Why HEATPORT is the winner in NZ market?
INTRODUCTION
Unlike any other NZ sellers offering products of this kind who import finished diesel heater kits from overseas, from our research, HEATPORT is the only company in New Zealand who actually assembles both installation kits and the core heating units directly in New Zealand.
We imports rather carefully selected each individual components of these heaters. Thanks to this strategy we have a total control on the quality and we carefully select suppliers or factories who manufacture individual sub-components. We try our best to get access to the best parts available on the market where decision is not based on purchase price, but always on quality. We also let factories custom-manufacture many parts for us to improve the overall quality or function or some of the components are also re-manufactured by us. Thanks to the total control on selection of suppliers of each individual part, our own assembly and quality check and very advanced documentation, we have created for customers and our deep understanding what factors actually influence the life time of the units we were able to rapidly increase the quality that can not be compared with "typical" low cost diesel heaters offered anywhere else in NZ.
Most of the other diesel heater brands or non brands ,imported to NZ from China share the very same product design Eberspächer Airtronic D2 / D4 engineered back in Germany and product photos show similar product. The main difference is that the friendly retail price has been achieved by cutting the price all the way in the assembly factory in two most critical areas - selection of core components included, cutting the price on the manufacturing cost = quality of components + assembly itself + most importantly quality check with acceptable levels set too low. All these factors not only lower the quality of the product , but can rapidly affect the lifetime - something not shown on the photos. In comparison, the genuine Eberspächer Airtronic D4 units are still sold for about $3500NZD retail, therefore the idiom "You get what you pay for" applies in this field as well as in any other industry.
Reaching the best quality product may be one winning strategy, but for typical customers or commercial resellers the most important is a reliable supply chain in case anything gets wrong or the customer requires any assistance. Thanks to the largest stock of spare parts and accessories of this particular product in NZ, our service/installation facility (located in Banks Peninsula / Canterbury) and our deep knowledge in this field, we are able to offer the extra fast warranty/after-warranty support with very reasonable pricing of spare components.
The lack of spare parts does not only affect small rebranded heaters imported to NZ from China, this also affects the large German brands - who are represented in New Zealand only by a list of resellers/e-shops who only include couple of main products in their product portfolio and with no or very limited stock of spare components. The supply may mean waiting typically 3 weeks for air shipping from Europe and with larger landed cost + margins of resellers. So, the price of some individual parts may jump up to 5-10x higher than typical HEATPORT replacement parts. This makes the after warranty repairs of the German brands very uneconomic. We are often contacted by owners of motorhomes/caravans with German brand units who received quotations for repairs in the range of thousands of dollars and they rather decide for complete exchange of a brand new heating system offered by New Zealand's brand HEATPORT.
Our goal is not to compete with cheap exports from China, but instead offer quality products and better packages for the local NZ market. We periodically improve the quality of many components, every year we are able to shift the quality of our products even higher. As we get many components custom manufactured directly for our brand, in many areas we have already achieved the components to be of very same quality as the products of European brands. In some areas we managed to even solve the product design flaws or simply discovered the opportunities for improvement and we managed to overtake and get some components even further to optimal product design. We are working hard to put into production soon new improvements that will get our product even further, offer better user interface, reliability or simply make the product easier to install which can reduce the installation time/cost.
Comparison Chart
Brand
Compared model
2kW / 5kW*
* Sometimes carrying misleading specification of the maximal power 8kW.
H2/H4
Aitronic D2/D4
Retail price
Purchased overseas:
< NZ$500*
Purchased in NZ market:
+- NZ$400-900
HEATPORT pricing:
From NZ$888* (H2)
From NZ$1,111* (H4)
HEATPORT pricing:
From NZ$1,888* (Airtronic D2)
From NZ$2,666* (Airtronic D4)
Prices of these products from another retailers may be much higher.
* prices exc. GST
All products look very similar so what is the real difference?
Lets check below.
