solder the supply wires (from 0.75 sq. mm) with ordinary low-melting solder (for example, POS-61) with inactive flux paste (composition: rosin, ethyl alcohol, lanolin, see on the bottle or tube). Soldering iron - 60-80 W, but you need to solder quickly so that the emitter does not come unglued.

The next step at this stage is to apply a second frame and mark on it where the supply wires are located; grooves will need to be cut for them. After this, we assemble the frame with the emitters using small screws, pos. 6. Take a closer look at the location of the fastening points: they should not fall on live parts, otherwise the fastening heads will be energized! Also, in order to prevent accidental contact with the edges of the lamellas, all ends of the panel are covered with non-flammable plastic with a thickness of 1 mm, for example. PVC filled with chalk from cable channels (ducts for wiring). For the same purpose, and for greater structural strength, silicone sealant is applied to all joints of the glass and frame parts.

The final steps are firstly the installation of legs with a height of 100 mm. A sketch of the wooden leg of a panel heater is given in pos. 7. The second is to apply a protective steel mesh made of thin wire with a mesh size of 3-5 mm to the sidewalls of the panel. Third, the cable entry is designed with a plastic box: it houses contact terminals and a light indicator. Possibly a thyristor voltage regulator and a protective thermal relay. That's it, you can turn it on and warm up.

Thermal painting

If the power of the described thermal panel does not exceed 350 W, a picture heater can be made from it. To do this, foil insulation is applied to the back side, the same one that is used for thermal insulation. Its foil side should be facing the panel, and the porous plastic side should be facing out. The front side of the heater is decorated with a fragment of photo wallpaper on plastic; thin plastic is not such an obstacle for IR. In order for the picture-heater to warm better, you need to hang it on the wall at an angle of approx. 20 degrees.

What about foil?

As you can see, a homemade panel heater is quite labor-intensive. Is it possible to simplify the work by using, say, aluminum foil instead of nichrome? The thickness of the baking sleeve foil is approx. 0.1 mm, seems to be a thin film. No, the point here is not the thickness of the film, but the resistivity of its material. For aluminum it is low, 0.028 (Ohm * sq. mm)/m. Without giving detailed (and very boring) calculations, we will indicate their result: the area of ​​a thermal panel with a power of 500 W on an aluminum film 0.1 mm thick turns out to be almost 4 square meters. m. Still, the film turned out to be a bit thick.

12 V

A homemade fan heater can be quite safe in a low-voltage, 12 V version. You can’t get more than 150-200 W of power from it; it will need a step-down transformer or IP that is too large, heavy and expensive. However, 100-120 W is just enough to keep a small plus in the basement or cellar all winter, which protects against frozen vegetables and cans of homemade products bursting from frost, and 12 V is the voltage permissible in rooms with any degree of danger of electric shock. You cannot put more in the basement/cellar, because... According to electrical engineering classification, they are especially dangerous.

The basis of the 12 V fan heater is an ordinary red working hollow (hollow) brick. A one and a half thickness of 88 mm (top left in the figure) is best suited, but a double thickness of 125 mm (bottom) will also work. The main thing is that the voids are through and identical.

The design of a 12 V “brick” fan heater for the basement is shown there in Fig. Let's count the nichrome heating coils for it. We take a power of 120 W, this is with some reserve. Current, respectively, 10 A, heater resistance 1.2 Ohm. On the one hand, the spirals are blown. On the other hand, this heater must operate unattended for a long time in rather difficult conditions. Therefore, it is better to connect all the spirals in parallel: one will burn out, the rest will be pulled out. And it’s convenient to regulate the power - just turn off 1-2 or several coils.

There are 24 channels in a hollow brick. The spiral current of each channel is 10/24 = 0.42 A. Not enough, nichrome is needed very thin and, therefore, unreliable. This option would be suitable for a household fan heater up to 1 kW or more. Then the heater must be calculated, as described above, for a current density of 12-15 A/sq. mm, and divide the resulting wire length by 24. To each segment, 20 cm are added into 10-cm connecting “tails”, and the middle is twisted into a spiral with a diameter of 15-25 mm. With "tails" all the spirals are connected in series using clamps made of copper foil: its tape 30-35 mm wide is wound in 2-3 layers onto folded nichrome wires and twisted into 3-5 turns with a pair of small pliers. To power the fans, you will have to install a low-power 12 V transformer. This heater is well suited for a garage or warming up a car before a trip: like all fan heaters, it quickly warms up the middle of the room, without wasting heat on heat loss through the walls.

Note: Computer fans are often called coolers (literally – coolers). In fact, a cooler is a cooling device. For example, a processor cooler is a finned radiator in a block with a fan. And the fan itself is also a fan in America.

But let's go back to the basement. Let's see how much nichrome is needed for a reduced to 10 A/sq. mm for reliability reasons current density. The wire cross-section, clearly without calculations, is 1 sq. mm. Diameter, see calculations above – 1.3 mm. Such nichrome is on sale without difficulty. The required length for a resistance of 1.2 Ohm is 1.2 m. What is the total length of the channels in the brick? We take one and a half thickness (weighs less), 0.088 m. 0.088x24 = 2.188. So we just need to thread a piece of nichrome through the voids of the brick. It’s possible through one, because According to the calculation, 1.2/0.088 = 13.(67) channels are needed, i.e. 14 is enough. So they heated the basement. And quite reliably - such thick nichrome and strong acid will not quickly corrode.

