Propex HS2000 (LPG) blown air heater

[rafiki_]

Any experience of this type of heater? Rafiki uses a heat exchanger taking hot water off the engine. Not much good when the engine is off!!

Therefore considering the options, and this popped into the browser.

My concerns would be safety (only diesel and electricity currently on Rafiki), installation and performance.

Clearly one route would be the Ebers or Wabasto, but these sound very noisy on other boats in the Marina.

Any other options?

 

[oGaryo]

Any experience of this type of heater? Rafiki uses a heat exchanger taking hot water off the engine. Not much good when the engine is off!!

Therefore considering the options, and this popped into the browser.

My concerns would be safety (only diesel and electricity currently on Rafiki), installation and performance.

Clearly one route would be the Ebers or Wabasto, but these sound very noisy on other boats in the Marina.

Any other options?

I have a 1600 version and am in the process of fitting it.. have already run the ducting and it seems adequate when I popped the unit on temporarily.. good level of heat output for my size of boat... whilst not required at sea I believe, the regs are somewhat thorough so I've purchased a bubble monitor and an SAS poisenous gas alarm with remote unit so it'll go off if there's a leak by the unit and in the cabin.. 8mm compression fittings all round along with isolation taps and I need to build a top vented bottom draining gas cabinet with a bottle securing strap fitted.. access ieally needs to be from the top of the cabinet, side doors with seals are not so good apparently. again, not required unless you take the boat on inland waterways or more accurately, where BSS certs are required but thought I'd go the whole hog anyway for peace of mind.. should have it installed by 2015

 

[rafiki_]

Gary,

Many thanks for this. I am on the rivers, so will need to be BSC compliant. I will be really interested in your installation experience, so when completed, a summary with pics (sorry, being cheeky now) would be helpful.

Rafiki is a 31 ft mobo, saloon, fwd double and mid double plus heads, so similar to your boat. 2 or 3 outlets would probably suffice? I think I could fix the gas bottle in the anchor locker, which has its own vent out through the hull.

I'm interested in where you are mounting the heater, and how difficult you find running the gas pipes and vent hoses.

 

[oldgit]

Gary,

Many thanks for this. I am on the rivers, so will need to be BSC compliant. I will be really interested in your installation experience, so when completed, a summary with pics (sorry, being cheeky now) would be helpful.

Rafiki is a 31 ft mobo, saloon, fwd double and mid double plus heads, so similar to your boat. 2 or 3 outlets would probably suffice? I think I could fix the gas bottle in the anchor locker, which has its own vent out through the hull.

I'm interested in where you are mounting the heater, and how difficult you find running the gas pipes and vent hoses.

Just a quick mention that you can get the hot air ducting for around £6/7 quid a metre from caravan outlets.
It fits most of the small Webs and Ebers.

 

[Thepipdoc]

In my previous boat (Searay 270) I fitted a HS2800 with twin outlets and it was excellent.
It never missed a beat and was considerably less noisy than the Eberspacher that we currently have in our current boat.
I took the added precaution of informing my insurance company that we had fitted a LPG heater and they were fine with it providing I provided them with a Gas Safe safety certificate - which of course I did. In fact it was fitted by a Gas Safe registered boat fitter.
Low running amps are required and so it appealed to me because we are on a swinging mooring - electric isn't too easy to come by.

 

[humphrey231074]

I just got my heater from www.yachtboatparts.com most definitely the best price and they also sent me a service kit for my engine at about half the cost of a main dealer kit.

 

[David2452]

As you already apear to have a matrix heater why not simply plumb in a Webo/Ebo/Mikuni water heater in the existing system, save on doing trunking and stuff and have your calorifier providing hot water too.

Propex are simple and reliable but have disadvantages, they are quite expensive to run and if you use them a lot you will get through quite a bit of LPG. The temperature control is not like a diesel evaporator heater which runs up to target and then reduces to maintain that temperature, they switch off and then start up again when the temperature drops which can lead to temperature fluctuation in the cabins instead of a nice constant cosy warmth. If you use propane at the same pressure (which most do in winter) you will get a noticeable drop in output from that quoted also the volume (CFM) of air is down on comparable diesel heaters. Their new heater is quite interesting though, it also has an electric element(s) you can use it like a fan heater through the ducting when on shore power so at least it won’t annoy the neighbours.

 

[rafiki_]

As you already apear to have a matrix heater why not simply plumb in a Webo/Ebo/Mikuni water heater in the existing system, save on doing trunking and stuff and have your calorifier providing hot water too.

Propex are simple and reliable but have disadvantages, they are quite expensive to run and if you use them a lot you will get through quite a bit of LPG. The temperature control is not like a diesel evaporator heater which runs up to target and then reduces to maintain that temperature, they switch off and then start up again when the temperature drops which can lead to temperature fluctuation in the cabins instead of a nice constant cosy warmth. If you use propane at the same pressure (which most do in winter) you will get a noticeable drop in output from that quoted also the volume (CFM) of air is down on comparable diesel heaters. Their new heater is quite interesting though, it also has an electric element(s) you can use it like a fan heater through the ducting when on shore power so at least it won’t annoy the neighbours.

Interesting alternative David, many thanks, will look into this.

 

[Alpha22]

Many thanks for this. I am on the rivers, so will need to be BSC compliant. ..snip.. I think I could fix the gas bottle in the anchor locker, which has its own vent out through the hull.

I'm not sure gas in the anchor locker is BSS compliant. There is a clause about 'other items' in the locker capable of damaging the pipe. You may have to clear it out or put a partition in to stay compliant.