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Calorifier

kayDee

By kayDee
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kayDee Community Regular

kayDee

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We will move onto our boat in a few weeks time. I am concerned about being able to bathe my daughter and what to do about hot water. I know that I need to attach the calorifier to the inverter and run the engine, everyone says run the engine for an hour in the morning and again in the afternoon. How long will the water stay warm, any info will be much appreciated. Thank you. K.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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A calorifier is much like a hot water tank at home, (although designed for greater pressures).

 

Depending on exactly what's in the configuration, it can heat water in a number of ways....

 

1) By using heat from the engine that would otherwise be "dumped" into the canal.

2) From a central heating boiler, or back boiler on a multi-fuel stove, if you have either.

3) Via an inbuilt immersion heater.

 

With 1) the heat is "free" only if you are cruising anyway. If you are just running the engine just to produce the heat it's quite expensive.

 

As I think you are saying you are going to be on a private mooring, presumably with few facilities, you are I guess unlikely to have a 240 volt mains supply to run an immersion, (which is by far the best option, if you did).

You could provide 240V for an immersion via a generator.

 

You have me confused about the inverter bit.

 

An inverter is designed to give you 240 volt power from your 12 volt boat batteries, but if used for huge loads like any kind of water heating, this would quickly flatten your batteries, which you can only recharge by running the engine.

 

I can't see how an inverter has any part in running your calorifier. You certainly wouldn't want to try using an inverter to run an immersion heater.

 

If I've misunderstood, please explain!

 

Alan

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kayDee Community Regular

kayDee

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A calorifier is much like a hot water tank at home, (although designed for greater pressures).

 

Depending on exactly what's in the configuration, it can heat water in a number of ways....

 

1) By using heat from the engine that would otherwise be "dumped" into the canal.

2) From a central heating boiler, or back boiler on a multi-fuel stove, if you have either.

3) Via an inbuilt immersion heater.

 

With 1) the heat is "free" only if you are cruising anyway. If you are just running the engine just to produce the heat it's quite expensive.

 

As I think you are saying you are going to be on a private mooring, presumably with few facilities, you are I guess unlikely to have a 240 volt mains supply to run an immersion, (which is by far the best option, if you did).

You could provide 240V for an immersion via a generator.

 

You have me confused about the inverter bit.

 

An inverter is designed to give you 240 volt power from your 12 volt boat batteries, but if used for huge loads like any kind of water heating, this would quickly flatten your batteries, which you can only recharge by running the engine.

 

I can't see how an inverter has any part in running your calorifier. You certainly wouldn't want to try using an inverter to run an immersion heater.

 

If I've misunderstood, please explain!

 

Alan

 

 

A calorifier is much like a hot water tank at home, (although designed for greater pressures).

 

Depending on exactly what's in the configuration, it can heat water in a number of ways....

 

1) By using heat from the engine that would otherwise be "dumped" into the canal.

2) From a central heating boiler, or back boiler on a multi-fuel stove, if you have either.

3) Via an inbuilt immersion heater.

 

With 1) the heat is "free" only if you are cruising anyway. If you are just running the engine just to produce the heat it's quite expensive.

 

As I think you are saying you are going to be on a private mooring, presumably with few facilities, you are I guess unlikely to have a 240 volt mains supply to run an immersion, (which is by far the best option, if you did).

You could provide 240V for an immersion via a generator.

 

You have me confused about the inverter bit.

 

An inverter is designed to give you 240 volt power from your 12 volt boat batteries, but if used for huge loads like any kind of water heating, this would quickly flatten your batteries, which you can only recharge by running the engine.

 

I can't see how an inverter has any part in running your calorifier. You certainly wouldn't want to try using an inverter to run an immersion heater.

 

If I've misunderstood, please explain!

 

Alan

Hi Alan and thanks for response, this is exactly why I need help, I assume under our circs, we will have to run the engine to heat water every time I need it. Any more thoughts, please let me know. We will be reliant on the engine, unless we invest in a generator. cheers. k.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Hi Alan and thanks for response, this is exactly why I need help, I assume under our circs, we will have to run the engine to heat water every time I need it. Any more thoughts, please let me know. We will be reliant on the engine, unless we invest in a generator. cheers. k.

