Chinese Heater - another thread

[Hot Property]

That's exactly how I use my 5kw £100 Chinese diesel heater on my 27 feet sailboat. I stand it on a sheet of 18mm ply to stop the exhaust from scorching the grp and have a spare washboard with a 4" hole cut in it for the flexible ducting pipe to go through.
A few points though. You don't have to run it at 5kw, I think that you can run it as low as 2kw. You have to make a waterproof covering for the unit as the 12v connections outside are exposed to the elements. You have to run a cable from the unit to your 12v supply and they take quite a lot of electricity, 50w. And they are quite noisy. OK if you have the anchorage to yourself but if there are other boats then they won't thank you.
Fumes are not a problem, especially with the washboard in. Any CO causing restriction in the air supply becomes immediately apparent, try putting your hand over the air intake and you will see what I mean.

You can buy a proper silencer which drastically reduces the exhaust roar.

I fitted one to my Chinese heater along with a proper skin fitting.

Installed properly they are very good.

Just bin the exhaust that came with it.

 

[Wandering Star]

Thanks for all the advice & comments, the plan is to use it in much the same way as Threshers post above. I think that will work fine for me. The hot air outlet will be through a washboard and the unit itself will sit on a substantial piece of ply at the aft end of the cockpit.

 

[steveeasy]

The plan sounds fine. word of caution from my own experience. I installed a diesel heater in the stearn of my boat, I chose this area as it was as far as practical from the cabin. I did not provide a suitable clear air intake and I got a rather nasty headache one morning. I had 2 carbon monoxide detecters on board and no warnings from them. Ive since installed the a air intake pipe in to the cockpit, and have an extension pipe to fit when I use the cockpit enclosure.
Since I made the changes I have had no problems at all. thought it was useful to highlight the risks if the fresh air intake is restricted at all.

Steveeasy

 

[fredrussell]

The plan sounds fine. word of caution from my own experience. I installed a diesel heater in the stearn of my boat, I chose this area as it was as far as practical from the cabin. I did not provide a suitable clear air intake and I got a rather nasty headache one morning. I had 2 carbon monoxide detecters on board and no warnings from them. Ive since installed the a air intake pipe in to the cockpit, and have an extension pipe to fit when I use the cockpit enclosure.
Since I made the changes I have had no problems at all. thought it was useful to highlight the risks if the fresh air intake is restricted at all.

Steveeasy

A worrying story. I personally think these ‘all-in-one’ diesel heater setups shouldn’t be anywhere near a boat. If you’re going to fit one, do it properly. It’s really not that hard to fit one of these heaters in a safe and seaworthy way.

 

[Beneteau381]

And if there's an eddy downstream of the hatch? Or you're lying to tide, not to wind?

CO emission in the cockpit cannot be guaranteed to be safe.

Somebody died in a mobo a few years back from back eddies, cockpit mounting a big no!

 

[V1701]

Another general principle with this type of heater is you're better off running a lower output one at full chat than a higher output one at half. They coke up when run for extended periods on low, especially with red diesel. As already said 2kw is plenty for a 27ft boat...