Compact radiators for boats

[Gordonmc]

I am starting to think about uprating the boat's heating and my plea is for any information about suppliers of low profile wet radiators.
Heating at the moment is confined to a Taylors diesel drip feed stove in the saloon. I was thinking of putting radiators in the fore cabin, saloon and aft cabin powered by an Eber hydronic or similar.
I don't want to use the usual fan matrix arrangement as that would mean extra wiring and power consumption.
Finding low profile panel radiators is proving a problem. I would need something about a foot high or less by about four foot.
Any sources or comments on the do-ability?

 

[Broombroomput]

Might be worth looking at Caravan systems! I think Adrias came with a form of wet central heating.

 

[philip_stevens]

We've got Eber' Hydronic water heating on our Duo.

The radiators are about 400x400, so as the previous post suggests, try a caravan shop.

I don't know where our radiators came from as they were fitted before we bought the boat.

 

[Vara]

People who make buses and convert vans to mini-buses use the sort of thing you are talking about.

Worth a google or a ring around.

 

[LittleShip]

Skirting radiators.......

http://www.uk-plumbing.com/Smiths-S...vector-Radiator-p-1042.html?source=googlebase

Tom

 

[philip_stevens]

Small single and double panel radiators

 

[pvb]

Small rads have a very limited heat output. It would be much more efficient to use an ordinary warm air Eberspacher system. It would be cheaper. It would also use less power. And it'd probably be easier to install.

 

[nedmin]

You must be able to get small high output rads from somewhere.Have you tried somewhere like Plumb Centre?I have had hot air and now rads,there is no comparison between the 2 systems,in my experience rads are much better and you always have hot water. My system runs off a Webasto 9kw diesel heater and runs 8 small high output rads and was installed from new,even in the coldest weather it copes admirably.

 

[pvb]

You must be able to get small high output rads from somewhere.

The original poster was looking for rads for 3 cabins, and thought about 1ft x 4ft would be the max size. Even at this size, and with a double convector, the heat output in ideal conditions is only just over 1kW - and the thing sticks out 5" from the surface it's on, not easy to lose in a boat. For his size boat, a regular warm air system would be much better.

 

[Bobobolinsky]

600 x 300 rads are available at Wickes and Screwfix

 

[pvb]

600 x 300 rads are available at Wickes and Screwfix

A 600x300 single convector rad only has a heat output of around 300 watts...

 

[Gordonmc]

For the avoidance of confusion...

The heating system under consideration is not for No 1. boat as shown in the avatar.
It is for No 2 boat, a 42 foot ketch.

 

[PerformanceSailor]

Heater story

Here is a link with photos and text about the install I did on our 34 footer with a three cylinder 23 hp diesel.
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=5715&referrerid=28
The thread kind of changed direction as it progressed, but that's the internet for you!


Anyhooo.... near-overwhelming amounts of heat delivered when engine under load at about 2500 rpm.

For the money, and given the obvious limitation that it's only good when the engine is running, it is a wonderful way to scavenge waste heat, and the best btu return for the coin that you can get.

L

ps: closest product in the current lineup looks like the model 500H, http://www.heatercraft.com/images/catalog/index.html

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Comparison With An Old Hotwater Heating System

Skirting radiators.......

http://www.uk-plumbing.com/Smiths-S...vector-Radiator-p-1042.html?source=googlebase

Tom

I cant help on sourcing radiators. Many years ago on a Rival 41 we had a similar system installed as the skirting radiators but without the external covers. It was basically a loop of pipe taken from the the engine. It ran off a heat exchanger from the engine cooling circuit plumbed into a hot water tank, not a very big tank and independent to the hot water system. The pipes were a brown plastic colour that used an early speed fit method of connection. The radiators were no more than copper pipes with very thin aluminium disks to dissipate heat. The pipes and radiators ran behind the saloon, fore cabin and aft cabin berths within the lockers and with cut outs at cabin sole level.

The system worked OK (required the engine to run) but compared to modern hot air systems it lost out hands down. Over the years the aluminium disks started to fail, got bent and the system ended up isolated and eventually removed.

However, the good thing was the small diameter pipes compared to the ducting from a hot air blower. The pipes could run anywhere there was an 1 1/2" gap. When the system was replaced we could not run hidden ducting to the fore cabin.

 

[pcatterall]

The 'wet' system does have many advantages... can use engine heat when under power, calorifier for domestic water, pipes easier to fit/insulate compared to ducts etc.
However, I suggest that you reconsider the rads as the space they occupy for output is high though there may be some places where you can loose a panel for background heat.
One or two matrix blowers will not consume a vast amount of juice and that warm air is directed right where you need it, no cold layer at foot level!!