Dickinson Alaska or Newport heater fuel consumption

Bilgewater · #1 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

I have a Dikinson Alaska diesel heater which is basically the same heater and its fed directly from my tanks through a pulse pump. I don't have a fuel gauge and I can't get a measuring stick into either of my tanks. I calculate my cruising consumption at 2.75 liters per hour but now I'm running my heater on low most of the day and sometimes around the clock almost every day. I carry lot's of fuel but I'm sure this is going to throw things off a bit. Does anyone out there with a day tank arrangement know what the consumption of one of these heaters is on the low or high settings.

JohnRPollard · #2 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

Dickinson lists fuel consumption here:

DickinsonMarine.com - Diesel Natural Draft Heaters - The Alaska

Mirari · #3 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

To get a real accurate reading on what your Alaska Stove is burning I would take the removable parts out of the burner and mop up any diesel in the burner. Then turn on the fuel control to the setting you normally burn in and start a stop watch. Allow it to flow until you have a few onces of diesel. Shutoff the fuel and stop the watch. The most accurate way to now measure this amount of fuel is to use a small accurate scale and measure the weight of a dry paper towel and the weight of the towel that has absorbed all the diesel. Do a little math and you will have your consumption rate.

Bilgewater · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

Thanks very much John, that info didn't come with the Dickinson so I assumed it didn't exist.

JohnRPollard · #5 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

You're very welcome, Steve.

That looks like a nice diesel heater.

We have a propane Dickinson Newport -- but our climate is more mild than yours, I think!!

Bilgewater · #6 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirari

To get a real accurate reading on what your Alaska Stove is burning I would take the removable parts out of the burner and mop up any diesel in the burner. Then turn on the fuel control to the setting you normally burn in and start a stop watch. Allow it to flow until you have a few onces of diesel. Shutoff the fuel and stop the watch. The most accurate way to now measure this amount of fuel is to use a small accurate scale and measure the weight of a dry paper towel and the weight of the towel that has absorbed all the diesel. Do a little math and you will have your consumption rate.

That's a good idea, I think I'll try this. According to the specs. from Dickinson they use about twice what I thought they would use.

Mirari · #7 (**permalink**) 10-21-2008

I also have the Alaska model. I was wondering, did you by chance add a heatex unit? I know most of my heat is going up the stack and am considering getting this unit or making my own heat exchanger.
I've also had a few backdraft events even though I did add the recommended barometric damper. Have you had any problems like that?

Bilgewater · #8 (**permalink**) 10-21-2008

I don't have the heatex on mine, I seem to get enough heat without it. I have a damper and I do get backdraft problems occasionally. The guy in the fishboat in front of me had this problem and Dickinson told him to add a length of pipe and although it helped a great deal, he still has problems in higher winds 20+ knot but it's usually difficult to increase the length of the stack on a sailboat. I have the DP style exhaust cap and I'm thinking about cutting a short piece of SS flue pipe about 5" high and 8" in diameter and install that around the cap using spacers to hold it in place and hopefully this stops the wind from hitting the vent slots directly.

WesterlyPageant · #9 (**permalink**) 12-30-2008

Have you had a chance to make/try the DP cap shield yet? I'm getting backdrafts too often in 15+ winds and the stove is useless in 20+.

I have 22" of straight pipe, then another 16" in a gentle curve inside the boat. I have a 22" extension piece that I'll use when at the dock capped off with the DP cap.

I've tried to use foil to cover the windward side of the cap, but that is of little benifit. I'm at a crossroads of either trying the H style cap, or making a DP cap shield.

your, or anyone's experiance would be nice. I can add another 22" pipe above deck if needed too.

Bilgewater · #10 (**permalink**) 12-31-2008

I haven't done this yet, I've been away from the boat for a few months. But I am going to try this soon.

You have less pipe than I do and the more pipe the better according to Dickinson. I now keep the fan under the burner going on the low setting full time when the wind is high and this improves it a lot.

The H cap is not designed properly in my opinion. I had this on a previous heater and had problems with rain getting into the burner bowl. The rain comes in the upright H usually at an angle, hits the horizontal centre of the H and runs along this and down the pipe and into the burner bowl. The bottom of the horizontal square tube should be angled down toward the H uprights so the rain can't drip in. The way it is designed with 2 straight rectangles it is a real problem out here on the wet coast and I don't see too many of them being used. I also had back draft problems with this design but it was a different stove with a much smaller diameter pipe.

I would think that adding the extra 22" of pipe you have would solve it but it would stick up pretty high. I do know that a lot of the fish boats around here with long pipes seem to have no problem and they go out in all kinds of weather.