Multifuel Stoves on GRP boats?

[Naughty Cal]

Gosh some worrying information from the BSS person thanks for that anyway.

So let me get this right in my head on a basic level.

If I want a coal stove Im best off going for one like a boatman stove with a 4 inch flu rather than a small gypsy style box stove that has a thinner flu?

I would have to remember never ever to move or fill any petrol tanks while the fire were on.

I am also assuming cruising or moving the boat with the engine running would be dangerous with the stove on too?

 

So I am left with considering blown air propex heating or diesel heating.

 

When the diesel heating is on how noisey is it and how much a day would it cost to run please?

What is the cost for a basic setup for a 23 foot boat?

Thank you everyone for your information.

 

That poor man his boat was wrecked but at least he is ok.

 

Our diesel heating is only noisey from the bedroom because the fuel pump is located on the fuel tank which is right next to the bed behind a fire wall. Other than that it is just fan noise you get and some exhaust noise. Fitting a silencer is a must unless you want to upset every many and their dog with the exhaust tone. We have a 2kW Webasto Airtop 2000 ST which is more than ample for our 25ft cruiser and uses between an eighth and a quarter of a litre of diesel per hour.

 

Cost of the unit will very much depend on how much you can grab a bargain for. They do come up on Ebay but make sure you get the marine version not the automotive one as there are differences, mainly with the exhaust system and timer (the automotive version runs for an hour max before shutting down to save car batteries from dying). The cost of swapping the bits over generally costs more than buying the marine version in the first place.

 

We use this place:

 

Butler Tecnik

 

for all of our heater parts and they always seem to be fair with price.

 

We have had our boat for three years now and have never had a problem with our Webasto. It has a decoking cycle every 15 minutes which seems to keep it running in top condition. We know several people with Eberspachers who have had nothing but trouble with them and interestingly they dont have the decoke cycle. Dont be tempted to over size your unit, if they are cycling in and out a lot that is when the coking up will start to cause problems.

 

I cant tell you too much about the Propex gas installations other than they were cheaper than the equivalanet diesel heater but finding someone to install them if you are not competent to do it yourself proved difficult for a friend of ours.

[Rob@BSSOffice]

So let me get this right in my head on a basic level.

If I want a coal stove Im best off going for one like a boatman stove with a 4 inch flu rather than a small gypsy style box stove that has a thinner flu?

 

For clarity, any stove must be properly installed in the most appropriate space, it has to used and maintained with proper care and attention following the manufacturers instructions. So for example, combustible materials should not be stored next to, or where they can fall onto, the stove and its chimney.

 

All stove chimneys of any diameter, depending on the amount of use and the quality of the fuel that is burnt on them, need regular cleaning. So for just for one example, if rubbish is burnt on stove designed to burn charcoal only, then it may coke up very rapidly, especially if the flue is narrow.

 

Wider flues also choke quickly if wet or green wood is burnt, or if damp or inappropriate coal-based fuels are used, or if the fire is not run in accordance with the instructions

 

Likewise, if any boater is less than fastidious in their management of LPG or petrol, and carelessness allows vapours to escape or travel to a source of ignition (like a solid fuel stove or an LPG fridge flame - both are low-lying examples) then trouble is likely to follow.

 

Therefore, so much is down to the boat owner and the care and attention they pay to the various points of risk, and how they manage and mitigate the risks. So, perhaps the best first question to ask is - am I that type of boat owner?

 

Then make your choices accordingly

 

HTH the thread.

Regards

Rob

Edited February 23, 2012 by Rob@BSSOffice

[KirraMisha]

For clarity, any stove must be properly installed in the most appropriate space, it has to used and maintained with proper care and attention following the manufacturers instructions. So for example, combustible materials should not be stored next to, or where they can fall onto, the stove and its chimney.

 

All stove chimneys of any diameter, depending on the amount of use and the quality of the fuel that is burnt on them, need regular cleaning. So for just for one example, if rubbish is burnt on stove designed to burn charcoal only, then it may coke up very rapidly, especially if the flue is narrow.

 

Wider flues also choke quickly if wet or green wood is burnt, or if damp or inappropriate coal-based fuels are used, or if the fire is not run in accordance with the instructions

 

Likewise, if any boater is less than fastidious in their management of LPG or petrol, and carelessness allows vapours to escape or travel to a source of ignition (like a solid fuel stove or an LPG fridge flame - both are low-lying examples) then trouble is likely to follow.

 

Therefore, so much is down to the boat owner and the care and attention they pay to the various points of risk, and how they manage and mitigate the risks. So, perhaps the best first question to ask is - am I that type of boat owner?

 

Then make your choices accordingly

 

HTH the thread.

Regards

Rob

Answer me this please Rob.

The petrol tank is now possible going to be on the engine so no need for external tank so vapour I assume will drain stright into the canal in the engine well.

The multifuel heating stove is in the cabin installed as per BSS minimum distance regs and ventilation regs.

The chimney is swept/cleaned every week.

Will that be safe practice?