Heating

[Chevetter]

I'm thinking of changing the heating arrangements on my boat when the weather warms up a bit and was wondering if anyone has any advice to offer.

 

Currently there is a small potbellied (make unknown) stove, which to be honest I find a bit puny for the job and a gas flash boiler for the hot water.

 

I haven't got limitless money to spend but I don't mind shelling out a couple of hundred quid if there are some products out there that could make my life more comfortable.

 

I've noticed that you can get stoves with back boilers - is it intended that these are hooked up to radiators and if so is there a special heating pump affair to circulate the water?

 

A mate of mine suggested that I have a conventional stove and then an Ebespacher diesel water heater for both my hot water and to supply a couple of radiators. Has anyone tried this approach?

 

I have a 240v hook-up so a final option would be a small and very efficient electric heater, if such a thing exists but this is only a back-up plan as the electricity is coin metred!

 

Thanks in advance for your help

[BlueStringPudding]

A mate of mine suggested that I have a conventional stove and then an Ebespacher diesel water heater for both my hot water and to supply a couple of radiators. Has anyone tried this approach?

 

Yes - the Eberspacher is beyong unreliable. It just doesn't work. I don't recommend one.

 

However the conventional stove is excellent. We just have to run our engine for hot water, although it would be nice to have another option.

[Roger Gunkel]

Hi Chevetter,

 

As BSP said, I would research very carefully before even considering Eberspacher, Webasto etc. There are and have been a number of problems running these systems for long periods on red diesel and much has been covered in this forum. In addition to reliability, fuel costs will be high even on red diesel. If you are living aboard and want reliable steady heat, then a solid fuel stove is by far the best way to go and the cheapest. Some can have a back boiler retro fitted, so if yours is in good condition it would be worth checking the make to see if that is possible. Posting a picture of it on this forum would almost certainly get someone identifying it for you. Alternatively a new stove could be bought already fitted with a back boiler to run radiators.

 

Don't overlook the heat loss from your boat, as many people find that eliminating major sources of loss, such as large areas of glass, draughty doors and hatches etc, can enable you to benefit more from the heat that you are already producing. The other advantage of solid fuel of course is that you can keep a kettle on the go for hot water and even heat up soups, stews etc. Try doing that on an Eberspacher!

 

Roger Gunkel

[Stonker]

I'm thinking of changing the heating arrangements on my boat when the weather warms up a bit and was wondering if anyone has any advice to offer.

 

Currently there is a small potbellied (make unknown) stove, which to be honest I find a bit puny for the job and a gas flash boiler for the hot water.

 

You don't say how big your boat is but a cheap and quick option is to consider using an Ecofan to move the heat from the stove around the boat. Less than £100 quid. Worth trying?

 

Stewart

[Bones]

don't bother with an eco fan and a pot belly stove. I had a pot belly stove on the last boat and ANYTHING is better than that. They are delicious to look at, but that is about it.

 

I have a squirell on the new one (old boat, new to me) and it works a treat.

[Chevetter]

don't bother with an eco fan and a pot belly stove. I had a pot belly stove on the last boat and ANYTHING is better than that. They are delicious to look at, but that is about it.

 

I have a squirell on the new one (old boat, new to me) and it works a treat.

 

Yes I know, but it came with the boat.

 

I already have an eco fan and I agree with 'stonker', it definitely makes a difference.

[Roger Gunkel]

An Ecofan will make a difference, but rather than spend £100 on one, I get the same result from a computer case fan for £3.99 with tiny power consumption.

 

Roger Gunkel

[Chevetter]

An Ecofan will make a difference, but rather than spend £100 on one, I get the same result from a computer case fan for £3.99 with tiny power consumption.

 

Roger Gunkel

 

I spent £65 on it from gyroscope.com, the cheapest around by far. I know the price is a bit high for what it is but think of it as an executive toy. Besides, this way I get to explain the Peltier-Seebeck effect to people

[NB Alnwick]

I've noticed that you can get stoves with back boilers - is it intended that these are hooked up to radiators and if so is there a special heating pump affair to circulate the water?

 

We have a squirrel with back boiler - it heats three radiators and is all we need! Fuel consumption using Anthracite works out at around a bucket a day or five 25 Kg. bags a month in coldest Winter.

 

We don't have a pump, if properly designed, the water circulates on its own by using thermic currents.

 

Keep your gas flash heater - its the best thing for instant hot water whenever you need it.

[Chevetter]

So the Moroso Squirrel is 'the daddy' of small stoves then is it? Maybe I should invest in one of those.

 

Here is a picture of mine (excuse the decor, I will be re-fitting the whole boat over time):

 

[Liam]

We have a Squirrel in the main cabin, but have just had a Boatman Stove fitted into the back cabin for the chilly cruising days and chilly nights. Physically, size wise, it's small and at only £225 for the standard stove (without backboiler) is okay but I have been told its rated at 4KW which is the same as the Squirrel(?)

 

Check out Eddy's website at http://www.northernfabricationservices.co.uk/

 

Not affiliated to the company in anyway, just a happy customer.

[Chevetter]

Not cheap these Morso Squirrels are they? Ely Boat Chandlers will do a 1410 with back boiler for £629.99 which seems like a fairly good price in comparison to other suppliers. Even so,it's a lot of money.

 

Also, where can I get small radiators and information on how to 'properly design' my heating system in order that a pump isn't required?

[Bones]

i wasn't dissing the ecofan, I have one. I was just suggesting an ecofan wouldn't solve the problems but a new stove would!

[BlueStringPudding]

We have a Squirrel in the main cabin, but have just had a Boatman Stove fitted into the back cabin for the chilly cruising days and chilly nights. Physically, size wise, it's small and at only £225 for the standard stove (without backboiler) is okay but I have been told its rated at 4KW which is the same as the Squirrel(?)