It depends on whether you have any other heat source on board plumbed in to the calorifier.

 

This could be....

1) A central heating boiler running on diesel fuel.

2) Ditto, running on Calor gas

3) A wood or coke burning stove with a back boiler.

 

The first two can often be arranged just to heat water, without heating radiators.

The last obviously will only heat water if you are space heating the boat.

 

What heating system(s) do tou have ?

Are there radiators ?

 

Alan

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sueb Veteran II

sueb

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Hi Alan and thanks for response, this is exactly why I need help, I assume under our circs, we will have to run the engine to heat water every time I need it. Any more thoughts, please let me know. We will be reliant on the engine, unless we invest in a generator. cheers. k.

A generator won't heat the water but it will recharge batteries. Have you a solid fuel stove with back boiler? We use the engine to heat the water in the summer because we cruise alot and a solid fuel stove to heat the water in the winter. If the engine has been running during the day (in summer) we have enough water for one shower the next morning. The water is then cold till the engine is run again.

Sue

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kayDee Community Regular

kayDee

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It depends on whether you have any other heat source on board plumbed in to the calorifier.

 

This could be....

1) A central heating boiler running on diesel fuel.

2) Ditto, running on Calor gas

3) A wood or coke burning stove with a back boiler.

 

The first two can often be arranged just to heat water, without heating radiators.

The last obviously will only heat water if you are space heating the boat.

 

What heating system(s) do tou have ?

Are there radiators ?

 

Alan

No radiators, but have been told that we have a back boiler to our stove which we could plumb to a radiator.

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sueb Veteran II

sueb

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No radiators, but have been told that we have a back boiler to our stove which we could plumb to a radiator.

Your stove will probably be the best way of heating water as you will have constant hot water. How long is your boat?

Sue

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kayDee Community Regular

kayDee

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A generator won't heat the water but it will recharge batteries. Have you a solid fuel stove with back boiler? We use the engine to heat the water in the summer because we cruise alot and a solid fuel stove to heat the water in the winter. If the engine has been running during the day (in summer) we have enough water for one shower the next morning. The water is then cold till the engine is run again.

Sue

Apparantly we have an immersion heater type calorifier, so am hoping that this is more effective. k.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Apparantly we have an immersion heater type calorifier, so am hoping that this is more effective. k.

No, unfortunately that just means you could connect to a 240 volt supply if you had one.

 

If you have no access to mains electricity, your immersion heater would not help, (unless powered from a generator, which I suspect is even less fuel efficient than running your engine to heat water).

 

Of course when running your engine to heat water it will also be chaging your batteries, the other thing that will need a lot of careful management, if you don't have access to mains.

 

Sorry - I suspect I'm making it all sound scarier than it actually is. :lol:

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kayDee Community Regular

kayDee

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Your stove will probably be the best way of heating water as you will have constant hot water. How long is your boat?

Sue

Hi Sue, it's 60 foot and our daughter will be in the aft cabin, so thinking about having one radiator for her, just don't know if it is going to support hot water. God it's frustrating when you know nowt. he he.

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Berty Contributor

Berty

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Hi Sue, it's 60 foot and our daughter will be in the aft cabin, so thinking about having one radiator for her, just don't know if it is going to support hot water. God it's frustrating when you know nowt. he he.

 

Hi,

 

For comparison purposes, we have a Morso Squirrel stove with back boiler. If we get it quite well fired up we get a tank full of hot water in the calorifier and two hot radiators (bathroom and bedroom).

 

Squirrel stoves are quite well regarded I believe, so other stoves may not perform as well.

 

Cheers,

Berty

 

Also, to generate hot water to bathe your daughter, you could probably boil the kettle?

 

Cheers,

Berty

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kayDee Community Regular

kayDee

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what do you use in the way of heating?

 

calorifiers are usually twin coil, one coil for the engine and the other is usually taken up by a boiler fo some description.

Hi got a stove for heating, that's all, going to have to think about the best way to heat daughters cabin, maybe all night as she uncovers herself. problems, problems, he he

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