Note: the brick in the body is fixed with small steel corners on bolts. An automatic protective device must be included in a powerful 12 V circuit, for example. automatic plug for 25 A. Inexpensive and quite reliable.

IP and UPS

It is better to take (make) an iron transformer for heating a basement with powerful winding taps of 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 V, this will allow you to regulate the heating power within a wide range. 1.2 mm nichrome with blowing will pull 25-30 A. To power the fans, then you need a separate 12 V 0.5 A winding and also a separate cable with thin wires. To power the heater, cores of 3.5 sq.m. are required. mm. A powerful cable can be the crappiest - PUNP, KG, for 12 V there is no fear of leaks and breakdown.

Maybe you don’t have the opportunity to use a step-down transformer, but you have a switching power supply (UPS) from an unusable computer lying around. Its 5 V channel is enough power; standard - 5 V 20 A. Then, firstly, you need to recalculate the heater to 5 V and the power of 85-90 W so as not to overload the UPS (the wire diameter is 1.8 mm; the length is the same). Secondly, to supply 5 V, you need to connect together all the red wires (+5 V) and the same number of black wires (common GND wire). 12 V for fans is taken from any yellow wire (+12 V) and any black. Thirdly, you need to short-circuit the PC-ON logical start circuit to the common wire, otherwise the UPS simply will not turn on. Usually the PC-ON wire is green, but you need to check: remove the casing from the UPS and look at the markings on the board, on top or on the mounting side.

heating elements

For heaters: types you will have to buy heating elements: 220 V electrical appliances with open heaters are extremely dangerous. Here, pardon the expression, you need to think first of all about your own skin and property, whether there is a formal ban or not. It’s easier with 12-volt devices: according to statistics, the degree of danger decreases in proportion to the square of the supply voltage ratio.

If you already have an electric fireplace, but it doesn’t heat well, it makes sense to replace a simple air heating element with a smooth surface (pos. 1 in the figure) with a finned one, pos. 2. The nature of convection will then change significantly (see below) and heating will improve when the power of the finned heating element is 80-85% of the smooth one.

A cartridge heating element in a stainless steel housing (item 3) can heat both water and oil in a tank made of any structural material. If you buy one, be sure to check that the kit includes gaskets made of oil-heat-gasoline-resistant rubber or silicone.

A copper water heating element for a boiler is equipped with a tube for a temperature sensor and a magnesium protector, pos. 4, which is good. But they can only heat water and only in a stainless steel or enameled tank. The heat capacity of oil is much less than that of water, and the body of a copper heating element in oil will soon burn out. The consequences are severe and fatal. If the tank is made of aluminum or ordinary structural steel, then electrocorrosion due to the presence of a contact potential difference between the metals will very quickly eat away the protector, and then eat through the body of the heating element.

T. called. dry heating elements (item 5), like cartridge ones, are capable of heating both oil and water without additional protective measures. In addition, their heating element can be changed without opening the tank and without draining the liquid from there. There is only one drawback - they are very expensive.

Fireplace

You can improve an ordinary electric fireplace, or make your own efficient one based on a purchased heating element, using an additional casing that creates a secondary convection circuit. From a conventional electric fireplace, firstly, the air flows upward in a rather hot but weak stream. It quickly reaches the ceiling and through it warms more of the neighbors' floors, attic or roof than the owner's room. Secondly, the IR coming down from the heating element in the same way warms the neighbors below, the subfloor or basement.

In the design shown in Fig. on the right, downward IR is reflected into the outer casing and heats the air in it. The thrust is further enhanced by the suction of hot air from the inner casing, which is less heated from the outer casing at the narrowing of the latter. As a result, the air from an electric fireplace with a double convection circuit comes out in a wide, moderately heated stream, spreads to the sides without reaching the ceiling, and effectively heats the room.

Oil and water

The effect described above is also produced by oil and water-air heaters, which is why they are popular. Industrially produced oil heaters are made hermetically sealed with a permanent filling, but it is in no case recommended to repeat them yourself. Without an accurate calculation of the volume of the housing, internal convection in it and the degree of oil filling, a rupture of the housing, an electrical failure, oil spillage and fire are possible. Underfilling is just as dangerous as overfilling: in the latter case, the oil simply tears the housing under pressure when heated, and in the former, it first boils. If you make the housing of a deliberately larger volume, then the heater will heat disproportionately weakly compared to the electricity consumption.

In amateur conditions, it is possible to build an open-type oil or water-air heater with an expansion tank. A diagram of its device is shown in Fig. Once upon a time they made quite a lot of these, for garages. The air from the radiator is slightly heated, the temperature difference between inside and outside is kept minimal, which is why heat loss is reduced. But with the advent of panel heaters, oil-based homemade products are disappearing: thermal panels are better in all respects and are quite safe.

If you still decide to make your own oil heater, keep in mind that it must be reliably grounded, and you only need to fill it with very expensive transformer oil. Any liquid oil gradually bituminizes. Increasing temperature accelerates this process. Motor oils are designed to allow oil to circulate among moving parts due to vibration. Bituminous particles in it form a suspension that only pollutes the oil, which is why it has to be changed from time to time. In the heater, nothing will prevent them from depositing carbon deposits on the heating element and in the tubes, causing the heating element to overheat. If it bursts, the consequences of oil heater accidents are almost always very serious. Transformer oil is expensive because the bituminous particles in it do not settle into soot. There are few sources of raw materials for mineral transformer oil in the world, and the cost of synthetic oil is high.

