Electrical safety question

[Roy]

With winter approaching...... As in previous boats i have always left a tube heater in the engine bay and one inside the boat saloon. These are 120 watt and are 'on' all the time with no thermostats. Will also be using a dehumidifier too. The engines will be winterised and the boat left in the water, so the heater below the engines is just to keep things dry. The question is this : Is it safe to plug the heaters into timers so that they come on periodically rather than all the time as I have done in the past with previous boats or would this create a risk of overheating of the timer etc. and possible fire? Hope to hear from someone with the experience of using timers for this purpose. Roy

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?

 

[Jinks]

And .. at the risk of hi-jacking this thread - could someone recommend a small heater/dehumidifier suitable for a 25 foot boat please.

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[hlb]

Hardly worth bothering with timers. How will you know when it's going to be cold anyway?? Greenhouse heaters only use less than a light bulb so can leave on all the time.

Dehumidifiers, just get one from B&Q or where ever. Stick in on the sink with pipe down into it, else have to empty container all the time.

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[martynwhiteley]

Roy, I have used tube heaters in the engine room and cabin for the last two winters with total success.

The first year I just used timers, but last year I added a thermostat as well, since they were only £9 at Argos.

You should find the spec of the timer/thermo well within the current drawn by the tube heaters, so barring a faulty device, they will not overheat.

I did have some concern about using the timer inside the engine room of a petrol powered boat, but if you did have a leak, it would be better it blew up whilst you weren't there, that it doing so on your next visit! I guess it would be safer to ensure any switching device is remote from the engine room.

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[martynwhiteley]

You don't tell a Scot or a Yorkie, not to worry about the cost Haydn /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[Roy]

Cheers Martin - Ours is diesel anyway so that petrol fume issue won't matter....I'll check the rating of the timers and have a look at thermostats too. Thanks a lot. Roy

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[Roy]

Yes you have a point about when its gonna be cold. We bought a good dehumy this year and it works great. I think a length of beer piping would do for draining it to the sink? Thanks Hadyn. Roy

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?

 

[hlb]

It should have come with a pipe. But whatever!!

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[Roy]

We bought a few heaters 4 years back for about £15 each They are the tube type and draw about 120watts. Just mount them onto boards so they don't tip over and ensure that nothing can fall onto them when you are away from boat (or on the boat)

We got our dehumidifier from bq for about £70 and it works really well. Roy

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?