Another Question..tube heaters this time!!

[dento29]

Hi all, i have three tube heaters that i wish to fit to take the damp out of the air while moored.
I'm going to hard wire them in to my shore power with a single switch, the question i have is..i have a 170A lesiure battery as well as a 100A battery for starting, i'm fitting a 60w solar panel to keep the batteries topped up...could i run the tube heaters on the batteries all the time with say a 200w inverter if i didn't have shore power?? Could this work?
I think the tube heaters are 60w each?

Not sure if all that came out right but you know what i mean???

 

[WindermereColvic]

Without doing the maths, i would say that it is unlikely. Your solar panel will only be kicking out 60w for an hour or two a day , if you’re lucky. You would drain your battery (comparatively) very quickly, especially running 3 heaters, not to mention the losses in the inverter ect. Looking over other previous threads,(including my own concerning running an electric blanket from a battery &#61514 the consensus is that running heating off batteries is a non starter. But others may disagree, so don’t give up yet...
Matt

 

[earlybird]

Your 200w inverter will take say 18 amps. Your batteries will be down to <50% charge in a few hours. The solar panel will make little contribution this time of year.

 

[Teetime]

8 or 9 hours will see your batteries as flat as pancakes dento. I should forget that idea.

 

[exfinnsailor]

If you are lucky you will get about 400W per day .. Not a vat amount to play with .. Run your 200W Inverter for about 2 Hours but only if the sun shines all day .. We were in a marina last year and kept two heaters on all the time .. Cost us about £35 a month .. This year we have emptied the boat of everything .. Will take a dehumidifier down later and get her ready for the season .. Nothing like a good clean once in a while ..

 

[BAtoo]

Running the heaters off the batteries is a non starter as others say. Use the mains for heating. You dont say how big you boat is and 180w is now alot. I would ( and do) use a dehumidifier as well as some heat - having blocked all the vents or you will be trying to dehumidify the world!

 

[rogerdog]

not a hope as other posters have said - there are some designs that allow an external heater style shunt to dump excess power from (mainly) windgens to heaters (some water /some tube style) but simply the amount of energy you are requiring to run them - shore power is your only answer.

If its damp - ventilate, ventilate, ventilate !

 

[BAtoo]

" If its damp - ventilate, ventilate, ventilate ! "

Or dehumidify, dehumidify, dehumidify ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I prefer this method as it remove the moisture whereas when ventilating you are only circulating the damp air - which is better than not moving the air if you can't use a dehumidifier..

 

[rogerdog]

Yes good point - sorry thinking from my perspective of no shore power - but if available a dehumidifier works a treat - particularly if you can arrange to have it drain into the sink, but do need to ensure that it will work in the cold - not all will.

As to recirculating damp air - a lot of the time the air in a 'sealed' boat can get close to 100% humidity - and outside will be lower. Hence it will be of benefit.

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

How big is your boat? ... I keep just one in a 26ft caravan and it keeps it warm just fine .... as for the boat, as someone says above ... ventilate! I have a permanent through draft from the slightly open forehatch to the louvres in the coach roof doors ... and leave any lockers open and bunk tops up! Also floors if you can.

 

[dento29]

it's only 20ft with a 10ft beam.. would i get away with one haeter?

The question was aimed at not being able to get shore power..as my next mooring might not have power.
The 100A is for starting and the 170A was a very good price...free, which is why i have it.

 

[Otter]

Even one 60W tube heater is way more than your batteries can handle. Excluding losses from the inverter, the tube will eat your batteries at the rate of 5amps - they will last a day at most because your solar panel hasn't a hope of keeping pace. A swinging mooring needs a ventilated boat, not a heated one.

And as for electric blankets on a swinging mooring - yes they do work, very nicely thank you!