Fiery

Powerful gas heaters for large rooms with catalytic afterburning are expensive, but record-breakingly economical and efficient. It is impossible to reproduce them under amateur conditions: you need a micro-perforated ceramic plate with platinum coating in the pores and a special burner made of parts made with precision precision. At retail, one or the other will cost more than a new heater with a warranty.

Tourists, hunters and fishermen have long come up with low-power afterburner heaters in the form of an attachment to a camp stove. These are also produced on an industrial scale, pos. 1 in Fig. Their efficiency is not so great, but it’s enough to heat the tent until lights out in sleeping bags. The design of the afterburner is quite complex (item 2), which is why factory tent heaters are not cheap. Fans also make a lot of these, from cans or, for example. from automobile oil filters. In this case, the heater can operate both from a gas flame and from a candle, see video:

Video: Portable oil filter heaters

With the advent of heat-resistant and heat-resistant steels in widespread use, lovers of being outdoors are increasingly giving preference to gas camping heaters with afterburning on a grid, pos. 3 and 4 - they are more economical and heat better. And again, amateur creativity combined both options into a combined type mini-heater, pos. 5., capable of working both from a gas burner and from a candle.

A drawing of a homemade mini-heater with afterburning is shown in Fig. on right. If it is used occasionally or temporarily, it can be made entirely from tin cans. For an enlarged version for the garden, cans of tomato paste, etc. will be used. Replacing the perforated mesh cover significantly reduces warm-up time and fuel consumption. A larger and very durable version can be assembled from car wheels, see next. video clip. This is already considered a stove, because... You can cook on it.

Video: heater-stove made from a wheel rim

From a candle

A candle, by the way, is a fairly strong source of heat. For a long time, this property was considered a hindrance: in the old days, at balls, ladies and gentlemen would sweat, makeup would run, and powder would clump together. How they even turned cupids after that, without hot running water and a shower, is difficult for a modern person to understand.

The heat from a candle in a cold room is wasted for the same reason that a single-circuit convection heater does not heat well: hot exhaust gases rise up too quickly and cool, producing soot. Meanwhile, making them burn out and give heat is easier than a gas flame, see fig. In this system, a 3-circuit afterburner is assembled from ceramic flower pots; baked clay is a good IR emitter. A candle heater is intended for local heating, say, so as not to tremble while sitting at the computer, but just one candle provides a surprising amount of heat. When using it, you only need to open the window slightly, and when going to bed, be sure to extinguish the candle: it also consumes a lot of oxygen for combustion.

Among the huge number of different heaters used for summer cottages, kerosene heaters caught our attention. We decided to find out more detailed information about them and tell our readers.

1. Advantages and disadvantages
2. How to choose?
3. Customers' opinions

Installation of diesel and kerosene heaters

Portable kerosene heaters consist of components:

• fuel tank;
• bowl with wick;
• knob for adjusting the wick;
• fuel volume measurement sensor;
• burner shell;
• burner.

When the heater is operating, the flame on the wick should be slightly cut by the mesh (shell) and look out. This working position can be achieved by lighting the wick and adjusting the flame height with a special handle. The shell gradually warms up and begins to radiate heat into the room in the infrared range.
After the shell and walls of the chamber are completely heated, the combustion process itself moves from the wick to kerosene vapor over a certain distance. This combustion process almost completely burns the fuel, but does not allow the wick fabric to burn out. Diesel and kerosene heaters are convenient to use for heating a garage or tent.

The smell of combustion products comes only during the first time after ignition, when the process of complete combustion of gases is not yet complete, and at the moment of extinguishing.

Today on the market you can purchase devices that differ in control methods, type of fuel used and method of heat distribution.

• Heaters without electronics are self-contained and have performed well in places where there is no electrical network. They are often taken on hikes to heat a car or tent.
• Electronically controlled devices are distinguished by their ability to maintain a constant temperature, ignition, fuel supply, extinguishing and other useful functions.
• Heaters running on kerosene.
• Diesel and kerosene appliances.
• With a converter method of heat transfer.
• With built-in fan.
• Reflex heater.

Advantages and disadvantages of kerosene heaters

Like any other equipment, a kerosene heater has its positive and negative sides.

All the advantages of using kerosene heaters:

• autonomy of the device;
• almost complete absence of smell and smoke during operation;
• excellent mobility;
• durability of wicks;
• a large number of options for electric models;
• The appliance can be used to heat and cook food.

Disadvantages of kerosene heaters:

• vapors and the smell of used fuel during ignition and extinguishing of the device;
• high fuel prices;
• flame.

Review of kerosene heaters from different manufacturers

Kerosene heaters made in South Korea under the Kerona brand are widely represented on the Russian market. For comparison, we will look at several of the most popular models.

This small model is used for heating small rooms, both technical and residential. The unique design of the device makes it possible to use it even to heat a tent without any risk of fire. What makes a device so fireproof?

Design features:

• It is impossible to accidentally get burned in the working chamber due to the installed safety grille;
• fuel does not leak from the tank even when the heater accidentally spills due to the protection installed on it;
• matches are not needed for ignition because there is an electrical system;
• In case of accidental overturning, the automatic extinguishing system is activated.

Good combustion of the wick is ensured by the use of special fiberglass. A special cooking lid can be installed on the top of the appliance. The level of heat transfer is adjusted by decreasing or increasing the flame. For an hour of operation of the device you need only 0.25 liters of kerosene. Tank volume 5.3 liters.

