How Big Should the Auxiliary Tank Be for a Vertical All-in-One Diesel Air Heater?

A vertical all-in-one diesel air heater can draw fuel either from the vehicle's main tank or from a small separate auxiliary tank. A dedicated tank simplifies installation and lets the heater run without risking the fuel needed for driving, but its size needs some thought. Too small means constant refills, while an oversized tank adds weight and occupies storage space.

Estimate Your Daily Heating Fuel Use

A typical vertical heater burns roughly 0.1 to 0.3 liters per hour at modulated output. Over a ten-hour night that is around 1 to 3 liters, depending on the outside temperature and how well the cab is insulated. A delivery truck that runs the heater for shorter daytime spells uses less. Multiply the expected daily use by the number of days between refills to get a starting tank volume.

Practical Tank Sizes and Mounting

For occasional weekend use, a 5 liter tank usually covers two to three nights. For overnight trucking through winter, a 10 liter to 15 liter tank is a common fit, enough for a full week of nightly heating before a refill. Mount the tank low and secure, away from the exhaust and hot pipe, with a clearly marked cap and a simple water drain. Keep the tank below or level with the heater so fuel flows reliably.

Drawing From the Main Tank Instead

Some installations tap into the main vehicle tank with a suction pickup, which removes the need for a separate container but leaves less margin for driving fuel. If you take that route, fit a fuel pickup that draws from a safe height above the tank bottom so the heater never risks emptying the truck. Whichever supply you choose, use the same seasonal diesel grade as the engine to avoid waxing problems in cold weather.

References

GB/T 7714: YEK P N Y, LAU C E, LAU S Y, et al. A novel microwave air heater integrated with thermal energy storage [J]. International Journal of Energy Research, 2022, 46(13): 19269-19277.

APA 7th: Yek, P. N. Y., Lau, C. E., Lau, S. Y., et al. (2022). A novel microwave air heater integrated with thermal energy storage. International Journal of Energy Research, 46(13), 19269-19277.

MLA 9th: Yek, P. N. Y., et al. "A Novel Microwave Air Heater Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage." International Journal of Energy Research, vol. 46, no. 13, 2022, pp. 19269-19277.