Tube heaters

[steve yates]

Anyone used one? Are they good for plugging into shore power and warming the cabin on arrival in winter?
Or just good to keep the temp up a bit and prevent damp and condensation when the boat is left?

 

[Boathook]

Only good at keeping the temperature up a bit and possibly reduce damp / condensation. In spring / autumn I find that they do heat the boat up. This time of year I use tubes and a fan heater. If saying on board overnight the fan heater has a time clock to turn it on before getting up !

 

[dunedin]

Use three tumble heaters on thermostatic plug during winter, when keeping boat in commission afloat.
Work well to prevent frost damage, provided boat remains afloat in salt water. Mounted in 6 inch wide strips of hardboard to avoid falling over and/or damaging cabin sole. Ensure nothing can fall on top of them if boat shaken up in a gale.

Don’t use when on board- have electric fan heater which gives more of a blast of heat when needed.

 

[mainsail1]

I have tried a variety of Tube heaters for winter use, up to a power rating of 120 watts. All useless for anything on a 40 foot boat.
I now use a 750 watt convection heater for the winter and it works a treat.

 

[ShinyShoe]

To some extent will depend on the air space to be heated.

But much better at taking the edge off things than heating a big space. If heating a space they wont be fast... So not likely to be good for arriving and switching on and expecting the temp to be 20C in 20 minutes...

In a small enough cabin a couple of them might well be adequate to keep you comfy through the night with good sleeping bags etc.

 

[steveeasy]

Ive got one of those £15 thermostat fan heaters you can get from B&Q or Wicks. switch it on and like toast in mins.

Steveeasy

 

[jac]

Used to shove one in the engine space and one next to drained water tanks in case anything left there. It did make the interior warmer but generally only a couple of degrees. I used a 2 KW heater for when on board.

 

[Halo]

Ideally use a light weight convection type heater when sleeping because they are silent- a fan heater is so noisy it stops me sleeping.
A fan heater is best in the day because you can point it in the right direction
Tube heaters can be useful for frost damage protection and mould reduction.
These heaters are so cheap to buy you can get what you prefer.

My Winter set up is a tube heater at either end of the boat - each one on a plug in thermostat set to come on at 5 C . The thermostat is positioned lower than the heater so one does not interfere with the other . I also have a de humidifier on a fridge type thermostat which comes on when the temperature rises to 7 C. This set up keeps the boat sweet and dry. My electric cost was £41 from March 2017 to last week.

 

[johnalison]

Ideally use a light weight convection type heater when sleeping because they are silent- a fan heater is so noisy it stops me sleeping.
A fan heater is best in the day because you can point it in the right direction
Tube heaters can be useful for frost damage protection and mould reduction.
These heaters are so cheap to buy you can get what you prefer.

My Winter set up is a tube heater at either end of the boat - each one on a plug in thermostat set to come on at 5 C . The thermostat is positioned lower than the heater so one does not interfere with the other . I also have a de humidifier on a fridge type thermostat which comes on when the temperature rises to 7 C. This set up keeps the boat sweet and dry. My electric cost was £41 from March 2017 to last week.

Yes, there are two entirely different requirements. In the first place, how to make the boat warm enough when we are on board, and secondly, how to prevent frost and damp. Although we use the Webasto often, I bought a cheapo fan heater a couple of years ago but found that although it had a thermostat it didn't have a low setting, and 2Kw was too high for regular use, so I had to get another.

For comfortable living on board, a dehumidifier used when the boat is empty leaves the boat interior drier and therefore much quicker to heat up and make comfortable.

 

[richardbrennan]

I have four tube heaters which are about a yard long and mounted on wooden planks, which I run all winter on my 33 foot boat. I have one in each cabin (fore, main and aft) plus one in the heads and I leave the access panels off the engine. I reckon they keep the boat several degrees above ambient, and it's noticeably warmer getting into the boat than it is outside, but they would not be adequate on their own for a nice toasty cabin, I run the Eberspacher when I am on board. However, the boat always feels dry and I have damp related problems.

 

[mjcoon]

Don't forget that an incandescent bulb (if you can still get them) of the same wattage will give out the same heat, perhaps in a more penetrating form. And possibly with the side effect of making it appear that the boat is occupied. Either way, as people have said, sources of heat must be clear of any covering that could cause excess temperature rise.

Mike.

 

[claymore]

I stick a couple on board for the winter - keep things aired and mildew free.

 

[V1701]

For keeping things dry & mildew free a dehumidifier would be far more effective than tube heaters. A good quality, dessicant type (they work well in low temperatures) dehumidifier will also raise the temperature by a degree or two. It will cost more to run and arguably be more of a fire risk when left unattended - I've heard of a few fires caused by dehumidifiers but none from tube heaters...

 

[Bodach na mara]

Don't forget that an incandescent bulb (if you can still get them) of the same wattage will give out the same heat, perhaps in a more penetrating form. And possibly with the side effect of making it appear that the boat is occupied. Either way, as people have said, sources of heat must be clear of any covering that could cause excess temperature rise.

Mike.

Incandescent bulbs can still be obtained but they have a limited lifetime of about 1000 hours and are fragile. They are also a potential source of ignition. Tubular heaters on the other hand are durable and will put out heat for long periods. Their surface temperature is low enough to be safe, provided they are not covered. As others have said, they are useful only as background heaters to prevent from freezing and help in preventing dampness.

 

[doug748]

Don't forget that an incandescent bulb (if you can still get them) of the same wattage will give out the same heat, perhaps in a more penetrating form. And possibly with the side effect of making it appear that the boat is occupied. Either way, as people have said, sources of heat must be clear of any covering that could cause excess temperature rise.

Mike.

Yes, I use my Ring mains inspection light, under the engine, in cold weather, saves putting extra kit on board.

.

 

[iain789]

For keeping things dry & mildew free a dehumidifier would be far more effective than tube heaters. A good quality, dessicant type (they work well in low temperatures) dehumidifier will also raise the temperature by a degree or two. It will cost more to run and arguably be more of a fire risk when left unattended - I've heard of a few fires caused by dehumidifiers but none from tube heaters...

Here's what a dessicant dehumidifier looks like after it has ignited and destroyed the interior of my SunOdyssey 40.3 (an insurance write-off).

 

[steveinnice]

I've looked on a few threads but cannot find an answer to : does the desiccant ever need to be replaced ? I know they aren't a consumable part but it must have a useful life span.

 

[yotter]

We have had a Maeco dessicant dehumidifier for about 8 years, no maintence required yet. I am a bit worried looking at the fire damage in post #17.

 

[Daydream believer]

. However, the boat always feels dry and I have damp related problems.

It is not uncommon with the onset of age.
Presumably, having told the forum , you have no qualms about chatting to the nurse at the local surgery. I am sure she can advise on some preventative treatment.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Thing about a dehumidifier is that it can freeze up (it works by refrigerating air to make the water condense). So it's a lot better if you can use a low heater to keep the air above about 5 degrees. The dehumidifier on its own won't heat the air enough through the winter.

And yes, my old dehumidifier (Dimplex, many years old) DID catch fire last year. I don't know why: some electrical fault (see pic). Fortunately it did this while we were still at the boat (I lowered it into the water on its flex to put it out). I note that among the usual list of warnings and disclaimers on the new one it warns "Not to be used in boats".

But I still love dehumidifiers, and they keep the yacht (and empty holiday houses) in excellent condition.