Can you mount a Chinese Diesel Heater on its side?

Knowing how to mount a Chinese diesel heater is an important skill. Any wrong move can lead to a severe accident as the heater can easily leak.

We wanted to understand how to properly mount and install a Chinese diesel heater and whether you could mount it on its side. 

This led us to check out manufacturers and expert technicians who elaborated on the technical details. We also talked to individual users who did the installation themselves as we checked the ease with which it was possible to install such units without professional assistance.

How to Install a Chinese Diesel Heater

Chinese diesel heaters have pretty decent reviews on Amazon and truckers’ groups. Numerous caravan enthusiasts can swear on this diesel heater’s goodness and effectiveness, especially during harsh winters. 

It is therefore not surprising that many people choose it for their heating needs.

To install the heater, gather the tools and supplies needed for this process. You will need tools for the base Chinese diesel heater kit and the larger fuel tank. Besides that, you also need tools to help with the installation process.

Once you have the tools and supplies ready, proceed to mount the heater unit as follows:

Mounting the Heater

Find a suitable mounting location. This is critical as it determines where hoses, wires, and tubes will be situated. 

Most people would fix the heater location under the passenger seat, especially if this were not factored in during the van’s construction.

If the build of the van or truck allows it, it is best to select a central location for your Chinese heater. 

For those who settle for the passenger seat as the ideal location, focus on finding the perfect location. The underside of the van is a 2-3 inch gap that is wide enough to run the exhaust and combustion through.

This is important as it provides clearance for the mounting plate. You may also need to trim the rubber floor lining of the seat using a knife and make two notches at the seat’s metal base using a hand grinder.

To make maintenance more manageable,  cut out a large hole instead of 3 smaller holes at the van’s base. Doing this allows easy removal of the heater in case it is needed since all you have to do is remove the four screws on the mounting plate, and the heater slides out.

Why the Correct Location Matters

A forced air should be mounted on a fixed location in a camper van or caravan truck. Make sure to mount the heater upright to work optimally and consume low fuel. 

However, installing the heater upright is not always possible, and the installer may have to rotate it at least 90 degrees.

If this is the case, it is crucial to consider the fuel inlet location. Make sure that this part of the heater faces upwards when the heater is rotated, maybe to the side. This allows the fuel to burn its fuel combustion chamber completely.

On the other hand, the heater’s oil inlet should be facing downwards. This removes the fear that the diesel fuel may flow out and cause a fire. 

Alternatively, utilize L-shaped mounting plates these should be the stainless steel kind) since it will allow you to mount the heater in an upright position.

What to Bear in Mind When Fixing Diesel Heaters

Typically, the heater comes with an aluminum or plastic casing and a heater core. Once installed, you must turn the diesel air heater impeller. 

However, there is a possibility that the impeller may be sticking out, which happens when the diesel heater housing is dislodged when securing the heater in place.

To fix this, loosen the four screws on your heater’s bottom and adjust the housing position before finally tightening the screws again.

How to Pack the Cable Installations

The heater comes with other accessories that make it possible to function normally. One of these would be the parking heater cable. Proper installation of these cables needs to be considered as well.

Though often overlooked, this cable is one of the essential components of the heater. Other than connecting it appropriately, the cable and wires must be properly installed to prevent any magnetic interference from the nearby electronic components in the heater. Such interference is significant enough to cause serious malfunctioning.

It is also possible that the heater could leak electromagnetic waves due to poor cable installation. This often results in nearby equipment not working as it should. Therefore, ensuring that the heater’s power cord is connected appropriately is essential. 

It has to be connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery.

The heater’s power cords also need to have the right length.

Unfortunately, some manufacturers use short power cords to cut manufacturing costs. It often hinders the zero-wire connection to the battery. 

Unfortunately, extending the zero wire is impossible since two direct connections interfere with the diesel heaters. Therefore, consider replacing the whole zero wire instead to fix this issue.

Make sure the zero and fire wires remain in the same place.

Attempts to separate them lead to errors due to electromagnetic interference. Therefore, it will be impossible to use the heater correctly.

What Should You Do When the Heater Cable is Too Long?

While some manufacturers shorten the cables and wires too much, others add extra lengths. 

This can be a major problem if the distance from the heater to the control panel or battery is too short. Most of the time, one notices that the chord is extremely long when they are done with the installation process.

Fortunately, this is an easy problem to fix. Please find a way of safely coiling the remaining chord and securely tucking it in. 

Avoid the temptation of cutting or reducing the size of the cord, as such measures will lead to electromagnetic interference, which you do not want.

Key Takeaways

• You can mount a Chinese Diesel heater on its side.
• Proper installation of a Chinese diesel heater should always be a priority
• Take care of wiring when installing a diesel heater to avoid electromagnetic interference
• Selecting the right position to establish a diesel heater is a priority.