What's the most cost effective way of heating...

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NealB

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What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

a 3 cabin boat whilst in a marina?

Our options are:

- mains fan heater
- mains oil filled 'radiator' type heaters
- Webasto diesel fired 12v heater

I'm only considering running costs, not capital (I guess, if we included purchase costs, that £10 fan heaters would take a lot of beating?).

Thanks for your insighhts!
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

[ QUOTE ]
a 3 cabin boat whilst in a marina?

Our options are:

- mains fan heater
- mains oil filled 'radiator' type heaters
- Webasto diesel fired 12v heater

I'm only considering running costs, not capital (I guess, if we included purchase costs, that £10 fan heaters would take a lot of beating?).

Thanks for your insighhts!

[/ QUOTE ]
You forgot " making lurve " /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

The concensus seems to be that you need a lot of ventilation over the winter to keep the boat from going mouldy, so putting large quantitites of hot air from a fan heater or diesel system seems like a waste of energy.

Our system is an oil filled rad and a dehumidificator thing. The rad stops everything freezing, raises the temp enough for the dehumdinger to work effectively. The thermostat and humidistat are both adjusted to work within sensible parameters (i.e. I am not trying to dessciate the boat completely), and lots of lockersdoors, drawers, engine room hatches (internal to the main cabin), store cupboards in the galley, etc, are left open so that air can circulate freely without the use of a fan.
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

Our marina fee includes electricity so a fan heater wins hands down. Get one with a thermostat for better heat control and so it will cut off if it overheats/gets knocked over (we hope). It is also a dry heat which is better.
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

If you're not on board and have mains power, why not a couple of glasshouse tube heaters - low draw, safe. Easy to stow. You could put clock timers on them if you wished.

Including the Webasto in your options suggests you are aboard for some of the time. This is the gear I have so can vouch for its impact when you board - within 5-8 mins the temperature is bearable, in 15, toasty. Very low operating cost. A safe option. But not to be left I think for long periods of inattenadance.

Small fan heaters are very effective when aboard, not a problem to stow, and as you say, unbeatable on capital cost.

If you intend to keep the boat for several seasons, I'd go the Webasto route, with tube heaters for the weeks you're absent.

PWG
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

We are living aboard and travelling to the Med next year and have gone for a reverse-cycle compressor with ducted air vents. This works as either an air conditioning unit or a heater, it also has a de-humidifier mode which we leave running when away from the boat for up to a month a time.

In heating mode it takes heat out of the sea (even mid winter when the water temperature is only 8 degrees) and converts it to heat. 1 kilowatt of electricity input gives 3 kw of heat output, so its very efficient. In air-con mode it uses the sea water to cool the ducted air.

The only downside is the noise.
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

If 240V is available then electric in moderation wins hands down ..

I and others I iknow tried Greenhouse "tubes" .... but apart from warming under engine sump - were found to be near useless.

So next trial was a Dimplex Coldwatch 500W regulated convector - boy that was good and still is !! It is fully regulated so can be set to be real low and economical.

But the best IMHO was walking out of B&Q one day .. I spotted a stack of Frost Heaters .. 200W 9.99 each .. fully regulated and SMALL ... so now I have 2 of those ... and they keep my boat excellently through winters here in Baltic ... The Dimplex is set lower on standby back-up.... just in case of the -30's that creep up occasionally.

My criteria was to have heat but in the smallest most conevient package possible .. the B&Q jobs did that hands down ...

BQ200W003.jpg


BQ200W001.jpg
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

I'd vouch for the frost heaters as well, we put two aboard when the boat is out of the water over winter. Ours are bolted to wooden bases to prevent damage to the cabin sole from heat/scratching.

Apart from this we have two Propex 1800 gas heaters (two because RedBoat is 40ft and we don't want the the hot air pipes running the full length of the boat losing heat into lockers, they can be run independently as required).

Also a greenhouse 1000/2000W fan heater for when we have access to 240V, with a frost setting, which can also be used as just a ventilating fan.
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

"1 kilowatt of electricity input gives 3 kw of heat output, so its very efficient" ... mmm ... sounds like BS to me.
 
Thanks for the replies. I now realise you needed more info....

1) I was thinking about heating for when we're aboard, though the answers about keeping the boat 'sweet' when we're at home are also useful.

2) We have a metered mains supply, so electricity is a variable cost.

Thanks again.
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

Certainly would not leave a fan heater running for any length of time unattended. Too many moving parts for my liking. I would go for an oil filled heater with thermostat.

Donald
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

If that's the case, I guess I don't understand then! But still can't see how it can be remotely possible that there exists a machine with an output power that is triple the input. Makes me wonder why people go drilling for oil or get excited about renewable energy when the solution has already been invented.
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

"can't see how it can be remotely possible that there exists a machine with an output power that is triple the input"

Well - it isn't really - 1 kW is from the Electrical input; the other 2 kW is from the sea water. Yes it is cold - but there is a hell of a lot of it and so it has a lot of energy. AND it is free !!! It is a simple form of heat exchanger, as used in high-tech housing schemes.
Ken
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

I'd have thought best for the boat was something that actively moves the air about like diesel heating or fan heater. Oiled filled radiators do what they say on the tin, radiate. Good for very localised heating but not so good for spreading it about.


As for the economics of it, the running costs of an 2.2kw eberspacher with diesel at 50p per litre and excluding the battery energy ( charges for free when you are running engines) would cost about 12.5p per hour.
Assuming you pay about 06p per unit of electricity the cost of an equivelent 2.2kw fan heater/radiator will be slightly more at 13.2p per hour.

So kw for kw your fan heater or radiator will cost the same, personally I think fan heater does a better job but as others have said not sure about leaving it on although I do. In diesel cost alone an eberspacher will cost slightly less (but is noisier for your neighbours)
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

Carnot cycle is what he is refering to. Not BS its a reverse cycle heat pump. COP of 3:1 is normal
 
Re: What\'s the most cost effective way of heating...

Assuming you are not living aboard it has to be a ceramic fan heater, we live aboard and in 12 yrs I have not been able to justify the expence of any thing else, mind we have only spent 2 winters in the North in 12yrs!
 
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