alistair1537

Well, I have two humidity meters installed - both normally hover around 70% - I'll be keeping an eye on those for any changes. It is very simple to disconnect the air duct at the rear of the stove so I could even run comparative tests over half a day each way - external draught or internal? I'll have to fettle a stopper for the duct though, or I'll be adding an extra vent when the stove is uncoupled.

Certainly this will be an issue - I don't know enough to make comparisons. But having heard about other types of heating used on boats - i.e. solid fuel stoves v radiators or hot air heaters - does anyone have any firm opinions as to the condensation levels in these different scenarios?

Alright, feedback time - so I had the stove already fettled for a external duct - that allowed me to "feel" the draught being pulled in by the stove at various levels of burn and damping - it really is a minimal amount - I expected way more draught to be honest. The factory suggests the 75mm ducting supplied be Tee coupled to a 100mm pipe that runs to an outside wall - usually in either direction. Seeing as this is a barge and my route was to the engine room, I planned the pipe to fit under the gunnel - I connected and tested 100mm plastic waste pipe - it works fine - no noticeable difference what-so-ever. Happy days - the problem lies in routing the pipe. So I thought a narrower pipe might work too - so I tried a 75mm gutter down pipe - same result. I am currently burning the entire day today through a 43mm plastic drain waste pipe - works like a charm - the length of the pipe run is around 7.5m. So far, it seems like it is working well. I have noticed the pipe is fairly cold dragging in external air, I may need to lag it to prevent any condensation issues.

Or you could disconnect the heating element...every wash is a cold wash.

I see you even took the time to edit your garbage.

Hi Ally, I have a Waterford-Stanley Oisin stove fitted - it is a solid-fuel - It has a front mounted damper which has been shut off and a rear mounted external air damper - factory option - fitted. This allows me to duct in air from outside the boat to burn the fuel. I did consider "holing" the boat at the stove to duct this air in but better sense and help from Dor and the missus have persuaded me to duct from the engine bay which is sealed from the living area and has it's own vents, port and starboard. I have not completed the ducting yet, mainly due to laziness. The thing is, the ducting would be very easy to install and remove - so this experiment lends itself to an attempt at least. My understanding of safety and economy has pointed to other types of heating and I realised that other combustion methods of heating now involve a "sealed room" situation to pass safety requirements. So, why not extend this thinking to solid fuel stoves in boats? Unfortunately, there are a lot of naysayers. They certainly have a lot more experience than I do, but that doesn't mean they are all-knowing - none of them have tried to what I propose as far as I'm aware.

CO is lighter than air, so having a alarm positioned fairly high is a good idea.

I have the required vents - I am not, in any way, attempting to make the boat airtight? I don't know how you made that assumption - I merely want to isolate the air I feed, from the air in the boat. If it results in a wet damp boat I can easily disconnect from the ducting. I have solar and LiPO4 batteries - I would have gone for an electric boat, except this one came with a diesel, so maybe the next one will be ordered without engine - I have double glazed windows as well - The multifuel stove is the one thing the wife really set her heart on, - I was hell-bent on an oil-burner without the fuss of fuel and waste but the new EU regs regarding boats and agricultural fuel have damped that. The idea of a separate air feed is to minimise fuel requirements - keep a closed system to keep CO from the interior - the stove seals when the door is fully closed. If the system is closed there is little chance of a CO build-up within the boat. I may well end up abandoning the idea as we progress into winter and temperatures drop - I may end up venting with fan assistance - these things are not set in stone - and I am very much a person who can admit his idea was a poorly thought out proposition if it comes to that. The experiment requires very little extra cost - money I am quite happy to spend on this exercise. Rule of thumb is that a person breathes out about a litre of water per day. This is what is generally used in designing ventilation systems.

Thanks for the advice given - the forum members may not be aware but it is as simple as a duct disconnection to revert back to a normal stove. I am running as a normal stove at the moment - albeit through the rear mounted damper system - as soon I have established a recognizable pattern to the performance of the stove, I will couple the ducted vent and compare performances.

