Gas Central Heating

[magpie patrick]

Hi folks,

 

Our boat has gas central heating with an Aldi Boiler, all compliant and passed a BSS, albeit now two years ago.

 

We've never left it on all night, always turn it off last thing and restart in the morning, usually with Val buried beneath a duvet while I turn it off and while I turn it back on again and she doesn't emerge between times.

 

However, this weekend, Val has been made quite ill though getting too cold at night (not on the boat, but at a friends house: when we got in the car to leave it was heating on high for 50 miles to defrost her). One answer is don't go on the boat oif it's too cold, but is there an issue to running the CH all night? what are the risks in terms of noxious outputs and how can I protect us from them.

 

Or am I just being paranoid

[david and julie]

Or am I just being paranoid

Probably.

 

Your boiler is room sealed so the fumes are going outside the boat, if anything its probably safer than solid fuel. If it really worries you about any fumes coming back into the boat keep the windows near the flue closed.

 

Many hire boats have Alde's and also have no other form of heating so they are often left going day and night.

 

In the long term perhaps a gas/smoke/Co etc alarm would be a good idea for peace of mind?

[alan_fincher]

Patrick,

 

I'm sure lots of people do....

 

But surely very pertinent is the age, and particularly type of your boiler.

 

If it were a fully room sealed ("balanced flue") type, it's hard to see any risk, as the only way fumes could get to you inside in the case of malfunction is by coming back through vents or open windows.

 

If it's an older type that gets it's combustion air from the cabin, then I'd say the chances of unwanted fumes must be higher.

 

In the latter case, as a minimum I'd want a reliable CO alarm in any part of the boat where people sleep.

 

Alan

[frangar]

My boat has had both types of Alde...and we are still here!! We liveaboard and whilst now we only use the Alde when its really cold (like now!!) when we had the non sealed veersion we didnt have power on the mooring so it was on 24/7 for about 5 years with no ill effects....mind you we keep our fire in all winter day and night....even when we go out (shock horror!!). If you are at all concerned then as others have said get a CO alarm and maybe get it serviced. This guy used to work for Alde and now has a mobile repair service.

 

http://www.grahamcutmoreengineering.co.uk/

 

or look at Alde's service page

 

http://www.alde.co.uk/service.php

 

Hope this puts your mind at rest!

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

 

PS We only replaced the 1st unit because various bits were getting a bit tired after about 10 years use.....not bad I thought esp seeing what others have to endure with Diesel heaters

[Keeping Up]

We've got an Ellis, which pre-dates any Aldi by several years, and we keep that going all night. It most certainly isn't room-sealed!

 

Yes we do have a CO alarm, and it's never sounded.

[LEO]

Patrick,

 

In the latter case, as a minimum I'd want a reliable CO alarm in any part of the boat where people sleep.

 

Alan

 

Hi,

 

Agreed it's a good idea to fit an alarm, but it's also worth checking that you can hear it, especially when you are sleeping. Many people suffer with hearing defects and the alarm sound may be out of their hearing range and not wake them in time. - this is common with smoke alarms.

 

The effect of alcohol enhances the problem.

 

The RNID recognise this fact and produces special smoke alarms fitted with vibrators to waken sleepers in the event of a fire and them not being woken by the normal alarm.

 

It might be worth contacting them about the Co2 issue.

 

An audiologist working for the fire brigade alerted me to this very real problem.

 

Leo.

 

PS - Now children forget the jokes about 'vibrators'!

Edited December 1, 2008 by LEO

[magpie patrick]

Thanks Guys,

 

Yes, I'm pretty sure it's room sealed, and the boat was a hire boat until 2005 so it has no other form of heating (except turning the cooker on! Which I certainly wouldn't do all night). From what you are saying, the room sealing would have to stop working (and presumably it has no moving parts, just being a method of venting that draws air to aid the combustion from outside the boat?) or some misfortune like the fumes coming back in through a window, in which case we could equally be gassing our next door neighbours, or they us

 

Might well leave it on when we're on over Christmas then: still might get a CO alarm though... where's the belt and braces smiley

[Tim Doran]

Never underestimate the benifit of a decent duvet. I have a down one that i use in the winter along with my other 13.5 tog so I have a 28.5 in total. When SWIMBO is around it is much too hot and i have to resort to kicking her out or removing the second duvet.