"Kerona" WKH-3300

In addition to all the design features of the previous model, the Kerona WKH-300 kerosene heater has additional features.

1. First of all, it is a more powerful tank with a volume of 7.2 liters.
2. Secondly, there is a special upper reflector that allows you to redirect the heat flow. When installed, heat moves down to the floor and rises from there, resulting in uniform heating of the room.
3. Thirdly, the heating elements are made of stainless steel.
4. Fourthly, there is a double fuel tank, which creates guaranteed protection against fire when capsizing.

In addition to South Korean products, Japanese kerosene heaters are widely represented on the Russian market.

Toyotomi RCA 37A

Used for heating small country houses, cottages and garages. Japanese kerosene heaters differ from South Korean models in their stationary installation. The devices are equipped with a triple security system and automatic ignition. Fuel consumption per hour of operation is 0.27 liters of kerosene, the tank capacity is 4.7 liters. They are used to heat rooms with an area of ​​no more than 38 m2.

Toyotomi Omni 230

If you need to heat a room up to 70 m2, use this model. Double wall fuel tank, automatic ignition, extinguishing, temperature control and maintenance. Consumes 0.46 liters per hour. fuel, tank volume is 7.5 liters.

Neoclima KO 2.5 and Neoclima KO 3.0

Unlike Toyotomi kerosene heaters, Chinese Neoclima devices run on diesel and kerosene. Their fuel consumption is low - from 0.25 to 0.27 liters. at one o'clock. With one tank refill, you can heat the room for about 14 hours. Installing a catalyst flask makes the exhaust of combustion products minimal. The device is equipped with electric ignition from batteries.

How to choose a kerosene heater?

Most often, kerosene heaters are used when hiking, hunting or fishing. If you decide to install this type of heaters in your dacha, you need to consider the following:

1. Compare the ratio of the square footage of the heated room to the fuel consumption of heaters from different manufacturers.
2. Buy kerosene heaters only from stores where they can give you a replacement if they are found to be defective. In many models, the tightness of the seams is low and kerosene leakage is often observed.
3. Be sure to read and follow the manufacturer's operating instructions. The majority of device models run on lighting kerosene, which contains a minimum amount of soot-forming substances. There are devices that operate equally on both kerosene and diesel. Information on the use of different fuels is indicated in the technical data sheet.

Failure to follow the instructions for using the device can lead to serious consequences.

Customers' opinions

We asked for opinions and reviews of kerosene heaters from customers. This is what they write and say.

I spend a lot of time in the garage, and in winter I can’t do without heating. I chose Kerona for myself. I light it on the street. Even in severe frost, working in the garage is comfortable and you can take off your outerwear. Ivanov Danil, Uryupinsk.

We bought a Korean Kerona 2310 for our dacha. The test was successful, no leaks. I worked the device all day in a room of 20 m2. Half of the kerosene remained in the tank. Good combination of price and quality. Anastasia Nezhnaya, Ryazan.

I love winter fishing. My friend and I bought Neoclyma. We fish in comfort. We are sitting in a tent near the hole, and next to us there is a kerosene stove on a small fire. You don't even have to wear a jacket. Thanks to the manufacturers. Andrey Klima, Tula.

Now you know how to choose a kerosene heater, what to look for when choosing a particular model, and have read consumer reviews about the best models. Make your choice and your dacha will be warm even in the most severe frost.

Video review of Chinese and Korean kerosene heater

A kerosene heater will help in cases where traditional methods cannot heat the room. In such cases, they usually try to find a convenient and economical heating method.

A device that runs on kerosene is exactly what you need.

Such a device will be easy to use in places where heating is not traditionally provided. You will be able not only to warm up during any work, but also to prevent your car from freezing in severe frosts.

Good reviews about this device come from lovers of picnics and outings. There, too, sometimes you really need to warm up. The wkh 2310 kerosene heater makes it possible to heat a tent well and inexpensively.

The Japanese kerosene heater Kerona has the following advantages for which it is definitely worth purchasing:

• Mobility. It can be complete or partial, it all depends on the configuration of the device. The heater can only run on kerosene, but can also be equipped with additional functions that require electricity to operate.
• Economical. Kerosene costs relatively little, so refueling the device with such fuel will be affordable for everyone. In addition, the device operates using infrared radiation. This makes it possible to save money, because heating will only apply to those items that you need warm. The entire mass of air in the room will not heat up, and resources will remain little wasted.
• There will be very little combustion products when operating such a device, since everything is taken into account in the device. The fact is that it is possible due to the combustion not of kerosene, but of its vapor, which greatly reduces the proportion of harmful substances released.

1 Review of Kerosene Heater K Erona - video

• Such a heater has high efficiency, that is, it does not take much time to heat a room with its help.
• Also, the kerosene heater WKH 2310 can be used for cooking. This is convenient for fishing, hunting, in the country and in other similar situations. True, it will be possible to prepare the simplest dishes, but in nature there is usually no time for frills.
• Wide range of applications. Infrared kerosene heaters will be available in the autumn, and even in the winter, if necessary. To do this, you just need to throw it into your car or even a spacious bag. Thus, you will forget about cold country evenings, because you can warm up even outside - an infrared heater gives you this opportunity.
• Fire safety. Almost all kerosene heaters are equipped with a system that turns off the device if it tips over.

