ChuBu Diesel Heater 2KW/5KW/8KW 12V-24V Portable Diesel Air Heater with Muffler, Remote Control, LCD Monitor, Fast Heating Defrost Defog for Campers, Truck, RV, Boat, Garage

I recently purchased the 8KW model to heat my garage during the cold Montana winters, ensuring that my workspace remains warm enough for projects while also preventing freezing. Below is my detailed feedback on the unit’s performance, assembly, and usability.The Positives:- This heater operates efficiently, particularly on lower settings, making it highly fuel-efficient. The large fuel tank is a significant advantage over compact all-in-one models.- Assembly was straightforward, though users will need to determine their own mounting and exhaust routing solutions, as the unit is not self-contained.- The value is excellent—I was able to apply a $30 coupon, bringing my final cost to just $80.- In terms of heating performance, it effectively warms my 450 sq. ft. garage from the low 30s to 50°F within two hours on setting 6 out of 10. After reaching a comfortable temperature, I can lower it to setting 2 to maintain approximately 55°F.- The hidden settings menu can be accessed using the code 1234.- To switch to Fahrenheit, press and hold the down arrow for about three seconds before starting the heater.Areas for Improvement:- The instruction manual is not well-translated, though it generally conveys the basics.- The noise level is average—the blower fan is noticeable on higher settings but relatively quiet on lower ones. The fuel pump emits the characteristic diesel heater ticking sound, which may bother some users, but I personally don’t find it disruptive. The included rubber mount helps reduce noise but could be improved further, possibly by enclosing the unit.- This model takes up more space than compact units, but its flexibility in mounting is a plus. The larger fuel tank is particularly beneficial.- Priming the unit is not intuitive. Users need to press the up arrow until the screen changes, then enter the desired interval for the pump to run. I had to crack open the fuel filter to break the airlock and initiate fuel flow.- Included hardware is exclusively short self-tappers. Plan on needing some other fasteners and adhesive/sealant.Challenges and Considerations:- Remote Pairing: The process is not clearly explained in the manual. To pair, press the up button and the settings button on the controller (attached to the unit) simultaneously to enter pairing mode. Then, press the power and OK button on the remote at the same time until pairing is successful. This must be done before starting the heater.- Stated vs. Actual Power Rating: According to both the manual and the hidden settings menu, this unit is classified as a 5KW model (P1H2) rather than an 8KW model. From what I have read, the difference between 5KW and 8KW models is minimal, aside from the 8KW version sometimes running richer. While this has not caused issues for me, it does raise concerns about the accuracy of product specifications.- Fuel Line Issues: The soft rubber fuel line (labeled as the “short fuel line” in the manual) is too short. I barely managed to install it by mounting the tank directly behind the unit and utilizing every millimeter of the line. I recommend purchasing additional clear yellow tubing to simplify installation. Additionally, the included hard plastic “long fuel line” is too small to fit over any of the fittings, rendering it unusable.Overall, this heater offers excellent value and performance despite some challenges with instructions, installation, and fuel line length. I appreciate the product’s efficiency and heating capability, but clearer documentation and more accurate specifications would go a long way. I plan to eventually add an afterburner controller for additional features and will update this review at that time.

I purchased to install in a 10×20 workshop, and being skeptical of cheap Chinese diesel heater, i bought the absolute cheapest one i could find. $63 on a prime day sale. Adapted to 110v outlet, i absolutely love this thing. Controls are in Celsius, and take some learning, but ok. It has heated my small shop reliably all winter, I do have a wood stove, but there are times I don't have a lot of time avaliable in the evening to build a fire but still need to make some kind of repair on something. The clamps and fuel line are not that great, but the unit itself is amazing. I did have to purchase a longer exhaust pipe for my specific application, but that is situational dependant. No issues at all.

