Tube heaters, are they any good?

[rivonia]

As we are in a Marina on electic for the winter, we have four very small oil filled rads one elec fan(whilst on board) and two pipe heaters one in each engine bay. Lovely and warm and DRY.
We never have the fan heater on if we are not on board. The rads are on all the time as are the pipe heaters

Peter

 

[MoodySabre]

The idea is to keep the inside air warmer than the outside air and to blow the air outside the boat via slightly open hatches which lock but allow ventilation and keep rain out.

I fitted an ECS solar vent into the forecabin ventilite last year and there are vent slots in the washboards. So there was a flow of air in the daytime. There was no condensation or mildew in the boat and it never got smelly all winter (and even us southern jessies had a cold winter ). I don't have any heating or dehumid so this seems fine to me - and nothing froze except for me. The solar fan is so quiet it has stayed there all summer and I couldn't hear it when sleeping a few feet from it. A good £60 worth.

 

[Saguday]

Ventilation is key, we laid Kioni up for over 5 years with the forehatch slightly open and a grille in the washboards and there was no mildew at all.

The solar vents are attractive though, now we're leaving her in the water over winter. Which make did you buy Roger? I've looked at a few, all seem around 60 quid.

I have a tube heater (80W) but not turned it on yet. It comes with all sorts of exhortations that it should be permanently mounted, but this seems undesirable in a small boat - does anyone else just leave them on the floor resting on their brackets?

Maybe should have gone with the oil filled radiator, which would be good when we're on board as well and not as noisy as the cheap fan I bought. Experience so far indicates 500<1000W is more than enough with 4 people on a 23 footer.

 

[sailorman]

Ventilation is key, we laid Kioni up for over 5 years with the forehatch slightly open and a grille in the washboards and there was no mildew at all.

The solar vents are attractive though, now we're leaving her in the water over winter. Which make did you buy Roger? I've looked at a few, all seem around 60 quid.

I have a tube heater (80W) but not turned it on yet. It comes with all sorts of exhortations that it should be permanently mounted, but this seems undesirable in a small boat - does anyone else just leave them on the floor resting on their brackets?

Maybe should have gone with the oil filled radiator, which would be good when we're on board as well and not as noisy as the cheap fan I bought. Experience so far indicates 500<1000W is more than enough with 4 people on a 23 footer.

screw the heater to a piece of 150 x 25 timber & lay that on the Sole

 

[Saguday]

Good idea

 

[lancelot]

Tube Heaters

Thanks for the replies,

not good news if the fan stops then, especially as a lot of the fan heaters are made from plastic.

I need to be careful with power consumption as the marina supply is limited to 13 amps so with a 1.2kw calorifier, battery charger, fridge, kettle, tv and then heating it could trip.

This is why it would be handy to have the 400, 600 & 1kw option as we could turn down to 400 when using other items but still have the backround heat.

I think our tube heater is very low wattage, about 250watt but then this will reflect in the output heat.

I guess the other option is to set a thermostat, then put the timer set to 12 hours, e.g. 19:00 till 7:00, as this is when its likely to be the coldest.


I dont like the thought of the fan or convector heater compared to oil filled. Oil filled seem much safer.

Many Thanks
Ian

Hi Ian,
We have just bought a tube heater from e bay (80W) for £10.00 plus postage. It has an inbulit thermostat. I appears OK., although it has not been that cold.
BTW. the boat is in Swansea marina. You are welcome to have a look at it if you want. Let me know - I will be staying on board this weekend.
Fair winds, Lancelot

 

[MoodySabre]

Which make did you buy Roger? I've looked at a few, all seem around 60 quid.

EC Smith Solar fan. Was about £70 including a new clear cover for the standard ECS Ventilite see here. Came out well in the Sailing Today test. Seem to have gone up a lot in price

 

[gerry99]

I use two 45 watt tube heaters (cheap at electric centre) and a dehimidifier. The heaters are placed one fore and one aft and the dehimidifier is in the saloon draingin into the sink. It works well, the heaters keep the ambient temperature above freezing and the cabins slightly warm and the dehimdifier keeps things nice and dry. the trick is to ensure that the settingon the dehidifier is not high otherwise it will take too much mositure out

 

[Frontier]

I use a 700w mini radiator in the cabin and set it just above the frost setting.

I have a dehumidfier (with hot gas bypass - think you need this - Google it ) Not set too dry on the moisture setting, so not wasting electricity.

I have tube heaters in the engine bay

Boat nice an dry.

 

[Gavinvfr]

Tube heaters and moisture traps

I use Tube heaters in my Sealine 310
1 in Engine Bay
1 in the saloon

also use these http://www.caravanstuff4u.co.uk/16008203
in various areas

 

[oldharry]

Have very succesfully used a 750w oil filled radiator for a number of years, with the t/stat set very low. Keeps everything nicely dried out. We used to have a caravan, and it stayed fresh and dry right through the winter storage period with the same thing. Set low, it takes very little power except in the coldest weather when it is needed anyway.

