boat heaters

lisilou

lisilou

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We don't want to have boat lifted out til December but given the temp is going to plummet, we have put a couple of tube heaters in the engine bay but should we also put heaters in both the cabin AND cockpit or is that overkill? Any advice?
Thanx
Lisa
 
unless you can raise and maintain the temp to a min of 15C, you will have condensation, as boats have a large surface:volume ratio.

Stick heaters in the engine if you will (though not really needed if you are on salt water) but invest in a good dehumidifier which has a heat cycle, and can be set up to drain into a sink or bilge if you can trust the pumps.


Reducing the humidity on board is important in stopping condensation.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about the cockpit, but yes, a good dehumidifier in the cabin will help keep things pristine.

Plus a couple of tube heaters for the engine bay, if it looks like the Hamble is going to freeze.
 
Last boat I had I used a dehumidifier, slight sign of mould in back cabin despite being new. This boat we keep an electric rad in the engine room & one in the saloon , both on low, with all the doors open. When we go on her she doesn't smell like many boats I've been on, no sign of damp whatsoever. If you can afford the meager amount of leccy its worth it IMHO.
 
We use tube heaters in both the engine room and saloon/cabins. You need to protect the calorifier and service water side, as frost can damage calorifier/taps/hoses. We also use desicant rather than a dehumidifier, as there have been reports of these shorting and causing fires. I know there will be many on this forum who will say they have used one for 150 years, but you just need to odd failure to be you.......................

Rafiki has kept clear of mustiness and mould this way.
 
This isnt the arctic circle. The closed system should have anti freeze good to -50 degrees, and its going to have to get damn cold on the south coast for any damage to the sea side system in sea water.
Dont bother with tube heaters. You might want the occasional blast with a dehumudifier, but some fresh air through the boat when you use it will help. Leaving some canvas open to get some airflow when you are away is a common idea.
 
FWIW for the last two seasons (on south coast - 33ft FB) we have 1x120w tube htr on thermostat in the engine room. I x 60w tube htr next to the calorifier again on a stat. 1 x 500w oil rad on a stat in the cabin - stands in the galley area. We keep all the inside doors open. We put moisture traps (about 7 of them) in and around the rooms - these need changing with new crystals about every six weeks-ish. Never had damp, never had mould, never had any freez-ups. We also open the taps too after turning off the pumps to take any pressure out.

So far this has worked for us. We actually bought a dehumidifier but have never used it after reading some of the scare stories...!

Its also worth having a couple of min-max thermostats around the place too - just to see how the temp is being controlled.
 
Ripster said:
FWIW for the last two seasons (on south coast - 33ft FB) we have 1x120w tube htr on thermostat in the engine room. I x 60w tube htr next to the calorifier again on a stat. 1 x 500w oil rad on a stat in the cabin - stands in the galley area. We keep all the inside doors open. We put moisture traps (about 7 of them) in and around the rooms - these need changing with new crystals about every six weeks-ish. Never had damp, never had mould, never had any freez-ups. We also open the taps too after turning off the pumps to take any pressure out.

So far this has worked for us. We actually bought a dehumidifier but have never used it after reading some of the scare stories...!

Its also worth having a couple of min-max thermostats around the place too - just to see how the temp is being controlled.
Click to expand...

Must be as dry and hot as the Sahara in there ;)
 
gjgm said:
This isnt the arctic circle. The closed system should have anti freeze good to -50 degrees, and its going to have to get damn cold on the south coast for any damage to the sea side system in sea water.
Dont bother with tube heaters. You might want the occasional blast with a dehumudifier, but some fresh air through the boat when you use it will help. Leaving some canvas open to get some airflow when you are away is a common idea.
Click to expand...

And what happens with your service water system? (Calorifier/taps/hoses/holding tank)
 
Ummmmm others in our marina have been less fortunate than you. A friend with a Fairline had a serious leak below a tap, causing a major problem witha damp wardrobe and carpet as a consequence of frost damage. I always drain down the water system, and blow through the calorifier with the dinghy pump, and keep tube heaters set at 5C.
 
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