I acquired two of these diesel heaters from a neighbor I was doing some hydraulic cylinders for. He switched to propane and had no need for them. Said it had been 5 or more years since they’d ran and didn’t know if they worked or not. Figured I could throw them away as easy as anyone else could so I brought them home. Plugged them in and both fired right away and burn nice and clean. They’re both 160K btu units and will make a nice heater to take on the truck. There’s nothing on the web about them so I’m not sure how old they are, tag says Ace Electric Corporation, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Label on the burner housing says Ace Industrial Products Division of Century Engineering Corporation. Any of you guys seen these before?
I have never been around that brand but i have been around other heaters like them. I bought a new smaller one years ago to use in a semi trailer i was storing my tools in . I dont remember how it worked out but the ones i was around before put out alot fumes . It helped to use Kerosene instead of diesel . I was going to use mine to help warm up the shop while i am waiting on the wood furnace to heat it up. Seems they used a lot of fuel and were not very cheap to run.
I don't recognize that brand but they look similar to an old Knipco heater that I have.
Not seen Ace brand but looks similar to all the rest. As said, we run ours (masters) on kerosene, pretty basic mechanism inside as long as the electric "pack" (coil?) stays alive the rest is serviceable. Ours seem to need at least a quarter of a tank to run red hot, seems to stutter when getting low.
Motor gets tight after you run it awhile, I’ll probably take it apart and lube it. Other than that, it puts out a lot of heat. These heaters definitely aren’t the best option for inside use, but I work outside every day and they’re a lifesaver.
I like the kero/diesel heaters better than propane heaters because they don't produce nearly as much moisture. Most are very similar and could be yhe same with different names on them. If the pressure is set right they don't smell much at all. Only a little at first start or if they run out of fuel. Kerosene is ridiculously expensive so I just use diesel. Need to keep the air filter clean and the electric eye that senses temperature. You also want clean fuel.
This old girl is just plug and run. No eyes, sensors or even a power switch. Lubing the motor took care of the tightness issue and I ran it in the shop for an hour Saturday until it got too hot in there.
Some of them have a sensor that detects a flame and it needs to be clean. I have Reddi heater. No start button but it does have a thermostat. When I first plugged it in I thought it didn't work. I didn't realize it takes about 20 seconds or so before it starts.
We used to have a Master heater that looked pretty similar, just plug in too, wonder if ACE was the OEM. Worked great right up till it took a 4x8 sheet of 3/16 plate on top oops.
Master, Reddi and a few more were made by Deca International if I recall.
I think it’s interesting to come across something that isn’t widely found on the interwebs. There aren’t many things in existence that fit those qualifications anymore.