boat heater options

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chrisbitz

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Location
Bromley, Kent - Sail in Medway
www.freyacat.co.uk
I've been doing a lot of reading of heater options for my planned winter sailing and overnight sleeping.

I think these are the options: ?

  • Car heater matrix and fan, Heath Robinsoned to take coolant from the engine. (medium price, but needs noisy engine running to work, medium difficulty to install ) Are there any ready made ones with matrix and fan?
  • Electric heater (cheapest and easiest installation, but how long before it's flattened my 70AH spare battery? Will also need engine running for considerable time next day to recharge) I have a 300w inverter on the boat...
  • Combustible material burner - charcoal or gas (most expensive, but self contained and doesn't need engine. trickiest to fit in a small boat, as needs space all around to avoid burning.)


Do these seem reasonable assumptions? I think my favourite is a burner, if I can find one small enough to hide away somewhere, as I don't have a spare corner to install one... they also seem quite expensive too - An Eberspacher would be perfect, but aren't they around the £1000 or more? that's out of my range... I could maybe stretch to about £200..

Does anyone have any suggestions please?
 
There are many threads about heating on here . Some very extensive.
My boat is small with no battery capacity for an eber etc.
I bought an Origo heat pal.
A lot of money for basically an alum box with a sponge in.
But it does work and it's spill proof.

However you do have a flame so you MUST ensute sufficient ventilation.
Uses bio ethanol available from b&q.
 
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chrisbitz said:
I've been doing a lot of reading of heater options for my planned winter sailing and overnight sleeping.

I think these are the options: ?

  • Car heater matrix and fan, Heath Robinsoned to take coolant from the engine. (medium price, but needs noisy engine running to work, medium difficulty to install ) Are there any ready made ones with matrix and fan?
  • Forget fitting a car heater. I looked into it and found that modern car heaters are all built into big moulded plastic and can't be easily adapted. Plus, the scrapyards wanted silly money (£50 plus) for them, and considering they would need lots more spent on them to adapt them properly I decided it wasn't economic or worthwhile. Yes there are ready made ones, e.g. the Madera range 4 or 8kw from Webasto. I fitted the 8kw to mine with satisfactory results. Details here http://www.webasto-marine.co.uk/fil...rochures/uk-marine-price-list-januar-2013.pdf
    Look under Accessories, blower boxes, Madera range. Kuranda also do something similar (Kalori) but from memory a bit more expensive. Check http://kurandamarine.co.uk/
    Remember these heaters will only heat the boat when you're going along. When moored the engine probably won't kick out enough heat at idle, and extended idling won't do the engine any good.
  • Electric heater (cheapest and easiest installation, but how long before it's flattened my 70AH spare battery? Will also need engine running for considerable time next day to recharge) I have a 300w inverter on the boat...
  • Forget electric heating on a boat unless you're plugged into the mains. You need a 2.2kw fan heater, and can't power that from a battery. Unless you want to run a generator all day and night. Then you need space to store the genny etc.
  • Combustible material burner - charcoal or gas (most expensive, but self contained and doesn't need engine. trickiest to fit in a small boat, as needs space all around to avoid burning.)
    As listed above see other threads for more info on this. All depends on space, ventilation, and individual environment.


Do these seem reasonable assumptions? I think my favourite is a burner, if I can find one small enough to hide away somewhere, as I don't have a spare corner to install one... they also seem quite expensive too - An Eberspacher would be perfect, but aren't they around the £1000 or more? that's out of my range... I could maybe stretch to about £200..

Does anyone have any suggestions please?
Click to expand...

Diesel fired heaters are the best solution but are inevitably a bit more expensive and installation more complex than some other options.
Most common makes are Eberspacher, Webasto, Mikuni, Wallas (from Kuranda).
It all depends on your requirements.

Do you want the heating when moored in a marina? Use an electric fan heater.
When going along? Use an engine heater as detailed above.
When moored away from your home berth, independently, e.g. anchored? Diesel fired heater or other combustible material burner. But you may well need battery capacity for this too (diesel fired heater).
It all depends on your boat, space, requirements and application. And budget.
 
Mikuni Kalori range

chrisbitz said:
I've been doing a lot of reading of heater options for my planned winter sailing and overnight sleeping.