The comparison of all parties has been done clearly to showcase the real differences by our best knowledge and is done honestly and impartially to answer the most common repeatable questions of "What is the difference?" . Please make your own decision and judgement.
Overview
"Chinese Diesel Heater" is the very popular slang name used worldwide for the low cost clone of of the original model developed in Germany by Eberspächer. The purchase price usually determines the quality of the components itself and therefore overall quality, life-time and safety of the product.
No brand OR branded models purchased online from overseas including the locally rebranded diesel heaters sold by local resellers and e-shops.
The purpose of the comparison below is not to discredit the quality of products of another brands, but is it meant to be a warning that should rather showcases how bad not just the parts can be, but also the overall life-time, total cost of the ownership and the support you may expect.
All of the compared values below may not be applicable to all of the "low-cost brands" available on market, but represent the typical most common lowest-cost installation diesel air heater kit drop-shipped to NZ or imported by local resellers.
HEATPORT brand is the ownership of the New Zealand based family owned company LF Bros NZ Pty Limited with its own design, development, testing, assembly, quality check, installation and service facility located in Banks Peninsula.
Our mission is to bring the ultimate premium quality diesel heating system that everyone can afford.
We think about every single detail of the product. This details are mostly invisible for normal people but we know that the continual improvement of all of these bits with no compromise on the selection of the parts and quality is the only way to offer the best customers experience, long lasting easy to use product and reach of the customers trust.
The Eberspächer Group of Companies, with headquarters in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany, is a privately owned family business that is an international automotive supplier.
It is one of the leading system developers and suppliers of diesel heaters in the world.
Origin
Made in
China
New Zealand
Germany
Poland
Origin of core product design
Germany
Germany
Germany
Current product designed
China
New Zealand
Germany
Assembly and QC
China
New Zealand
Germany
Poland
Origin of parts & sub-components
China
... list of other countries of origin depends on particular model and suppliers of the manufacturer
Australia
Canada
China
Japan
Korea
New Zealand
Taiwan
United Kingdom
United States
Worldwide
Components
Main heatING unit
Plastic casing
LOW QUALITY
• cheap plastic material
• may release toxic gases after overheating heating
• low scratch/crack resistance
• very low quality of mould
• very low quality of edge finish
EXTRA HIGH QUALITY
• PA66-GF30
• high temperature / scratch /crack resistant plastic
HIGH QUALITY
• PA66-GF30
• high temperature / scratch /crack resistant plastic
Heat exchanger
LOW QUALITY
• low quality moulds
• low surface finish
• wrongly cleaned aluminium extrusion in inlets
HIGH QUALITY
• high quality moulds
• sand blasting of the surface
• face milling of the hot side
HIGH QUALITY
Motor fan
LOW QUALITY
• wrongly balanced fan
HIGH-QUALITY
• precisely balanced fan
HIGH QUALITY
• precisely balanced fan
Glow Plug
LOW QUALITY
• cheap glow plug
• lower life time & performance
HIGH QUALITY
• Japanese Kyocera glow plug
HIGH QUALITY
• Japanese Kyocera glow plug
Thermal pads
LOW QUALITY
• pads imbedded to the casing
HIGH QUALITY
• pads glued to the casing
HIGH QUALITY
• pads imbedded to the casing
OR
• pads imbedded to the casing
Waterproof ECU unit
N/A
COMING SOON
• models Early 2022
YES
• the heater unit is allowed to be sitting under the vehicle and be exposed to water
Waterproof ECU connectors
N/A
YES
YES
• the heater unit is allowed to be sitting under the vehicle and be exposed to water
Socket Screws (Motor/Exchanger/Burner)
BLACK OXIDE
• no protection agains corrosion not just in marine environment
STAINLESS STEEL 316
• highest protection agains corrosion in marine environment
ZINC PLATED
• medium protection agains corrosion in marine environment
Control system
Auto-stop function
N/A
The heating unit continues heating in the lowest heating power once the preset temperature is reached. This can cause increasing of the room temperature above the preset temperature.
