Fitting planar heater in grp cruiser

[max campbell]

We want to fit a Planar diesel-fired blown air heater in our Viking 28NB. Has anyone got experience of similar, or recommend someone who could fit one?

[Mad Harold]

3 hours ago, max campbell said:

We want to fit a Planar diesel-fired blown air heater in our Viking 28NB. Has anyone got experience of similar, or recommend someone who could fit one?

The exhaust needs to exit the hull through a proper stainless hull fitting and as you have a grp hull,it must have insulating discs both sides.The combustion air inlet can be a cheaper hull fitting.

The fuel pipe should be metal,not plastic.If the heater comes with plastic pipes,then it is necessary to change them for copper.Car brake pipes come in the right sizes,and for the connections to tank,fuel filter and fuel pump use either compression joints and olives,or a pipe flaring tool and brake pipe joints.You may have to do both because the tank outlet and the fuel filter may have barbed ends.It is also a good idea to fit a fuel tap in the line and also a switch to isolate the electric supply to the heater.

The fuel tank needs to be fitted so that it can vent and drain any refuelling spillage overboard.(Mine is in an ammo box on the transom)

On the startup cycle the heater will draw 12 to 14 amps for five minutes or so therefore you need to make sure that the wiring to the heater is thick enough to keep the voltage drop within the heaters limits.

It's quite a lot of work to do yourself,but I would guess a heating engineer would charge over £1000 to fit it,probably a bit less if it was a marine approved heating kit.

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

It's quite a lot of work to do yourself,but I would guess a heating engineer would charge over £1000 to fit it

 

Areyou sure ?

Even at £50 per hour that is 20 hours work.

You can get an eberspacher supplied and fitted for not much more than that.

[Mad Harold]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Areyou sure ?

Even at £50 per hour that is 20 hours work.

You can get an eberspacher supplied and fitted for not much more than that.

You have beaten me to it Alan.Was about to edit in pretty much what you have said.

It does make more sense to buy a marine approved heater which will come with the necessary piping albeit more expensive.

The heaters that are sold for trucks and motorhomes do need an awful lot of work and additional expense for them to comply with BSS guidlines.

 

[ditchcrawler]

This from the Boat safety people https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/about-us/news-and-press-releases/news-releases/take-the-lessons-from-the-death-from-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-of-two-friends-in-york/

[Rich DB]

I had Owen Cox and a colleague fit my Planar 2kw version in a Viking 26 Centre Cockpit. Really happy with it.

 

Now I've seen how it's done I would install myself next time but if your not sure then worth using a pro. If you contact them they'll give you a price. Mine was circa £1500 for parts, labour and you now get a three year warranty if they fit for you.

 

https://planarheaters.co.uk/

 

Rich

[Momac]

On 27/04/2021 at 23:00, Mad Harold said:

The combustion air inlet can be a cheaper hull fitting.

 

Are you sure about that ?

[Mad Harold]

2 hours ago, MartynG said:

Are you sure about that ?

That installation is taking the combustion air from inside the boat,and is therefore not 'room sealed'.

I was meaning a hull fitting that takes combustion air from outside of the boat making the heater 'room sealed'.

This fitting on the hull does not need to be as critical as the exhaust outlet as it is only drawing cold air,so can be a cheaper one.

 

[Momac]

4 hours ago, Mad Harold said:

That installation is taking the combustion air from inside the boat,and is therefore not 'room sealed'.

I was meaning a hull fitting that takes combustion air from outside of the boat making the heater 'room sealed'.

This fitting on the hull does not need to be as critical as the exhaust outlet as it is only drawing cold air,so can be a cheaper one.

Under what circumstances  would a room sealed installation on a boat  be necessary?

I guess a totally sealed boat -  no air vents ?

 

[Mad Harold]

11 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Under what circumstances  would a room sealed installation on a boat  be necessary?

I guess a totally sealed boat -  no air vents ?

 

In the event of a gas leak or in a petrol powered boat,petrol vapour.

The installation in the picture is I suppose no worse than a multifuel stove,in a boat in that it is drawing it's combustion air from inside the boat.

In the installation depicted it would save boring a second hole in the hull.

I think (but I am not certain) that any new gas water heaters fitted to boats, have now to be room sealed.That is the pilot flame and the burner has to be enclosed.

Perhaps someone more genned up on the current rules could comment.

 

 

[Momac]

16 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

In the event of a gas leak or in a petrol powered boat,petrol vapour.

The installation in the picture is I suppose no worse than a multifuel stove,in a boat in that it is drawing it's combustion air from inside the boat.

The arrangement  in my earlier photograph passes a BSS and is , I think, quite  common.