2 Types of kerosene heaters

Kerosene heaters WKH-2310 are manufactured in a wide range. They are divided into types depending on configuration, functions and other factors.

Kerosene heaters are:

1. No electronics. Such devices are mobile and can be used anywhere. They are less secure.
2. With electronics. Kerosene heaters can be equipped with automatic on/off, a security system, and additional fans, which require electricity. Such devices cannot be used in the field, since there is no power supply there.

Kerosene heaters are also divided into:

1. Kerosene, which operate exclusively on such fuel.
2. . They operate on two types of fuel; you can choose based on cost and your own preferences.

There may also be models with and without a mirror reflector.

Different versions of heating devices have different volumes of fuel tanks, the capacity of which determines how long everything will work without refueling.

2.1 Do-it-yourself kerosene heater? Forward!

If you really want to make a kerosene heater with your own hands, then why not do it? However, it is worth noting that you will have to try to ensure that the device you make yourself is safe and effective.

To work, you will need tin, metal scissors, rivets, a drawer can for kerosene, a strainer, a metal mesh and a burner, which is best purchased in a store.

1. The first step is to cut a circle with ears out of tin and attach a burner to it.
2. Then you need to attach a small strainer on top; do this using the ears that are on the tin mug.
3. Cut out two more circles with ears from the tin. Add a well-aimed metal mesh there and make a mesh cylinder with your own hands.
4. Drill holes on the circles of the cylinder.
5. Attach the cylinder to the sieve.
6. Attach the entire structure to the can. You will pour kerosene into it.

So, the wkh kerosene heaters with your own hands are ready. In order for them to work, you will need to pour fuel into the can and light the burner. With the help of a sieve, the air will be distributed more evenly.

To work comfortably in a garage or workshop during the cold season, it is not necessary to buy expensive oil or infrared heaters.

You can easily get by and replace them with regular incandescent or halogen bulbs. Moreover, when using simple lamps, you will also receive a lamp as a bonus.

Halogen lamp heater

The simplest stove is assembled using just one 1 kW halogen lamp.

To do this you will need three things:

Place this lamp inside the container on a brick and close it, so to speak, “the blower.”

The heating temperature of the surface of the walls with a container size of 400*400*600mm will reach up to 80 degrees. The maximum temperature of heated floors does not exceed 30C.

Eighty is certainly a bit much, so it’s better to take one 500W halogen or connect two in series at 1kW each. The heating of the stove walls will be optimal - 60 degrees.

To fix the lamp, use a special ceramic socket holder.

It's ceramic. The brick on which this “beast” lies heats up to 300 degrees!

As you understand, the wires for connection must be thermal.

If you open the “vent” of such a heater, the picture from the inside will resemble a miniature nuclear reactor, with one single fuel element - a halogen element lying on a brick.

Moreover, due to the low power, it is all connected through a regular socket with a plug. You will be shocked how much heat this design can generate.

By the way, it is very convenient to dry clothes and shoes on it.

There is just one big BUT. This is the lifespan of such a light bulb in a confined space without normal cooling conditions. I can assure you that he will greatly disappoint you.

How much light and heat does a light bulb provide?

Therefore, we will consider another more efficient and durable design, assembled on the basis of simple incandescent lamps.

An ordinary light bulb with an incandescent filament is the most accessible source of not only light, but also heat. Of its entire radiation spectrum, we see only a small part.

Everything else is hidden from us in the infrared region.

As an efficient light source with its efficiency of 3%, the light bulb is no good.

But if we consider it from the point of view of heat, then the efficiency is already approaching 100%.

How to increase the efficiency of the light? For example, you can increase the voltage.

However, at the same time, its lifespan will sharply decrease. She will live with you for literally a few hours.

But if you do the opposite, that is, reduce U=220V by half, this will sharply reduce the light output by five times. But at the same time, almost all the useful energy will go into the IR spectrum.

Of course, it will not increase, and its overall level will fall from its original values. However, the level of the visible spectrum will drop even more. The whole point here is that your assembly should primarily heat, not shine.

The most important and significant advantage of this is the increase in the life of the lamp to almost 1 million. hours (over a hundred years).

That is, you buy it once and you can use it for the rest of your life! How can you reduce the voltage at home without any regulating devices, like LATR?

Serial connection of light bulbs

Very easy. Simply connect two light bulbs of the same wattage in series and the voltage across each will be cut in half.

Of course, they will shine dimmer.

How will the power consumption of such a combination of light sources change? Measurements can be taken with a multimeter.

Let, for example, at a constant voltage of 240V, for two 100-watt light bulbs the current is 290mA.

Based on the formula for calculating power, we find that:

P=I*U=0.29A*240V=69.6W

As you can see, consumption has dropped. But at the same time, the heat dissipated per watt of power has increased.

Optimal heating power

To assemble a lamp heater, it is best to use 150W models. Just note that after the introduction of a law prohibiting the production of conventional incandescent lamps of more than 100W, they began to be sold under the name “heat emitters”.

With their sequential connection scheme, even two copies, you can immediately feel the radiated heat. At the same time, they do not blind the eyes.

The current in such a circuit at the same voltage will be 420mA. This means that two lamps consume about 100 W in total, and most of them are used for heating.

You can compare what power infrared heaters are sold for and what area they are designed for. The ratio for conventional models is 100W per 1m2.

Oil radiators have almost the same indicators.

