Just fitted my Propex heater

I forgot to say that when I fitted mine and went for a 1 hour motor the following weekend I thought I was sinking.
Turned out that when I was fitting the heater I must have kicked the water trap of the exhaust and loosened the drain tap, took a while to ID the problem I even had the shaft seal off.
 
+1 Searush.

Laundryman, sit back and enjoy the warmth of your new heater. Butane/Propane arguments will go on forever. Theres always folk whose Butane bottles got too cold - its happened to me in the past once or twice. And if it was a problem now, I would switch over.

But its not. For me anyway.

And I dont go camping at -42c! SWMBO would be demanding a hotel long before it got that cold! Thered be all hell to pay...
 
Laundryman said:
As above, I'm perfectly happy with my purchase and found it a doddle to fit. Having said that, at 58, overweight and unfit, climbing in and out of the cockpit locker is more suited to someone younger and more agile. Advice to anyone contemplating similar...........
Buy yourself a good hole cutting kit, face mask( cutting fibreglass in the confines of a locker is not nice) remember that cutting holes puts your drill under strain, my cheapy burnt out.

Propex in Southampton were very good with advice and it's all worked out roughly £550. That's probably half of the equivalent diesel heater. No doubt gas is more expensive to run.

I'm sitting here now, warm as toast listening to it go on and off with the thermostat, very pleased with my days work. Thanks. Alan
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Would it have been an option for you to purchase a diesel or petrol generator and plug in an oil based electric heater -as you would use at home - except that it would be run on converted and transformed power as distinct from the one you use domestically .
We , in this part of Europe draw A/C power while the power we draw from a generator would be DC and transformed to 220 volts .
Just wondered if you had considered this as I am looking at such a proposition; ie installing a genni with sufficient KW output to fire up an electric heater .
George
 
galadriel said:
Just wait 'till the temps get in the minuses and the gas freezes!:eek: Cos it will!:D
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That's only if nuggets use butane in winter.... Change to propane and it will run in ccccccold weather. But remember to change the regulator. All appliance should still run fine with no adjustment.
 
I always see the LPG v diesel heater debate very much akin to the petrol v diesel engine one, one has high initial cost and lower running cost, the other low initial cost and higher running cost. Both are perfectly valid options and it really is a case of yer weighs up all the variables including financial and install requirements then yer pays yer money, yer takes yer choice. In fact the only thing stopping me from offering them as a solution where appropriate (after pointing out the differences and ensuring the customer understands) is that I can't be arsed to do the Gas Safe accreditation.
 
Laundryman said:
As above, I'm perfectly happy with my purchase and found it a doddle to fit. Having said that, at 58, overweight and unfit, climbing in and out of the cockpit locker is more suited to someone younger and more agile. Advice to anyone contemplating similar...........
Buy yourself a good hole cutting kit, face mask( cutting fibreglass in the confines of a locker is not nice) remember that cutting holes puts your drill under strain, my cheapy burnt out.

Propex in Southampton were very good with advice and it's all worked out roughly £550. That's probably half of the equivalent diesel heater. No doubt gas is more expensive to run.

I'm sitting here now, warm as toast listening to it go on and off with the thermostat, very pleased with my days work. Thanks. Alan
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Fitting a heater has been one of the best things we've done to our boat. Enjoy the heat :D
 
Laundryman said:
I posted originally to share my experience of fitting the heater, Not to start a debate on whose heater is the best.
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Yes, indeed, you are right, but I was only offering what had been our own experience.

smeaks, if you read all the posts, you will see I was using propane.
 
As I understand it, the high amps usage on the diesel heaters relate to the glow plug working each time it fires, on gas there's no glow plug, so just the fan to power. Time will tell but for now, I'm impressed. Thanks
Not quite correct. Yes current draw is high on start up at around 8 amps ( 2kw model) but this is only for a couple of minutes after that current draw is around 2 amps on high. ( still significant without any charging).
I had a Truma gas heater in my last boat and with 2x 18kg propane cyls had no issue with supply, it was much quieter than my current eberspacher.
 
reply to George Unthank

Hi, yes, on the face of it perfectly reasonable thing to do, specially as i already have a suitcase genny. Unfortunately, the forum's general attitude toward people that run gennys, suitcase or otherwise is intollerant to say the least. You would have to be a brave man to fire up a genny in the evening (or very thick skinned). I am neither. Just look at the trouble i started by using gas!
 
Laundryman said:
Just look at the trouble I started by using gas!
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:D Trouble maker ;)

I would not be wanting to be running a genny on my boat on a nice quiet winter night at anchor. We run our heating overnight when its cold. we've had temps down to -4c outside and 23c in the cabin, cozy:). The ticking of the fuel pump is annoying enough, a genny running would not work!
 
galadriel said:
:D Trouble maker ;)

I would not be wanting to be running a genny on my boat on a nice quiet winter night at anchor. We run our heating overnight when its cold. we've had temps down to -4c outside and 23c in the cabin, cozy:). The ticking of the fuel pump is annoying enough, a genny running would not work!
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As you say '' "You are young and life is long and ..''
I am less young and dont really see myself venturing out in these 'extreme 'temps
Treasure your youth !
I presume you are running a burner which must be of the same fuel which runs your engine , as you speak of the annoyance of a ticking fuel pump - n'est pas?
Please advise-What type of burner are you using if above presumption is correct
G
s
 
george unthank said:
As you say '' "You are young and life is long and ..''
I am less young and dont really see myself venturing out in these 'extreme 'temps
Treasure your youth !
I presume you are running a burner which must be of the same fuel which runs your engine , as you speak of the annoyance of a ticking fuel pump - n'est pas?
Please advise-What type of burner are you using if above presumption is correct
G
s
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You'r assumptions are correct, well almost. The heater is an Eber.

I'm not sure though how far one can stretch things 'till someone is unable to treasure youth, though I think I passed that mile stone a little while ago!
 
george unthank said:
Would it have been an option for you to purchase a diesel or petrol generator and plug in an oil based electric heater -as you would use at home - except that it would be run on converted and transformed power as distinct from the one you use domestically .
We , in this part of Europe draw A/C power while the power we draw from a generator would be DC and transformed to 220 volts .
Just wondered if you had considered this as I am looking at such a proposition; ie installing a genni with sufficient KW output to fire up an electric heater .
George
Click to expand...

I have got a Kipor type suitcase 1kw genny powering a 750w convector (no fan) heater, it works fine, but the noise... it is a bit loud, i get a bit embarrassed about it, it may be ok with the honda type which is much quieter.
 
Reply to David Fox

I too have a Kipor suitcase genny, mine isn't quiet either. I have a length of exhaust left over from fitting my heater and I seem to remember a previous post suggesting that they can be made more quiet by adding an extension to the exhaust. I will try it and reort back the result.
 
galadriel said:
You'r assumptions are correct, well almost. The heater is an Eber.

I'm not sure though how far one can stretch things 'till someone is unable to treasure youth, though I think I passed that mile stone a little while ago!
Click to expand...


Youth -so vastly wasted on the young - Oscar Wilde
 
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