LED/ 3D printer switching power supply reliability?

[matt167]

I'm going to heat a small insulated building with a 5kw Chinese diesel heater. It's not off grid, and there is no 12v power source. But the Chinese diesel heaters seem to be perfect for this type of space. It's a compact oil fired furnace. Electric is just too expensive here. I needed a switching power supply able to supply 10A of power at ~13.5v. Anything over 12.6V is sufficient but I guess the glow plugs struggle below 13v. I could not find anything 'good' designed for a permanent installation type deal. So I bought one of the 3D printer power supplies that someone suggested be used with one of these heaters, and then ensured it had mostly good reviews.. I bought the 30A model vs the 10A model that was suggested ( heater pulls 8a when starting/ glow plug on, and 3a-3.5a while running )... will this thing be somewhat reliable for that use? If the heater looses power it's not a fire hazard but the extra heat will fry the control board.

I did think about modifying a UPS power supply with power leads but I wasn't sure if the charge controller could handle it, and I thought about putting a 12v battery in a box outside on a charger. But a 10A "Automatic" charger can still boil a battery

 

[GiGaBiTe]

I'd be helpful if we knew what "chinese heat machine thing" you were talking about, we can't really give you a suggestion without knowing exactly what you have.

With the battery voltage requirement and current usage, it sounds like its for an automotive application, something which a 3D printer power supply isn't exactly suited for since the voltage is too low. If you want to go that route, I'd get a boost converter that can bump the voltage up to battery voltage if the heater doesn't tolerate 12v properly.

 

[matt167]

It will operate on 12v but people say the glow plug will struggle at that voltage.. They use 8-10a at 12V when starting, but use 3-5A otherwise. The power supply I got has an adjustable pot for voltage. If I can get it above 13v it will work best I think

 

[N4CR]

I'm going to heat a small insulated building with a 5kw Chinese diesel heater.

Why not just use a generator? CHP gen installs are great for heating and providing electricity.. which you can use to heat if need be. A slow speed Lister or similar (they are harder to get in USA but anything similar will do) is probably a better option no? You're already burning diesel.. why not make it work for you.
But yeah if you need a reliable PSU, meanwell is the way to go. Only time I have had them fail is using their lowest grade ones and severely over-driving them. The expensive submersible mil grade/alu frame and open frame ones are fucking rock solid.

 

[matt167]

The building is wired for 110v as it is, so a generator would be unnecessary.

 

[matt167]

I turned the power supply up to 13.77v and it held stable with a small load. Going to run with it for now,