YES
• Voice Multi Control
• EnControl
YES
Wired controller
LOW QUALITY
• very unintuitive UI
• extremely difficult to operate
• no documentation
HIGH-QUALITY
• Voice Multi Control
HIGH-QUALITY
UI of controller
DIFFICULT
• very unintuitive UI
• extremely difficult to operate
• no documentation
EXTRA EASY
• Voice Multi Control
EASY
Keychain wireless controller
N/A or YES
YES
• Voice Multi Control (optional)
YES
(optional)
3M double sided sticker for wired switch
N/A
YES
N/A
Wiring harness
LOW QUALITY
• single insulation
• small diameter of wires
EXTRA HIGH-QUALITY
• double insulation
• waterproof connectors
• extra strong outer insulation
HIGH QUALITY
• double insulation
• waterproof connectors
Prewired controller connector
YES
YES
NO
• requires assembly of each core to terminals for both wiring loom and controller
Protection of wires between cable conduit and controller connector
NO
• single insulation only, vulnerable for damage (cut or shortcut)
YES
• double insulation
• transition of conduit and connector protected with heat shrink
NO
• single insulation only, vulnerable for damage (cut or shortcut)
Protection of wires between cable conduit and pump connector
NO
• single insulation only, vulnerable for damage (cut or shortcut)
YES
• double insulation
• transition of conduit and connector protected with heat shrink
NO
• single insulation only, vulnerable for damage (cut or shortcut)
Installation material
Air intake
Air Intake Hose
HIGH-QUALITY OR LOW QUALITY
• may be a very thin material
HIGH-QUALITY
EXTRA HIGH QUALITY
• extra high durability
Air intake silencer
N/A OR YES
YES
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Exhaust system
Exhaust silencer
N/A OR LOW QUALITY
• spot welded unsealed inlets
• thin walls
HIGH QUALITY
• tig-welded fully sealed inlets
HIGH QUALITY
• spot-welded unsealed inlets
Exhaust pipe
LOW QUALITY
• very thin material
• cannot be cut in-line
• wrong diameter of the connection (up to 3mm difference in ID)
HIGH QUALITY
• corrugated stainless steel 304
HIGH QUALITY
• corrugated stainless steel 304
Exhaust pipe - per linear metre
N/A
YES
(optional)
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Fiberglass exhaust insulation sleeve - per linear metre
N/A
YES
(optional)
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Marine exhaust skin fitting
N/A
YES
(optional)
• stainless steel 316
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Fuel system
Fuel pump holder
YES
YES
YES
Fuel pump
LOW QUALITY
• type C pumps
• higher noise level
• lower life-time
HIGH-QUALITY
• type E pumps
HIGH QUALITY
• type E pumps
Waterproof fuel pump connector
N/A or YES
YES
YES
Fuel pump extension cord
N/A
YES
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Fuel filter
LOW QUALITY
• Vertical filter
HIGH-QUALITY
• heavy duty horizontal fuel filter
• horizontal fuel filter with water separator
• vertical filter
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Nylon fuel hoses with rubber sleeves
N/A
• silicon based flexible hose with much larger ID
• vulnerable for creating airlock
• absorbs the shocks of the fuel pump
• lowers the life-time of the atomising net due reduced pressure of incoming fuel
• lower self-cleaning effect
YES
YES
Selection of suction pipes
N/A or YES
• 1 models available
YES
• 2 models available
YES
Selection of fuel tanks
N/A
• standard kit comes mostly with one size of the tank
• no fuel tank options available
YES
• 21 different models available
N/A
• standard kit comes with no fuel tank
Duct system
Air Outlet Hood
N/A
• size of the air outlet hood is fixed in the installation kit
YES
• 60mm / 75mm / 90mm / 2x43mm / 4x43mm hood available to be attached to the kit
N/A
• size of the air outlet hood is fixed in the particular installation kit
Duct per linear metre
N/A
YES