If you read my reply properly, I was pointing out those that have pooh-poohed the idea as a bad one - those have not tried it - yet claim it is without merit. In my very first reply I mention that it has been done for ages - meaning it has been done before - and in boats - as I mentioned Refleks make a kit for air intake ducts. Try being less pedantic. Besides, there are plenty of boats that are heated through radiators from diesel boilers in engine rooms - do they suffer from damp and mold? They should according to the logic on this forum - they need a stove to suck the air out of the boat...

Au Contraire! I'm not ignoring everyone and their advice - I did not ask for your input as to the merits of what I wish to do - I asked for a source for a suitable vent cover. Advice offered is always welcome, but to claim I'm ignoring it is simply nonsense - I have already moved from carving another hole in the boat to placing the ventilation pipe near an existing ventilation - Thanks to Dor and the wife for the ideas! As far as the replies to this thread so far, not one of any posters has tried what I am proposing to do - no-one has thought about this idea before on a boat, but seemingly that makes it a bad idea? Even when sealed room boilers are now mandatory - not one of you have thought how this could benefit heating and reduce CO risks on your boats.

Doubtless, but until such time as practical, affordable solutions are available, we have to still burn carbon based fuels on boats.

Dear Dr. Bob - I haven't bothered to answer before because the nature of your demands indicate your obvious superiority in all matters pertaining to living aboard - I don't wish to debate your experience. I am interested in your experiments - Did you try an external air source for your multifuel? Did you run any experiments with heats and moisture levels? I'm especially interested to hear how your fuel demands increased or decreased w.r.t. any experiments you performed. I feel we all have a part to play in our awareness of carbon levels on our planet, so any conscious effort to reduce emissions should be lauded.

Certainly, The experience so far has been very educational. There are three ways of learning, Observation, Meditation, and Experimentation. I like to use all three ways.

I fear you have no clue of what my system is about - or, what I'm trying to achieve - never-the-less, your wheels may be round, as are mine, I'm adding pneumatic tyres...and treads and vulcanized rubber while you're happy with cart wheels... Point I'm trying to make is that the wheel, like any other invention, is continually being improved.

I'd check that it's mounted properly( Alternator) - if that is the case, then you can fit the required spacers to align as you say.

Exactly. What can you glean from that?

Yeah, I agree with that sentiment, cutting holes in boats seems to be a bad idea in general - I think maybe we'll duct through to the engine bay - there's a vent in there already to the outside. I note that Refleks air intake kits go through the roof like the chimney which is also doable, but means another potential leak point there too? If we all took that advice, we'll still be crossing rivers on floating logs...

Certainly, There are vents in roof and doors to satisfy the requirements - the point of the ducted vent is to minimise heat loss through the chimney.

Using the nice warm air from inside the boat that the fire has heated to fuel the same fire makes little sense - all you do is draft in "fresh air" from all the cracks and vents in the boat to replace the warm air you've allowed to escape up the chimney - the "fresh air" is likely to carry in as much moisture? On the other hand, directly using the "fresh air" via a ducted vent, circumvents the heating of it, and the heat from the fire keeps the boat nice and dry... This is not a new practice - it has been done for ages.

Hi All The fit out continues...We are busy installing a Multi-fuel stove for our first winter on board - I want to draw air from outside the boat to feed the fire - I have the necessary attachment for the stove with damper control that exits at the rear. The duct pipe is 75 mm, so I am looking for a ventilation cover that be suitable for the through-hull. Louvres preferred but I am fitting the ducting in a swan's neck arrangement to help reduce any chance of water ingress. The through-hull will be just under the gunnel rubbing strake, so the cover should not be proud of that point. I'd prefer a round brass fitting or stainless steel over aluminium or....galvanised. Anyone know of a source for such? Thanks in advance!

Find a friend with a 3-D printer.

Is this a good idea - any thoughts? My thinking has always been; keep stray currents away from the hull on a steel boat?