Natural Draft Diesel Heater Operating and Installation Instruction Manual *KEEP THIS MANUAL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE* Lofoten, Newport, Alaska, Antarctic Models ** Please read from beginning to end before installing and operating. Heater’s Serial #: __________________ Quality Controlled by- Doug & Don Form#7.2-229 Issue#2 Feb. 13, 2012 www.dickinsonmarine.com ~ info@dickinsonmarine.com Form#7.
Table of Contents Table of Contents… Pg. 2 Warnings… Pg. 3 1. 2. 3. 4. About a Natural Draft Diesel Heater… Pg. 4 Important Notes... Pg. 4 Ventilation… Pg. 5 How does the Chimney affect the Heater… Pg. 6 - Testing your Draft… Pg. 7 - Downdraft… Pg. 7 5. Installing your Heater… Pg. 7 - Location… Pg. 7 - Safety Clearances… Pg. 8 - Facing Direction… Pg. 8 - Location Diagrams… Pg. 8 - Mounting… Pg. 9 - Chimney Pipe… Pg. 9 - Chimney Pipe Diameter… Pg. 9 - Barometric Damper… Pg. 9 - Deck Fitting… Pg.
11. Approximate Valve & Fan Settings… Pg. 22 - Fire Diagram… Pg. 22 12. Operation Tips… Pg. 23 - Importance of the “Fuel to Air” Mixture… Pg. 24 13. Flooding the Burner… Pg. 25 - Valve Height Requirements Diagram… Pg. 25 14. The Oil Metering Valve & Fuel Flow…Pg. 26 - Safety Fuse… Pg. 26 - Fuel Adjustment… Pg. 26 - Fuel Flow Measurements… Pg. 27 - Fuel Variations… Pg. 27 - Valve Operating Ranges… Pg. 28 - Valve Repair Kits… Pg. 28 - Valve Repair… Pg. 29 - Exploded Valve Diagram… Pg. 31 15.
1. About a Natural Draft Diesel Heater A Dickinson diesel heater has many advantages to other heating appliances. They can be run on no power but has a 12v draft assist fan to provide draft assistance. Our heaters are equipped with simple but reliable internal components including a gravity feed oil metering valve to a vaporizing oil burner where the fuel vaporizes by natural draft to burn a beautiful clean fire in the viewing combustion chamber.
VERY IMPORTANT: Unrestricted permanent fresh air inlet required to draw in outside air needed for correct operation. Fuel must be filtered and not exceed a pressure of 4 psi or a fuel pressure regulator must be used to avoid dangerous flooding (Dickinson part# 20-003). A barometric damper must be installed to help regulate the draft. A barometric gives you more control in the “fuel to air” mixture needed for correct operation.
able to get your heater without sooting. A CO alarm should be installed in the boat. We also recommend the Dickinson high heat shut-off #02-210. 4. How Does the Chimney affect the Heater? The heater does not create the draft for a natural draft appliance to operate; it is the chimney that creates the draft for operation.
3. Competition for available air. Third, there must not be too much competition from other devices in the boat, such as exhaust fans, a large engine or air-exchange systems. If something else is sucking the air out of the boat, the chimney might not be powerful enough to overcome it, and exhaust might be drawn into the boat from the chimney. 4. Proper chimney design. And finally, a chimney must be designed to accommodate the volume and type of exhaust being emitted by the appliances it serves.
ceramic tile. The wall behind the heater and the first length of chimney pipe should also be lined with such material. See diagram below. Safety Clearances Above- 30”, In front- 18”, Sides- 12”, Below- 6” Facing Direction The heater ideally should face the bow or stern of the boat, particularly on a sailboat.
Mounting There are holes provided in the feet of the heater to allow appropriate fasteners to secure it to the floor. The Newport model has the appropriate brackets to secure the heater to the bulkhead. The drip tray will then fit under the bottom of the heater. *The Newport bulkhead heater must be secured with the rear mounting brackets supplied. * All other model heaters must be secured to the floor through the bolt holes in the legs.
Lofoten model heater Part# 17-001: 4” x 22” stainless pipe with barometric Part# 17-010: 4” x 7” stainless pipe with barometric The barometric damper should be installed in oil and solid fuel heaters. The purpose is to maintain a strong draft without causing too much air to the “fuel to air” mixture. When the damper is adjusted, the draft is altered by allowing air to be pulled into the chimney by the air inlet on the damper and not pulled into the burner. This gives you more control.
Deck Fitting To install the thru deck fitting, a hole must be cut in your deck. Depending on the diameter of the chimney stack will depend on the size hole that needs to be cut. There should be a 1” clearance all around the chimney pipe. For example, a 3” diameter exhaust pipe would require a 5” hole drilled in the deck and a 4” pipe would have a 6” hole. Once a hole is cut, you can line the raw hole with epoxy, caulking or a metal liner to finish it off.
Heater Installation Diagram www.dickinsonmarine.com ~ info@dickinsonmarine.com Form#7.