That is, in any case, watts turn into heat. Only specialized infrared models will have more directed radiation to a specific point or area, while your homemade product will have a wider angle.

By the way, these 100 W/m2 are taken from SNiP for premises insulated according to all standards. This is the optimal power for all heaters in central Russia.

For northern latitudes, including cold, uninsulated garages, the values ​​will be higher. If, for example, the heat loss in a garage is 1000 W/hour, and you heat it at 300 W, then your temperature will never rise.

But if the ideal heat loss is close to zero, then 100 W will be enough to create a bathhouse inside.

This power also depends on the height of the ceilings (the average calculated one is up to 3 m).

Assembling a homemade infrared heater

Based on all this, we need to assemble our heater from light bulbs. Let's move on to practice.

If your work area that needs to be heated is 3-4m2, then assemble a 300W heater.

This will require 6 lamps with a power of 150W. That is, three serial pairs that will produce 100W each.

They are assembled on a frame made of metal or aluminum corner.

Sources of light and heat in the frame should be placed according to the diagram below.

In this case, select the distance between adjacent bulbs such that you can easily replace a burnt-out bulb with a new one. Even after a hundred years.

A gap of 1 cm between the flasks will be enough for this. The frame parts are connected to each other with bolts or rivets.

Next, you will need to fasten two aluminum strips inside it, on which the reflector or reflector will sit. These strips will add rigidity to the entire structure.

Now the most important thing is to make the reflector correctly. The usual parabola shape is not very effective.

Models in the form of a biparabola cope much better with their responsibilities.
Here the whole difference is in the reflection of the rays, which in the second case for the most part do not bounce back into the lamp, but go out.

Aluminum cans are ideal as a material for manufacturing. Cut off the bottom and top of the jar.

And you unfold the walls and bend them in the middle. At the same time, leave a margin of 1 cm on one edge for another bend. You somehow need to connect the halves of two cans together.

1 of 2

You fasten them together with rivets. To avoid tearing the thin aluminum in this process, first place washers on both sides.

As a result, you should have a one-piece reflector made of 4 cans.

Well, don’t forget about the two stripes in the middle of the frame.

Now you need to insert the light bulbs themselves into this structure. At the same time, do not allow them to touch the reflector. There should be a minimum distance of 1.5-2 cm from it.

Here again aluminum will come to the rescue. Namely, thin strips nine centimeters long.

Do not make a mistake when marking the places where the cartridge is attached to the strip, otherwise you will not be able to bring the power wires inside.

Do not forget that each pair must be connected in series. Here is a wiring diagram for such an infrared lamp for six lamps.

Wires must have at least two insulations and be three-core.

The third vein is the earth, which is planted on the body.

The connection occurs via a two-key switch. Thus, the heater can have three powers.

When all the lights are on (both keys are on) or only part of them (middle or extreme).

For example, when you press the first key, the outer lamps light up.

The power dissipation will be 200W. When you press only the second one, the central ones are launched.

Here the power will be only 100W.

Well, if everything is together, then you will feel the full 300W heating immediately after switching on. It will feel like coming from a fireplace. At the same time, the light will not be too bright to blind your eyes.

Even through thin clothing, heat will penetrate to the body. If a miniature fan, like those used in power supplies, is directed at such a lamp from top to bottom, the effect of heat will be even stronger.

This will have virtually no effect on infrared radiation, but will greatly increase convection heat transfer indoors. It will also reduce the local heating of the spotlight heating pad.

Such a lamp can be hung by punched tape and can be used to adjust the required angle of inclination.

What is the advantage of such heaters? Firstly, they heat up almost instantly after switching on. Secondly, they warm up exactly the place where they are directed, and not the entire cubic capacity of the room.

Four of these 500W floodlights are enough to keep you warm in the garage in winter.

Such heating will be quite expensive, about 10 rubles per hour. But you can turn them on only when necessary and do not heat the room in advance. You went inside, turned it on, and you immediately felt the warmth, instead of shivering for an hour, chattering your teeth.

Expensive diesel fuel is not the best energy carrier for heating a home, because the price of firewood and natural gas. But when you need to quickly organize temporary heating of residential premises, a garage or a summer house, then diesel fuel becomes simply irreplaceable. All you need to do is buy a small liquid fuel heater, fill it up and light it. An autonomous heat gun or a miracle diesel stove is well suited for this purpose. An alternative solution is a diesel stove made with your own hands from steel pipes and scraps of metal. There are many options, but we will choose the most popular ones and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.

Types of autonomous diesel fuel heaters

To begin with, we list all the types of heating devices that use liquid fuel and are most often used by users:

• mini-ovens “Solyarogaz” with a capacity of 1.8-5 kW from the Russian brand Savo and their analogues;
• various diesel fuel heaters with forced air supply, also known as heat guns;
• a simple direct combustion stove for a garage is one of the most popular home-made designs;
• stove - dropper.

Diesel industrial air heater

Note. The first 2 types of diesel fuel heaters are produced in factories and can be purchased ready-made. The remaining two heaters function equally well on diesel fuel and waste oil, but they must be made independently.

Now we will consider the heating units separately and identify all the positive and negative aspects of their operation.