(optional)
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Air vents
N/A or YES
• 1 included
• additional may not be available
YES
• 2 included
• additional vents optional
N/A or YES
• 1 included
• additional may not be available from local resellers
T-Junctions
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available
YES
• 1 included
• additional t-junctions optional
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Reducers
N/A
YES
(optional)
N/A or YES
(optional)
• may not be available from local resellers
Installation material
Bottom plate with gasket
N/A
• only metal bottom plate
• requires additional sealant to be applied under the bottom plate
YES
N/A
• only metal bottom plate
• requires additional sealant to be applied under the bottom plate
Base gasket
LOW QUALITY
• often a different size not matching the size of the casing
• lower temperature resistance
HIGH-QUALITY
HIGH-QUALITY
Duct/air Intake hose clamps
LOW QUALITY
• easily get broken with very small torque
• cannot hold the high torque
• small width of the clamp
HIGH-QUALITY
• standard quality worm drive hose clamps
EXTRA HIGH QUALITY
• extra high torque worm drive hose clamps
Exhaust hose clamps
LOW QUALITY
• easily get broken with very small torque
• cannot hold the high torque
• small width of the clamp
HIGH-QUALITY
• standard quality hose clamps
EXTRA HIGH QUALITY
• extra wide high torque hose clamps
Other installation material
POOR SELECTION
• poor selection of the small parts as screws/bolts/zip ties and another bits and pieces
LARGE SELECTION
• very good selection of all important small parts as brackets/screws/bolts/zip ties and another bits and pieces that should meet every installation
• as every installation is unique, even this part list may not meet the requirements of every single installation and the installer may expect using additional screws/bolts/cable ties etc.
LARGE SELECTION
• even a bit better selection of all important small parts as brackets/screws/bolts/zip ties and another bits and pieces that should meet every installation
• as every installation is unique, even this part list may not meet the requirements of every single installation and the installer may expect using additional screws/bolts/cable ties etc.
Packaging
Protection of the heater unit
POOR
• if packed only in cardboard, the wrong packaging may cause cracking of the heater before delivery
• if packed in polystyrene enclosure, the heater unit is not protected by plastic bag and many small bits of polystyrene fall inside the combustion chamber, air intake propeller or fan turbine and may cause the permanent damage afterwards
EXCELLENT
• high quality polystyrene enclosure inserted inside the same size cardboard box
• heater unit inserted in protection plastic film avoiding any bits of polystyrene to enter the heater unit
POOR
• packed in better quality cardboard box, but the wrong handling may cause hit/crack of the heater case before delivery
• as the heater unit is not protected by plastic bag the cardboard may cause small scratches on the body (especially due to long international air cargo transportation) and small bits of the cardboard to fall inside the combustion chamber, air intake propeller or fan turbine and may cause the permanent damage afterwards
Protection of the components
POOR
poor protection of the high sensitive or scratch sensitive components
EXCELLENT
• Any sharp parts are extra protected to do not cause scratches of another components
• The most vulnerable components packed in its own bags or in polystyrene enclosure
GOOD
• Lower quality shipping boxes that easily get damaged before delivery due to thin cardboard
• Good protection of standard accessories components
• Excellent protection of most vulnerable components as wired switches etc.
