240v cabin heater. Your thoughts please.

Phill

Phill

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My boat is on the upper Thames and has two tube heaters in the engine room permanantly on and a dehumidifier running in the cabin on a time clock. The cabin temperatures have been very low and I want to increase them.
What type of heater could be safely left on when unattended?
I did think about a fan heater with a thermostatic plug but am not sure it should be left unattended. Would be interested in your solutions.
Thanks
Phill
 
Yes Dimplex cold watch is good if a bit pricey - have recently been using igenix convector heater for more heat on the 750W setting - £14 from amazon.co.uk!!!! PS - where on the upper thames?
 
Dimplex seems a good heater.
Would I have to mount it or could it be used freestanding over the winter?
Also, is it safe to leave these on even when away from the boat for a week or two?
 
I use it freestanding on the floor in my boat when the boat is laid up out of the water and hence will not roll (I hope!). I try to ensure that there is nothing nearby on a bunk, shelf etc. that could dislodge and fall on the heater. The Dimplex coldwatch seems to have an overheating switch in it that will presumably switch off the heater if it does become too warm (but check on this with the seller/supplier), I inherited the heater when I bought my boat and so it could be a good deal older than I indicated in my first post. If you feel the boat may roll yuo can fix the heater in position.
 
Yet another agreement with the Dimplex heater.

Mine, which is quite elderly has holes through which it could be screwed to a bulkhead, but it isn't as it tends to get nabbed to heat the hall!

Lowest setting seems fine.

On the other hand fan heaters are great for warming the boat up when you get on board.
 
I've just bought a greenhouse fan heater, can't remember the make...sorry.
£19.99 with 1 or 2kw setting and a frost protection setting that comes on at +5c.
I have it on the 1kw setting blowing partly into the engine room and part into the cabin.
I'm not overly worried about it falling over as I'm in a marina. If I weren't I'd have it held down ....somehow.
Prior to getting it I looked at getting a couple of tube heaters and a separate themostat. But at £20+ for the heaters and £30 ish for the stat, I reckoned this was a more cost effective way to go.
I'll see how it goes...and may buy another one if I think it's not keeping the boat warm enough all over. i.e. in other cabins.
Even if I do get another it'll still be cheaper than the tube alternatives.
 
Almost every DIY warehouse sells an oil filled 'radiator' type heater these days. Ours is only 500w with a thermostat, it is made by Honeywell.

It has been in use now about 3-4 years and cost about 20quid. It is switched on all the time whilst it is realy cold otherwise I'll put it on a time switch for nightime only.
 
also re dehumidifier/heater combo

i got both heater and dehum from b+q, dunno the makers. £20 for the rad, £90ish for the dehum.

The rad is like a victtorian style radiator tho, you can see thru the verticals and i think this important: you can set up the dehum so that the blowing out goes through the rad - which lifts the temp and blows warmer air around the place.

I only puttem on a few hours a day - and on a low setting the rad may eventually not come on - the temp will stay warmer for longer as more and more water taken out of the air.

Above freezing the cold is not a prob - the prob for interiors is cold with damp and with no air movement - which the blowing the dehum through the rad solves nicely
 
I agree, an oil filled radiator is the safest and most practicle option for me as well. I do use it in conjunction with a dehumidifier although I have never thought of using the dehumidifier to blow air around the boat.

I use a fan heater for quick heat when doing jobs on her,

Paul
 
A friend of mine uses a surplus low-voltage bedwarmer to keep the frost out. Waterproof, low consumption, thermostat. Made to be in contact with humans, so much safer than any 1000 W + heaters !
 
[ QUOTE ]
I've just bought a greenhouse fan heater, can't remember the make...sorry.
£19.99 with 1 or 2kw setting and a frost protection setting that comes on at +5c.
I have it on the 1kw setting blowing partly into the engine room and part into the cabin.

[/ QUOTE ]
I've got one of these too - bought it from Homebase - its a Parasene. Also useful if we are sleeping on board and need a bit of warm air, without starting the Eberspacher.

Also the fan can be used on its own without the heater, to circulate the air during hot summer days (haven't needed to use it like this though!)
 
Thanks for all the info.
Bought a Dimplex Frost Watch today and will put it on the boat tomorrow. Any excuse to get to the marina! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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