Diesel heater exhaust

[SimonA]

I'm about to install a diesel heater on my boat, can the exhaust skin fitting be positioned above the height of the heater? The location I'm thinking of would have the skin fitting about 30cm above the heater. Would the exhaust require a swan neck too?

 

[maby]

Ours (Webasto) certainly is - by a good couple of feet. We didn't fit it - it was done professionally by a Webasto main dealer - so I cannot comment on the details of the installation.

 

[simonfraser]

my exhaust is at least 30cm above the heater, with a swan neck, as described in the manual.
you don't want sea or rain water going down the exhaust.

 

[Keith-i]

you don't want sea or rain water going down the exhaust.

... or condensate.

 

[maby]

... or condensate.

Indeed - but having the exhaust above the heater makes that more likely.....

 

[Momac]

My Eberspacher has a condensate drain of the metal elbow part of the exhaust and the exhaust outlet is above the heater .
. https://www.butlertechnik.com/insta...rain-pipe-6mm-with-union-5687-292199005687-p4

 

[Plum]

I'm about to install a diesel heater on my boat, can the exhaust skin fitting be positioned above the height of the heater? The location I'm thinking of would have the skin fitting about 30cm above the heater. Would the exhaust require a swan neck too?

Mine is 30cm above water on the side of the boat and is above the Eberspacher. My skin fitting is the angled type so the exhaust tube has a loop about 80mm above the skin fitting with the last 200mm of the tube downhill to the angled skin fitting. Been ok for 5 years.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Hot Property]

I've had to fit my exhaust higher than the heater and as a consequence rain water collected in the silencer and pipe.

Simple solution was to fit an expanding hung when not in use....

The hull fitting is straight through not the angled version

 

[Homer J]

Mines about level with the heater. No issues in 18 yrs

 

[QBhoy]

It needs to be higher really. Also states this very clearly in manual

 

[Momac]

It needs to be higher really. Also states this very clearly in manual

Sounds like the OP doesn't have any installation instructions.

 

[SimonA]

Sounds like the OP doesn't have any installation instructions.

I've got a Chinglish instruction book that is as clear as mud. It doesn't cover boat installations either.

 

[petem]

Simon, is it the standard exhaust? I believe others have said that its not fit for purpose.

I must say, this Chinaspacher business scares me. For heaven's sake make sure you have a decent carbon monoxide detector and ideally get some someone who knows what they're doing to help you fit it.

 

[peteK]

Exhaust outlet needs to be at least 300 mm above waterline with a swan neck,exhaust outlet is usually below heater in a motor vdhicle dont know why people are saying it needs to be above.

 

[superheat6k]

My Chinapacher heater sits ~600mm above the waterline with the exhaust skin fitting ~150mm below the base of the heater so still ~450 above the waterline. The exhaust pipe run inside the boat is all downhill via a sealed Webasto silencer, with original Eberspacher double wall exhaust, which is completely lagged with high temperature fibre insulation tape wrap. No water no unburnt fuel can gather.

I have had adverse comments about this set up, but as I have bilge pump and sink drain outlets at a lower level I am quite happy with the arrangement.

The boat was a bit chilly this morning so I fired it up and had the cabin at 24C within 20 minutes. It hadn't been started up for 5 months and did need two priming runs to fill the fuel pipe, but third start away it went, no smoke, no smells. I am only using kerosene presently.

Whereas I do have CO alarm, and wouldn't leave the heater running unattended, I have no concerns at all as to its safety, and have yet to see any dangerous occurrences reported on the Facebook group, where the vast majority of users are for vehicle applications. Certainly no reports of CO poisoning, CO alarms sounding, and certainly none catching fire.

 

[Hot Property]

My Chinapacher heater sits ~600mm above the waterline with the exhaust skin fitting ~150mm below the base of the heater so still ~450 above the waterline. The exhaust pipe run inside the boat is all downhill via a sealed Webasto silencer, with original Eberspacher double wall exhaust, which is completely lagged with high temperature fibre insulation tape wrap. No water no unburnt fuel can gather.

I have had adverse comments about this set up, but as I have bilge pump and sink drain outlets at a lower level I am quite happy with the arrangement.

The boat was a bit chilly this morning so I fired it up and had the cabin at 24C within 20 minutes. It hadn't been started up for 5 months and did need two priming runs to fill the fuel pipe, but third start away it went, no smoke, no smells. I am only using kerosene presently.

Whereas I do have CO alarm, and wouldn't leave the heater running unattended, I have no concerns at all as to its safety, and have yet to see any dangerous occurrences reported on the Facebook group, where the vast majority of users are for vehicle applications. Certainly no reports of CO poisoning, CO alarms sounding, and certainly none catching fire.

I started mine after a few months last week and it all fired up nicely. SWMBO was pleased as I had the hood up and heater on coming back from Cowes. Best investment ever!

 

[petem]

My Chinapacher heater sits ~600mm above the waterline with the exhaust skin fitting ~150mm below the base of the heater so still ~450 above the waterline. The exhaust pipe run inside the boat is all downhill via a sealed Webasto silencer, with original Eberspacher double wall exhaust, which is completely lagged with high temperature fibre insulation tape wrap. No water no unburnt fuel can gather.

I have had adverse comments about this set up, but as I have bilge pump and sink drain outlets at a lower level I am quite happy with the arrangement.

The boat was a bit chilly this morning so I fired it up and had the cabin at 24C within 20 minutes. It hadn't been started up for 5 months and did need two priming runs to fill the fuel pipe, but third start away it went, no smoke, no smells. I am only using kerosene presently.

Whereas I do have CO alarm, and wouldn't leave the heater running unattended, I have no concerns at all as to its safety, and have yet to see any dangerous occurrences reported on the Facebook group, where the vast majority of users are for vehicle applications. Certainly no reports of CO poisoning, CO alarms sounding, and certainly none catching fire.

If it's so safe why aren't you using the exhaust that came with it?

 

[Hot Property]

If it's so safe why aren't you using the exhaust that came with it?

The exhaust that they come with is meant for mounting externally on a vehicle and it's well known that you need a sealed unit if mounting inside a boat. The FB forum has a wealth of information for DIY installation.

 

[petem]

I wonder if the OP realises that he can't use the exhaust that came with the kit.

 

[maby]

Exhaust outlet needs to be at least 300 mm above waterline with a swan neck,exhaust outlet is usually below heater in a motor vdhicle dont know why people are saying it needs to be above.

Agreed - on our current boat, the exhaust is a little way above the heater, but on previous boats with professionally installed blown air heating the exhaust was either level with, or slightly below the heater unit. Obviously it needs to be sufficiently high above the water line to not take in sea water, but other than that, I see no reason why it should be higher than the heater - in fact the converse seems to be the case - you need to avoid condensation laying in the duct and heater unit and the easiest way to achieve that it to have the heater higher than the exhaust.