oil filled rads

[cazberry]

Hi y'all,

thinking ahead to when we get the inevitable cold spell.

Just been given a delonghi oil-filled rad with a timer. Does anyone here use a rad like this?

and if so, do you set the timer so it comes on when you're away from the boat?

I have to stay over at work a few days per week so would like to set timer etc, only I'm a bit nervous about doing...

Any thoughts?

[Midnight Rider]

Hi

 

Firstly,I assume that the boat is on shore power.

 

I always use a couple of oil filled rads in the winter & leave them on all the time set on just above the frost setting.

 

The only thing to watch, as far as I am concerned, is that if the power supply 'trips out' while the rads are on, it will soon knacker your batteries.

[cazberry]

Hi

 

Firstly,I assume that the boat is on shore power.

 

I always use a couple of oil filled rads in the winter & leave them on all the time set on just above the frost setting.

 

The only thing to watch, as far as I am concerned, is that if the power supply 'trips out' while the rads are on, it will soon knacker your batteries.

 

Hi, yes the boat will be on shore power.

By leaving them on all the time do they use a lot of electric?...

just thinking about making sure there is enough credit on powerpoint!

and how big are your rads?

ta

[slammer]

I have a similar rad that works off a thermo switch , set to room temp it only comes on in the early hours after the stove has calmed down .It keeps the chill off and have not had any problems with it, as for a timer switch ,mine aint got one but if it did I would just leave it working on the thermo switch instead. Have left it over a weekend whilst away and not had any trouble at all, as said just make sure you have enough leccy on the meter. Stay warm

[NB Lola]

I intend to do that this year - stick a couple of oil filed rads onto the boat. I have isolated shore power so if it trips the battery circuit is not used, If it does not trip the batteries still get their trickle charge.

[Canalwatcher]

Some inverters/chargers, eg Victron Combi, have a "charge only" switch position that avoids any battery drain if shorepower cuts out

 

I use two rads on frost setting each 1500 watts (might be less as each is set to min power as opposed to max power). One rad at the front and one to the rear

 

Mick

[cazberry]

I have a similar rad that works off a thermo switch , set to room temp it only comes on in the early hours after the stove has calmed down .It keeps the chill off and have not had any problems with it, as for a timer switch ,mine aint got one but if it did I would just leave it working on the thermo switch instead. Have left it over a weekend whilst away and not had any trouble at all, as said just make sure you have enough leccy on the meter. Stay warm

 

have just had a look at mine and it does have a thermo gauge thingy.

By putting it on a certain therm and not having the timer on do you just leave it on all the time? ...and it just regulates itself to keep the temp at a certain level?

 

blimey...feel like a kid...questions questions!!

[Midnight Rider]

Hi, yes the boat will be on shore power.

By leaving them on all the time do they use a lot of electric?...

just thinking about making sure there is enough credit on powerpoint!

and how big are your rads?

ta

The cost will depend on how severe the winter is, but left on low they won't use a lot. Just put a few quid in & check how much it's used when you get back.

 

I think that one of mine is 3kw, but I only use it on the 1 kw setting & it's been fine.

 

ETA --- re the thermo gauge thingy ------ yes

Edited November 5, 2011 by Midnight Rider

[slammer]

have just had a look at mine and it does have a thermo gauge thingy.

By putting it on a certain therm and not having the timer on do you just leave it on all the time? ...and it just regulates itself to keep the temp at a certain level?

 

blimey...feel like a kid...questions questions!!

Yeah just set it to keep the chill off and it should just click on a few times a hour , mines a 1.5Kw small jobby so the cost aint much maybe a few quid a week on Overwater leccy rates

[Pykebird]

I have just bought a slim panel rad that can be used in bathrooms. I have it in the bedroom and it also has a thermostat so can be set at whatever heat you require. It uses 700/750 watts so although I am on shore line at the mo, I would still be able to run for a couple of hours at night when I am charging my batteries through my inverter. (if all goes to plan)

[Guest]

Some inverters/chargers, eg Victron Combi, have a "charge only" switch position that avoids any battery drain if shorepower cuts out

 

I use two rads on frost setting each 1500 watts (might be less as each is set to min power as opposed to max power). One rad at the front and one to the rear

 

Mick

 

Correct our Master Volt Combi has this. We only ever put the inverter to on if we want mains when we are off shore power.

 

As to the original question - I wondered about one of these oil filled rads last year but worried about the fire aspect of leaving something like this on the boat unattended.....still not sure TBH..

[cazberry]

Some inverters/chargers, eg Victron Combi, have a "charge only" switch position that avoids any battery drain if shorepower cuts out

 

I use two rads on frost setting each 1500 watts (might be less as each is set to min power as opposed to max power). One rad at the front and one to the rear

 

Mick

 

My inverter has a 'charge' only switch position.

It's on auto at the mo...thought it needed to be on auto to accept shoreline power?

 

oh dear, think I need a course on engineroom 'knowhow'!!

[slammer]

My inverter has a 'charge' only switch position.

It's on auto at the mo...thought it needed to be on auto to accept shoreline power?

 

oh dear, think I need a course on engineroom 'knowhow'!!

Should be fine left on "Auto" if you put enough credit on the meter. Worst case is your leccy goes and your batts get used instead. As stated mine only uses a few quid a week so just make sure you have atleast £10 on the meter.

[bottle]

I have just bought a slim panel rad that can be used in bathrooms. I have it in the bedroom and it also has a thermostat so can be set at whatever heat you require. It uses 700/750 watts so although I am on shore line at the mo, I would still be able to run for a couple of hours at night when I am charging my batteries through my inverter. (if all goes to plan)

 

Only if your alternator can give more amps, than you need for the rads, even if it does then the batteries will still receive less charge.

