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These heaters look very similar, so what is the real difference?

Lets check below.



This comparison of all heaters has been done to clearly showcase the real differences of these products purchased in New Zealand market. It has been carried out to our best knowledge and is done honestly and impartially to answer the most commonly asked question , "What is the difference?".  Please make your own decision and judgement.

Brand

Compared model

2kW / 5kW*


* Sometimes carry misleading specifications of the maximum power 8kW.

H2S/H4S

Aitronic D2/D4

Overview

 

The term "Chinese Diesel Heater" has become a widely recognized colloquialism for cost-effective replicas of the original model, a creation from Germany by Eberspächer. Generally, the selling price is indicative of the quality of its components, which in turn reflects the product's durability, safety, and overall performance.


This encompasses both non-branded and branded models sourced internationally, as well as those rebranded and sold by local distributors and online retailers.


The following comparison is not aimed at undermining other brands' product quality. Instead, it serves to highlight potential variations in component quality, longevity, total ownership costs, and the level of support one might anticipate.


While the values compared below might not resonate with every "budget-friendly brand" in the market, they typically represent the most common, low-priced diesel air heater kits either directly shipped to NZ or brought in by local sellers.

HEATPORT, an emblem of quality from the family-owned New Zealand enterprise, LF Bros NZ Pty Limited, boasts its exclusive facility in Cheviot, North Canterbury. This facility encompasses everything from design and development to assembly, quality assurance, and service.


We're driven by a singular vision: to deliver a top-tier diesel heating system accessible to all.


Every nuance of our product is thoughtfully considered. While these intricacies might go unnoticed by many, we recognize their importance. Our unwavering commitment to refining each element, coupled with an uncompromising stance on component selection and quality, ensures our customers enjoy a durable, user-friendly product that truly stands the test of time.

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

 

Origin of core product design

Germany

Germany

Germany

Current product designed

China

New Zealand

Germany

Assembly and QC of main heating unit

China

New Zealand

Germany

Poland

Origin of parts & sub-components

China


... list of other countries of origin dependant 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

• low scratch/crack resistance

• very low quality of mould

• very low quality of edge finish

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

 precisely adjusted gaps between turbine and aluminium housing

EXTRA HIGH QUALITY

• precisely balanced fan

 precisely adjusted gaps between turbine and aluminium housing

 very high accuracy

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 embedded to the casing


HIGH QUALITY

• pads glued to the casing

HIGH QUALITY

• pads imbedded to the casing


OR


• pads glued to the casing


Waterproof ECU unit

N/A

YES

YES

• the heater unit can be sited under the vehicle and be exposed to water

Waterproof ECU connectors

N/A

YES

YES

• the heater unit can be sited under the vehicle and be exposed to water

Socket Screws (Motor/Exchanger/Burner)

BLACK OXIDE

• no protection against corrosion  in a marine environment

STAINLESS STEEL 316

• highest protection against corrosion in marine environment

ZINC PLATED

• medium protection against corrosion in marine environment

Control system

 

Auto-stop function

N/A

The heating unit continues heating at the lowest heating power once the preset temperature is reached. This may result in room temperature going above the preset temperature and overheating the space.

YES

Voice Multi Control FS

• EnControl

YES

• MiniController

• Easy Start Timer

Wired controller

LOW QUALITY

• difficult to operate

• no documentation

HIGH-QUALITY

Voice Multi Control

HIGH-QUALITY

UI of controller

DIFFICULT

• very unintuitive UI

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 to damage (cut or short circuit)

YES

• double insulation

 transition of conduit and connector protected with heat shrink

NO

• single insulation only, vulnerable to damage (cut or short circuit)

Protection of wires between cable conduit and pump connector

NO
• single insulation only, vulnerable to damage (cut or short circuit)

YES

• double insulation

 transition of conduit and connector protected with heat shrink

NO

• single insulation only, vulnerable to damage (cut or short)

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 internal diameter

• vulnerable to 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 model available

YES

• 2 models available

YES


Selection of fuel tanks

N/A

• standard kit comes mostly with one tank size

• 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 can be supplied

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 can be supplied

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 broken with very light torque

• cannot withstand higher 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 broken with very light torque

• cannot sustain 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 smaller parts: screws/bolts/zip ties and other items

LARGE SELECTION

• very good selection of all smaller parts such as brackets/screws/bolts/zip ties  that should be included in 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 to use additional screws/bolts/cable ties etc.