Put the unit into service. It worked perfectly for three days and then produced an E8 code. And failed to produce heat. The manual gives trouble shooting instructions but I don’t feel like I should need to be disassembling the unit to check igniters or internal filters. The external filters is clear. The pump still moves fuel but the unit only produces smoke. If I was relying on the heater to keep me warm I would have froze to death on the third night

**Update #2** 2 month 20 day update after 8+hour daily use. Nearly flawless operation, not so much as a bad glow plug or problem. I use these heaters in my large uninsulated Michigan garage 8-12 hours a day. I have both of my fuel pumps isolation mounted side by side in a plywood lined screwed together silencing box and there's no audible ticking detectable when the unit is on. I used Strongthium 3/16" black fuel line which transmits less noise from the pumps than white nylon line and greatly simplifies installation. Gravity matters, I have my 5 & 6gal midwest tanks on my shelf slightly above the heaters, I did have fueling issues with the tank below the heaters. A minor annoyance is when running out of fuel this unit can smoke around the exhaust pipe on initial post refuel startup until you let it cool off. Starting both heaters at the same time totally works with my 12v lead deep cycle as long as the voltage is 12v or above (I manually plug in my charger when it drops to 11v). If you're relying on these for daily heat, grab yourself a 5 or 6 gallon fuel jug and mount the metal pickup to it. I use cheap basic motion pro 1/4" quick disconnects and rig something to the end to stop any potential leaks.The thin nylon line included WILL leak when used with thick Strongthium tubing, make sure you use the larger nylon tubing. Happy to report that there's zero issues with these less often recommended parts. Plastic or odd smells from the heat pipe stopped in less than 2 weeks and never came back. Zero diesel smell with the included gas tank's cap simply friction fit over the midwest can's opening. Overall I'm very happy with how maintenance free this's been since properly setting up, and the fuel pump is unnoticeable after switching to the strongthium lines and mounting in deadened box.My first diesel heater was a Vevor 8kw I bought just before Christmas, and was happy besides the controller. A fuel blockage then fast unblockage when I tried to locate the block got diesel all over my control and electronics- my fault for not taking proper care. *Update* After a bath in my basic ultrasonic cleaner and soak in alcohol ALL the electronics work again and it's my second heater mounted below this ChuBu. After learning 8kw of heat is not possible from this design and they're all 4.5-5kw (except the smaller 2kw), I figured I'd get a 5kw since 8kw units are apparently overfueled. *Update* Indeed, my Vevor 8kw is consistently the first to run out of fuel. The 3 button Vevor controller isn't as nice as the blue one included in the ChuBu kit.To me and I suspect most, this 5kw ChuBu is the superior unit from it's controller, included stiff nylon tubing (which is fuel rated and preferred to the flexible green line longer term), superior instructions, included metal fuel tank pickup that makes for easy mounting to a 5gal can, and lower price. The most obvious quality difference between the two is the ChuBu has louder fan bearings, which ironically helps to drown out the silence boxed fuel pump. The Vevor air had a mild, hot, sort of burnt plastic smell that lasted a good 10-20 hours before vanishing, and this ChuBu has a more mild oil adjacent smell that stuck around 4-5 days of use. I'd recommend this one for less experienced people as it comes with more of what you want out of the box. The Vevor if you can tinker and invest more time and research is also a solid unit. If you're getting one of these cheap diesel heaters, you're also getting into some customization tinkering and learning. If that's not your thing, get someone else to do it for you and do it properly, or consider other options. I've learned a lot and still can't know it all, but these diesel heaters were my hyperfixation for a solid 3 months so I've done some research haha.Here's a bunch of consolidated tips I would've loved to have early on I've learned from months of research and trial/error: You're gonna be messing with fuel lines, so be prepared for potential leaks (which usually make themselves apparent early on), bubbles, frustration, experimentation (unless you're copying an existing setup, which is a good idea but try to learn what makes a good setup in case you have problems), removal of fittings and spilling of diesel. Which, while less volatile and dangerous than gasoline is still not fun and annoying to clean up (I used oil absorbant for the larger ones and simple green degreaser for smaller ones). The nylon fuel lines are SMALLER than 3/16 as I found out and I'm still not sure on the exact size in inches. I can halfway recommend the LIZAPUS "4mm" fuel line kit which is the correct size, but it doesn't come with enough hose clamps for a perfect install if you go Nylon. The Strongthium route allows you to circumvent Nylon lines entirely as well as total splices everywhere except the fuel tip of the unit.Dusty Odyssey has a great video on YouTube for silencing the ticking fuel pump by