Thinking of buying a heater

Avoid a wallas like the plague.
Ours was not proof against moist salt air. ie unfit marine work in my opinion
Ours worked 3 times and had to have a new circuit board each time!!at £200+.
it was rubbish
 
Ebrspacher or Webasto . Both built to survive in the wheel arches of vehicles or under the bonnet of cars so boat use no problem.
The pipework around the heater has more effect on the noise than the heater itself. (silencers, lengths of tube, placing of exhausts).
Latest types of Webasto and Eberspacher have waterproof potted electronics. Any heater with external control boxes can eventually die of rotted plugs and sockets eg old Mikuni.
 
I have a Wallas 1800S works well cheap to run, and no problems. Service kit is £20 and a DIY job to replace the burner and glow plug.
Would highly recommend one.
 
IIRC the eberspacher has a higher number of different fan speeds, thus more likely to be running at a lower fan speed (i.e. quieter and less power) - but that may have just been the version I bought (D4 airtronic)
 
I used to have Wallas but it was not very effective. N ow I have bought a Webasto 5000 though not installed yet but heard and seen in my friends boat that it really keeps the boat warm and dry.
 
Having spent nearly 3 months trying to get a gas heater working, I gave up and decided to go to oil. I bought an Eberspacher for the following reasons. This is despite having previously owned a Webasto with no problems at all.

I viewed an Eberspacher on another boat in the marina and I was surprised how quiet it was, the fuel pump sounded more like a old grandfather clock rather than a hammer drill!

When I looked at the data the Eber used less power to run, I also referenced an old YM that backed up that analysis, especialy on the lower settings, once warmed up, big bonus when at anchor etc.

The minimum output of the Eber is 1kw, the Webasto is 1.5kw, this I thought was too great I didnt want the heater shutting down and having to restart. In other words the Eber had a greater range of heat.

When I spoke to Krueger, just to get a price, they were so helpful in specing what parts I needed, I just felt confident that it was the right choice. When I opened the box on Sat morning, every part I needed was in the box, such was the understanding of Kreuger of my installation. The whole unit was installed and up and running by 18.00 Sat afternoon! (dont forget all the trunking and a stand pipe in the fuel tank was already installed, it is an Etap)

The only down side is that I believe an Eber does need more maintenance than the Webasto.
 
Just fitted Mikuni MY30's to our cat (one in each hull). The heaters give 3.5kw or 1.75kw on low, and I have fitted four outlets to each side of the boat.

Equipment looks to be very well made and sufficiently robust to stand up to marine life. Installation was easy for competent DIY'er and I did not encounter any problems.

Heaters worked first time when switched on with airflow and heat output being more than adequate on high. Once the boat is warm one unit running on low keeps the temperature comfortable indefinitely, even in the low temps we have had recently.

I have not yet insulated the ducting so I would expect even better performance once this is done. Incidentally the ducting is wire reinforced plastic that seems very robust and much better than the corrugated tin foil supplied by some manufacturers. It is much smoother internally so better air flow, and it can stand up to severe abuse during installation without any lasting damage - even stood on one piece and it was easy to return to proper shape.

I would recommend the Mikuni system after my experience.
 
How strange!! Ours has been aboard for 22 1/2 years now and has worked faultlessly for the whole of that time. Never replaced a single component. (Oh Lord, watch it go wrong now!!)

I wonder if you did the same as many others seem to do with these (and other makes!) and switch the heater off at the panel instead of at the unit. Doing the former doesn't allow the heater to go through the shutdown procedure which cools all the electronics before cutting the power. This is the quickest way I know to muck it up!!

Incidentally, ours spend almost seven years full time cruising in the 22+ years, so it's had a lot more use than many!!
 
You guys must be staying on board during the Winter. I do not have any heating on board (Gypsey lamp) so it must be a seasonal thing?
 
I am and my Eber is great, in the recent cold spells had ice on the deck, t-shirt and shorts below, great. Last weekend gusting F8 in Wight from NE, most unpleasant outside, warm as toast inside and that slow faint tick is most heartening.
 
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