Review of the miracle diesel stove from Savo

Where such a catchy name came from is unknown. Most likely, it was invented by marketers promoting this product on the market. In fact, the miracle stove, running on diesel fuel and kerosene, is a modernized descendant of kerosene gas, which was used during USSR times for cooking. The operating principle is as follows:

1. After opening the control valve, the fuel from the tank independently flows into the bowl, where the ends of two fabric wicks are immersed.
2. Then the law of capillary rise of liquid operates, due to which the wicks wound on the burner are thoroughly saturated with diesel fuel.
3. 2-3 minutes after impregnation, the burner is ignited with matches or a lighter. The operating mode is reached within 10 minutes.
4. To turn off the diesel burner, you must close the fuel valve. The heating stove will completely go out in 6-10 minutes, when the diesel fuel that has soaked the wicks burns out.

The design and principle of operation of the miracle furnace burner

For reference. According to the operating instructions for this diesel fuel stove, the fuel supply valve must be closed during heating to prevent an open flame. When the top of the burner glows red and glows red, the valve opens again by 2-3 turns.

Heating devices "Solyarogaz" (Ukrainian equivalent - "Motor Sich") can boast the following real advantages:

1. Acceptable price. The PO-1.8 mini-stove (power 1.8 kW) retails for about 37 USD. e., and the price of a 5-kilowatt heater is 95 USD. e.
2. Mobility due to small dimensions and low weight. The weight of the same 1.8 kW diesel-kerosene heating stove is 5.6 kg.
3. Economical. If you believe the passport, then miracle diesel stoves with a heat output of 1.8-2.5 kW consume about 200 ml of diesel fuel in 1 hour. Judging by the reviews, real fuel consumption is practically no different from the rated one.
4. Again, judging by user reviews (read in the next section), the stove does an excellent job of heating small rooms, even poorly insulated ones.
5. The product is intended not only for heating, but also for cooking (a steel mesh is installed above the burner).

Miracle stove at work

Let's move on to a few fly in the ointment. The first is inertia, which manifests itself during ignition, shutdown and adjustment of combustion intensity. As noted above, warming up and extinguishing the burner takes 6-10 minutes, and a change in the flame is observed 20-35 seconds after turning the tap, so you need to get used to the stove.

The second important disadvantage of a diesel miracle stove is the release of combustion products directly into the room. Hence the requirement for instructions on organizing supply and exhaust ventilation in a heated room. The minimum amount of exhaust and supply air is stated at 20 m³/h. Natural ventilation will provide this much, provided that the hood works well.

Note. The smoke as such from the heater is invisible, but with prolonged use indoors, people experienced headaches and deterioration in well-being.

The next disadvantage of mini-stoves using diesel fuel stems from the previous one. The fact is that the existing ventilation carries some of the generated heat outside, which reduces the efficiency of the heater. True, for a dacha or garage this nuance does not play a big role, unlike residential premises. And the last point: the unit emits acrid smoke when igniting and extinguishing, so it is better to perform these operations outdoors.

Mini heater on video

Real user reviews about Solarogas stoves

It must be admitted that the overwhelming majority of reviews about the miracle of the stove are positive, although there are also negative aspects:

Yaroslav, Ryazan, Russian Federation.

I purchased a PO-2.5 Savo diesel device to heat my garage. Before the frost outside was minus 10 degrees, working in the garage became much more comfortable, although the stove does not warm up the entire volume of the room. About one and a half to two meters around you. Considering its mobility, this is an acceptable option. There is no smoke, but there is a slight smell and my head ache slightly.

Source: https://www.drive2.ru/b/288230376152117652/

Sergey, Stary Oskol, Russian Federation.

I bought a diesel fuel heater Aeroheat HS S2600 (analogous to a miracle stove) for a 6 x 4 x 2.5 m garage. While there is no frost, the room is warm, but at minus temperatures it will no longer cope. In principle, the stove is not bad, it burns one and a half liters of kerosene in 5 hours, and when ignited it only smokes a little. Food can be prepared.

Lomaster, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation.

I have been using this stove for 4 months in a country house of 24 m², fueling it only with diesel. It feels like it heats better than a 2.5 kW electric heater. Among the minuses, I will note the soot at the beginning of combustion and the smell of diesel fuel. Pros - it is cheaper to heat than with electricity and the ability to cook and warm up food. In 10 hours it consumes only 2.5 liters, which is acceptable. True, in severe frosts I still switch to wood, the heater does not work.

Source: https://www.drive2.ru/communities/288230376151718545/forum/307544

Hobonod, Moscow.

It warms up perfectly, but is capricious - it smokes and smells, so you can only light it outside. It is my copy that does not digest when it is placed crookedly. You need to install it on a horizontal surface, then everything is ok. There is nothing written about this in the passport.

Source: http://www.mastergrad.com/forums/t26808-solyarogaz-obogreet-ili-net/

After studying the small part of the reviews presented here, a conclusion suggests itself: in general, a miracle stove that burns diesel fuel is an acceptable option, but you need to get used to using it. There is also a contraindication: the heater is not suitable for heating residential premises, except as a last resort.

About diesel heat guns

Heating units of this type are designed to heat large areas (from 30 m²) in all weather conditions. A diesel stove is a warm air blower in the form of a pipe mounted on wheels for ease of movement. A turbine built at the end of this pipe is responsible for creating the air flow. The burner for the stove, which burns diesel fuel, is placed inside the combustion chamber and is washed with air from all sides. There are 2 types of heat guns:

1. With direct heating. This means that the air passing through the pipe is heated by the walls of the chamber and mixed with the combustion products coming out from there, and then the mixture of gases enters the room. The heater is very efficient, but is not suitable for use in confined spaces.
2. With indirect heating. The design is similar to the first, but the exhaust gases are not mixed with the air flow and are directed through a separate channel into the chimney, as shown in the diagram. The heater loses efficiency, since part of the heat is lost along with combustion products, but it is absolutely safe and is capable of heating living spaces.