 

Check out Eddy's website at http://www.northernfabricationservices.co.uk/

 

Not affiliated to the company in anyway, just a happy customer.

 

 

I'll vouch for Eddie. Our Boatman stove is the only form of heating we have on our 65ft boat, and it's marvellous. And Eddie's a dude - and very helpful!

[blackrose]

Not cheap these Morso Squirrels are they? Ely Boat Chandlers will do a 1410 with back boiler for £629.99 which seems like a fairly good price in comparison to other suppliers. Even so,it's a lot of money.

 

Also, where can I get small radiators and information on how to 'properly design' my heating system in order that a pump isn't required?

 

Squirrels aren't the only good small stoves & I've heard good reports about the Becton Bunnyboiler, but to save yourself some money and effort I'd try to find one with the same flue diameter as your existing pot belly (flue pipes should not be reduced in diameter).

 

Have a look at this thread on convection/gravity (thermocycling) central heating systems: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...l=thermocycling

 

I think there are some other threads too if you have a search.

 

Also, where can I get small radiators and information on how to 'properly design' my heating system in order that a pump isn't required?

 

Yout can get small rads at any decent plumber's merchants. If you have no pump in the system the height of the rads is critical - especially the final rad. Too tall and the design won't work.

[DHutch]

We have a squirrel with back boiler - it heats three radiators and is all we need!

 

We don't have a pump, if properly designed, the water circulates on its own by using thermic currents.

 

Keep your gas flash heater - its the best thing for instant hot water whenever you need it.

We are the same.

- Two radiators at the front, one at the backcabin, and the stove in the middle of the main room.

- Circulated by nateral convection so you dont have the noise and electrical draw of a pump. Although the pipes need to be slightly carefully thought out, and larger bore than a pumped system.

- We also have the second loop of our calorifier plumbed into the central heating loop with is another option and saves gas if you on the boat a load during winter, with a paloma instant gas heater, and the other coil of the calorifier also.

 

Another option is gas fired central heating boilers, which aldi do a number of small ones of. All the benifits of the diesal fired systems, but seamingly far more reliable. Although unless you buy 47kg bottles gas is quite a bit more than even white/taxed deisal.

 

The only other possability is diesal fired stoves, lockgate for example, do a diesal conversion on the squiral. Which seam to be a fairly feasable halfway house.

 

 

 

Daniel

[andywatson]

I'm thinking of changing the heating arrangements on my boat when the weather warms up a bit and was wondering if anyone has any advice to offer.

 

Currently there is a small potbellied (make unknown) stove, which to be honest I find a bit puny for the job and a gas flash boiler for the hot water.

 

I haven't got limitless money to spend but I don't mind shelling out a couple of hundred quid if there are some products out there that could make my life more comfortable.

 

I've noticed that you can get stoves with back boilers - is it intended that these are hooked up to radiators and if so is there a special heating pump affair to circulate the water?

 

A mate of mine suggested that I have a conventional stove and then an Ebespacher diesel water heater for both my hot water and to supply a couple of radiators. Has anyone tried this approach?

 

I have a 240v hook-up so a final option would be a small and very efficient electric heater, if such a thing exists but this is only a back-up plan as the electricity is coin metred!

 

Thanks in advance for your help

 

I know a bloke selling a villager Chelsea for £150 if you are interested....................

[Roger Gunkel]

I know a number of boaters who swear by morso squirrels and very good they are. I have one of Eddie's stoves mentioned above, which cost £225 and heats my 57ft wide beam very efficiently. At the end of the day, it is a steel box with vents and a chimney and I didn't want to pay 3 times the price for the squirrel, but to each their own.

 

Chevetter, you can't be far from me as my local chandler is Ely. Have you also tried the chandlery at Hartford Marina, Huntingdon?

 

Roger Gunkel

[PaulG]

This might do the trick!

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Morso-Squirrel-Stove...1QQcmdZViewItem

[AlanH]

I spent £65 on it from gyroscope.com, the cheapest around by far. I know the price is a bit high for what it is but think of it as an executive toy. Besides, this way I get to explain the Peltier-Seebeck effect to people

Thats exactly what it is. A toy. I regard mine as an indicator of how hot the stove is. How can you expect a fan which has so little power to circulate air through a 50' boat? You can stop the thing with your finger quite safely.

 

The boatman stove is a good buy but they have a 4" flue so you may need a new one if your existing one is larger.

[goldtone]

I have a Squirrel Stove with back boiler feeding 2 radiators, gravity feed.

 

I find a good burn of wood gets the back boiler going well warming the whole boat quickly. Coal itself just gives a steady warmth.

 

And as mentioned before, kettle of water gives me washing water after being on stove.

[Chevetter]

I have a Squirrel Stove with back boiler feeding 2 radiators, gravity feed.

 

I find a good burn of wood gets the back boiler going well warming the whole boat quickly. Coal itself just gives a steady warmth.

 

And as mentioned before, kettle of water gives me washing water after being on stove.

 

Squirrels do sound good but I just don't think I can afford one.

 

A boatman with a back boiler, fiddle rail and vent control is £360 delivered and it is something that I am seriously considering.

[NB Alnwick]

Squirrels do sound good but I just don't think I can afford one.

 

Although very expensive, the Squirrel is well worth the money and you rarely see them being sold secondhand. Perhaps it might be worth shopping around and making offers?

[Alistair]

I spent £65 on it from gyroscope.com, the cheapest around by far. I know the price is a bit high for what it is but think of it as an executive toy. Besides, this way I get to explain the Peltier-Seebeck effect to people

 

But compare the price of an Ecofan to the cost and hassle of retrofitting radiators, pipework &c...