Cabin heater advice please

[MINESAPINT2]

There is much I do not understand about cabin heaters. I had a Refleks on my fishing boat which heated the cabin and accommodation via a couple of radiators and kept the kettle boiling. I am now looking to fit a heater on a very small sailing boat.

I need a heater that is designed to be left lit at sea and unlike the fishing boat rolling about, a sailing boat will be at a reasonably constant angle of heel. Not sure I needed to explain that!.

Which heaters are RCD compliant for new build?. I notice a lot of boats for sale I would expect to have cabin heaters fitted from new have no heaters. This makes me wonder if generally they are not approved for marine installation?

Thanks

Mike

 

[Kelpie]

The Releks is designed to cope with 15 degrees if heel and will have fuel feed problems if this is exceeded.

You might want to consider a blown air heater, these are the most popular installations on new boats. Not affected by angle of heel, no flue backdraft problems, nice fast even heat distribution throughout the boat, Choices are:

- Propex (gas fed, so a bit expensive to run, but cheapest to buy, c.£450)
- Wallas (diesel or paraffin versions)
- Planar
- Mikuni
- Eberspacher
- Webasto

One other option- a Taylors paraffin heater. Essentially a Primus stove in a tin box, with a 1" flue.

 

[Plum]

The Releks is designed to cope with 15 degrees if heel and will have fuel feed problems if this is exceeded.

You might want to consider a blown air heater, these are the most popular installations on new boats. Not affected by angle of heel, no flue backdraft problems, nice fast even heat distribution throughout the boat, Choices are:

- Propex (gas fed, so a bit expensive to run, but cheapest to buy, c.£450)
- Wallas (diesel or paraffin versions)
- Planar
- Mikuni
- Eberspacher
- Webasto

One other option- a Taylors paraffin heater. Essentially a Primus stove in a tin box, with a 1" flue.

Good list but i would add the diesel version of the Taylors heater (the 079D model). I have had mine for over 16 years, fed from the main diesel tank with no risk of flareups from the pressurised paraffin version, and works well on a smallish boat even when sailing/heeled.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[FWB]

I have two heaters on my boat, both diesel fed.
There is a Sigmar 100 which is bulkhead mounted, has a cosy visible flame and is gravity fed via carburettor regulator from the main tank. This is really only suitable at anchor and is best not left unattended.
The other is a Webasto 2000STC which is basically fit and forget...until it needs a service. The Webasto is great for instant heat and can be left on for days, it uses very little battery power.
I wouldn't be without either of them.

 

[vyv_cox]

I have an Eberspacher D3L that I fitted in about 2000. We were living in Holland then and sailed until Xmas, often very cold. We usually had the heater on in the last half hour or so of sailing to get the saloon warm for when we wanted it. It functioned perfectly when heeled, as I imagine all blown air diesel fuelled types do. I have also had Propex heaters in two boats, they work fine when heeled.

 

[Kelpie]

Good list but i would add the diesel version of the Taylors heater (the 079D model). I have had mine for over 16 years, fed from the main diesel tank with no risk of flareups from the pressurised paraffin version, and works well on a smallish boat even when sailing/heeled.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

Interesting, I am aware of the Taylors diesel heater but had assumed it was a drip feed like Refleks, Sigmar, Dickensen, and consequently prone to problems when heeled for long periods.

 

[Plum]

Interesting, I am aware of the Taylors diesel heater but had assumed it was a drip feed like Refleks, Sigmar, Dickensen, and consequently prone to problems when heeled for long periods.

It is a drip feed, with the drip rate controlled purely by a valve that you simply adjust by hand, and is not angle dependant. You can either have a gravity feed from a tank that must be 4feet above the heater (obviously there will be an extreme angle of heel when you run out of head but you are probably looking at 45 degrees!) However i took a feed off my primary fuel filter via an SU type 12v fuel pump. The type that used to be fitted to many petrol cars 30plus years ago. I bought a secondhand one from ebay of the type that has electronic switching and no "points" that were always unreliable in the old cars. Bought mine 16 years ago and is still good. These pumps pump at the same pressure as a 4foot head of pressure. When running my Taylors the pump clicks about once per minute and will keep a constant pressure irrespective of heel.

The chimney needs to be about 2m long in total and the external length needs to be in a position where it will not snag sheets. When not in use i unplug the external section and fit the supplied ruber cap

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk