120 Hot Box Wiring Diagram

N

NJWashingGuy

New member
I have two propane hot boxes that I am converting to diesel fired. I have a wayne burner(s) for this. Does anyone have a simple wiring diagram to make this work. Electric is not my thing, but if I have a model to follow, I think I can do it. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I guess that I need from burner and fuel solenoid to flow switch to thermostat and to power plug. I will run this off a generator. Thanks!
 
The only thing you want to run through a flow/pressure switch I'd ground or power to your fuel solenoid. So with that in mind wire the fan and ignitir on when power is running on the generator. Then hook up power to the fuel solenoid as well. Take the negative from the fuel solenoid and run ground from the power cord in the flow switch then out the flow switch. In to the thermostat and out if the thermostat. From the out on the thermostT to the negative on the fuel solenoid. This will kill fuel to the burner when the flow switch is in the off position of the desired temp has been reached.
 
Chris Tharpe said:
The only thing you want to run through a flow/pressure switch I'd ground or power to your fuel solenoid. So with that in mind wire the fan and ignitir on when power is running on the generator. Then hook up power to the fuel solenoid as well. Take the negative from the fuel solenoid and run ground from the power cord in the flow switch then out the flow switch. In to the thermostat and out if the thermostat. From the out on the thermostT to the negative on the fuel solenoid. This will kill fuel to the burner when the flow switch is in the off position of the desired temp has been reached.
Click to expand...

In essence then, constant power is interrupted by the on/off switch. the hot feed the burner and the igniter which have constant power. The constant power then feeds to the flow switch which acts as an on/off switch itself based upon flow or not, it runs in sequence to the thermostat which then runs to the white on the fuel selonoid and the remaining wire on the fuel seloniod runs back to the white wire from your power cord to complete the circuit. I believe then the only ground runs as the green wire from the three prong power plug to a chassis ground?

Thanks for the help.......I kinda got it......i think
 
Burner Conversion is NOT for the novice..

Burner Conversion is NOT for the novice..
..Consult a tech.
..PAY someone to help you do it right/safely,

You will need to beef up the baffle on the inside of the coil,
and add one to the top at the outside of the coils,
..for "flame retention".

Knowing a little about a lot of things makes people confident.
Knowing some profitable techniques inspires some to become entrepeneurs.
Perfection is only available through an Experienced Master..
It's hards to think of "everything",
in functionality,
reliability,
LONG-term LOW-cost,
and serviceability.

Pay respect to a tech..
don't blow yourself up (nor an employee).
..Consider this a "Best Management Practice".
 
Sirocco Jerry said:
Burner Conversion is NOT for the novice..
..Consult a tech.
..PAY someone to help you do it right/safely,

You will need to beef up the baffle on the inside of the coil,
and add one to the top at the outside of the coils,
..for "flame retention".

Knowing a little about a lot of things makes people confident.
Knowing some profitable techniques inspires some to become entrepeneurs.
Perfection is only available through an Experienced Master..
It's hards to think of "everything",
in functionality,
reliability,
LONG-term LOW-cost,
and serviceability.

Pay respect to a tech..
don't blow yourself up (nor an employee).
..Consider this a "Best Management Practice".
Click to expand...

Once it is all together I will likely bring it to someone for a final tune up / dial in. I just cant get my eyes gouged out in the off season to put some nuts and bolts together and wire something that will take someone an hour and get whacked for 4 or 5 hours labor.
 
I get it,
and I agree,
..you have to be carefull about the difference between a "service-salesman"
and a true "tech"..
Ask LOTS of questions.
Take good notes of his answers,
and you can be decisively more comfortable you are "investing", instead of "spending".

A real tech, will never waste your time.
Be patient, but "target your questions"
especially so you can get closer to perfection.
Start with asking if he knows about the baffles, and "flame-retention"
then ask how to make the H-V ignitor "last a long time".
..either he knows, or he doesn't.
He should also suggest things like a fuel pressure gauge for serviceablity,
and where fuses should be for circuit protection, and easy troubleshooting.

