[Splash & dash]

[Splash & dash]

[Slacky]

Thats a PF is it?

[Splash & dash]

Thats a PF is it?

No it’s Grippatank, I cannot up load the other pictures it’s saying the file is to big how Can I reduce the size ?? Any ideas

[andyM]

Thats a PF is it?

I cannot up load the other pictures it’s saying the file is to big how Can I reduce the size ?? Any ideas

In Microsoft Paint

[dazmond]

For the price your paying Daz im assuming you are getting the 9kw version?

yes rob.i wanted to make sure i could get the water really hot for dirty conny roofs/UPVC cleans etc as there has been reports of guys buying pure freedom  5kw heaters and only getting  warm water at the brush end.id be annoyed if i had spent all that money for warm water.im sure nigel was moaning about his not getting the water hot enough a few years ago but i think he s tweaked his now.

[dazmond]

What's the tank for at the top of the unit spruce? I thought all these units were plumbed into the vans main fuel tank?

Its the header tank for the internal water heating circuit. It not the diesel tank.

cheers spruce

[dazmond]

It's getting fitted 6th Dec. I've already booked a hotel for  the night  for me and the girlfriend for the night before. (it's 3 hrs drive away) and paid the deposit. 

Congratulations!
Maybe love will be in the air?..... well I hope for your sakes it's Love and not Diesel fumes.

 

[dazmond]

Dazmond ...... i was lucky enough to get a secondhand purefreedom 9kw diesel heater secondhand for £280 , fitted it myself and has been flawless for about a year now , would hate to be without it.

i remember when you got it.im sure you just had to fix the pump if i recall correctly?

i wouldnt have a hope in hell of fitting it myself!drilling into my fuel tank and drilling holes in the floor for exhaust gases?i dont think so!ill leave it to the experts.

Yes thats right , was lucky enough to find a brand new pump on ebay for £90 (normally around £300 ) ,i fitted a seperate tank and had a bracket welded up to fit it by the side door , just two holes in the step for exhaust and air inlet .....nothing too difficult .

Even paying the full money i think its worth it , i i would hate to be without it now and i reckon you could get ten years out of it no problem .

The canal boat guys gave me a tip about every six months or so running it on kerosene at full power for an hour or two and this helps keep the burner clean as it burns hotter.

i dont think ill be able to run it on kerosene mate as itll be plumbed into my vans diesel tank!but thanks for the tip anyway.

[Splash & dash]

[dazmond]

it looks the business that mate.they seem bigger than i imagined.i think mine will have to be fitted near my side loading door.is that the 9kw?

[The Jester of Wibbly]

How is it plumbed into the diesel tank?  Would that not be classed as a vehicle modification that your insurance will need to be told about ?

[dazmond]

A waste of money on the split charge relay too if you're only doing 4000 miles a year

its a smart battery to battery charger ive ordered as apparently new vans from 2015 have different alternators with temperature sensors on them so you cant use the normal split charge relays.

Yeah what i mean is you do limited driving so your not really going to get any benefit out of the split relay system, i would imagine you will still need to bench charge every night still.

These battery to battery chargers are supposed to charge your batteries up to 50% faster than normal standard split charge relays so I reckon I'll be fine. 15 mins usually to my first job and 15 mins back home after work plus 30 mins for lunch with engine running. Thats an hour to charge the batteries. It might be enough. We ll see. If not it's no problem to run an extension cable out to the van. I've been doing it for 7+ years!

I wouldn't get to excited about the hype. You will still have to supplement your charge overnight doing low mileage. Even with the best equipment, NHS ambulances are often seen parked outside an emergency call out with the engines running.

They recommend that the first start of the day is with the engine running and on your way to your first job. This way the alternator supplies the bulk of the starting current needed to get the heater fired up. So your scr relay (in your case battery to battery charger if you have regenerative braking on your van) will do its job.

When moving to another job some distance away, unplug your hose reel and redirect your hot water into the tank. That way you will keep the heater going and reduce the number of boiler stop starts. You could even do this redirect to the tank with a 3 way tap valve.

This sort of thing
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-3-4-1-3-way-Ball-Valve-Stainless-Steel-Female-Port-T-Type-Lever-Handle/262760754224?hash=item3d2dc2ec30:m:m0HdHGkEzlvFpKUKk-ad64g

(they are out of stock of 1/2" but someone will have one.)

ok cheers spruce.i know these heaters can be heavy on the batteries so its still probably a good idea to get the B to B charger so at least im not draining them too low during my working day (then charge them overnight after work)

[Splash & dash]

How is it plumbed into the diesel tank?  Would that not be classed as a vehicle modification that your insurance will need to be told about ?

