patrickr

Many thanks for this, it clears up most of my questions. I may well have it wrong in assuming the radiators recieve heat from the engine. I have a solid fuel stove that also heats radiators, I think I assumed that the engine heated them as well. So that leaves me two questions. The first is roughly how much anti freeze will I need, the set up is as you describe, from the engine manual it would be about 4 litres of antifreeze, but I doubt that applies to the tanks and pipes in the boat, a rough guide will do. secondlyhow do I get antifreeze or failing that inhibitor into a squirrel stove central heating system ? or is it not necessary unless very cold weather comes. I assume that what you all call a calorifier is what looks like a hot water tank in the shower room. Thanks Pat

Good evening. I am new to this world so I hope this is not a daft question.I am in the process of putting anti freeze in my engines cooling system, which is a closed sytem with a side tank in the stern the engine is a perkins mc42 and it also has a heat exchanger sorrounding the exhaust manifold, which supplies hot water to the boats heating sytem and hot water tank. My question is . Is the heat exchanger water all connected togethter in the exchanger so that the antifreeze will go into the boats heating sytem as well as the engine cooling syetm , or are they seperate . If they are seperate do people put anti freeze in their internal boat heating sytems for the winter and if so what do they use. Tahnks Patr