parafin heaters?

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born2sail61

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what's the general opinion re parafin heaters on boats?i have a 19' foot sailing boat i'd like to use for occasional overnight stops during the colder months.havent really got room for a wood burner and i don't feel safe with gas.are there any safety issues and do they create much condensation? Thanks
 
I have a very old Taylor's paraffin heater on my 28 foot boat. It's great - plenty of heat, simple to operate and maintain, easy to install.

Safety issues? Make sure you have a proper chimney of the right length and a ventilator to allow air into the cabin.

They are expensive but sometimes available second hand.
 
born2sail61 said:
what's the general opinion re parafin heaters on boats?i have a 19' foot sailing boat i'd like to use for occasional overnight stops during the colder months.havent really got room for a wood burner and i don't feel safe with gas.are there any safety issues and do they create much condensation? Thanks
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Huge amounts of condensation plus CO risks. There is really no satisfactory combustion based heater for boats without a proper flue. If I had to get something I'd either go for an Origo heatpal or a small portable gas stove like the ones my local ironmonger sells for twenty quid or so. In either case I'd have ventilation and a CO alarm and under no circumstances ever would I leave it burning overnight.
 
I use a Tilly lamp onboard, lots of heat and useful light. Yes it does add to the moisture/condensation and you must make sure there is a hatch open and this helps.

I run it with a CO monitor next to it, it's never registered any CO output so must be a "clean" burn.
 
JumbleDuck said:
Huge amounts of condensation plus CO risks. There is really no satisfactory combustion based heater for boats without a proper flue. If I had to get something I'd either go for an Origo heatpal or a small portable gas stove like the ones my local ironmonger sells for twenty quid or so. In either case I'd have ventilation and a CO alarm and under no circumstances ever would I leave it burning overnight.
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Surely less condensation as the stove has a chimney! OP should consider a charcoal heater again with a chimney, he will have to have the washboards open as they do give out a load of heat.
 
If by paraffin heatetr you mean a greenhouse-style heater or a free standing Valor/Alladin type, they have no place on a boat. As others have said, condensation is dire and build up of nasties would make a cabin uninhabitable.
Flued heaters, however are a different matter. I have had a Victory with a 22mm flue and currently have a Taylors 79D drip-feed.
The Taylors burns deisel and/or paraffin and it kept me thawed over last weekend with the outside temperature down to -4c.
Quimby is right, though. Charcoal heaters are not much bigger than a Taylors.
 
quimby said:
Surely less condensation as the stove has a chimney! OP should consider a charcoal heater again with a chimney, he will have to have the washboards open as they do give out a load of heat.
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I was assuming a greenhouse style paraffin heater, rather than a chimneyed one. If he can find room to put a Taylor's heater in a 19' boat he could start a sideline as an all-night bakery ...
 
When not on shore power we use a "Corona" turbo paraffin heater. Carbon fibre wick, still on the first one after four years. It heats the salon in about 20 minutes on our 37 footer. A computer fan stood on top made a huge difference. I installed a Honeywell CO alarm which never goes off.

I would never leave it on all night or when sleeping as it has no flue. Never noticed much condensation but we have a well ventilated boat.

Google Corona heaters and have a look.
 
Contrary to others suggestions, we regularly use a Vapalux M320 (like a tilly, but better) for heat and light aboard, without dying and in fact with less condensation than without it. Never had a flare up (as is often warned of) and never had any soot development. We have a CO alarm and it always shows zero ppm, and we do test it.

Open two hatches, just enough. One above (or as near above as poss) the lamp, and one at the furthest away possible location in the space you're occupying. This creates a slow flow of air from outside, along to the lamp, then up and out and away. Air is warmed on entry, thus then able to carry more moisture than it already contains - so it takes up moisture - and is then expelled. By having the open hatches only open just enough, you can be toasty warm and dry this way. We usually stick the lamp on the floor under the table so the heat really warms your knees.

We've dried off seriously dripping windows this way after a massive culinary effort in the galley.

However, we've now installed a Faversham Stove and the lamp comes out rarely now. Coal fire is such luxury. Very warm and very dry all the time now. Estimated output of 1.5kW for the Faversham is well under the true value when it's really cranking.
 
