Reliable diesel heating

[pinkoi]

Could you not just turn off the radiators? or do like we have and fit an immersion

 

Yep we speed up hot by switching off the solitary radiator, I guess there isn't much we can do to reduce the heat output from the actual stove when its heating the water... Bunging a full kettle on the top helps and has the neat side effect of acting like an overnight teasmade!

 

Immersion heater isn't possible really though, we dont have the power for it realistically...

 

The plan is to wrap the engine exhaust with copper pipe so we can combine electricity production with hot water in the summer... the reality is there are never enough hours in the day to get all these things done!

[MtB]

OOoh, that sounds intriguing, how did you do that?

 

This is our only complaint with the refleks, having to sit with the heating on in the summer when its 25 degrees out because we want to have a bath or do the washing!

 

I suspect KK has one of the "cold furnace" versions, here: http://www.lockgate-stoves.co.uk/products/marinestoves/coldfurnace/

 

It doesn't actually say so in the link but it can be deduced from the water rating spec; the cold furnace stove is so called because the unit itself is highly insulated and only minimally heats the room in which it is installed.

 

Virtually of the heat output is in the hot water it produces, for you to pipe/pump to rads and/or the cauliflower, and therefore very controlable.

 

(Thanks to mickspangle for the great new ArferDaleyism!)

 

Mike

[Chertsey]

The Kabola E5 I installed to heat the lined hold of a large Woolwich has heated four radiators and a large hot water tank on its lowest setting until I believe it created the current heatwave. Best points are that it is truly silent and its Bolin 12v water circulation pump is ultra quiet and uses tiny amounts of battery power. Consequently, with a hand start National engine, I achieved the aim of having no gas and only two 12v batteries on board. The second battery is for the tunnel light and a TV. Interior lights are by LED fittings with their own batteries, not counting the oil lamp in the boatmans cabin of course, which also houses the Epping stove for cooking.

Thinking of this context, which (types of) systems have the most discreet exhausts?

 

ed. to add..

Pah! I've only got one battery and an electric start! But at least the dynamo works now.

 

OOoh, that sounds intriguing, how did you do that?

 

This is our only complaint with the refleks, having to sit with the heating on in the summer when its 25 degrees out because we want to have a bath or do the washing!

But in that case, why are you sitting inside?

Edited May 11, 2011 by Chertsey

[Randwick]

Refleks, easy & simple. Mine's 32 years old and works every time, never had a problem even though it can go 3 months without use sometimes when I'm not on the boat. And a kettle on the top means there's always water for tea or coffee.

[wandering snail]

Very pleased with our Lockgate Morso Squirrel conversion. Runs rads thru the boat, easy to use, looks good and gives loads of very controllable heat.

[pinkoi]

Thinking of this context, which (types of) systems have the most discreet exhausts?

 

ed. to add..

Pah! I've only got one battery and an electric start! But at least the dynamo works now.

 

 

But in that case, why are you sitting inside?

 

Have to maintain the pale part of "pale and interesting" :-)

 

I didn't realise lockgate did just a water heater.... I think having both that and the stove might be metal cylinder overload. Interesting to know though...

thanks

 

:-)

[J R]

That's an excellent pdf link - full of useful info. - thanks for posting it.

 

Main thing I've learned from it is NOT to use the heater for just heating hot water ie by blocking off the circuit to the towel rail and/or radiators....keep a second circuit open at all times.

 

We use our Webasto on and off all year round. Correct to say that similar beasties need running regularly to keep them happy. We are able to run ours seperately from the central heating of the boat for hot water without any issue whatsoever.

 

All (red) diesel supplied to canal side dealers as from the beginning of this year has to be low sulpuhur. It is the same stuff that you get at the local filling station except for the addition of the excise dye. One should always fit a good quality inline fuel filter and/or water seperator as a matter of course to ensure the supply to the burner is in the best condition possible.

 

A possible solution for the OP is to have a drip fed diesel corner stove or similar that does both hot water and central heating. This would save having to get coal or wood for a stove saving time getting it and the attendent storage problems. One would have to look into any running cost implications going down this route.

[Martin Brooks]

Harworth bubble stove if you want a room heater. I've had one for ten years now, it needs cleaning out occasionally but that's about all.

Don't know about the Kabolas but the importer is Kuranda Marine who I would avoid, I've had a lot of trouble with them over another product ( Wallas Hob, complete rubbish avoid like the plague!)

[bluegreencanal]

My Mikuni became infinitely more reliable after a good service by the wonderful Phil, and only ever starting it up when the generator or engine had pushed the batteries up to in excess of 12v. Remains to be seen how it goes on (8 months so far) as I wont be running it throughout the summer, just now and again to warm up on very chilly evenings.

 

I would love a silent backboiler but am quite well situated and woulnd't disturb anyone if I had to run it at midnight - although of course it would have to be an emergency to do such a naughty thing as that It does have a silencer, which works as i discovered when it fell off once and I became temporarily deaf as I was working next to it !!