 

This does not solve the problem of freezing your whatsits off when you get out of bed.

 

Oh and remember hotwater bottles? They make the bed lovely and warm when you get in.

 

Tim

[saltysplash]

My first boat gad an Ellis....which we left on summer an winter for hot water and heating....and that was in the days before CO alarms were invented..

 

get a Decent CO alarm and stay warm....I think youll find that if you do a search there are far more deaths casued by faulty appliences in houses then ever there are on boats most deaths on boats appear to be due to human error rather than the fault of the appliance......another thing is......keep well ventilated

[bottle]

and do not forget that insulation underneath you, when in bed, is a good idea, a blanket will do.

[Hazza]

No problem leaving it on. Just work hard to pay for all the gas you'll use!

[Nickhlx]

What do people with Webastos do then ?

 

I thought these would only run for two hours then had to be switched off, cool down and re-start ?

 

 

Nick

[bottle]

Buy thicker duvets.

 

Now I understand there may be reasons that people want heating on all night but we are not those people.

 

Never had any heating on at night, for my whole life and that is a long time.

[Odana]

still might get a CO alarm though... where's the belt and braces smiley

 

Carbon monoxide alarm shouldn't be considered belt and braces, but an essential item! If you want 'belt and braces', get two, of different makes, in case of failure - one with a digital display showing levels can help you monitor things. I lost an uncle to a faulty gas water heater and nearly lost mother and sister to a blocked boiler flue (neither on boats, I hasten to add) so I'm all for a healthy level of paranoia. But yes, my fire does stay on 24 hours a day!

 

Shall I buy Val a nice fluffy bed-hat for Christmas?

[WJM]

Well said - I find it hard to believe that there actually are people staying on boats without CO2 alarms. It is totally irrelevant what age, make, type of heater you have, they all have the potential to produce CO2. An alarm should be considered an integral, inseparable part of a heating system.

[chris w]

What do people with Webastos do then ?

 

I thought these would only run for two hours then had to be switched off, cool down and re-start ?

 

 

Nick

Webastos will run for hours and hours. We often have ours on for 7 or 8 hours continuously with no issue.

 

In the manaul, the only stipulation is that once in each 24 hour period it should be switched off for a couple of hours to enable it to cool right down. This is to ensure that when it is relit, the burner will come on at full power and burn away any carbon deposits.

 

Chris

Edited December 2, 2008 by chris w

[Nickhlx]

Webastos will run for hours and hours. We often have ours on for 7 or 8 hours continuously with no issue.

 

In the manaul, the only stipulation is that once in each 24 hour period it should be switched off for a couple of hours to enable it to cool right down. This is to ensure that when it is relit, the burner will come on at full power and burn away any carbon deposits.

 

Chris

 

 

Thanks for that clarification Chris - I suddenly had worries that I had been wrongly convinced into a Webasto

 

Nick

[OptedOut]

Well said - I find it hard to believe that there actually are people staying on boats without CO2 alarms. It is totally irrelevant what age, make, type of heater you have, they all have the potential to produce CO2. An alarm should be considered an integral, inseparable part of a heating system.

 

I thought the alarms were for CO not CO2?

[Nickhlx]

I thought the alarms were for CO not CO2?

 

 

I think most are for CO as it is "the deadly" one - although CO2 will still suffocate you, it doesn't combine with the red blood cells to prevent them from being able to take up oxygen and carry it around the body, so perhaps is "less deadly"

 

I am not sure if alarms for CO2 exist, ( I am sure they must do) but it seems a good idea to have as well if not industrially prohibitive for some reason ( cost / size)

 

Nick

[RLWP]

I am not sure if alarms for CO2 exist, ( I am sure they must do) but it seems a good idea to have as well if not industrially prohibitive for some reason ( cost / size)

 

Nick

 

Wouldn't it go off every time you breathed on it?

 

Richard

[magpie patrick]

Shall I buy Val a nice fluffy bed-hat for Christmas?

 

Please do, a lovely idea. I'm getting her one of those 28 tog duvets someone mentioned...