Ardic diesel heater - how good?

[rsn48]

My buddy just purchased a 1990 Nordic Tug 32 and is having problems with the heater. My guess is that the previous owner didn't run it every month. It is an Ardic diesel heater, not the air circulating one. I know when my refit guy installed my Espar diesel heater he made me swear on a stack of bibles I would run it for fifteen minutes after warm every month until the end of times.

What is the quality of the Ardic heaters? Some research I carried out discussed lots of problems and poor performance. Others said Ardic was getting a bad rap.

 

[Jay N]

RSN, I had an ARDIC 042-D, 10,000 BTU rating that I acquired used in 2002 (it was a diesel fueled air heater, 1996 model). It was a beautifully made heater, all stainless steel.

I wasn't aware that ARDIC had a hydronic heater. Is that what you meant?

Anyway, I had Scan Marine rebuild it with a new blower. But to get it to work well, I had to install a relay with heavy wiring to the glow plug as it was sensitive to low voltage. Also, I needed to run a low pressure pump from the fuel tank, as it wouldn't draw fuel on it own when the fuel tank got below half.

After these improvements, the heater ran very well for 4 years, but was just too small (for WESTERLY) for cold weather cruising (it had to work too hard).

I remember the Scan Marine tech advising that the heater was not designed to operate 24/7.

 

[C lectric]

The Espars [some] were getting a bad rap too. FF, of here, posted that often the problem was the coil for the burner was not getting proper voltage from inadequate wire size vs the circuit length. Thus the coil was not really getting hot enough to properly and quickly start the fuel so it smoked. That of course would soot the chamber. He had a few other tricks too.

Maybe FF will chime in as I am no expert but have read MANY of his posts.

 

[rsn48]

This from the site of the boat that sold but to me it looked like a copy and paste of some original specs of the boat back in the day:

Cabin heat is supplied by an ARDIC Diesel Hydronic heater installed in the engine compartment with heat ducting throughout the vessel.

 

[FF]

" often the problem was the coil for the burner was not getting proper voltage from inadequate wire size vs the circuit length."

That was one problem , the major hassle is the units were built for OTR trucks and coaches where 14.4 volts is available with the engine on.

The glow plugs were built for 7.5v do there was a coil of resistance wire to bring the voltage down to have the glow plug last longer.

In a slip most times the batt voltage is 12.8 while being charged which drops very rapidly when the 25A starting amps are demanded.

This combination led to low voltage at the glow plug.

The cure was to trim a coil or two off the resistance wire .

AS few boats were underway during hard winter any reduction in plug service life was never noted.

The plug was easy to R&R , a sooty burner was a huge PIA as parts were usually required , after the unit was out and apart.