Seakindly
Well-Known Member
any opinions on these alluring bits of kit promising a toasty winter afloat.
calorific heaters
- Thread starter Seakindly
- Start date
misterg
Well-Known Member
Do you mean catalytic heaters ? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
If so, there have been previous discussions. Generally not a good idea from what I recall.
Andy
If so, there have been previous discussions. Generally not a good idea from what I recall.
Andy
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Calorific eating, I'm yer man. Heating, no, sorry.
raven
Well-Known Member
I assume that you mean the type I have aboard my boat - Mine is manufactured by Plastimo (at least it has a Plastimo badge on it) and it is gas powered with electric ignition - the gas dispersed through what looks like rockwool insulation.
I am told that they are quite efficient although they produce a lot of condenstation, apparently you should only use them in well ventilated spaces and best not to use whilst sleeping.
The reason I say "I am told" and "apparently" is because mine has not worked since I got the boat and it has not yet been cold enough for me to bother fixing it / getting it fixed.
I will watch the views of others with interest before deciding if to keep it or replace with another heater
I am told that they are quite efficient although they produce a lot of condenstation, apparently you should only use them in well ventilated spaces and best not to use whilst sleeping.
The reason I say "I am told" and "apparently" is because mine has not worked since I got the boat and it has not yet been cold enough for me to bother fixing it / getting it fixed.
I will watch the views of others with interest before deciding if to keep it or replace with another heater
Stemar
Well-Known Member
Basically, they're open flame gas heaters with the advantage that the burning happens on a catalyst at a much lower temerature, so they're less likely to set fire to things.
Yes you get the heat, but you also get moisture; for every kilo of gas you burn, it's as if you took a plant sprayer and sprayed a litre of water into the air. They also use up oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, so burning them while you're asleep isn't a good idea and you need good ventilation, which will partly take care of teh condensation, but also let a significant proportion of the heat out.
You can get a similar heating effect - with all the attendant advantages and disadvantages by putting a dry engineering brick or a terracotta plant pot on the gas cooker.
Yes you get the heat, but you also get moisture; for every kilo of gas you burn, it's as if you took a plant sprayer and sprayed a litre of water into the air. They also use up oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, so burning them while you're asleep isn't a good idea and you need good ventilation, which will partly take care of teh condensation, but also let a significant proportion of the heat out.
You can get a similar heating effect - with all the attendant advantages and disadvantages by putting a dry engineering brick or a terracotta plant pot on the gas cooker.
Seakindly
Well-Known Member
Calorific-expe-aledocious. Catalytic of course. I'll try to track down the earlier discussions -these posts helpful. Ta. I did use the flower-pot method on my last boat, but the main drawback is that it's at waist height near the companionway like most cookers. Maybe invest in oven gloves and a sturdy receptacle in saloon for my flower-pot-heat-cartridge. But, then, I'll need one on the go, to replace the one that's cooling - so I'll need storage for two flower-pots. Then there's the health and safety risks of large, heavy, fragile objects, more lethal than beans in the Fastnet. So I'll need secure restrained storage. Or I could stick 'em on the roof like a narrow-boat. .....sigh
