Boiler & Water heaters .... your thoughts & experience please?

[Wombledriver]

Dear All - Hi there ... I am new to the narrowboat world, loving it, learning as I go and keen try and get things right. I would be very grateful if I could get as many different views on boilers and water heaters. Specifically what you think are the best and what the pro's and con's are with going for a water heater ahead of a boiler and vice versa. I have a 53ft narrowboat, with a Squirrel Morsa and currently no hot water heater or boiler. I am contemplating an Alde 3010 with 2 small radiators or an 11 litre Morco Water heater purely for hot water withno addiitonal heating in the boat except maybe a Trumatic warm air blower.

I am interested in all your opinions and some specific experiences on the systems mentioned especially if you have used them or had a similar dilemma?

Cheers

Andy - The Wombledriver

[dor]

I've got the Alde 3010 and am very pleased with it. It has been in use for 3 years now and has been 100% reliable with no servicing required. It is a lot more efficient than the old Alde 2928, although might not be quite as cheap to run as a diesel boiler. But you do get that reliability and no servicing costs.

Cost for installing is not much different to a diesel either, even allowing for the SS calorifier.

[paulcatchpole]

I've got the Alde 3010 and am very pleased with it. It has been in use for 3 years now and has been 100% reliable with no servicing required. It is a lot more efficient than the old Alde 2928, although might not be quite as cheap to run as a diesel boiler. But you do get that reliability and no servicing costs.

Cost for installing is not much different to a diesel either, even allowing for the SS calorifier.

 

No regular servicing in three years? Is that what the manufacturers say then? Blimey...

 

PC

[alan_fincher]

I am contemplating an Alde 3010 with 2 small radiators or an 11 litre Morco Water heater purely for hot water withno addiitonal heating in the boat except maybe a Trumatic warm air blower.

 

I assume you mean the "G11" 11 litres per minute Morco, as opposed to the 6 litres per minute D61 series.

 

I don't know why, but can't say I have ever seen one installed on a boat - people always seem to have the lower output D61 (or older D51).

 

Worth checking gas flow rates to sustain that heat output, and how big pipes and regulator would need to be.

 

Also many fresh water pumps don't I think deliver the water any faster than 11 litres per minute, so assuming you would want to draw off a mix of hot and cold sometimes, you might well need a "larger than average" pump to supply it, (or multiple pumps).

 

Also check you don't have to have some ridiculous length of flue with the bigger heater that can't really be sensibly accommodated on a boat.

 

I'm just thinking there must be a resaon, (other than price difference) why people always seem to use the lowrer powered models.

[Wombledriver]

Thanks for all your comments:

 

Dor - just wondered did you find that the boiler needs to have radiatiors connected to it to load it up a bit?

 

Alan - I will look at all the Morco issues you raise and ask the question ... before going firm with any such fittings.

 

Again thanks

 

Andy - The Wombedriver