6. Fuel System Installation For efficient and safe operation of the heater, follow all recommendations for properly installing the fuel system. DANGER: Never use gasoline in a heater. Use only #2 diesel, #1 stove oil or kerosene. The valves are factory calibrated to #2 diesel; if #1stove oil or kerosene is preferred, the valves can be re-calibrated to suit those viscosities.
out of the valve. For this reason a manual shut-off will need to be teed in the overflow line and closed when refilling tanks. CAUTION: After refilling, you will need to burn off the fuel in the line before re-opening the shut-off valve. Do not use a check valve. Remember to re-open the shut-off valve on the overflow line.
7. Walbro Fuel Pump Installation When installing a Walbro fuel pump you must ensure it is mounted approximately at the level of the valve on the heater. These pumps can “pull” fuel but have trouble “pushing” fuel so it must be gravity fed from the pump to the heater. The lift and the climate will then indicate if you need the standard pump (part#20-000) or the heavy duty pump (part#20-002).
Once the valve is full of fuel and the pressure has been reached the fuel pump will still continue to tick, but less frequent. Once the pressure drops in the valve the pump will then begin to tick more frequent depending on the demand of fuel from the valve. To lessen the noise of the pump pulsing, a rubber backing can be installed. The pump should be included in a control circuit with a 2 amp fuse so it can be turned off when the heater is not in use.
spring. Replace the lid with the gasket on by lowering your finger on to the red O ring sleeve without the plunger falling out (the plunger is about 2” long so you have room to lower your finger out of the way). The red O ring sleeve will fit inside the pump tube and the black O ring will fit over the outside of the pump tube and will require twisting and pushing the lid straight back in. This is a little tight but that is what makes the seal. Rotate the gasket and replace the screws.
8. Draft Assist Fan Installation The 12v draft assist is not needed for operation but highly recommended as it will help to vaporize the fuel and give more control in burning the heater as clean as possible. The fan is a 12v DC fan that the draw is .17amp. The fan is 12v and if 24v or 32v is needed, resistors are available.
9. Optional Hot Water Coil Installation A hot water coil can be added to also enjoy water heating from your Dickinson diesel heater. You can either order your heater with one already installed in the heater or you can install the coil later yourself. Hot water coils are made of 5/8” OD stainless steel tubing and are available in a 1 turn coil for all model heaters to heat approx. 5-10 gallons of water.
3. Punch out the 2 knockouts on the back of the heater or drill them if not there. 4. Fit the coil inside the firebox and through the 2 holes in the back panel leaving about 2” sticking out the back. 6. Replace the baffle. This keeps the coil in place until the coils are connected. It is important that the coil be positioned so there is a constant rise in the tube as it goes to the back of the heater. This aids in the movement of the water or glycol.
10. Operation The first time the oil-metering valve is turned on it will take 5-10 minutes for the fuel lines to fill and oil to appear in the bottom of the burner. Lighting Procedure 1. Turn on the fuel pump or open the gravity feed valve to allow fuel to flow into the oil metering valve on the heater. 2. Open the door or open the lid and twist the superheater so the bottom makes a good contact with the bottom of the burner. 3.
11. Approximate Valve & Fan Settings Heater Temperature Valve Setting Fan Knob Position Cold Start # 2 to # 3 Off Warm Low # 1 to # 2 Off Warm Low (cold or windy) # 2 to # 3 4 to 5 o’clock Medium # 3 to # 4 5 to 6 o’clock Medium (cold or windy) # 4 to # 5 6 to 7 o’clock High #5 7 o’clock * Operating the fan can deliver too much air and cause the burner to run too lean (too much air in the fuel to air mixture).
12. Operation Tips When operating on the lower temperature settings the burner needs less air. To reduce the air, adjust the barometric damper open wider, turn off the fan, and add more fuel even if you do not want the heat. It is better to make too much heat and dissipate it than to run the burner too lean with flames inside the burner pot as this will result in hard carbon build up and soot.
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13. Flooding the Burner A vaporizing oil burner of this type can be flooded if care is not taken to prevent excess oil entering the burner when lighting. By following the lighting instructions flooding will be avoided. A flooded burner that is still burning should be turned off and the heater monitored until the oil has burned off. Use the combustion assist fan to add air to fully combust the excess fuel. Reasons that will flood your burner.
14. The Oil Metering Valve & Fuel Flow Safety Fuse A high temperature fuse is incorporated into the oil metering valve. The adjusting screw on the top of the knob of the oil metering valve is fitted with a fusible sleeve. This fuse will melt if the valve knob reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F. This will shut-off the flow of oil into the burner. Under normal conditions, the valve is at room temperature. If the high fire sleeve melts it indicates too much heat is by the valve compartment.
Fuel Flow Measurements If your heater is burning rich (making soot or smoking) or burning lean (flames not burning above the top burner ring), adjust the valve fuel flow as follows regardless of what type of fuel: 1) Unscrew the compression nut from the bottom of the valve with 2 wrenches and bend away the copper fuel line. Allow the oil to drip into a cup or container. 2) Lift and turn the valve knob to the #1 setting. Measure the quantity of oil dripping slowly from the fuel outlet.
