Struggling with and test of heaters in an arctic cold spell (trawlerfans)

South Pacific Familyadventure 2008
Claes Brodin
Sun 17 Nov 2019 12:07
Spending a week onboard Dora Mac with temperatures 14 centigrades beolow zero put a huge strain on DM´s heating systems.
As mentioned before on this blog,there are 3 systems for heating with the Crusair Air Con reversed heating being most powerful ,a Sigmar dieselheater in the saloon for cosey evenings, and a recently installed Eberspächer D5 airtronic system.
The drawback of the Crusair system is it´s demand for power being dependent on shore/generatorpower. For heating under way the Eber system was installed.
Now during last weeks cold spell the Eberspächer D5 system broke down after only 1400hrs of flawless running. I then became dependent on the Crusair system that ran for 1 week keeping 14 centrigrades in aft cabin and 16 in the saloon (with 14 degr below zero outside this is remarcably good). The Sigmar dieselheater (that worked 3 weeks ago) refused to run because of a clogged fuelline from the carburettor to the burner (the carburettor delivers clean fuel but soot has clogged the end of the fuelline due to sooting running long periods on a "bad quality flame").
Eberspächer Norway was contacted and a local representative (Braekken Electrics) started faultsearch. Showing faultcode 54 ,problem with fuelsystem was suspected. The fuelfilters where checked with dirt in them (see picture) and both filters replaced. The unit then ran 72hrs before shutdown and faultcode 54. Unit was taken out and cleaned (with lot´s of soot) and a loose net was found inside (probably something forgotten during installation - see picture). Reinstalled it ran for 8 hrs before shutdown and faultcode 54. The fuelpump was replaced with the unit running 6hrs before shutdown code 54. A separate dieseltank was then used bypassing the pickupline/fuelline from the cruisetank and it now ran flawless. Pickupline/fuelline was taken out without any obvious fault/dirt and then reinstalled. The unit now ran 4hrs before shutdown faultcode 14 !
Active diagnostics over night with laptop revealed nothing more than code 14 and unit was again taken out for cleaning. Nothing obvious was found and now again reinstalled it has ran flawless for 24hrs....-
After all this fuzz with the D5 unit that was installed 6 months ago and only ran 1400hrs before breakdown,we now have to settle all costs. Braekken Electrics told me we start to reach the cost of a new unit ,and then we never really found out what caused code 54 and later 14.
Allthough being under warranty,Eberspächer will probably stress that all problems were fuelrelated (in which case warranty is not due),and I will argue that none of the other systems dependent on daytank fuel shows any signs of contaminated fuel. Also in my perspective is if the forgotten net inside the burner unit had any contribuition to failure/sooting. Obviously a matter to be continued...
Now with all heaters running again the temperatures have decreased (Murphy went elsewhere) to just above freezing, and the obvious winner of the Arctic Cold Spell contest is the Crusair system. Pity it doesn´t work under way,or it would be the sole solution to heating this boat.

Today we are heading north to Skjervöy which is a 200Nm stretch mainly going through fjiords and straits in inshore waters passing the metropol of the north (Tromsö) and reaching latitude 70north. As far as we know hundreds of whales are now in the fiords up there hunting herring. It will be a demanding trip with the major part of the passage in darkness,but hopefully no strong winds with snowing (in which case the radar is "blinded"). Forecast looks good and we all hope for a smooth passage.

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