Water-proofing of all parcels
N/A
YES
• every small parcel is shipped in water-resistant shipping bags
• every large parcel that leaves our facility is on top covered with couple of layers of black film making the package water resistant agains the bad weather and the black colour of the film intentionally hides the content for security reasons
N/A
Customisation
Fully customisable kits
N/A
YES
• we can create kits with fully customised part lists that will exactly match your requests
• all the kits that are assembled per order
• our customers do not have to pay for parts they do not need
N/A
Custom made parts or setup
N/A
YES
• we can also modify or remanufacture some parts based on your requirements
N/A
Manuals
Installation manual
EXTRA LOW QUALITY OR N/A
HIGH QUALITY
HIGH QUALITY
Operational manual
EXTRA LOW QUALITY OR N/A
HIGH QUALITY
EXTRA HIGH QUALITY
Error codes / troubleshooting table
LOW QUALITY OR N/A
• error code table with very basic list of possible reasons of fault OR no error code table
EXTRA HIGH QUALITY
• extra advanced error code table with much longer list of possible reasons of fault
HIGH QUALITY
• good quality error code table with average list of possible reasons of fault
Installation
Difficulty for DIY assembly
MORE DIFFICULT
• low quality parts that are hard to work with
• missing components
• extra low quality documentation
EASIER
• all components ready
• full technical documentation
MORE DIFFICULT
• the wiring harness is not prewired to the connectors and must be assembled by installer
• any mistake in wrong wiring of connectors can cause permanent damage of the electronic modules
• documentation takes time to understand
Difficulty to assemble by PRO
MORE DIFFICULT
• low quality parts that are hard to work with
• missing components
• extra low quality documentation
EASIER
• all components ready
• full technical documentation
EASIER
• all components ready
• full technical documentation
Delivery time of the additional components (if installation requires)
> 1 month or N/A
• may require another 3rd party suppliers
Days
• All in stock parts are shipped within 24 hours from Canterbury
• For any current models we usually stock every single component on the shelf
Days or 1-4 weeks
• Days for locally stocked parts
• Weeks for non-stock parts
Support
NZ based physical branch
N/A
• only multiple local resellers offering these products or parts as part of their product range
YES
• located in Duvauchelle, Canterbury
• you are more than welcome to visit our showroom and talk with us about any technical aspects of the product or installation.
N/A
• only multiple local resellers offering these products or parts as part of their product range
E-mail support
N/A
YES
YES
NZ Phone line
N/A
YES
N/A
Spare parts & Accessories
Selection of spare parts
GOOD or LOW
• is depending on the particular model
• may require another 3rd party suppliers
EXTRA HIGH
• unlike any other resellers we deal directly with factories and store the components in bulk
• as the products are assembled directly in our facility, we are able to supply the largest selection of spare/replacement components to every small bits and pieces
HIGH or LOW
• very large selection of spare parts available in Europe and USA
• very limited selection in NZ
Selection of accessories
GOOD or LOW
• is depending on the particular model
• may require another 3rd party suppliers
HIGH
• unlike any other resellers we deal directly with factories and store the components in bulk
• we are able to offer the largest selection of accessories for diesel heaters locally
EXTRA HIGH or LOW
• very large selection of accessories available in Europe and USA
• very limited selection in NZ
Shipping from
Overseas OR New Zealand
Canterbury, New Zealand
• all in stock parts are usually shipped within 24 hours with local shipping fees
Overseas OR New Zealand
• extra long shipping for international shipment + high shipping fees due to limited selection of components available locally
Warranty
Purchased locally
Customers Guarantee Act
Full CGA protection
Full CGA protection
Full CGA protection
12 Months Warranty
YES
12 MONTS / 24 MONTHS
• Every standard order comes with full 12 Months warranty coverage
• 24 Months warranty is available as "Extended Warranty" package (optional)
12 MONTS / 24 MONTHS
(optional)
24 Months Warranty
NOT AVAILABLE
12 MONTS / 24 MONTHS
• Every standard order comes with full 12 Months warranty coverage
• 24 Months warranty is available as "Extended Warranty" package (optional)
12 MONTS / 24 MONTHS
(optional)
Reality of level of support
GOOD OR LIMITED OR N/A
• level of warranty support may depend on the particular reseller
HIGH
• we are committed to provide the best customers service and will not let you down in case of any troubles
Local stock helps us to process any warranty cases fastest possible.
