An immersion heater is a fast, economical, and efficient method for heating liquids in tanks, vats, or equipment.
Design: This water heater was a US designed petroleum drip-fed system of 1960s vintage based on a 1943 version that could be run in an oil drum/dustbin or similar. The basic design was optimized in 1943 and updated to use off-the-shelf parts in 1967, when it was given the formal designation of M67 Immersion Heater.
Use: These water heaters were used by cooks to heat washing up water (not water for cooking) and to supply troops with hot water for shaving and washing etc. In the Canadian Forces, they were often used to heat water-filled trash cans at company-sized field messes.
Immersion heaters can be mounted on the side of a container or submerged in the contents. In this photo the heater is inside the container.
Fuel: The gasoline-fueled military immersion water heater has been around in various forms for almost a century and is still used in many countries. It can run on any type of combustible liquid or even mixtures of different types of fuels.
Size: The heater stands 3’ tall, is 14” in diameter across the torus (a circle shape combustion chamber) and weighs 35 pounds. Placed in a barrel it will bring 30 gallons of water to a rolling boil in one hour.