Yes it is a modification and is insured as such on a new for old agreed settlement should the worst happen .
There is a tee in the main fuel tank return pipe that it takes diesel from  it’s a 9kw

[Splash & dash]

A waste of money on the split charge relay too if you're only doing 4000 miles a year

I have two gell heavy duty batteries about 400 amps overkill but sometimes we work away from home for a few days and charging isn’t an option

its a smart battery to battery charger ive ordered as apparently new vans from 2015 have different alternators with temperature sensors on them so you cant use the normal split charge relays.

Yeah what i mean is you do limited driving so your not really going to get any benefit out of the split relay system, i would imagine you will still need to bench charge every night still.

These battery to battery chargers are supposed to charge your batteries up to 50% faster than normal standard split charge relays so I reckon I'll be fine. 15 mins usually to my first job and 15 mins back home after work plus 30 mins for lunch with engine running. Thats an hour to charge the batteries. It might be enough. We ll see. If not it's no problem to run an extension cable out to the van. I've been doing it for 7+ years!

I wouldn't get to excited about the hype. You will still have to supplement your charge overnight doing low mileage. Even with the best equipment, NHS ambulances are often seen parked outside an emergency call out with the engines running.

They recommend that the first start of the day is with the engine running and on your way to your first job. This way the alternator supplies the bulk of the starting current needed to get the heater fired up. So your scr relay (in your case battery to battery charger if you have regenerative braking on your van) will do its job.

When moving to another job some distance away, unplug your hose reel and redirect your hot water into the tank. That way you will keep the heater going and reduce the number of boiler stop starts. You could even do this redirect to the tank with a 3 way tap valve.

This sort of thing
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-3-4-1-3-way-Ball-Valve-Stainless-Steel-Female-Port-T-Type-Lever-Handle/262760754224?hash=item3d2dc2ec30:m:m0HdHGkEzlvFpKUKk-ad64g

(they are out of stock of 1/2" but someone will have one.)

ok cheers spruce.i know these heaters can be heavy on the batteries so its still probably a good idea to get the B to B charger so at least im not draining them too low during my working day (then charge them overnight after work)

[The Jester of Wibbly]

How is it plumbed into the diesel tank?  Would that not be classed as a vehicle modification that your insurance will need to be told about ?

Yes it is a modification and is insured as such on a new for old agreed settlement should the worst happen .
There is a tee in the main fuel tank return pipe that it takes diesel from  it’s a 9kw

Nice. I had the vision of holes being drilled through the tank 

[dazmond]

 Good luck Dazmond with your new Grippatank heater, I'm getting one early next year, are you getting the 9 KW heater.
 
 Lal

cheers mate.yes lal.the 9kw as ive heard reports of the 5kw ones not getting the water hot enough(well the pure freedom ones not sure about the grippa ones)

[dazmond]

Daz, if you want a new van and whatever kit you furnish it with go ahead.

Enjoy your sobriety and reward yourself with whatever you feel fits the bill.

cheers matt.we all pay our money and take our chances.at least im not spending it on alcohol,cigarettes and drugs anymore!

[dazmond]

ive had the quote from oliver and ive accepted it so he ll get back to me tomorrow probably matt.i think they can fit me in sometime in december so itll be an early xmas pressie to myself.

he said they are VERY busy at the moment though.some of the grippa guys have been working night shifts to get through the work lately.

Nice. What power system have you opted for your one man set up?

hi paul.its a battery to battery smart charger.i havent got much of a clue really.basically new vans after 2015 have different alternators on them so normal split charge relays wont work on these so i have to buy a smart charger.so i think what happens is my engine battery will be connected up to the smart charger and then to another battery in the back of the van and that ll run my pump/controller and 9 kw diesel heater.ill probably still have to charge up overnight due to my low mileage but at least it should stop my battery from draining too low when out working( if i can top it up a bit in between jobs and driving to and from work)

[dazmond]

You’ve decided to pay the balloon payment on your van already..? You’ve got another 4 1/2 years of monthly payments mate, you may think you’ve decided but you haven’t got a choice yet mate!!!

(Imo you’d be mental paying the balloon on a lease, you should have gone down the HP route)

i wasnt sure what i was going to do when i took out the lease but the likelyhood is i will pay the balloon and keep the van(but a lot can change in 4 years so who knows).ill keep my options open.