Have a positive attitude towards technical help,
and expect "proof of" positive results.
Faith too is a valuable tool in business.
 
Last edited:
Isn't an LP coil 'coiled' differently? Is it OK to run diesel through it?

Whats the advantage of cutting ground with the pressure switch instead of power?
 
tomtucson said:
Isn't an LP coil 'coiled' differently? Is it OK to run diesel through it?

Whats the advantage of cutting ground with the pressure switch instead of power?
Click to expand...

In a 12 volt setting your not going to see the big drop in voltage like you would if your flow switch started and stopped the blower and transformer.


I'll call you later mike when I get on the road.
 
Here's one the Wiz posted years ago. If you have any problems following it, give me a call.
attachment.php
 
I am not planning on doing this, just curious.

So, to convert a propane hot box to Diesel, you would obviously need to install a Diesel tank and remove the propane tank.

I am guessing to change out the burners, from propane to Diesel.

Then comes the hard part, working with and/or manipulating the actual coil for proper flame heating/retention.

Then you would have the wiring issues for the pressure/flow switch and the temperature regulator/thermostat.

Then you would have it all put together and take it to a tech to make sure it is all done correctly and have him crank it up and make sure it is safe and works correctly.

Then you connect the cord to your generator and you are ready to make hot water.

Am I correct with this?

Approximately how much would this cost in parts doing it yourself (what you can do yourself) and then how many hours should the tech take to make sure it is done correctly and fine-tune the system?

Thanks.
 
You will need a new housing for the coil as well the propane systems work off a burner ring and the bottom is open for natural air flow. They do not have a fan just the natural updraft of the heat rising is what exhausts it. The only way you can use the existing housing is if you plan on fabricating something to hold the burner assembly in place and seal it up.
 
If I ever decide to convert mine I'll take the drive down to Jerry and let him do it. Like a heavy equipment operator told once...

"If you don't know leaver A then you better just leaver B"
 
This is not really difficult to accomplish. Electrical is not my thing, but thanks to the help from those on here, even a caveman can do it.

As far as the fabrication and coil design, the propane open air vs. the diesel sealed is easy with a plate of steel and some insulation. Cut the hole in the plate for the burner, weld some mounting studs, drill some other holes and bolt it together. As far as the coil goes, welding a plate to the bottom ring of coil is not difficult either. That is how its being done.

For those that think that this is a "crazy" DIY task, I don't believe that it is any more or less crazy than those who build their own vacuum recovery system. It may not perform as something with hours and hours of engineering behind it, but it will work.

It also seems that lately alot of contractors are upgrading the pumps on their 5 or 6 gpm units to 8 gpm and want more temp rise. Guys change out the burner nozzle and play with the air band. Is that safe for them to do or should they bring it to a professional?

As far as cost goes, with what I paid for the two coils and housing, the money in steel and misc parts, the burner assemblies, I would have to say that I will save a considerable amount of money versus buying two 8gpm 120 volt hot boxes new.
 
Work smart.. there's no replacement for experience.

I always appreciate upgrade projects in our service department,
and my favorite is to build new systems, but..
Most of you have figured out I push value, and technical support..
I always respect the guy that wants to do what he can for himself,
..as long as he does it safely, and is respectful of the time I spend enabling him.
Usually, a DIY guy just has trouble trusting someone to provide real value.
That's because the quality of pressure washers went down horribly, over the past 15 years,
and training service techs by the manufacturers was practically "disconnected".
That has done severe damage, especially to contract cleaners..
You need reliability.
As you shop the suppliers in your area, give them a chance to be helpful, and price consious.. They know by now, they will have to give you special-effort pricing.
Not all service departments and wholesalers are bad.
You are supposed to be selling contract cleaning, and managing your crews and equipment.
If you are spending time to build your own equipment,
you simply have not yet found a proper technical supplier,
or you are wasting your own time methodically.

Value = Performance for the dollar
add Reliability and Seviceability, to get "Long-Term-Low-Cost".
It's a simple formula, and all the more profitable guys use it.
and safely.
..Save the attitude for eliminating perpetuating mistakes.
 
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