Pinkythelabrat
A2OC Donor
I have sourced a couple of spare Webasto units with the intention of repurposing these. This isn’t strictly A2 related but hopefully anything that I may learn might help others with their own car-based equipment.
The first project is to use this little diesel powered Lovely to heat an inflatable hot tub. I scored this beauty for 200 quid with all chemicals needed to use it and it is a lovely thing to be able to sit in the garden and watch the stars. On the down side electricity is ruinous to heat them (a 2kw electric heater and 1000L of water) and it is designed for occasional use so only runs for 3 day’s without input and cannot be set below 30C. That second is a problem because I want to keep it out all winter (best time for bathing) and the PVC doesn’t like temps below 6C (it can crack) and the pump/heater/filter cannot freeze without damage. It also takes a fair while to heat up from cold - about 1-2C per hour - so spontaneous bathing is a challenge.
My plan is to use a thermostatic controller to turn on and off the Webasto and maintain the temperature of the tub above freezing (or 6C) and also to use it to heat up to operational temps (40C) when I want to use it. 5kw should give about 4C an hour.
I’ll come back with plans and designs in a later post.
The second project will hopefully use my learning from the first to retrofit a Webasto heater onto my VW T25 campervan to provide heating and possibly hot water depending on how ambitious I get.
Previous chat and research on this subject has revealed that this heating role is actually the much more normal purpose for Webasto units and they are used in campervans, caravans and yachts worldwide.
It would be mounted externally, have its own fuel container externally and will probably heat a liquid circuit and radiator/heat exchanger to give warm air within the van. The heat exchanger may also give hot water depending on what I go for plumbing wise. This will need to work overnight as well so it can’t be hooked into the vehicle coolant circuit and will need to be thermostatically controlled.
As an aside, I may look at retrofitting a circulation pump into my TDi75 and putting in a remote controller to allow the Webasto to be remotely activated to heat the coolant system and engine block on frosty mornings. This is something which can be done by professionals and should only, theoretically, require a pump to move the coolant around, a thermostatic controller and a remote activator. This might be something which is well beyond me but I’ll see how I get on with the other stuff.
If anyone has any knowledge of the Webasto and fuel pump system they wish to share please do feel free. I’m particularly interested in the wiring and electrical controls.
Here goes!
Alex
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The first project is to use this little diesel powered Lovely to heat an inflatable hot tub. I scored this beauty for 200 quid with all chemicals needed to use it and it is a lovely thing to be able to sit in the garden and watch the stars. On the down side electricity is ruinous to heat them (a 2kw electric heater and 1000L of water) and it is designed for occasional use so only runs for 3 day’s without input and cannot be set below 30C. That second is a problem because I want to keep it out all winter (best time for bathing) and the PVC doesn’t like temps below 6C (it can crack) and the pump/heater/filter cannot freeze without damage. It also takes a fair while to heat up from cold - about 1-2C per hour - so spontaneous bathing is a challenge.
My plan is to use a thermostatic controller to turn on and off the Webasto and maintain the temperature of the tub above freezing (or 6C) and also to use it to heat up to operational temps (40C) when I want to use it. 5kw should give about 4C an hour.
I’ll come back with plans and designs in a later post.
The second project will hopefully use my learning from the first to retrofit a Webasto heater onto my VW T25 campervan to provide heating and possibly hot water depending on how ambitious I get.
Previous chat and research on this subject has revealed that this heating role is actually the much more normal purpose for Webasto units and they are used in campervans, caravans and yachts worldwide.
It would be mounted externally, have its own fuel container externally and will probably heat a liquid circuit and radiator/heat exchanger to give warm air within the van. The heat exchanger may also give hot water depending on what I go for plumbing wise. This will need to work overnight as well so it can’t be hooked into the vehicle coolant circuit and will need to be thermostatically controlled.
As an aside, I may look at retrofitting a circulation pump into my TDi75 and putting in a remote controller to allow the Webasto to be remotely activated to heat the coolant system and engine block on frosty mornings. This is something which can be done by professionals and should only, theoretically, require a pump to move the coolant around, a thermostatic controller and a remote activator. This might be something which is well beyond me but I’ll see how I get on with the other stuff.
If anyone has any knowledge of the Webasto and fuel pump system they wish to share please do feel free. I’m particularly interested in the wiring and electrical controls.
Here goes!
Alex
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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