The Diesel Heater They DON’T Want You to See — Real 20kW Output!

Video Description

A viewer asked if one of these diesel hydronic heaters could actually heat a building — like a cabin, Off gird shack, or a well pump house. I sent that question to HLN… and they built us a 20kW diesel hydronic heater to test and find out. IT IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE! https://www.hlnind-shop.com/products/hln-aquano-12k-coolant-heater-24v 🎁 HLN Heaters are expensive, Ive asked them for some help on the price. here is a Discount Code: Use %Jasonhurst for 20% off. — and support the channel at the same time. Want more info.. check out the blog post here https://hangingwiththehursts.com/reviews/can-a-20kw-diesel-hydronic-heater-heat-a-cabin Today we’re going to stop guessing and measure it for real: fuel in, heat out, no marketing fluff. In this video : • Mount and plumb a 20kW HLN diesel hydronic heater • Run my standard 5 gallon benchmark test for apples-to-apples comparison • Step up to a 100 gallon stock tank “torture test” to simulate a real building load • Measure diesel consumption, power draw, kW output, BTU/hr, and efficiency • Tear the unit down to inspect build quality, soot, and heat exchanger design • Use Denver, Colorado winter data to estimate whether this heater can heat a 1500 sq ft home – and how much diesel it would burn over a winter 🔬 Key results • 5 gallon test: • 5 gal from 20.5°C → 79.6°C in 5:15 • Diesel used: 173.3 g • ~14.9 kW output (~50,700 BTU/hr) • ~63% efficiency • 100 gallon “torture test”: • 100 gal from 18.2°C → 66.6°C in 1:05:55 • Diesel used: 3 L • ~19.4 kW output (~66,000 BTU/hr) • ~71% efficiency (legit boiler territory for an off-the-shelf diesel unit) • House-sized scenario (thought experiment): • 1,500 sq ft, average insulation (~30 BTU/ft²·hr) → ~45,000 BTU/hr design load • This heater delivers ~66,000 BTU/hr, so it has headroom to cycle, not run flat-out • In a Denver, CO style winter (Dec–Feb), using this as the only heat source would burn roughly 2,100 L / ~550 gallons of diesel • Not an “ideal” whole-house solution, but absolutely capable in the right off-grid use case 🧱 What this heater is (and isn’t) This 20kW HLN unit is best thought of as a small diesel boiler for: • Off-grid cabins and shacks • Remote pump houses or utility buildings • Radiant floor heat, radiators, and fan coils • Keeping a structure from freezing when you’re away (especially if you already stock diesel on-site) It is: • 24V only • Loud – more of a commercial/industrial sound profile • On/Off control only (no multi-level power modes) • Built like a tank, with brushless pump and fan, excellent wiring, and a massive heat exchanger I wouldn’t personally make this my sole heat source for a primary residence, but as a diesel-powered boiler feeding radiant floors, a buffer tank, and radiators – especially in a remote cabin that already has diesel on site – it’s a very interesting option. ⸻ ⚙️ Teardown & design details In the teardown I look at: • The combustion chamber and heat exchanger (they’re huge) • How the intake air path works and why this unit is so noisy • The brushless fan and pump assemblies • The control module with heatsinks • Soot buildup (or lack thereof) after long runs • The overall machining and QC inside the heater Spoiler: after an hour-plus at full tilt, soot is almost nonexistent. This thing burns very clean. ⸻ 💬 Transparency & how to get one HLN sent me this heater to test, but: • This is not a paid review • HLN has no control over what I say • All opinions and test results are my own, and I stand by the math This specific 20kW unit isn’t listed on HLN’s website as of filming — it’s basically a “behind the counter” product. If you’re seriously considering something like this for a cabin or project: 👉 Contact Kevin at HLN: Tell him you saw Jason’s 20kW test and what you’re trying to heat. He can help spec a system for your application. [email protected] Use code %JasonHurst at checkout to save 20% on any HLN product at: https://www.hlnind-shop.com/collections/diesel-heater-water-heater ⸻ 🔗 Related videos • 🔥 HLN 10kW Steel Hydronic Heater – 67% Efficiency Test: https://youtu.be/P7vK-YL3lyo • 🔥 HLN Aquano 5kw Hydronic Test - https://youtu.be/YpbkyqjbRcs • 🚌 My Bus Build Hydronic Heat Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOS_dLBv5raQ2XNEGh38IzowrIrvenvos ⸻ 🙌 Thanks for watching If you like deep-dive testing, real numbers, and honest reviews (no fluff, no scripting from the manufacturer), consider: • 👍 Liking the video • 💬 Dropping a comment with your questions or ideas for the next test • 🔔 Subscribing so you don’t miss the follow-up experiments (exhaust heat scavenging, radiant floor integration, and bus install) I’m Jason Hurst. Thanks for hanging out. Now I’ve got to put this 20kW beast back together…