NOTE: Bio-Diesel: Due to the higher vaporization temperatures of biodiesel and the variability in composition and blends along with viscosity differences the setting on the valve will constantly change. Example: With one blend of bio-diesel (B20 = 80% diesel mixed with 20% glycerin from plant oils and animal fats) the stove burns best on #2 setting then burning the stove with another grade or blend will change the setting so the stove burns best on #1 or #3 setting.
Oil Metering Valve Repair The repair kit has been packed with all the parts to rebuild your oil metering valve. The parts may differ in detail from what you have in your valve. This is due to changes and to the unavailability to the parts over the decades. 1. Disconnect the copper fuel lines from the valve inlet and outlet and overflow using 2 wrenches, then remove the valve from the mounting bracket, do not remove the bottom fitting or the overflow fitting from the valve.
down, the bottom of the float should be parallel to the casting of the valve, in both directions). This very important to keep the float from binding on the stem guide as it moves up and down. If the float is not parallel to the casting, the float pin tabs on the float will need adjusting. Hold the float firmly and bend the tabs using needle nose pliers, being gentle to not break the float from the tabs (a small crack is acceptable).
15. Burner Assembly www.dickinsonmarine.com ~ info@dickinsonmarine.com Form#7.
Your diesel heater has been equipped with a 6” “Airflow” burner. There are two components in the burner that must be correctly placed for the heater to operate properly. The burner ring must be placed at the top of the pot so the outside edge of the ring fits into the groove in the top of the pot. Ensure that the ring fits in evenly and snugly all the way around the pot and that all of the oval shaped slots are clearly visible. The second component is the superheater.
Fuel Maintenance Checklist (CHECK ONCE A YEAR) 1) Disconnect the fuel inlet line from the valve and place into a bucket. Turn on your pump or open your gravity feed valve to ensure there is a constant flow of fuel. This will indicate your fuel filter and fuel pump are operating correctly. 2) Remove the fuel inlet fitting from the valve and clean the screen behind. 3) Replace fuel inlet line to the fuel inlet fitting.
5) Remove any loose carbon from the base of the burner. 6) Remove the reamer tool and replace burner ring and the superheater. Cleaning the Fuel Line Any blockage in the fuel line from the oil-metering valve to the burner can be cleaned by removing the clean-out plug situated directly under the burner. The fuel lines themselves can be cleaned with compressed air or a pipe cleaner or even blowing air through to remove any blockages. The plug then must be replaced with tape sealant and checked for leaks.
*Flames are burning incorrectly inside the burner pot- The flames are burning too lean, this is to say too much air and/or not enough fuel. Reduce the air intake first by adjusting the barometric damper flap open to 3/8”. This will keep the draft in the chimney strong but reduce the amount of air being drawn into the burner. Turn the fan off. If flames still below the top burner ring then start adding more fuel until ALL the flames are above the ring Pg 22 & 23.
Turn the fan on to a very slow speed but balance the fuel to keep flames above the ring Pg 18. Adjust the barometric flap so it is open between ¼ to 3/8 Pg 9. *There was an explosion inside my heater-This is caused by a downdraft however the air is sucked in by a negative draft that actually blows out the flames but is hot enough to re-ignite the hot vapor. Follow instructions for downdraft Pg 5-7.
We at Dickinson wish to maintain a reasonable and easy system for returns, warranty, returns and exchanges. To accomplish this, we would like to inform you of some helpful guidelines and procedures to use and follow when sending back product to the Dickinson Marine. All correspondence regarding returns, warranties and exchanges will go through the factory of Dickinson Marine in Surrey, BC, Canada and the product MUST be returned to this location.
Customers are responsible for the shipping costs for all returns and exchanges. Dickinson Marine Returns Unit# 101-17728 66 Ave Surrey, BC V3S 7X1, Canada 4. Products that are demonstrably older than the warranty period or those that have obviously been misused will not be returned, exchanged, or repaired. Non-defective Returns & Exchanges Dickinson reserves the right to apply a 20% restocking fee for returned product sent back. An RA # will be needed from the factory to facilitate any return.
maintenance, which is necessary to keep your product performing its intended function and operating at a reasonable level of performance. DAMAGE LIMITATION WARNING : IN NO EVENT SHALL Dickinson BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) LOSS OF USE OF THE PRODUCT, LOSS OF TIME, INCONVENIENCE, EXPENSES FOR TRAVEL, LODGING TRANSPORTATION CHARGES, LOSS BY DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY OR LOSS OF INCOME, PROFITS OR REVENUE.
Please register your warranty with Dickinson Marine. Fill out and send back the warranty registration below. Make sure to include the serial # for our records. No warranty will be extended for improper installations. Use of any unapproved materials, equipment, or installation procedures will result in a voided warranty. Do not use any substitutes of the heaters valve, burner or fan other then the ones supplied by Dickinson.
#101-17728 66 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3S 7X1 Canada Tel: 604-574-8641 Fax: 604-574-8659 E-mail: info@dickinsonmarine.com Website: www.dickinsonmarine.com All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced without permission in writing from Dickinson Marine. Dickinson also reserves the right to modify or change without notice, any materials, applications, equipment, accessories, and/or prices. All measurements and weights are approximate. www.dickinsonmarine.com ~ info@dickinsonmarine.com Form#7.
