What is the best diesel heater for battery usage

[kevsbox]

After a very cold winter on the Centaur we have decided to fit a diesel heater ready for next winter.
I know that all draw voltage on startup and shutdown and a little while running so I am wondering what people consider to the most efficient models out there in terms of power drain on as long cold evening.
Any thoughts please

Kev

 

[PabloPicasso]

Don't know.
You can get a heater kit for £69.
Spend the saving on improving your battery set up.

 

[peteK]

There all around the same,with the biggest drain on start up when the heater will draw 8-10amps may be up to 12amps if the battery is poor.

 

[mrangry]

I think from memory my cheap diesel heater draws around 8 amps on start up and shut down and 3-4 amps when running

 

[Channel Sailor]

Lowest power use, maybe this one, https://wallas.fi/product/1300/

They also do a 2kw more practical model, also low power compared to some.

However, certainly not the cheapest. But you did ask about low power.

BTW, I did own one of these similar models (the old 2400 version) many years ago (at least 15) on a previous yacht and it was very good. A couple of years ago I saw the yacht in a marina and found out the heater was still in it and in regular use. No faults.

 

[fredrussell]

After a very cold winter on the Centaur we have decided to fit a diesel heater ready for next winter.
I know that all draw voltage on startup and shutdown and a little while running so I am wondering what people consider to the most efficient models out there in terms of power drain on as long cold evening.
Any thoughts please

Kev

Easy: Taylors 079d drip fed heater. On startup they use 0.0v but that figure quickly drops to 0.0v once heater warms up. They’re amazing and lend a lovely ‘cheery’ feeling to things. They’re mind-blowingly expensive new but can be had for a few hundred quid on eBay.

 

[Minerva]

Easy: Taylors 079d drip fed heater. On startup they use 0.0v but that figure quickly drops to 0.0v once heater warms up. They’re amazing and lend a lovely ‘cheery’ feeling to things. They’re mind-blowingly expensive new but can be had for a few hundred quid on eBay.

This is what I have and it’s glorious during the long cold winter evenings. Mine is fed from the main tank with an SU pump as I did not want to loose wardrobe space for the header tank.

That said I don’t leave mine on when sleeping. I’d leave the eberspacher / electric fan heater going when sleeping to limit condensation. Obviously multiple CO alarms and fire extinguisher in every section of the boat etc.

I got mine from eBay at a sensible price a few years ago. Kept a saved watch list out for one as some folk were trying to sell for eye watering price.

Being realistic about it though, when a chinaspacher is so cheap and you can operate the control from under your duvet before you get up in the morning… If I were to only have to one source of heating - it would be that!

 

[Graham376]

Having replaced an Eber D3LC with a 5kw Chinese heater, the fuel pump seems to tick along at roughly the same rate. The Chinese one is more likely to start when the battery isn't fully charged, whereas the Eber wouldn't. 2kw would be enough for a Centaur.

 

[vyv_cox]

Autoterm tested this a few years ago. A new battery, 85 Ah from memory, was purchased from Halfords and fully charged. A 2 kW heater was attached, fuelled by one of their diesel tanks, run at full output outdoors. It ran for 58 hours non-stop before the battery ran out.

 

[Sea Change]

Autoterm tested this a few years ago. A new battery, 85 Ah from memory, was purchased from Halfords and fully charged. A 2 kW heater was attached, fuelled by one of their diesel tanks, run at full output outdoors. It ran for 58 hours non-stop before the battery ran out.

Interesting test, but because these heaters use a lot of power off startup and then relatively little while running, it would also be useful to know how many cycles you can get out of a battery, e.g. startup and then 2hrs running and shutdown. That would be more representative of actual use.

 

[fredrussell]

…Being realistic about it though, when a chinaspacher is so cheap and you can operate the control from under your duvet before you get up in the morning… If I were to only have to one source of heating - it would be that!

Yep, totally agree. I’ve had a Chinaspacher on my boat for 5 years now and it’s never missed a beat. I do miss my Taylors though that was on last boat. There was something ritualistic to me about lighting it, faff though it was.

 

[vyv_cox]

Interesting test, but because these heaters use a lot of power off startup and then relatively little while running, it would also be useful to know how many cycles you can get out of a battery, e.g. startup and then 2hrs running and shutdown. That would be more representative of actual use.

Yes I agree but it was a fun test.

 

[BCsailor]

Dickinson drip furnace (or similar)... we have larger Antarctic for 41-ft boat.

0-volt on startup, 0-volt continuous.

Gets hot fast. And quiet.

 

[migs]

Our Wallas 30DT diesel heater draws a current of 1.5A when putting out 1kW of heat, and 2.5A at 3kW (on a 12V system). It's virtually silent both inside and out and uses 0.1 litres of diesel per hr at 1kW. The start up current is around 10A.

 

[simonfraser]

My Eber 0.6Ah on lowest setting

 

[lustyd]

Autoterm tested this a few years ago. A new battery, 85 Ah from memory, was purchased from Halfords and fully charged. A 2 kW heater was attached, fuelled by one of their diesel tanks, run at full output outdoors. It ran for 58 hours non-stop before the battery ran out.

This is about in line with our experience of an Eber D4. I don’t think it’s talked about enough and I don’t think you were explicit enough that after a couple of days use that battery would likely be damaged due to low charge.
We’ve had our heater on constant since November (just started turning off in the day last week) so this kind of stuff interests us a lot!
For those that didn’t see my thread, the Ever fuel consumption figures are about right too, 1/3 L per hour which is 8 litres a day. Not much, but still significant.

 

[kevsbox]

Thanks for all the useful comments folks. Food for thought there

 

[Dockhead]

Easy: Taylors 079d drip fed heater. On startup they use 0.0v but that figure quickly drops to 0.0v once heater warms up. They’re amazing and lend a lovely ‘cheery’ feeling to things. They’re mind-blowingly expensive new but can be had for a few hundred quid on eBay.

That's the right answer; you beat me to it.

Refleks, Taylors, Dickenson, etc.

You need to find bulkhead space for them, and you have to cut a hole in the deck for the chimney, but oh so pleasant to see the fire flickering behind the glass door, and you can put a kettle on top.

On top of that, they have like three parts inside and are dead simple to service. Unlike the forced air burner heaters with their computer controls, glow plugs, burner tubes, etc. etc. which can shut themselves down, not to be revived without professional attention, and require professional service.

Writes the guy who's at this very moment steeling himself for the job of removing his own forced air burner type heater to ship back to Butlers for service.

 

[Sea Change]

Writes the guy who's at this very moment steeling himself for the job of removing his own forced air burner type heater to ship back to Butlers for service.

I wonder if anybody services their Chinaspachers... at about £70 for a new one, you'd be tempted to treat them as disposable...

Certainly when my genuine Eber died (on a Saturday evening in Stornoway in December) I just bought a Chinaspacher and it slotted perfectly in to place.

 

[lustyd]

I wonder if anybody services their Chinaspachers... at about £70 for a new one, you'd be tempted to treat them as disposable...

Certainly when my genuine Eber died (on a Saturday evening in Stornoway in December) I just bought a Chinaspacher and it slotted perfectly in to place.

Where would you get parts for a random branded heater? An Eber or autoterm parts are available and easily identifiable.