Can I retrofit a newer heating system to old wabasto vented system

[sarahstrikes]

Hi all,
I have recently bought an old 37ft cabin bruiser with an existing but very old wabasto HL32D vented heating system. At the moment it is not working as it needs a new control box which the previous owner is looking for in his sheds as he had it bought but not installed (but cant seem to place it so far). This particular heating system only works while the engine is actually running. My mooring neighbour brought me on to his boat and showed me his eberspracher system which works separately to the engine but takes a line of diesel from the tank and runs independently. I'm wondering can a system like this easily be retrofitted and used with existing vents that are in place on my boat or is there another system on here that boaters would recommend that would be suitable/ newer and work independently from the engine with the existing vent system. Im open to any and all opinions on this as I am new to motor boating and am trying to make this boat a comfortable place for me and my family.

 

[ChromeDome]

You do have more options - which is always nice

The wabasto HL32D use 80 mm ducting which your selected solution should support as to avoid replacing the whole layout
If replacing with something designed for a much smaller dia, the flow speed will be lower and might not reach the far end of things.
Opposite, if replacing by something designed for larger dia, the restriction might cause the device to overheat as it can't dissipate the heat.

It sounds a bit wierd that the engine needs to be running - that indeed was not the intention from the manufacturer, but might have been decided by an owner afraid of it draining the battery. You might want to rewire the power supply to change that. For parts and advice you could try Webasto HL 32 Parts | Pumps, Glowplug, Pipes, Valves & More. No connection, just a happy customer.

The HL32D (probably short for the German 'Heiz Luft 32 Diesel') had a capacity of 3,2 kW at full and 1,6 kW at half load, blowing 130 and 81 cubic metres of hot air per hour, respectively. If that is enough for your boat size and you want to replace it, I'd recommend to go for a larger capacity version (still on 80 mm ducting), thermostat controlled and capable of running two or more stages to slow down when desired temp is approached and avoid frequent stop/start, as that would take more power and put extra wear on the glow plug.

Many have had good experience with the Russian or Chinese versions of air heaters. For some reason they are extremely close copies of the Eberspächer / Webasto models, only at a fraction of the cost ?

 

[Andibs]

Refit with a Chinese copy. Cheap as chips and work a treat. I tapped mine into my main tank

 

[ChromeDome]

Just a heads up on the subject: Installation of any heater must be done properly for a safe and reliable operation. I think all Chinese heaters are DIY installed - at least I'm not aware of any professional fitters that does it.

Plenty on Youtube, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLxP_AwzCecuipKsLK1uAvQ