I use one I bought from a chandlers (so it must be suitable for boats, right), and it is brilliant. To be honest, it is a bit big for my 23 footer, but it heats the place up quickly, and I can cook on top of it. It hasn't killed me, yet, but I never leave it unattended, and I always have the main hatch half open for ventilation. I also use a CO alarm (when I remember to take it). If you want to google for it, it is just like the one called "the big red heater". I would suggest this particular one is much too big for a 19 footer, though.
 
thankyou for all advice/opinions.have decided go for a small woodburner instead.have found plans for asmall one on the 'faymarine' site.will let you know in time how it goes.....
 
born2sail61 said:
thankyou for all advice/opinions.have decided go for a small woodburner instead.have found plans for asmall one on the 'faymarine' site.will let you know in time how it goes.....
Click to expand...

That will be simple and effective solution but where are you going to store the wood in a 19' boat? (and the newspapers and kindling? :))

In the space occupied by a Taylor's paraffin tank (containing enough fuel to keep you warm for at least a week) you would only be able to store enough wood for one or two evenings. You also have the problem of disposing of the ashes.
 
will only need wood for an evening or two.sail mostly solo and thr two quarter berths are too small too be used practically,so they are going to be converted to additional cockpit lockers.
 
CaptainBob said:
Contrary to others suggestions, we regularly use a Vapalux M320 (like a tilly, but better) for heat and light aboard, without dying and in fact with less condensation than without it. Never had a flare up (as is often warned of) and never had any soot development. We have a CO alarm and it always shows zero ppm, and we do test it.

Open two hatches, just enough. One above (or as near above as poss) the lamp, and one at the furthest away possible location in the space you're occupying. This creates a slow flow of air from outside, along to the lamp, then up and out and away. Air is warmed on entry, thus then able to carry more moisture than it already contains - so it takes up moisture - and is then expelled. By having the open hatches only open just enough, you can be toasty warm and dry this way. We usually stick the lamp on the floor under the table so the heat really warms your knees.

We've dried off seriously dripping windows this way after a massive culinary effort in the galley.

However, we've now installed a Faversham Stove and the lamp comes out rarely now. Coal fire is such luxury. Very warm and very dry all the time now. Estimated output of 1.5kW for the Faversham is well under the true value when it's really cranking.
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Second that - the Vapalux, with two hatches open, is just what you want for a 19 footer (I used to have an 18 footer, and I still have a Vapalux. Wonderful bit of kit. A Taylors would overpower a 19 footer as would a Faversham, brilliant though they are.
 
DanTribe said:
I was very tempted by one of these stoves.
Has anyone any experience of them?
http://www.samphireseastoves.co.uk/home
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I've not used one but struck it off the list of possible options for us as they don't create a flow of air through the boat, and up the chimney, I don't believe. Their flues are double skinned, drawing in air down the chimney, then back up again and out. That makes it a very well balanced flue so much less likely to blow out the flame in a gust of wind, but I think it'll also massively reduce the stoves effectiveness at decreasing humidity.
 
Captai nonBob said:
I've not used one but stuck it off the list of possible options for us as they don't create a flow of air through the boat, and up the chimney, I don't believe. Their flues are double skinned, drawing in air down the chimney, then back up again and out. That makes it a very well balanced flue so much less likely to blow out the flame in a gust of wind, but I think it'll also massively reduce the stoves effectiveness at decreasing humidity.
Click to expand...
I have only recently considered a heater like this. Up to now I have always planned to get a blown hot air heater so I have not really thought about it carefully. However on a quick glance at some of the alternatives they seem to recommend the air source for the heater be as close as possible so would not the air flow the heater creates just be from the air source to the heater ?
 
A point on balanced flues, etc. The classic place to fit a heater is to one side of the mast on a single masted boat, because that puts the flue in the slot, a low pressure area, and gives you a better draft. Beware of fitting the flue aft, under the boom, because the downwash of air off the mainsail on one tack will tend to put it out.

Likewise beware of cockpit sprayhoods (what the Americans call a dodger) - these create a low pressure area in the cabin which is great for ventilation until you try to light the stove under way..
 
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