making a soft mount/decoupled plywood box to encase it in. Pretty time/craft intensive but a dense enclosure and soft/decoupled mounting makes a huge difference. Butyl auto sound deadener wrapped in a layer around the thick metal part of the pump lowers the pitch of the pump to more of a thump, and quiets it too. I followed mine up with some thin self adhesive foam. Mounting angle of the fuel pump matters for longevity especially but potentially sound and mitigation of air bubbles as well. There's conflicting opinions, but the most numerous I've observed is the pump exit side pointing 45 degrees up. Some say you need comparatively rigid nylon fuel line that ensures full strength of fuel pulses without soft lines absorbing the energy. If you use the nylon line or thick couplers like from the LIZ kit, make sure the line attached to the output of the pump is touching or close as possible to the pump end as bubbles form most readily there. For me, using entirely black line eliminated bubbles.Lowered Expectations on YouTube was able to successfully fuel his with only a gravity feed and no fuel pump, calling the supposed importance of strong pulses into serious question. I'm convinced it's not necessary whatsoever, just don't use the green soft line. I had great results with the green line (which isn't fuel rated and can break down & leak in months to years of use & is generally recommend to replace), nylon line and the black flexible line included in this and the LIZAPUS kit. Gravity, an as short as possible and restriction free fuel line setup have proven to be more important than the type of line used. The white stiffer nylon line transmits a lot more vibration and sound than others, and is the reason I switched to all black line. To power these you're going to need a DC power supply that's 12 volts and can supply 15 amps. Some say 10 is okay, 12 or 13 but 15 is safe. They only pull high amps when the glow plugs are heating. Because these are combustion heaters, they get hot and need a proper cool down cycle when turned off and sudden loss of power at any time during operation can damage the heater, specifically the circuitry that relies on the blower fan. The cooldown cycle on this heater unit turns off the pump and runs the fan for 3-5 minutes or so to cool down the heater. That's why many use 12v batteries, but some fight the necessity. I used a $130 duralast size 27 deep cycle marine/rv 12v lead acid battery and it runs for a solid 24-36 hours of continuous use (12-16hr days for 2 days). I leave my trickle charger on all the time and don't worry about power any more. The bottom intake exhaust and fuel lines should only be mounted or used facing down or to the side, never up. A potential problem that hasn't happened to me but has to some is the rubber exhaust and intake gasket melting or burning. There's a small vendor on eBay who sells red high temp silicone base gaskets for $11, which I got for my 2kw in my van I have yet to install. Personally I would go silicone if I did it again for the peace of mind. The heater air intake tube end fitting filter or baffle isn't just for light filtration, it apparently also regulates air flow so using it's a good idea unless you have better information. Similarly, make sure any bends in the exhaust and engine intake are as wide and nonsharp as possible, as sharp bends disrupt airflow and can reduce performance. Venting the exhaust is a total must, and you can do it many ways but it gets extremely hot so if you're going through a wall you need an air gap and complete physical fireproof barrier between the exhaust tube and any flammable material. I bought a "titanium" exhaust wrap for $15 to reduce the risk of fire but it's made of fiberglass, which was super prone to fraying, shedding and getting sharp fiberglass EVERYWHERE which's been a total nightmare to clean up. Vinegar is a good solution if you get it on your skin. The fuel tank included is okay, some hate it but in my experience a midwest 5gal diesel can I drilled a hole in for the metal pickup works better, can be portable with a quick disconnect and holds more diesel. I had to bend and cut the pickup but neither were hard to do and I'm very happy with this, just don't bend the metal pipe too much. The blue vent cap included with this kit actually friction fits on my midwest can perfectly and I've just been using that. Not a permanant solution but I don't smell diesel ever.To conclude, my total finalized setup cost of just this ChuBu unit (not counting products mentioned but no longer used) is $360. If I did it again, my final setup cost would be $250 with a $60 20ah LiFePO4 battery and $30 4a charger. To break it down: $10 Strongthium 3/16 fuel line hose kit, $20 Motion Pro straight thru quick disconnect valve, $140 for my deep cycle lead acid 12v battery at Autozone, a $62 Haisito 20a multi type battery charger (I spent more so it can pull double duty for my100ah LFP battery too), and a $30 5gal midwest diesel can. If you're strong, the 6 gallon can is even better if you want it.Overall if or when I encounter a problem I can't fix that's not a premature or stupid failure, I'll be buying this exact model again unless someone comes out with a proven higher output unit for an affordable price. Good luck, and if you want answers there's large communities of people who know all about these things.