However that's a good point about petrol powered boats . Best locate any heater intake well away from any fuel tank  fillers or vents 

.

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, MartynG said:

The arrangement  in my earlier photograph passes a BSS and is , I think, quite  common.

However that's a good point about petrol powered boats . Best locate any heater intake well away from any fuel tank  fillers or vents 

.

 

 

Section 8 (compulsory for Non-Private boats, recommendations for Private boats)

 

Petrol vapour mixed with air is very explosive and steps must be taken to reduce the risk of it becoming ignited by an appliance burner. LPG and fuel oil appliances therefore must not be installed in petrol engine spaces. [8.3]

 

 

Appliances which are not room-sealed but which were installed before 3 January 2000 can continue to be used, as long as they are serviceable and in good condition.

Replacement and additional new appliances to the boat must be of the roomsealed type, except for cooking appliances and, in the absence of a direct replacement, instantaneous water heaters**.

To help ensure continued safe operation of an appliance any modifications or additions to an existing appliance must be performed in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines. Defective or inappropriate components could lead to a gas leak or inefficient combustion and the production of noxious gases. [8.2]

 

** with the introduction and availability of room sealed water heaters this section may be reviewd to make their use mandatory.

[Mad Harold]

9 hours ago, Rich DB said:

I had Owen Cox and a colleague fit my Planar 2kw version in a Viking 26 Centre Cockpit. Really happy with it.

 

Now I've seen how it's done I would install myself next time but if your not sure then worth using a pro. If you contact them they'll give you a price. Mine was circa £1500 for parts, labour and you now get a three year warranty if they fit for you.

 

https://planarheaters.co.uk/

 

Rich

I have seen several heater installations in steel narrowboats,but not one in a grp cruiser.

I fitted mine in my grp boat 'by mk 1 eyeball and guessology.

Could you post a picture of your installation please? I would be interested to see a professional installation and compare it with my effort,particularly the siting of the fuel tank.

Thanks in advance.

[Rich DB]

10 hours ago, Mad Harold said:

I have seen several heater installations in steel narrowboats,but not one in a grp cruiser.

I fitted mine in my grp boat 'by mk 1 eyeball and guessology.

Could you post a picture of your installation please? I would be interested to see a professional installation and compare it with my effort,particularly the siting of the fuel tank.

Thanks in advance.

My Viking is very unusual in that it has an inboard diesel engine. The fuel feed is T-pieced into the fuel hose between the existing pre-filter and the engine. The fuse hose is a genuine marine product supplied and fitted as part of the job and I had my BSS last year with no problems. My heater is installed in the engine bay and there is no issue drawing the combustion air from here. I have no petrol onboard.

 

Rich

[Mad Harold]

1 hour ago, Rich DB said:

My Viking is very unusual in that it has an inboard diesel engine. The fuel feed is T-pieced into the fuel hose between the existing pre-filter and the engine. The fuse hose is a genuine marine product supplied and fitted as part of the job and I had my BSS last year with no problems. My heater is installed in the engine bay and there is no issue drawing the combustion air from here. I have no petrol onboard.

 

Rich

Thank you for replying Rich.

Silly me assuming most grp cruisers had petrol engines.

[max campbell]

On 29/04/2021 at 11:42, Rich DB said:

I had Owen Cox and a colleague fit my Planar 2kw version in a Viking 26 Centre Cockpit. Really happy with it.

Rich

Thanks for that. Have you got contact details for Owen Cox? Or is he at Planar?

 

Max

6 hours ago, Rich DB said:

My Viking is very unusual in that it has an inboard diesel engine. The fuel feed is T-pieced into the fuel hose between the existing pre-filter and the engine. The fuse hose is a genuine marine product supplied and fitted as part of the job and I had my BSS last year with no problems. My heater is installed in the engine bay and there is no issue drawing the combustion air from here. I have no petrol onboard.

 

Rich

I'd like to see how the inboard's been fitted, too - I'd love a diesel inboard in our Viking.

Max

[Rich DB]

Owen owns and runs Planarheaters.co.uk. They are the main UK distributor for the heaters. Give them a call and they'll give you all the info.

 

The boat has a Beta 20 which was installed when new. It is located under the cockpit floor giving really easy access all around. The stern gland can be reached through a small access hole in the rear cabin cupboard. It is raw water cooled.

 

I've just sold the boat and it's going to its new owners next week. They'll be using it on the Broads which I think it will be ideal for. Due to the low air draft and narrow beam it should go under all bridges even Potter Heigham. 

 

I would attach a photo but it's too large!

 

Rich

Edited May 1, 2021 by Rich DB

[max campbell]

Thanks very much, Rich. Interesting boat.

 

Max