zoidberg
Well-Known Member
I had this ad 'pushed' to me tonight. It seems such kit is 'cheap as chips' and I'm looking for an excuse not to raid the piggy-bank again....
Diesel heater for skinflints
- Thread starter zoidberg
- Start date
Homer J
Well-Known Member
How many of these components are suitable for a salt water environment? What are the consequences of failure? Fire? Exhaust fumes? Will it invalidate your insurance?
Kelpie
Well-Known Member
Looks very similar to mine. Add a £40 marine skin fitting, about £25 for a length of genuine Eber exhaust hose, and another £5 for some lagging, and you should be good to go.
MarcJ
Well-Known Member
I got a 5kW version in a similar kit - just replaced some of the the "not suitable" bits. It's been fine so far. That one is cheaper, I think I paid about £130...
Neeves
Well-Known Member
I had to look up the meaning of 'heater' in the Oxford - it is not in the Australian dictionary 
unlike Patagonia where every yacht has a chimney (even one, cat, from Tahiti and one from Malta).
Do they make a cheap aircon unit?
Jonathan
unlike Patagonia where every yacht has a chimney (even one, cat, from Tahiti and one from Malta).Do they make a cheap aircon unit?
Jonathan
lw395
Well-Known Member
Main problem is the exhaust.
That needs a proper outlet, to outside the hull.
The exhaust gas these things produce is full of steam, CO2 and CO.
The steam tends to condense if the exhaust pipe is too long or not lagged.
That can result in either the pipe fills with water and everything goes U/S, or dirty weak acid running down your transom or topsides etc.
The hot exhaust can also attack fenders, tenders, neighbouring boats, and can be quite loud.
Sorting this is not rocket science but can easily double the cost.
That needs a proper outlet, to outside the hull.
The exhaust gas these things produce is full of steam, CO2 and CO.
The steam tends to condense if the exhaust pipe is too long or not lagged.
That can result in either the pipe fills with water and everything goes U/S, or dirty weak acid running down your transom or topsides etc.
The hot exhaust can also attack fenders, tenders, neighbouring boats, and can be quite loud.
Sorting this is not rocket science but can easily double the cost.
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
The basic Eberspacher unit is hardly fit for marine use being of mainly alloy construction and having been designed for use in road vehicles. Provided it's properly installed with decent skin fitting and hoses, I don't see why it would invalidate any insurance - that's just scaremongering.
davidwf
Well-Known Member
It will probably be fine but I would want it to be CE marked in case there was an issue and you end up with an insurance claim. Also would anticipate import duty being added to this.
steve yates
Well-Known Member
At these prices it's worth putting one in my 18 footer for winter sailing and running it on kerosene.
Where would I source a replacement exhaust pipe for it and what's best for lagging?
Where would I source a replacement exhaust pipe for it and what's best for lagging?
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
The question of insurance came up recently on another thread. A poster who asked his insurers said they showed not the slightest interest in the heater, provided it was installed safely.
I agree about the Eberspacher. However, mine has been installed in the stern locker for 20 years plus, with no issues. There are many grades of aluminium, some with excellent corrosion resistance.
pvb
Well-Known Member
I had this ad 'pushed' to me tonight. It seems such kit is 'cheap as chips' and I'm looking for an excuse not to raid the piggy-bank again....
If you want a cheap Chinese heater, I'd suggest buying it from Amazon, as their refund policy is straightforward. If for any reason you have a warranty claim against Banggood, you'll have to send the heater back to China by tracked courier, which will cost more than the heater's worth.
Yngmar
Well-Known Member
The aluminium is fine. It's the rest of our genuine Eberspächer D5LC that didn't handle the marine environment too well. The only part designed for it was the exhaust fitting:
Okay, there was a leak from the rudder top bearing above it and the boat sat for a couple years before I bought it, but still. I did spend around £300 in parts (the cost of a new housing plus service kit - Chinese copies weren't around yet), a lot of time fixing all the corroded connectors and some tricky troubleshooting (one of the PCB traces had corroded away and needed patching up) and it has served us well ever since.
Now it's starting to act up a bit again and I'm probably replacing it with a Chinese copy of a newer model this winter. That will come with a few upgrades, such as the ventilation mode, remote control and working regulation (which never worked on the Eber).
Homer J
Well-Known Member
It was not intended to be scaremongering. My own experience of insurance is that they can be difficult in certain claims. I’m suggesting that it would be prudent to check - that’s all. Get yourself some peace of mind. The OP asked for ‘excuses not to’ not reasons to purchase.
I’m aware a lot of ‘marine’ products are just gloss and mark up, but there has been a lot of forum talk on this subject.
If it is safe, insurance acceptable and cheaper (in that priority) then go for it. Just check first is all I’m suggesting.
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
Fair comment
PetiteFleur
Well-Known Member
I fitted a Chinese heater last spring and it's been fine BUT be prepared to spend more on proper marine kit than you paid for the heater. The exhaust is rubbish as are the hose clips: I also upgraded the wiring and you'll also have to get ducting and insulation. There is a facebook site which gives a lot of info - most problems seem to come from poor installation. I also got the simple controller not the version where you can alter the settings. I also suspect that the unit you show will give 8kw. I also used the boat fuel tank with a dip tube. Works well, nice and warm yesterday when I changed the oil and filters ready for layup.