[jelunga]

We left an oil filled rad on in the rear cabin all last winter and the winter before set to a frost setting on the thermostat. Plugged in to mains power and with the inverter charger in charger only mode. Leccy bill was not huge and no frost damage to boat.

We now live aboard and the 800 w oil filled has been replaced with a 2kw convector heater with thermostat and timer set to switch on at 0630 every morning. No probs there either. In my opinion, the oil filled is safer for unattended operation

 

We left an oil filled rad on in the rear cabin all last winter and the winter before set to a frost setting on the thermostat. Plugged in to mains power and with the inverter charger in charger only mode. Leccy bill was not huge and no frost damage to boat.

We now live aboard and the 800 w oil filled has been replaced with a 2kw convector heater with thermostat and timer set to switch on at 0630 every morning. No probs there either. In my opinion, the oil filled is safer for unattended operation

[tosher]

Advice please-----I often leave the boat unoccupied for a couple of weeks at a time and always leave the shore power lead disconnect(galvanic corrosion etc etc). I would like to leave an oil filled radiator switched on to protect against frost. I thought about using an extension lead to connect the heater straight into the leccy post on the pontoon to avoid having to "plug the boat in". Is this in any way harmfull as there would be no one onboard when the heater is connected. The leccy post does have two circuit breakrs on it, one is overcurrent and one is earth leakage(I think). I have a feeling this is not best practice. tosher.

[Ssscrudddy]

I live in rented accomodation, & the only heater we are allowed (when the central heating doesnt work) under fire regulations are oil filled rads. Same applied to a B&B I used to run, latest fire regs only allow the use of oil filled rads (when the heating isnt on), in other words no convector heaters, no fan heaters, no "naked flame" heaters.

[cazberry]

Advice please-----I often leave the boat unoccupied for a couple of weeks at a time and always leave the shore power lead disconnect(galvanic corrosion etc etc). I would like to leave an oil filled radiator switched on to protect against frost. I thought about using an extension lead to connect the heater straight into the leccy post on the pontoon to avoid having to "plug the boat in". Is this in any way harmfull as there would be no one onboard when the heater is connected. The leccy post does have two circuit breakrs on it, one is overcurrent and one is earth leakage(I think). I have a feeling this is not best practice. tosher.

 

 

I'm far from knowing if this is right or not...but my gut feeling says..it doesn't sound like a good idea!

If you have a galvanic isolator surely there should be no problem with corrosion.?

[jonathanA]

Advice please-----I often leave the boat unoccupied for a couple of weeks at a time and always leave the shore power lead disconnect(galvanic corrosion etc etc). I would like to leave an oil filled radiator switched on to protect against frost. I thought about using an extension lead to connect the heater straight into the leccy post on the pontoon to avoid having to "plug the boat in". Is this in any way harmfull as there would be no one onboard when the heater is connected. The leccy post does have two circuit breakrs on it, one is overcurrent and one is earth leakage(I think). I have a feeling this is not best practice. tosher.

 

I did this last year as I didn't have Galvanic isolation and didn't want to leave the boat plugged in - obviously its not ideal, but so long as there is no metal to metal contact (heater to boat) and the lead isn't trapped I didn't see an issue and had no problem.

 

ETA I used a time clock and the heaters own thermostat to control when it came on. I just wanted to keep the frost off/air the boat and it worked fine. There's been a few other threads on the same sort of topic recently too.

Edited November 6, 2011 by jonathanA

[bottle]

I used a time clock and the heaters own thermostat

 

I can understand that the thermostat knows when it is cold and the heater needs to be on but how does the time clock?

[blackrose]

Advice please-----I often leave the boat unoccupied for a couple of weeks at a time and always leave the shore power lead disconnect(galvanic corrosion etc etc). I would like to leave an oil filled radiator switched on to protect against frost. I thought about using an extension lead to connect the heater straight into the leccy post on the pontoon to avoid having to "plug the boat in". Is this in any way harmfull as there would be no one onboard when the heater is connected. The leccy post does have two circuit breakrs on it, one is overcurrent and one is earth leakage(I think). I have a feeling this is not best practice. tosher.

 

You don't say whether you have any form of galvanic isolation? As Cazberry says, if you do then there's no need to worry about galvanic corrosion. If you don't have any isolation then why aren't you worried about corrosion when you're on the boat and plugged in? (Assuming you are plugged in for lengthy periods).

Edited November 6, 2011 by blackrose

[Midnight Rider]

Some inverters/chargers, eg Victron Combi, have a "charge only" switch position that avoids any battery drain if shorepower cuts out

 

I've got a Mastervolt set up --- inverter/charger/masterswitch with a control panel.

 

If I switch the inverter off & the shore power trips, will that cut off the rads & save the batteries?

 

I've had a look through the mass of instructions & can't find how to use it on 'charge only'.

[bottle]

I've got a Mastervolt set up --- inverter/charger/masterswitch with a control panel.

If I switch the inverter off & the shore power trips, will that cut off the rads & save the batteries?

 

I've had a look through the mass of instructions & can't find how to use it on 'charge only'.

 

I would expect so, give it a try next time at the boat. (does not have to be the rads connected, any 240v equipment that you can tell is working or not.)

[Midnight Rider]

Much obliged.

[Guest]

I've had a look through the mass of instructions & can't find how to use it on 'charge only'.

 

Does yours not have a three way rocker switch -

 

In at the top - Inverter

 

In the mid position - OFF

 

In at the bottom - Charger only

 

 

ed to add - on ours the remote panel (in the galley) takes priority meaning if the last operation was to switch the inverter/charger off at the remote panel it won't switch on with the 3 way switch.

Edited November 7, 2011 by MJG