Unattended electric heaters

[MikeBz]

I know some folks put some background electric heating on board when they are laid up ashore in the winter, usually on a timer and/or switched on manually by a visit to the yard when an extra cold snap is due. Which, if any, types of low-level heater would be considered to be risky from a fire hazard point of view? I would have thought that tube heaters would be safe enough. Portable oil-filled radiators? I wonder how the fire risk of heaters compares to that of dehumidifiers.

 

[NormanS]

I have a (I think) 120W tube heater down beside the engine, switched on all winter. It's controlled by a thermostat. The boat actually has two fan heaters installed, also controlled by thermostats, but there is no way that I would leave them on unattended. Our boat is 120 miles from home, so it's not a case of waiting until freezing weather is forecast.
Oil filled radiators are fine. Dehumidifiers have earned a bad reputation for causing fires.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I agree with Norman, tube heaters or oil filled rads are ok, no to fan heaters.

 

[Refueler]

When boats are ashore at home - I use 'Frost protection' heaters ...

Regardless of type - I make sure its in the most clear space - just in case !!!!

 

[Trident]

When living aboard last year I had two oil filled 3kw rads on 24/7 for about 4 months with no issues - I was there of course but they stayed on day and night (22 degrees all day and 18 all night) for all that time. I would also be happy with a good quality desiccant dehumidifier if its on 24/7 and allows the humidistat to control it. They need to cool down with the fan running as they get hot and timers turning them off arbitrarily when they are hot is the biggest cause of fires. If left on all the time to cycle on and off with humidity levels their own controls will ensure they do a cool down cycle when needed. They also keep most boats happily above freezing with the heat output

 

[doug748]

A conventional filament bulb, or two, would do the job. Perhaps in an inspection light, which you may have already. This has the small additional advantage of perhaps making potential thieves think twice, 'specially if you toggle the on / off times

 

[black mercury]

I once had a bungalow I was working on and had two oil filled heaters on permanently all winter for about 8 months. They were left unattended for up to two weeks at a time. Kept the house at about 17 degrees. It wasn't a big bungalow. I kept them turned to the lower setting which is 800 watts incase anything went dodgy with the plug or socket.

 

[thinwater]

All marinas around here forbid boats on the hard from being plugged in when unattended. They will unplug any cord it as soon as they see it, and leave you a note. Fire code.

 

[srm]

I leave a low wattage tubular heater on 24/7 during the winter. It sits at the lowest point of the interior with air space all round. (one in each hull on my previous catamaran). Have done this for years with boat afloat in a marina. Being at the lowest point air circulates upwards and it keeps the boat warm and dry. Never felt the need for a de-humidifier.

 

[NormanS]

All marinas around here forbid boats on the hard from being plugged in when unattended. They will unplug any cord it as soon as they see it, and leave you a note. Fire code.

What's your winter temperature?

 

[johnalison]

All marinas around here forbid boats on the hard from being plugged in when unattended. They will unplug any cord it as soon as they see it, and leave you a note. Fire code.

That’s the USA off my list then. My dehumidifier doesn’t do much without power.

 

[Refueler]

Our 'yard' in Ventspils has no problem with power connected - but will not accept heaters plugged in. Basically because of metering and costs. They understand need to maintain batterys on board.

We can use power tools to work on the boats - but they of course are intermittent.

 

[Refueler]

All marinas around here forbid boats on the hard from being plugged in when unattended. They will unplug any cord it as soon as they see it, and leave you a note. Fire code.

Great .. do they compensate for any dead batterys as a result ?

What if you are moored alongside and go off sightseeing for couple of days or just one day ?

 

[thinwater]

What's your winter temperature?

Mostly below freezing at night, sometimes 15C. Variable snow, 12-36 inches per year.

But this is a US thing, all parts.

 

[thinwater]

That’s the USA off my list then. My dehumidifier doesn’t do much without power.

You can run them on solar.

Also, a boat on the hard should be pretty dry.

 

[thinwater]

Great .. do they compensate for any dead batterys as a result ?

What if you are moored alongside and go off sightseeing for couple of days or just one day ?

Myth. If the battery dies during a cold season, either the battery was bad or there was a parasitic load. You should remove one cable. The self discharge rate is not that great. It is not a problem. The local yard has 1500 boats on the hard each winter.

But in this day, a small solar panel eliminated the concern. I have not thought about maintenance charging in 25 years. Before that, I never hada dead battery.

Being plugged in at the pier continuously is normal, subject to basic wiring code provisions. I said "on the hard."

 

[Supertramp]

Tube heater with thermostat in the engine bay but also a dessicant dehumidifier, both on 24/7. Dehumidifier turns itself off most the time once the interior is dry. Cost about £100 over winter which seems trivial set against the benefit of leaving cushions on board and avoiding mould.

 

[NormanS]

Our yard sits in a hollow. It was previously quarried for gravel. The result is that in cold winter weather it becomes a "frost hollow". Just recently there was a spell of clear, bright, but very cold weather, for a week or ten days where the temperature day and night, never rose above 0°C. I have seen as low as -15°C. We drain as much as we can, except the two main 425 litre fresh water tanks, which will be about three quarters full, and very unlikely to freeze. Even with the great increase of the cost of electricity, the cost of running a modest heating tube is paltry compared with the upheaval and cost of, for instance, the replacement of a frost damaged calorifier tank. I have never heard of any boatyard in Scotland prohibiting the use of a plugged in supply.
Most yacht pontoons have electricity supplied. I would have thought that trailing cables supplying boats moving on the water, would be much more potentially dangerous than similar cables supplying boats cradled ashore.
I know that they do things differently in the US of A, but presumably houses are allowed to have permanently connected electricity. If so, why not a static boat? However, it doesn't and won't affect me.

 

[Refueler]

Myth. If the battery dies during a cold season, either the battery was bad or there was a parasitic load. You should remove one cable. The self discharge rate is not that great. It is not a problem. The local yard has 1500 boats on the hard each winter.

[/QUOTE]
I would suggest that yard is concerned more about consumption figures for so many boats than anything else. Imagine the KW's going out !!

As to myth of batterys dieing over winter ... I can say with hand on heart that it is not a myth and does happen. You only have to not have that battery full charged at start of winter ... temps drop and that can be your battery ruined. I have had that happen not only the boat but also with Lawn Tractors ... where my Gardener unplugged and failed to reconnect ... Its to do with Electrolyte and its density / acid salts .... full charged is higher density / full of acid salts. Freezes at significantly lower temp. If you think it doesn;t happen ... I had a 90A/hr split its case on board for that very reason ... cleaning up that mess even though contained in battery box was a real pain.

But in this day, a small solar panel eliminated the concern. I have not thought about maintenance charging in 25 years. Before that, I never hada dead battery.

[/QUOTE]
Not much use when snow covers the panel and you are way off at home ... I don't need to go to yard to look at my two boats there .. with 2ft of snow out there - I'm pretty sure they are covered and no use to anyone.

Being plugged in at the pier continuously is normal, subject to basic wiring code provisions. I said "on the hard."

Fine .... but I think Yard is being overly penny pinching ... I know you said Fire Code ... but If I was there - I think I would be checking that - as its easy for them to say - but I would be asking for the actual code - not the Yards version ...

 

[MikeBz]

As to myth of batterys dieing over winter ... I can say with hand on heart that it is not a myth and does happen. You only have to not have that battery full charged at start of winter ...

Leaving any type of lead acid battery not fully charged at any time of year will shorten its life. I never leave the boat without making sure the batteries are fully charged.