Warm air circulation

[Poignard]

I have a Taylor's heater installed amidships in part of the coat locker, opposite the heads.

It generates a lot of heat but I would like this heat to be more evenly distributed around the saloon. I have being thinking of fitting one or two low wattage fans into the plywood main bulkhead to draw some of the warm air out of the coat locker.

Any suggestions? Big slow running fans or small high speed ones? And does anyone know where I could buy those directional outlets we used to call 'punkah louvres' in the Navy?

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I've seen a 29 footer with a couple of small computer fans (Maplin) running from a charcoal heater (in similar position to your Taylors), via plasic drainpipe through lower lockers, with one outlet by chart table/nav area and one in forepeak.
Success unknown.
I have a water pipe system/heat exchanger running off an Eberspacher with 2 matrix+fans to send heat to saloon and forepeak. Trouble is with fans you tend to feel a cool draught somewhere as heat disperses.
Advise keeping it simple.

Punkah Wallah?

 

[Poignard]

I've seen a 29 footer with a couple of small computer fans (Maplin) running from a charcoal heater (in similar position to your Taylors), via plasic drainpipe through lower lockers, with one outlet by chart table/nav area and one in forepeak.
Success unknown.
I have a water pipe system/heat exchanger running off an Eberspacher with 2 matrix+fans to send heat to saloon and forepeak. Trouble is with fans you tend to feel a cool draught somewhere as heat disperses.
Advise keeping it simple.

Punkah Walla?

That's a clever idea, if a bit too complex for my boat.

'Punkah louvres' (RN style) are similar to those things on airliners that direct an icy blast of air on your head, but larger.

I should have looked on Google. Here's what I mean

http://www.rcmproducts.co.uk/downloads/Grilles/PKL_Punkah_Louvres_Grilles.pdf

 

[Gordonmc]

Have you thought about an Eco Fan?
They are designed to sit on top of a wood-burning stove to distribute the hot-spots around a space.
Heat is used by a thermoelectric motor to drive the fan, so no power draw.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

That's a clever idea, if a bit too complex for my boat.

'Punkah louvres' (RN style) are similar to those things on airliners that direct an icy blast of air on your head, but larger.

I should have looked on Google. Here's what I mean

http://www.rcmproducts.co.uk/downloads/Grilles/PKL_Punkah_Louvres_Grilles.pdf

this is what I mean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChWDZzHg6sA

 

[Poignard]

Have you thought about an Eco Fan?
They are designed to sit on top of a wood-burning stove to distribute the hot-spots around a space.
Heat is used by a thermoelectric motor to drive the fan, so no power draw.

I had but the price is a bit steep.

 

[Poignard]

this is what I mean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChWDZzHg6sA

Ah yes - with you now, Old Boy. Sort of 'wallahs' one had in Poona in the good old days of the Raj, what? Chai wallahs, tiffin wallahs, dhobi wallahs etc.

 

[alahol2]

On a previous boat I had something like this mounted directly above the heater. Without the fan the temperature would rise and create a 'fug' at the deckhead. It would then gradually creep lower until, maybe an hour later, it reached foot level. When using the fan the heating was much more evenly spread around the whole cabin.

 

[Poignard]

On a previous boat I had something like this mounted directly above the heater. Without the fan the temperature would rise and create a 'fug' at the deckhead. It would then gradually creep lower until, maybe an hour later, it reached foot level. When using the fan the heating was much more evenly spread around the whole cabin.

Yes that would probably do, and be easy to install, but what I like about the computer fans is that they are so quiet and don't use much electricity.

 

[NormanS]

The outlet fittings for Eberspacher ducting have rotateable louvres. Perhaps one of them mounted through the bulkhead, with a computer type fan attached would serve?

 

[Poignard]

The outlet fittings for Eberspacher ducting have rotateable louvres. Perhaps one of them mounted through the bulkhead, with a computer type fan attached would serve?

Yes, that's the sort of thing I had in mind but I didn't know Eberspachers had those, never having seen one. Thanks for the good idea.

 

[Poignard]

. . . and here they are, and not expensive.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Heater-Parts-Direct

 

[christhefish]

have you thought about an eco fan no power
required just hang over the heater

 

[ukmctc]

just shove in a bilge blower 12/24 v, use ducting with louvrer openings and bobs yer uncle..

 

[Poignard]

have you thought about an eco fan no power
required just hang over the heater

Yes but see post #6

 

[Richard10002]

Have you thought about an Eco Fan?
They are designed to sit on top of a wood-burning stove to distribute the hot-spots around a space.
Heat is used by a thermoelectric motor to drive the fan, so no power draw.

The narrowboat community isn't sure that these things work. There is a body of opinion, both for and against.

Having joined them, and having inherited an Eco fan with the boat, I'm on the fence. It's busy spinning away, obviously powered by the heat from the stove but, if I hold my hand a couple of inches away from it, all I feel is a light, and cool'ish breeze. Hold my hand a foot away, and I feel nothing. The thick metal blades that the air is drawn over are too hot to touch more than briefly, so there's a fair amount of heat to be drawn upon.

On the sofa, about 3 feet away, I'm warm and toasty. In the kitchen about 12 feet away, it's warm. In the bedroom, separated by an alley with no door, about 25 feet away, it's relatively cool.

I wouldn't spend the best part of a hundred quid on one based on my experience to date.