Propex Heater Servicing

[galeus]

I have had my boat inc. Propex heater for 13 years and apart from checking the installation have not touched it and it has always been totally reliable.
We use it a fair bit as we are on board until mid October.
Over the years I have changed the room stat. and having a bubble leak detector I know it is gas tight; but should I be doing more?

 

[jwilson]

I have had my boat inc. Propex heater for 13 years and apart from checking the installation have not touched it and it has always been totally reliable.
We use it a fair bit as we are on board until mid October.
Over the years I have changed the room stat. and having a bubble leak detector I know it is gas tight; but should I be doing more?

You are rapidly convincing me that the next time my Eberspacher dies (£1,000+ spent on repairs in 8 years) I will look into fitting a gas Propex.

 

[Stemar]

You are rapidly convincing me that the next time my Eberspacher dies (£1,000+ spent on repairs in 8 years) I will look into fitting a gas Propex.

They're a lot cheaper than the diesel ones, but significantly more expensive to run, and they'll need propane as soon as it gets cold enough to need the heat.

I just got a 1600w one from ebay & will be fitting it in the next couple of weeks.

They aren't likely to soot up like diesel ones so, apart from component failure, there doesn't seem to be a lot to go wrong. The instructions for a current model suggests it should be checked annually for gas tightness and combustion by an accredited LPG engineer, which sounds to me as though there's no routine maintenance as such, just a check that it's working OK.

 

[Avocet]

We've had one for a similar amount of time and although we've not used it much, it has behaved faultlessly. Only time it ever packed up was after a knockdown an that was only because some water got into the intake tube and blocked it. Worked fine as soon as I emptied he water out. Fired up first time after a recent layup lasting 8 years! Only criticism (apart from it being gas) is that as Stemar says, they're a bit useless on Butane once the temperature drops below 5 degrees C (or so).

 

[David2452]

You are rapidly convincing me that the next time my Eberspacher dies (£1,000+ spent on repairs in 8 years) I will look into fitting a gas Propex.

That may be a first, I have taken a number of perfectly functioning Heatsource/Propex out to fit Webastos, Mikunis & Wallas but never asked to do it the other way around. they have saving graces in that they are capitally cheap and require little service. On the - side they are expensive to run and inconvenient unless you have a torpedo sized cylinder, (from practical customer reports not salesman's numbers) cause wide temperature fluctuations due to on / off operation rather than a heat reduction to maintain a constant temperature and worst of all in my view, a total inability to effectively work in any other mode than stale air circulation even by the manufacturers recommendations. I would, despite being offered, never take on either them or Alde (similar problems) as an agency. All depends on your expectations and what comfort level you consider acceptable I guess.

 

[jwilson]

That may be a first, I have taken a number of perfectly functioning Heatsource/Propex out to fit Webastos, Mikunis & Wallas but never asked to do it the other way around. they have saving graces in that they are capitally cheap and require little service. On the - side they are expensive to run and inconvenient unless you have a torpedo sized cylinder, (from practical customer reports not salesman's numbers) cause wide temperature fluctuations due to on / off operation rather than a heat reduction to maintain a constant temperature and worst of all in my view, a total inability to effectively work in any other mode than stale air circulation even by the manufacturers recommendations. I would, despite being offered, never take on either them or Alde (similar problems) as an agency. All depends on your expectations and what comfort level you consider acceptable I guess.

I like the Eberspacher when it's working, but it has spent quite some time not doing so. Not an ancient ex-van unit either - a D4 installed on the boat new 9 years ago.