Diagram of operation of a diesel gun with direct heating of the air flow

Note. Due to their design, heat guns are dependent on the supply of electricity. Without it, the fan and automatic heater will not turn on.

Let us list the main advantages of diesel-fired air stoves:

• the ability to heat large areas, for which models with a power of 10 to 100 kW are produced;
• acceptable diesel consumption;
• mobility;
• maintaining the required air temperature in the room;
• automatic safety system that turns off the pump and fuel supply to the nozzle in case of overheating, power outage and other emergency situations;
• high speed of heating the entire volume of the room.

Operating principle of a diesel fuel air heater with a chimney

An example regarding fuel consumption. The well-known manufacturer of climate control equipment Ballu claims the following indicators: a 20 kW unit consumes 1.6 kg/h of diesel fuel (about 2 l), 30 kW – 2.4 kg/h (up to 3 l), and a 50 kW heater “eats” 4 kg/h diesel fuel (up to 5 l).

The main disadvantage of powerful diesel heaters is their high cost. Take products from the same brand Ballu, which is included in the middle price category: a direct heating installation with a power of 10 kW will cost 270 USD. e., and indirect at 20 kW - as much as 590 cu. e.

Diesel stove with forced air - inside view

The second important disadvantage relates to direct heating units that emit flue gases along with the air. This feature greatly limits the scope of application of air heaters of this type. It is possible to safely use a heat gun only in industrial or technical premises with forced ventilation or at construction sites for local heating.

Advice. There is a way to reduce the cost of installing a diesel heat gun in your country house or garage. You need to get a small-sized diesel fuel stove, used in trucks, and modify it a little. A unit from the Webasto brand will be suitable (it’s better to look for it at a disassembly site, a new one is very expensive) or the Soviet analogue OV-65.

Homemade miracle oven and dropper

The design of this homemade garage diesel stove has long been known to everyone: 2 round or square tanks are connected to each other by a vertical pipe with holes for supplying secondary air. We decided to include it in this material due to the popularity of this heater. Despite all the shortcomings, the stove continues to be used by a lot of people - owners of garages and country houses.

For reference. The heater was popularly called a miracle furnace because of its ability to cause a fire when burning waste into which water got in. The unit begins to shoot flaming drops of oil in all directions through the holes in the afterburner pipe. When running on pure diesel fuel, the disadvantage does not appear.

A self-made mini-furnace for exhaust and diesel fuel operates thanks to the natural draft of the chimney according to the following algorithm:

1. The lower tank is half filled with liquid fuel, which is ignited through a hole with an air damper.
2. After warming up, the diesel fuel actively evaporates, mixes in the pipe with secondary air and burns out in the upper tank.
3. Combustion products are discharged outside through the chimney.

Heater design running on waste oil and diesel

This diesel furnace can be welded according to the drawing by anyone literally on their knees, if only scraps of metal and pipes were at hand. This is the only advantage of the heater, contrasted with a bunch of disadvantages:

• the chimney does not prevent exhaust gases from entering the room, so the stove mercilessly smokes and stinks during operation;
• poor heating efficiency with appalling liquid fuel consumption - up to 2 l/hour;
• The unit is a fire hazard; you simply cannot leave it unattended; in addition, you must keep a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher nearby.

This is what a do-it-yourself drip stove looks like. A membrane expansion tank is used as a fuel reservoir.

A homemade drip-type stove is not so popular due to its more complex device. The heater body is made of a vertically standing steel pipe, to which the bottom and lid are welded. Inside there is an afterburner made of a pipe of smaller diameter, and under it there is a bowl for fuel. Exhaust or diesel fuel is fed into it by gravity or through a pump, and air is pumped into the afterburner by a fan. The design of a dropper stove operating on diesel fuel is shown in the drawing:

The heater consumes 200-300 grams of fuel in 1 hour, warms up the room well and practically does not smoke, since all gases are directed into the chimney. These are advantages, but the disadvantage is that it depends on electricity and is tied to one place where the chimney is located. More about the principle of operation of the dropper is said in.

Comment. Despite the smells of diesel fuel, the heater can be adapted to heat a house if it is enclosed in a water jacket and thus converted into a boiler connected to a water system. How this is implemented in a garage environment is described in the video:

1. Of all the diesel stoves, only one is clearly suitable for heating residential premises - an indirect heating heat gun. Heating devices of the “Solarogas” type can be used as a temporary option if the room has ventilation.
2. For a garage, box or cottage, it is better to make drip heaters with your own hands. Despite its popularity, we cannot advise you on a homemade miracle stove. This unit is too dangerous and has burned down more than one garage during its existence.
3. A diesel heat gun is the only right solution when you need to heat a large area in a building where there are no other energy sources.
4. If a drip-type stove is converted into a boiler and connected to a water heating system, then it can be used to heat a residential building. The heat source is removed to an extension or a separate building, where diesel smells will not bother anyone.

It must be understood that all liquid fuel heaters require periodic cleaning of soot, which abundantly covers the internal surfaces of the combustion chambers and smoke channels. The exception is a factory mini-stove using diesel fuel, where you will have to change the burnt-out wicks.