 

[Tremlett 15]

screw the heater to a piece of 150 x 25 timber & lay that on the Sole

a wee bit like this.......

 

[rosssavage]

3x 60w tube heaters, 2 in engine bay (one mounted directly under each donkey), 1 in lazarette (my water tank's in there), 1x 750w oil filled rad in galley (lowest accomodation - heat rises!) 150w leccy blanket and mikuni diesel heater when we're aboard. NEVER leave a fan heater on heat when you're not there!!!

Mini peltier effect jobbie on lower helm dash to keep the screens dry.

Toasty on 38 foot flybridge cruiser (P385)

 

[whipper_snapper]

If you are using heaters with power as low as 60-100W, why not just use a 60 or 100W lightbulb? Purchase cost essentially nothing, runing cost the same, obviously.

 

[wotayottie]

Don't read tto much into the olive oil - it does solidify at a reasonably high temperature.

I cold weather you need a heater with the dehumidifier to stopit freezing - unless you have bought an expensive one with hot gas de-frosting. Which you havent.

I use a tube heater as well as a dehumidifier but I havent turned the heater on yet - too warm. The heater also prevents fresh water freezing in the pipes.

 

[Tremlett 15]

If you are using heaters with power as low as 60-100W, why not just use a 60 or 100W lightbulb? Purchase cost essentially nothing, runing cost the same, obviously.

a guy I know, has one inside his outboard engine hood.......during the winter.

 

[Boathook]

Ventilation is key, we laid Kioni up for over 5 years with the forehatch slightly open and a grille in the washboards and there was no mildew at all.

The solar vents are attractive though, now we're leaving her in the water over winter. Which make did you buy Roger? I've looked at a few, all seem around 60 quid.

I have a tube heater (80W) but not turned it on yet. It comes with all sorts of exhortations that it should be permanently mounted, but this seems undesirable in a small boat - does anyone else just leave them on the floor resting on their brackets?

Maybe should have gone with the oil filled radiator, which would be good when we're on board as well and not as noisy as the cheap fan I bought. Experience so far indicates 500<1000W is more than enough with 4 people on a 23 footer.

Agree to ventilation and heat when I am on board. My tube heaters are mounted on lengths of ply that keeps them stable. Also allows me to take them home when summer starts.

 

[Refueler]

Tube heaters any good ? All the boats I've seen with them convinced me they have only one use ... very small loft / greenhouse spaces OR possibly under engine sump.

All the ones I've seen trying to keep cabins above frrezing have been total failures.

Based on that - I went for alternatives AND saved a lot of money.

B&Q have Frost protect regulated heaters rated at 200W for less than a tenner ....

Regulated from auto frost protect up to max on all-time.

Then there's the Dimplex 500W Frost protect heater I got from a non-marine shop ... for 40 quid ... Same available at Chandlers at a tenner more ... This is also regulated from Frost Protect up to max on all-time.

Now they DO work and having winters drop to -20C at times ... I have no worries with above.

 

[Matt341]

Thank you everyone for the replies!! Its brilliant to see what others use.

We went down the boat on Saturday for the day and when we arrived she was cold but not damp, (no heating or dehumidifier left on)

However, she quickly condensed, especially the windows!! When we put some lunch in the oven that started to dry the window above it but leaving the other windows still wet. The heads was also condensed including the plastic shower walls.

We have a small halogen heater which we bought from a camping shop, its very small and uses hardly any power but is also rubbish and even on full it didnt manage to heat the boat much.

I have seen a small 800w oil filled on offer in B and Q for £19, I am off to get one today, I will see what setting the thermostat keeps a comfy temperature and set it on this on the boat. I was also thinking about putting a tube heater towards the bow of the boat and leave the heads door slightly open, hopefully this will dry out the bow and heads and prevent the freshwater tank from freezing although I tend to leave it fairly empty before we leave the boat.

The oil filled will then keep the largest area of the boat warm.

Excellent idea to put the tube heater on wood, I have some large sheets of thick ply in the garage so will cut these up and fix the tube heater to it.

Any suggestions on keeping the oil filled in one place?? I dont think it has wheels so maybe I could also fix that to some ply???!!

Many Thanks again everyone for the suggestions.

Ian.

 

[Refueler]

I would make a comment here ....

People have this fixation about heating a boat ... that actually increases the moisture retention level of the air in the cabin. Any opening of hatch / access and you then get condensation forming ....

Trick is to balance an above freezing temperature to protect items on board and low enough to reduce moisture levels of the air.

I live in a country where serious low temps occur in winter and I would never try to heat a boat to 'comfort levels or near' - that would be disaster as then I would suffer serious damp ingress to many items on board. Surprisingly with my regime of just above freezing - I leave soft furnishings on board ... and suffer no ill effects. Last winter due to work on house and barn - I left sleeping bags and many books etc. on board .. literally as when in use ! No problems at all.

BUt if I had pushed temps higher - I'm sure it would have been a different story.