Just fitted my Propex heater

[Laundryman]

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

 

[clyst]

Has your gas run out yet ?? Wont be long !! Sorry .

 

[forelle541]

Keep us updated on how much gas it uses in normal use.

 

[elton]

How big (small) is your boat? I'm thinking of fitting one to my Westerly Pageant but concerned about space. I fitted an Eberspacher to my Centaur, which was an excellent cabin heater, but it used so much electricity it was useless for cruising.

 

[saltylegs]

I fitted the Whale version of the Propex in June to my Sigma 33 and haven't changed the cylinder yet but I must admit we have only been on board for about 8 nights this year and SWIMBO does like her heat.
I use 3.9Kg Calor propane cylinders and will use larger cylinders connected via a deck fitting if I plan to stay aboard longer.
PS I am not to worried about gas usage as I work for a gas company.
Whale (and maybe Propex) do a dual fuel gas electric version so if you are on hook up you don't need gas and don't forget when you are using gas you use about half of the battery power as the diesel versions.

 

[oldharry]

Has your gas run out yet ?? Wont be long !! Sorry .

Rubbish! We have a 3.5 (or is it 3.8? kw Propex which I fitted in our motor caravan. Normally we connect to mains for heating, so the gas is used only for cooking and hot water. A 15kg bottle lasts about 3 weeks, so 3kg a week.

We just returned from a trip to the more remote parts of Scotland, wild camping quite a bit and rarely with mains supply available. The lovely weather meant we had the Propex running most evenings, as well as using gas for the fridge. The 15kg bottle lasted just over a fortnight, so the fridge and the Propex together were using no more than 2.5kg a week. The fridge is quite heavy on gas as the flame is permanently lit, but we never used it much on gas before so do not know how much it burns.

The modern Propexs' are much more fuel efficient than the early smaller ones.

 

[NickRobinson]

I've got one in my camper- works well. Are you running on propane? Butane no good for winter.


Nick

 

[Sans Bateau]

Just wait 'till the temps get in the minuses and the gas freezes! Cos it will!

 

[Laundryman]

Propex heater

I was waiting for the comment re gas usage. If I was a live aboard, that would obviously be relevant, but for my kind of usage, I sail as a hobby, weather permitting, I can live with the gas usage. I could save thousands each year by moving my boat East, but people still stay in the Solent!. You pays your money and take your choice.
My boat is a Beneteau Oceanis 321. ( 10m ) or there abouts. Fwiw, the Propex doesn't seem as powerful as my Eberspacher on my previous boat but it's a lot quieter. It also doesn't smell. 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

 

[oldharry]

Butane, but in our camper the gas locker is alongside the heated living area, so the gas bottle is kept warmer than in a drafty locker somewhere down beyond the cockpit of a boat.

Never had a problem yet, and have been across Europe including the high Alps, where it gets plenty cold enough out of season! But then the gas locker on our van was designed that way on purpose.

 

[Laundryman]

Propex heater

I may not be as experienced a sailor as some on this forum, but I am experienced when it comes to using bottled gas. I always use Propane. Diesel will wax up long before Propane freezes.

 

[Sans Bateau]

We originally tried a Propex, but even before the temps dropped really low, the gas bottle in the cockpit locker could not evaporate enough gas quick enough to keep it going, a nice warm camper van, ah thats a different matter!

 

[Sans Bateau]

I may not be as experienced a sailor as some on this forum, but I am experienced when it comes to using bottled gas. I always use Propane. Diesel will wax up long before Propane freezes.

 

[saltylegs]

Just wait 'till the temps get in the minuses and the gas freezes! Cos it will!

As I said above 3.9 kg Propane.
I suggest that any gas heater with the cylinder in a "snug" gas locker you should only ever use propane as butane will chill the gas locker to a temperature that will stop the cylinder "working" properly.

 

[Sans Bateau]

As I said above 3.9 kg Propane.
I suggest that any gas heater with the cylinder in a "snug" gas locker you should only ever use propane as butane will chill the gas locker to a temperature that will stop the cylinder "working" properly.

Propane, that the red bottles yes? Tried them.

 

[saltylegs]

Propane, that the red bottles yes? Tried them.

Me too, they work well down to minus 25c but then tail off a bit and stop working altogether at minus 42c

 

[Sans Bateau]

Me too, they work well down to minus 25c but then tail off a bit and stop working altogether at minus 42c

Sorry, but we could not get our Propex to work even on Propane even at around -3c, would just die off with lack of gas, we tried different gas bottles, regulators, sent the heater back etc etc, just would not have it.

 

[oldharry]

As I said above 3.9 kg Propane.
I suggest that any gas heater with the cylinder in a "snug" gas locker you should only ever use propane as butane will chill the gas locker to a temperature that will stop the cylinder "working" properly.

Sounds reasonable, but it all works. Even in temperatures well below zero.

 

[Laundryman]

Propex Heater

I posted originally to share my experience of fitting the heater, Not to start a debate on whose heater is the best.

 

[Searush]

I posted originally to share my experience of fitting the heater, Not to start a debate on whose heater is the best.

All threads just naturally turn into a pissing contest. It's the way of the Interweb