LARGE SELECTION

• a good selection of all  important small parts such as brackets/screws/bolts/zip ties required in 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 to use 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 a polystyrene enclosure, particles of polystyrene may fall inside the combustion chamber, air intake propeller or fan turbine and cause permanent damage later

EXCELLENT

• high quality polystyrene enclosure inserted inside the same size cardboard box

• heater unit inserted in protective plastic film to prevent any particles of polystyrene entering the heater unit

POOR

• packed in better quality cardboard box, but the wrong handling may cause fracturing 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 pieces of the cardboard to fall inside the combustion chamber, air intake propeller or fan turbine resulting in later permanent damage

Protection of the components

POOR

poor protection of sensitive components

EXCELLENT

• Any sharp items are bubble wrapped to prevent damage to another components

• The most vulnerable components are packed in separate 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.

Customisation

 

Fully customisable kits

N/A

YES

• we can create kits with fully customised part lists that will exactly match your requirements

• all kits are assembled as 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

Operation 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

• advanced error code table with a comprehensive list of possible reasons for faults

HIGH QUALITY

• good quality error code table with average list of possible reasons of fault

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 Cheviot, 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

• dependant on the particular model

 may require another 3rd party suppliers



VERY HIGH

 unlike any other resellers we deal directly with factories and store components in bulk

 as the products are assembled directly in our facility, we are able to supply the largest selection of spare/replacement components  

HIGH or LOW

  large selection of spare parts available in Europe and USA

 limited selection in NZ

Selection of accessories

GOOD or LOW

• dependant on the particular model

 may require another 3rd party supplier


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

Overseas OR New Zealand

 long shipping for international shipment + high shipping fees due to limited selection of components available locally

Installation

 

Difficulty for DIY assembly

MORE DIFFICULT

• low quality parts that are hard to work with

• missing components

• low quality documentation

EASIER

• all components ready

• full technical documentation

MORE DIFFICULT

• 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

• 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 component on the shelf

Days or 1-4 weeks

• Days for locally stocked parts

• Weeks for non-stock parts

Warranty

 

Purchased locally

 

Customers Guarantee Act

Full CGA protection


Full CGA protection

Full CGA protection


12 Months Warranty

YES



12 MONTH / 24 MONTH

 Every standard order comes with full 12 Months warranty coverage

 24 Months warranty is available as "Extended Warranty" package (optional)

12 MONTH / 24 MONTH

(optional)

24 Months Warranty

NOT AVAILABLE



12 MONTH/ 24 MONTH  Every standard order comes with full 12 Months warranty coverage

 24 Months warranty is available as "Extended Warranty" package (optional)

12 MONTH / 24 MONTH

(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 providing the best customer service and will not let you down in case of any troubles


Local stock helps us to process any warranty cases quickly.

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

N/A

No CGA protection


Warranty period

N/A



N/A

N/A





Reality of level of warranty support in NZ

LIMITED OR N/A



-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 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

VARIABLE 

 very limited local supply of spare parts may 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 to 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

< $300 (purchased overseas) 

+-$300-900 (purchased locally) *


From $1,055-1,388*

$1,555-2,666 *

Additional accessories for advanced installation

$0 - 1,000 *

$0-1,000 *


$0-1,500 *

* 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.

Installation

 

Cost of installation DIY

$30-300

 repurchase of small installation material + replacement of parts due to 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 dependent on the positioning of the heater unit and other components and accessibility.

After-warranty service and repairs

 

Cost of spare parts

VARIABLE

• if the components are available, the cost may be low

 some components are not available to be sold individually 

 often the most economic repair is purchase of a new kit


LOW

HIGH

Total

 

Total cost of ownership

 HIGH

 As the life-time of the product is very unpredictable, the total cost including DIY/PRO installation may be excessive

REASONABLE

HIGH

 due to the very high initial expense and cost of replacement parts (if required)


Advantages

 

• Extra low initial purchase price

• Assembled and Quality Controlled in New Zealand


• Best value for money


• Express delivery Nationwide


• Easy to install


 High quality of components


• All components quality checked.


 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


• Low standards for quality check


• Missing parts


• Low quality of documentation or no documentation


• Long delivery time unless purchased from local reseller


• Safety risk

• Higher initial purchase price

• Highest initial purchase price


  Extra high price of genuine additional accessories


• Total cost of ownership

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