I think these are the options: ?

  • Car heater matrix and fan, Heath Robinsoned to take coolant from the engine. (medium price, but needs noisy engine running to work, medium difficulty to install ) Are there any ready made ones with matrix and fan?
...

Does anyone have any suggestions please?
Click to expand...

Mikuni do several pre-made matrix and fan assemblies to make a bus style heater from engine cooling water. We installed one in parallel with the colorifier and it's a godsend (but only if you motor occasionally of course). The one we installed is a "Mikuni Kalori Silencio 2" (what a mouthful!), see http://www.mikuniheating.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=172

We don't generally use it as heating while we are in the cabin at rest, but use it while under way. Even if only motoring for 30 mins at the end of a day's sailing, having the cabin warm and aired with all towels and drying-up cloths dry is a good start, which you benefit from long after the engine is stopped.
 
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I'm sorry to say that you won't find the ideal heater within your budget. Running an electric heater from your battery just isn't feasible - far too much consumption, even with the engine running to push some charge into the battery. A heater matrix from the engine is perfectily possible, but isn't of use unless you are motoring, it won't load the engine sufficiently in itself so you could suffer glaze boring by leaving the engine at tickover for an extended period.

Charcoal or oil burners would do the trick, but you'll have to be very lucky to find a second-hand one in working order for the right price.

Rob.
 
Taylor's paraffin heater

What about a Taylor's paraffin heater?

Simple to install; no electricity supply needed; small flue diameter; easy to operate and maintain; economical
 
parsifal said:
What about a Taylor's paraffin heater?

Simple to install; no electricity supply needed; small flue diameter; easy to operate and maintain; economical
Click to expand...

+1 had one on the previous boat and wish I had a suitable location to fit one on the latest one. Very warm and economical and usable wherever you are.
 
Spent 2 winters living onboard using a oil filled radiator and a electric fan. Problem I found with the electric fan was it turns the boat into a sauna, turn it off for a few seconds and you're in a ice box.

This year I'm going for a webasto, as it'll hopefully keep the boat at an even temperature and at least keep the lockers on one side dry and free of damp. I totted up the webasto v eberspacher debate, trawling through pages of comments and finally concluded that webasto and associated parts were cheaper and more reliable.

As V1701 said "self-adhesive closed cell foam from Hawke House" that's also on my todo list :)
 
I use a small portable catalytic gas heater which runs on gas cartridges; has an oxygen depletion valve and an anti tilt shut off valve. I can not remember the exact kilowatts output but is near enough 2kw of radiated heat; cost for cartridges ~£1 each and will last whole day plus. It all depends to how much you will be using the heater for and whether you use the boat in winter.
 
Firstly forget any ideas about electric heating unless you are using marina mains power. The power of a small electric heatewr is about 1000watts ie about 100 amps if you are using an inverter. If you are going to be in the cabin and overnight then IMHO you must have a combustion heater with external flue. There is too much risk of oxygen depletion if a combustion heater is using cabin air and exhausing into the cabin. I think a standing oil or solid fuel heater might be good. Although the installed webasto would save cabin space. I would also consider fitting flue to the cooker and try using that to provide heat. (flower pot on the flames). Me I just put the boat away for the winter and enjoy indoor sports. good luck olewill
 
Very difficult within your buget, however if you look around carefully and are prepared to top it up to around £300 you may find a halfway decent used early Webasto 2000D. The most effective, safe and economical solution for a small craft with limited room.
 
A Propex heater might be worth a look. A lot cheaper to buy than a diesel Eber or similar, though more expensive to run. You'll need propane rather than butane if you don't want it to fail just when you really need it!
 
£200, that could get you very little, you could get 8 nights b and b if you can find £25 a night, or end up getting a few hot water bottles and a good duvet or sleeping bag
 
chrisbitz said:
I could have saved £5k and stayed at home and not bothered with all that nasty cold weather business too! :-) Are you sure you're a sailor type?
Click to expand...

yes , but boat in the yard in winter, and able to keep very warm with nice oil filled radiators.

I would go with the hot water bottles and good duvet, I do have a catalytic heater which uses gas, but its rarely used, you might get a eberspacher from ebay, but bt vans where most were sourced don't use them any more. so supply might be scarce....
 
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