HIGH OR GOOD OR LIMITED
• level of warranty support may depend on the particular reseller
• processing time of warranty case may be delayed by shipping to authorised service centres OR by delay in supply of spare parts
Purchased from overseas
Customers Guarantee Act
No CGA protection
-
No CGA protection
Warranty period
N/A
-
N/A
Reality of level of warranty support in NZ
LIMITED OR N/A
-
LIMITED SUPPORT
• level of warranty support may depend on the particular reseller
• processing time of warranty case may be delayed by shipping to authorised service centres OR by delay in supply of spare parts
Service and repairs
Warranty service
N/A or VERY LIMITED
FAST
• we have our own service and diagnostic facility with necessary spare components available on hand.
• the processing time of warranty repairs is usually very short
FAST OR SLOW or EXTRA SLOW
• very limited local supply of spare parts may rapidly increase the processing time of repairs
After-warranty service
N/A
FAST
• we have our own service and diagnostic facility with necessary spare components available on hand.
• the processing time of warranty repairs is usually very short
FAST OR SLOW OR EXTRA SLOW OR N/A
• very limited local supply of spare parts may rapidly increase the processing time of repairs
Self-service / repairs
LIMITED or N/A
• may be very difficult due very limited or no local supply of spare parts and may involve international shipping
• may require special tools not widely available
EASIER
• If you decide to service the unit on your own, we can guide you with selection of the right components needed
• we can supply the special tools needed
LIMITED or N/A
• may be very difficult due very limited or no local supply of spare parts and may involve international shipping
• may require special tools not widely available
Total cost of ownership
Retail Price
Basic kit
< $500 (purchased overseas)
+-$400-900 (purchased locally) *
$888-1,111 *
$1,888-2,666 *
* Basic installation kit includes usually all the necessary parts for fully working installation. Most of the customers are able to make fully working setup and do not require additional accessories unless they decide for it to increase the comfort of using the product/to make the installation easier/because the installation conditions require the additional accessories.
Additional accessories for much advanced installation
$0-600 *
$0-600 *
$0-1,800 *
* Extended lengths of the duct, additional air vents or another accessories can increase the cost accordingly. Marine installation usually requires additional components that are not included in the standard kit.
Deduction of GST
N/A
• unless purchased from local resellers
YES
YES
Installation
Cost of installation DIY
$30-100
• repurchase of small installation material + standard parts missing in original kit or due to extra low quality
$0
$0
Cost of installation by professional installer
$500-1,000 *
$500-1,000 *
$500-1300 *
* Price depends on the complexity of application / duct system and total time spent. This can be highly dependent on positioning of the heater unit, difficulty of the access, quality of the components, special requirements and mainly finding the right spot for the particular components based on physical limitations and rules VS physical blockage of the space by another components of the vehicle/building etc.
After-warranty service and repairs
Cost of spare parts
LOW OR EXTRA HIGH
• if the components are available, the cost is usually low
• some of spare components are not widely available to be sold individually
• often the most economic repair is purchase of a new kit OR exchange of complete electronic system for new.
LOW
HIGH OR EXTRA HIGH
Total
Total cost of ownership
REASONABLE OR HIGH OR EXTRA HIGH
• As the life-time of the product is very unpredictable, the total cost including DIY/PRO installation can be extremely large for the very short period if the life-time is rapidly shorter.
• If the installation by professional installer is not performed by the reseller of the unit, this can be a serious gamble.
REASONABLE
HIGH
• due to the very high initial expense
Summary
Advantages
• Extra low initial purchase price
• Assembled and QC in New Zealand
• Best value for money
• Express delivery Nationwide
• Easy to install
• High quality of components
• High quality check of components
• Quality documentation
• Good life-time
• Total cost of ownership
• NZ Support
• HEATPORT installation service in Canterbury
• Largest selection of spare parts and accessories stocked in Canterbury for reasonable price
• High quality of components
• Extra high quality check of components
• Quality documentation
• Good life-time
Disadvantages
• Total cost of ownership
• Low quality of components
• Extra low standards for quality check
• Missing parts
• Extra low quality of documentation or no documentation
• Long delivery time unless purchased from local reseller
• Safety risk
• Higher initial purchase price
• Extra high initial purchase price
• Extra high price of genuine additional accessories
• Total cost of ownership